Should I get 9mm or .357 sig barrel on p226 .40
- Thread starter TCW
- Start date
CAUTION.
When I bought my .357 Sig P-226 -- which is IDENTICAL to your .40 S&W P-226 -- I am quite certain the Sig Sauer instruction booklet made it clear that conversion to a .40 S&W (barrel change only) was easy, BUT CONVERSION TO 9mm WAS NOT POSSIBLE.
In sum, the P-226 can easily go between .40 S&W and .357 Sig, however:
> 9mm P-226s cannot be modified to accommodate .40 S&W/.357 Sig
> Nor can .40 S&W/.357 Sig P-226s be modified to accept 9mm
I could be wrong, but please check this carefully since it is a potential safety issue.
When I bought my .357 Sig P-226 -- which is IDENTICAL to your .40 S&W P-226 -- I am quite certain the Sig Sauer instruction booklet made it clear that conversion to a .40 S&W (barrel change only) was easy, BUT CONVERSION TO 9mm WAS NOT POSSIBLE.
In sum, the P-226 can easily go between .40 S&W and .357 Sig, however:
> 9mm P-226s cannot be modified to accommodate .40 S&W/.357 Sig
> Nor can .40 S&W/.357 Sig P-226s be modified to accept 9mm
I could be wrong, but please check this carefully since it is a potential safety issue.
Base diameters are different between the 9mm and 40 S&W.The 357 sig is based on the 40 so base diameters are the same.The change problem is in the bolt face.Its built for the diameter of the 40 not the 9 so will not work.
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beemerb
We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world;
and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men
every day who don't know anything and can't read.
-Mark Twain
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beemerb
We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world;
and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men
every day who don't know anything and can't read.
-Mark Twain
TCW,
Beemerb is correct: the base diameter of the case is the same in .40 and .357 Sig. Simply installing a 9mm barrel won't work because the breech face will be too large (as previously stated). Also, the .40 magazine probably won't function reliably filled with 9mm rounds. And I don't think a 9mm magazine will work due to the different lip dimensions. If Barsto has figured something out that's great, but check with Sig first.
The .357 Sig is a great cartridge... accurate and very manageable recoil for the performance it delivers. Enjoy!
Beemerb is correct: the base diameter of the case is the same in .40 and .357 Sig. Simply installing a 9mm barrel won't work because the breech face will be too large (as previously stated). Also, the .40 magazine probably won't function reliably filled with 9mm rounds. And I don't think a 9mm magazine will work due to the different lip dimensions. If Barsto has figured something out that's great, but check with Sig first.
The .357 Sig is a great cartridge... accurate and very manageable recoil for the performance it delivers. Enjoy!
Bar Sto does make a 9mm barrel for the .40 226. It is $185.00 plus $10.00 shipping.
Yes the breech faces are different between the 9mm and the .40. The reason that the Bar Sto barrel works is that the extractor on the 226 .40/.357 (and on the 229 .40/.357 by the way, which Bar Sto also makes a 9mm barrel for) extends far enough into the slide to press the 9mm case against the far side breech wall with enough force to retain it. This may be common on many other .40/.357 weapons as well. I can confirm that my Beretta 96 works with a stock 92 9mm barrel. Like on the Sig the Beretta extractor extends in far enough to snug the case against the breech and hold it in place. (Just barely on the Beretta though)
Your probably wondering how can the case be against the far side yet still line up so the primer is centered over the firing pin? The answer to that is that while in the barrel the case is centered over the breech face but during extraction it slides against the far side as it comes out of the barrel.
Why is it important that the case be held in place? If the extractor did not hold the case in place then the cartridge would slip out of from under the extractor and fall into the gun and cause a major problem. Or the case could be knocked loose by the ejector to fall back into the gun. Again not good.
It doesn't take a ton of pressure to hold the case in place. Just enough so it won't drop out of the slide. Just look at a fixed extractor gun to see what I mean. I.E. a 1911 style weapon. Just enough tension to do the job...
The other item that is at least as critical as the extractor issue is that the ejector must still hit the case cleanly to give consistent ejection. Again this will be a model to model issue. Some designs such as the Sig and Beretta work, others probably don't.
Reasons for wanting to convert your .40 to a 9mm can vary. Cheaper ammo, less stress on the weapon, or maybe your like me and you just love those politically incorrect "preban" magazines!
Just remember a few facts about the conversion.
1. ONLY the Bar Sto barrel will work. A SIG 226 9mm barrel will NOT work in the .40. The barrel hood is wider on the .40 by about 0.045 of an inch or so. The hood on a Sig 9mm barrel will not be big enough and it will just rattle around in the slide.
2. This works only on guns chambered from the factory in .40 or .357. You can't go from a 9mm gun to a .40 or .357. It only works the other way around.
