Sig accuracy. Will shooting it "seat the barrel"?

J

johnbt

New member
I'm a curious bystander.

Met a man at the range yesterday with a new Sig .40. Don't ask me which one - polymer frame 229? 239?

Anyway, this was his second time shooting it and almost all of the shots were spraying into the dirt a foot or foot-and-a-half low at 25 yards - even using the sand bag I loaned him. The day before the shots were going high and low with some wide thrown in.

He told me that he talked to the gun shop after firing 40 or so unpredictable rounds the first day and they told him to shoot a couple hundred more rounds because the "barrel had to seat" before the gun would be accurate.

Is this true? Or was the shop was pulling his leg?

Thanks,

John
 
I don't know what the shop means by "seat the barrel". If it's a polymer-framed Sig it's the Sigpro 2340. The Pro's are accurate guns, provided this one isn't a lemon. My guess is that the inaccuracy of the gun is operator error, especially if you mention that one day the shots are high and the next they're low. I'd suggest that shooter try shooting at closer ranges and SA only.

Many people aren't used to the DA/SA trigger control and on a new gun, new round, may need some practice. My Sigpro is a .357Sig and it was accurate out-of-the-box and so have the other ones I've shot. Might want to try some different ammo as well. I think the shop needs to explain what "seat the barrel" means. One usually hears of "seat the magazine" which is to put the magazine all the way into the gun until it clicks shut. So, while there may be nothing wrong with the gun, the shop is full of it.
 
Nothing to "seat". Likely operator, could be machining defect (burr or something). Definitely some defects at the gun store.
 
I've owned several SIGs and I have found them to be VERY ACCURATE right out of the box.

There is probably a very, very small amount of breaking in as new parts contact each other, but it should be very minimal or nil. If you were to take a pistol bench-rest vice and shoot the gun in question, you would probably get a nice, small and tight group.

I believe that it usually the shooter, not the gun.

Johnny Quest
 
It sounds like the shooter needs work, dropping the gun barrel in anticipation of recoil seem to be common and would explain the low shots on the second day. But...

I could be wrong but I seem to remember our resident Sig guru Ala Dan mentioning that he had some problems with a .40 cal Sig 229 shooting to point of impact. Maybe he'll chime in on it.
 
Greeting's All;

My LEO friend, Blue Duck 357 is exactly right; as I owned
a brand new Sig P229 in .40 S&W caliber that continously
wanted to group low and to the left with each string of
fire, even slow fire SA shot's.:eek: Our cohort, and partner
in crime Capbuster even tried his hand at this god awful
Sig; and he didn't fair much better.:( I thought it might
be my eye-sight; as I'm old an blind in one eye, and can't
see out of the other.:rolleyes: Only other explanation,
this firearm came stock with low mount SigLite night
sight's, that might have given off an optical illusion? At
any rate, they were nice tight group's; but off the X-
mark.::mad: I eventually got rid of this firearm, in
favor of a Smith & Wesson "Classic" 5" barrel 629-5,
in .44 magnum. And, Oh! yes, I love the Smith; and
can hit with ease. Go figure-

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
"seating the barrel" means breaking the gun in. The barrel will slightly wear in and I always put 1000rds thru a gun before I start adjusting sights. Usually if a handgun shoots with very good accuracy NIB it will only get better after a thousand rds or so. I have seen POI change a little after break in but the accuracy of the gun in question is not going to change that much after break in. Something else is wrong. The handgun accuracy curve that I read about had an increase in accuracy until about 4K rounds using FMJ ammo (lead ammo should have a longer curve). Accuracy then leveled off and remained constant for many thousands of rounds.
 
"BROKEN GUN"

haha. I shoot head shots outta my sig 226 standing at 25-30 yards. 15 of them.

Something is wrong with the gun or shooter. Hows the gun shoot at say 25 feet?

-d
 
It will take a 1-2000 rounds before a SiG will get fully broken in. But that means that you probably won't get your tightest groupings until then. What you describe is not normal.

I'd have someone else shoot the gun for a while. It certainly sounds like either operator error or a major faulty firearm. For the SiG 2340 to be off that much, a quick inspection should point him at the culprit. The first place I'd look would be the crown of the barrel. See if it has been dropped and there's a ding or dent right at the crown.
 
"You need to shoot a couple of hundred rounds to seat the barrel!"

Sounds a lot better than telling him to go out and practice! :D

I'll have to remember this one. Maybe I can use it backwards too. "There's nothing wrong with my shooting. The barrel just comes unseated when I haven't shot in a while!" :p

Tom

(I feel the need to seat my barrel!) :eek:
 
I think the guy at the range may be trying to be something he's not. That being a great long distance shooter. He should bring the target waaaaaayyyyyyy in! something like 20 feet and see what he get's that should tell him about the gun and his problems shooting it.

I'm suspicious about the "seat the Barrel" comment. Someone is bulls#!ting. The gun store or the Sig owner. If I were tearing up the area all around my target I'd need an excuse too!
 
I have heard of needing to "break in" a new gun in terms of reliability, but not accuracy.

In particular, I think really tight 1911s need a break in period (I usually do a couple of hundred rounds) before I break them down for the first cleaning, and I think part of this has something to do with the way the parts seat or fit together.

I dont know that this applies to Sigs. I dont think I have ever had a malfunction out of the one Sig I owned.

As far as accuracy goes, I cant think of a good reason for a break in period to be necessary
 
Barrel break in period

If a barrel break in period is not needed then a lot of rifle target shooters have been wasting a lot of time with new rifles! Shooting 1 rd - cleaning - shooting 4 rds - cleaning etc... No of course a pistol barrel doesn't need that type of break in but the same general principle applies. Also in a semi the barrel moves and friction against other parts is present. Now you tell me!
 
Agree with Gonzo_308...

Yee wiz, a new Sig product, "The Sig P226 Sniper Pistol" He really does need to start with a new gun at a distance closer in. This will give him a much better feel for the weapon, and a better look at shot placement. Shooting at 25 yards in my opinion is a waste of time and ammunition. But that's just my opinion. Everyone please be safe.:)


Sorry meant P229? or whatever it was.
 
I'm back in town now. Thanks for the feedback. That's what I figured, but what do I know?

I wanted to shoot his pistol, but I'd just arrived and after I watched him shoot two mags his daughter called for a ride and he packed his things. We were on the 25-yard range and he said that he could keep all of his shots on a piece of typing paper with his other pistols.

He was a nice straight-forward guy and was having just a little trouble accepting the seller's advice. I would have given him some of my usual rumor-laden advice, but I know zip about Sigs.(I know they're excellent, I talking about details.)

While he was packing I looked at the gun. The only thing I pointed out to him was that barrel was a little loose in the front of the slide and maybe he should take it to the gun shop instead of calling.

Do Sigs have a barrel bushing? Is there supposed to be a nearly 1/4" gap around the front end of the barrel?

John
 
Tom B:

The break in period for a rifle barrell is not related to moving parts being seated correctly, as was implied by the gun shop guy, is it?
 
No the rifle barrel break in is only related to the internal of the barrel . The semi pistol barrel break in is related to the internal and the external area of the barrel. Just like the 1911 has to loosen up some when first shot from new. The bushing and the locking lugs must wear in a little for the pistol to operate smoothly. As well as trigger, etc... When you dry fire a pistol to smooth the trigger action you are "seating it in" so to speak. The term actually comes from "seating in" piston rings in a new engine.
 
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