Sig P226 Barrel

[Artiz]

Hi, I bought a West-German Sig P226 (1994 date code)a few months back, that has seen less than 2000 rounds down the pipe (including what I have shot).
But despite it's crazy accuracy, the gun get extremely dirty, even after just one or two boxes of factory ammo. The brass gets dirty on one side, like the burning gases had a way to escape, probably at the bottom of the chamber, and a fresh round can move sidewaysin the chamber when I take the barrel off to clean (everything includning the mags get a fait amount of burnt powder), not a LOT, but it moves quite a bit.
I have another problem, I think it's due to a soft barrel. At least a soft chamber (2 part barrel), the 90° bridge at the front top of the chamber, and the flat surface on top of the chamber, have changed, like the metal had been flattened and the edges of the surface are sharp, like the metal had been pushed sideways.
I have also noticed, when I bought it, that the trigger had put a fairly important dent where it sits close to it, the dent is pushed IN the metal and the metal was pushed over the surface, creating a sharp edge.
I have put 1000 more rounds since I bought it, and it has changed for the worse. It didn't have the sharp edges on top of the chamber, and the 90° part that locks up with the slide didn't have a sharp edge neither.
Fact is that I don't think I will find a P226 9mm barrel anywhere, nobody carries factory P226 9mm barrels, who the f**k changes that? Right?

Please tell me what you think about it.

 

[hoochie]

try questar dude.. its on the top.

https://shopquestar.com/shopping65/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=168&cat=SL+-+SIG

heres a 9mm barrel for ya.... just order it

 

[Artiz]

I know Questar have a barrel (I'd really prefer a factory Sig barrel), it's the money part that is a problem.

 

[redleg]

I think you are worried about nothing. Guns wear. Yours was worn from use. The parts are settling in because from the factory there are small tolerance differences. If the gun is working, there is no problem. Any new barrel you find will likely do the same thing.

 

[NavyCuda]

Sig Sauer for the win!

I wish you had some pictures, I don't quite follow your description... I agree, my german 9mm p226 is devastatingly accurate as well. I can easily hit the gong at 100m with it.

 

[Artiz]

My gun is the only one that is dirty like that, I have not seen any other gun ejecting dirty brass on the range floor, the brass is close to being black on one side, indicating a lot of gases escape in the gun. I'll tell you, there is so much burnt powder that gets in the gun, the little hole at the top front of the magazine lets a burnt powder spot in the frame, and the whole frame is extremely dirty and very hard to clean, and I know it is not normal.
The rounds are moving way too much inside the chamber.

You'll change your mind after 2 hours spent cleaning the gun. That doesn't include the barrel. The feed ramp gets so much caked powder it's a pain in the ass to get it all off, I have to use the bit of a small flat screwdriver to get it off. The locking block gets it's part of the caked powder too, I have to use the screwdriver and solvent to get if off. Now don't tell me it's "normal".

 

[#1bcshooter]

Try WinClean ammo

 

[Artiz]

I can't afford that. And it's not accurate AT ALL in my gun. Winchester stuff shoots completely to the left, even just at 7 meters.
Only Remington 115Gr and 124Gr shoot well. The 124Gr makes 6" groups at 25 meters.

 

[hoochie]

....................

 

[hoochie]

Hi, I bought a West-German Sig P226 (1994 date code)a few months back, that has seen less than 2000 rounds down the pipe (including what I have shot).

a 15 year old gun has only seen 2000 rounds?! dont kid yourself man....its probablly seen double that number every year before you bought it.

 

[Artiz]

From the wear on the rails and all, yes it has seen only that many rounds. I know Sigs.

 

[redleg]

My gun is the only one that is dirty like that, I have not seen any other gun ejecting dirty brass on the range floor, the brass is close to being black on one side, indicating a lot of gases escape in the gun. I'll tell you, there is so much burnt powder that gets in the gun, the little hole at the top front of the magazine lets a burnt powder spot in the frame, and the whole frame is extremely dirty and very hard to clean, and I know it is not normal.
The rounds are moving way too much inside the chamber.

You'll change your mind after 2 hours spent cleaning the gun. That doesn't include the barrel. The feed ramp gets so much caked powder it's a pain in the ass to get it all off, I have to use the bit of a small flat screwdriver to get it off. The locking block gets it's part of the caked powder too, I have to use the screwdriver and solvent to get if off. Now don't tell me it's "normal".