3. Factory Sig .40/.357 mags for the 226 (at least all that I have seen) will NOT work with 9mm. The lips have been ground down so they are so far apart 9mm will just drop right through them. You might be able to bend the lips but I wouldn't advise it.
4. Sig 226 9mm mags will work just fine in a .40/.357 226. They will work for all three calibers. As an added bonus you can get 11, 12 or even more rounds of .40/.357 in these mags depending on the make.
I always wanted a 226 but never got around to buying one. When they brought out the .40 version I just had to have one. Now, thanks to the good guys at Bar Sto, I can have my cake and eat it to. A 226 with the new milled SS slide (a big improvement over the old slide IMHO) and with only a barrel swap, my choice of 9mm, .40 and .357 SIG. Yes!
Just remember everything in this post IMHO and I assume no liability if you try any of the things I have described. It worked in my guns and others I have seen but your mileage may vary and the responsibility is yours.
Also Sig does not advise attempting such a conversion and you might void your warranty if you try it. (At least if you told them about it.)
Sorry for the long post but I had the same questions when I was looking at getting a 9mm barrel for my 226. I thought it deserved a thorough answer.
Take Care
PreBanMan
Yes the breech faces are different between the 9mm and the .40. The reason that the Bar Sto barrel works is that the extractor on the 226 .40/.357 (and on the 229 .40/.357 by the way, which Bar Sto also makes a 9mm barrel for) extends far enough into the slide to press the 9mm case against the far side breech wall with enough force to retain it. This may be common on many other .40/.357 weapons as well. I can confirm that my Beretta 96 works with a stock 92 9mm barrel. Like on the Sig the Beretta extractor extends in far enough to snug the case against the breech and hold it in place. (Just barely on the Beretta though)
Your probably wondering how can the case be against the far side yet still line up so the primer is centered over the firing pin? The answer to that is that while in the barrel the case is centered over the breech face but during extraction it slides against the far side as it comes out of the barrel.
Why is it important that the case be held in place? If the extractor did not hold the case in place then the cartridge would slip out of from under the extractor and fall into the gun and cause a major problem. Or the case could be knocked loose by the ejector to fall back into the gun. Again not good.
It doesn't take a ton of pressure to hold the case in place. Just enough so it won't drop out of the slide. Just look at a fixed extractor gun to see what I mean. I.E. a 1911 style weapon. Just enough tension to do the job...
The other item that is at least as critical as the extractor issue is that the ejector must still hit the case cleanly to give consistent ejection. Again this will be a model to model issue. Some designs such as the Sig and Beretta work, others probably don't.
Reasons for wanting to convert your .40 to a 9mm can vary. Cheaper ammo, less stress on the weapon, or maybe your like me and you just love those politically incorrect "preban" magazines!
Just remember a few facts about the conversion.
1. ONLY the Bar Sto barrel will work. A SIG 226 9mm barrel will NOT work in the .40. The barrel hood is wider on the .40 by about 0.045 of an inch or so. The hood on a Sig 9mm barrel will not be big enough and it will just rattle around in the slide.
2. This works only on guns chambered from the factory in .40 or .357. You can't go from a 9mm gun to a .40 or .357. It only works the other way around.
3. Factory Sig .40/.357 mags for the 226 (at least all that I have seen) will NOT work with 9mm. The lips have been ground down so they are so far apart 9mm will just drop right through them. You might be able to bend the lips but I wouldn't advise it.
4. Sig 226 9mm mags will work just fine in a .40/.357 226. They will work for all three calibers. As an added bonus you can get 11, 12 or even more rounds of .40/.357 in these mags depending on the make.
I always wanted a 226 but never got around to buying one. When they brought out the .40 version I just had to have one. Now, thanks to the good guys at Bar Sto, I can have my cake and eat it to. A 226 with the new milled SS slide (a big improvement over the old slide IMHO) and with only a barrel swap, my choice of 9mm, .40 and .357 SIG. Yes!
Just remember everything in this post IMHO and I assume no liability if you try any of the things I have described. It worked in my guns and others I have seen but your mileage may vary and the responsibility is yours.
Also Sig does not advise attempting such a conversion and you might void your warranty if you try it. (At least if you told them about it.)
Sorry for the long post but I had the same questions when I was looking at getting a 9mm barrel for my 226. I thought it deserved a thorough answer.
Take Care
PreBanMan
mzanghetti
New member
357 all the way! 
IMHO you would be better off with the .357sig than 9mm . Anybody own both that can give some more concrete info?
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A Life Well Lived Is The Best Revenge!
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IMHO you would be better off with the .357sig than 9mm . Anybody own both that can give some more concrete info?------------------
A Life Well Lived Is The Best Revenge!
http://home.earthlink.net/~mzanghe/index.html