Crack in frame, fixable?

Driftwood

Driftwood

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Calgary, Alberta
Just checking over my SIG and noticed a small crack in the frame behind the trigger. Pulled the grip off and it was pretty noticable. This is an alloy frame SIG 220, wondering if these can be repaired (and if anyone can recommend someone in Calgary to do the work). Any suggestions?

Here's a couple of pics - couldn't see/feel the crack on the inside mag well at all.

P1000521.jpg


P1000520.jpg
 
DO NOT LET ANYONE TOUCH IT! Just call Sig or send an e-mail to the customer service and i am pretty sure they will make what is needed for your pistol. the lifetime warranty will be void if you try to fix it yourself.
 
I'll give them a shot first, but not holding my breath since I'm not the original owner and their warranty is not transferable (from the SIG site: "Subject to the foregoing, this limited warranty confers the right to have the covered firearm or its parts repaired, adjusted or replaced exclusively upon the original purchaser, which right is not transferable to any other person").

Can't hurt to give it a shot. :)
 
yea that looks like a machine mark not a crack is this sig the USA model or the ex swiss police model, I have the police model I will take the grips off and see what mines like
 
It does look like a machining mark to me too. If it is a new gun, you can try a warranty inspection/replacement. If it is an older gun, you can likely get 10,000rds through it without problem. It isn't repairable, but it also isn't in a high stress area.
 
Al Flipo said:
It looks like a blemish in the casting, not a crack.
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I have to agree there.......
Seems way too linear to be a crack, and it doesn't seem to have any depth or spread to the adjacent areas. It stops right at the curve of the frame. IMO, not a crack but an uneven surface imperfection from the casting/machining process. Check it closely from the inside (other side) of the frame; if it's more than a surface blemish, you'll see indicators on the inside.
 
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That looks like machining mark to me too.

Got a decent automotive machine shop near you? See if you can get the part penetrant inspected.

For that matter, have a good look at it with a magnifying lens and some decent lighting. To get anything cracked enough to show it that well in a photo, I would really expect to see a continuation of it across the front face of the area between the "crack" and the trigger itself.

Does it have a matching mark on the other side? Not that that is a giveaway in either case, but it is under the grip, not somewhere the builders are gonna spend a pile of time worrying about making it for pretty.

"Course, you could hit it with an arc welder. That would pretty much "fix" it. It'd remove any doubt about it being screwed, anyways.

Cheers
Trev
 
coltfan said:
Never seen a machine tool mark like that before...on anything, and its not linear...
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Yep, I'm looking at the same pic... ;)

I've seen tons of cracks on frames, receivers and barrels......
What looks suspicious about this one, is that one side is lower than the other, and not jagged.....and also very even (and not cracked) on both ends. The other thing is that it's on a flat surface, with no stress (shear or otherwise) that would warrant a crack occuring in that location. If it's a crack, it's not a stress fracture, but an impact crack.....like it was hit real hard on the one spot. In any case, it's hard to tell without an up close examination; but if in doubt, return it for professional repairs if required.
 
trevj said:
Got a decent automotive machine shop near you? See if you can get the part penetrant inspected.
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Send it to me. I'm licenced to do LPI (liquid penetrant inspection) or you could go to SAIT right in Calgary and check out how to do it yourself. They have a large NDT section there. That would take about 20min to inspect that "crack".



.
 
I appreciate all the replies. It's the European 9mm model with heel release for the magazine, and alloy frame (magnet won't stick to it). Could be that it's been there a while and I just didn't notice it, but I'm pretty detailed when cleaning. Grips come off every time, and yesterday was the first time I noticed it.

I can feel it with a fingernail, and did notice that come CLP applied on the inside would 'leech' through and well up at that point. If SIG where to ask even how old it was I couldn't tell them, so may have trouble with the original owner thing (bought it on the EE a while back).

I'll check it in more detail when I get home from work tonight and see if I can get a light inside the magwell for more detail, as well as check it with good magnification. Just a bit concerned about having the frame come apart there when shooting it. Might not go "boom", but could make for an uncomfortable shot if it sliced my hand.
 
It doesn't look like a crack,but if it is. SIG usually will replace the frame, re-number it and send it back to you. The RCMP went through this when they first got 226's. I have some of them that were re-framed and numbered.
 
Teapot said:
Plastic seems to be superior to aluminium at least in pistols. Another reason I have always disliked SIG.
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Well said. People have to wake up and smell the amazing engineering polymers that have been available in the last few decades.:)
 
Teapot said:
Plastic seems to be superior to aluminium at least in pistols. Another reason I have always disliked SIG.
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Ha, ha, ha, good one. I have a collection of cracked Glock and HK frames here. I'll sell them to you because you beleive they are better.
 
redleg said:
Ha, ha, ha, good one. I have a collection of cracked Glock and HK frames here. I'll sell them to you because you beleive they are better.
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Did it crack from regular use or is it due to over-charged/defective ammo? Please post some pictures. I am interested to see them. I am not saying this just for arguments sake.
 
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