Does this happen with all types of ammo? It is quite normal to have this type of discolouration on brass, so I can't see it being a barrel problem. Furthermore, as indicated, if you use cleaner ammo alot of the problems disappear.
Yes, caked on sludge is a normal part of firing. Some ammo is cleaner than others. Having unburned powder in the action is not a sign that the chamber is loose, it is a sign that the action is opening while the powder is still burning. You may want to try a stiffer recoil spring.
Grouping right or left is a shooter problem and not ammo related. A dispersion of shots with no discernable or a very large group size would indicate ammo performance.

 

[redbirddog]

Artiz,

first off, please post some pics. Its better to see and it can help us out.

I have 20k plus through one of my sigs. Dead accurate and it has the same issue with the brass being dirty on one side. No big deal. The Gun runs great and I have no issues. Dirt does build up, less if you use a really good oil. What are you using?

As for the trigger issue and flat spot on the barrel, pics would help.

Good luck getting Sig Parts. I order some this past week and Sig was not cleared yet to sell parts International. I guess they have not filled out paper work for the US Government yet.

One last thing you could do. If some one else has a Sig at the range, swap out barrels for a bit and see what happend.

What ammo due you use?

 

[NavyCuda]

My gun is the only one that is dirty like that, I have not seen any other gun ejecting dirty brass on the range floor, the brass is close to being black on one side, indicating a lot of gases escape in the gun. I'll tell you, there is so much burnt powder that gets in the gun, the little hole at the top front of the magazine lets a burnt powder spot in the frame, and the whole frame is extremely dirty and very hard to clean, and I know it is not normal.
The rounds are moving way too much inside the chamber.

You'll change your mind after 2 hours spent cleaning the gun. That doesn't include the barrel. The feed ramp gets so much caked powder it's a pain in the ass to get it all off, I have to use the bit of a small flat screwdriver to get it off. The locking block gets it's part of the caked powder too, I have to use the screwdriver and solvent to get if off. Now don't tell me it's "normal".

I wouldn't think so... I put 1300 rounds through my p226 on a single greasing and let the stuff build up inside. I wanted to see the point the firearm would jam due to dirty. All inside surfaces other than the magazine well, bolt face, chamber, ramp and barrel ID, were given a light coating of mobil 1 moly grease. At the 1300 round point the build up was minimal, there was some unburned powder and the usual carbon build up.

So I would agree your case seems out of the norm.

 

[Artiz]

I use Remington UMC and I used (will never use WWB again, not accurate at all with my P226) Winchester white box, it's not really some cheap dirty crap stuff.
Like I said, it's not discoloration, it's really caked powder ON one side of the brass.

I have a spring kit, I will change the recoil pring to see if it helps, I didn't change it yet because the two didn't seem to have a difference when I manually cycled the slide.

I don't want to change the barrel, I just got back from the range and shot a box of Rem UMC 124Gr trough it, I found thursday this week that it's what my P226 likes, it like it so much I shot a 5" group at 25 meters today(10 rounds), talk about accuracy.

Well I just changed the recoil spring and I feel it's stronger. We'll see thursday.

 

[hoochie]

From the wear on the rails and all, yes it has seen only that many rounds. I know Sigs.

I am only trying to help, but it doesnt seem to add up. a service pistol that has only seen 2000 rounds? I just qualified last week and shot nearly that much in 3 days. I think you should replace the barrel. The gun is 15 years old.
Or at least measure the inside of your chamber.. see if its "true" or not.

 

[Artiz]

You know in the U.S. a lot of people buy BNIB German Sigs that are most of the time 20+ years old?
I agree it may have seen more than 2000 rounds, but certainly not 10000.
That's what I will put in it in the next year.

 

[Artiz]

I found a thread on AR15.com where the OP has the same problem I have with brass, but his gun is new. The pics show exactly how my brass look.

The brass is worn and when you pass your fingernail on it it feels like light sandpaper.

 

[NavyCuda]

I found a thread on AR15.com where the OP has the same problem I have with brass, but his gun is new. The pics show exactly how my brass look.

The brass is worn and when you pass your fingernail on it it feels like light sandpaper.

You know, i never really looked that close at my spent brass, but I think my sig does something similar. At least you don't have to worry about the case sticking to the chamber...

 

[Artiz]

Quite frankly I'd prefer my cases to be sticking in the chamber once in a while because it's tight instead of being really loose and damaging the brass badly.