Sig P226R German Owners
- Thread starter wonton
- Start date
O.k., we are talking about a "non-captured" recoil spring on a P226 pistol, correct?
If the spring is "in-spec" the diamater of one end should be smaller than the other. The smaller (tighter) end points toward the rear of the pistol. The wider end goes toward the front of the pistol. The spring should slide right off the guide rod if assembled backwards, and should fit snugly on the rod if assembled correctly.
The other thing SIG users always mention is, don't pull the spring off the rod by pulling on the end of the spring. If you have to take it off (and you really don't, unless you are replacing it after 5,000 rounds) you should slide it off from the base, that is, from the tight end. Just try and avoid streching it out any more than necessary.
If both ends are equally loose, and the spring slides right off the rod no matter which direction you put it on, that means someone put it on backards and fired the gun like that. It won't kill the gun or anything, just order a new spring and try and avoid stretching it out.
This happens with the recoil springs in a lot of guns. People don't know what they are doing so they put them on backwards thinking it is all the same. HK P7's come to mind. The spring should not fall off by gravity when disassembling the pistol. It should be on there fairly tight. That's how they come from the factory.
SIG started making one end of the spring red (and I think white and other colours in some cases) to show you that this is the end you should be able to see (pointing toward the back of the slide) when you assemble the components. It is the tightness on the rod that counts though, not colour.
If the spring is "in-spec" the diamater of one end should be smaller than the other. The smaller (tighter) end points toward the rear of the pistol. The wider end goes toward the front of the pistol. The spring should slide right off the guide rod if assembled backwards, and should fit snugly on the rod if assembled correctly.
The other thing SIG users always mention is, don't pull the spring off the rod by pulling on the end of the spring. If you have to take it off (and you really don't, unless you are replacing it after 5,000 rounds) you should slide it off from the base, that is, from the tight end. Just try and avoid streching it out any more than necessary.
If both ends are equally loose, and the spring slides right off the rod no matter which direction you put it on, that means someone put it on backards and fired the gun like that. It won't kill the gun or anything, just order a new spring and try and avoid stretching it out.
This happens with the recoil springs in a lot of guns. People don't know what they are doing so they put them on backwards thinking it is all the same. HK P7's come to mind. The spring should not fall off by gravity when disassembling the pistol. It should be on there fairly tight. That's how they come from the factory.
SIG started making one end of the spring red (and I think white and other colours in some cases) to show you that this is the end you should be able to see (pointing toward the back of the slide) when you assemble the components. It is the tightness on the rod that counts though, not colour.
Yep.
That's some good insight, ghostie, thanks. Both ends of the spring are equally loose and slide off just the same, so I put the colored (white) end away from the muzzle, as that is how the spring in my US sigs are. I guess we'll see what happens when I take it to the range. I'm kinda disappointed now that this the fact, I thought german sigs were supposed to be better assembled and more stringent in their QC, yet this happens. I guess no one can be perfect.
^^ Exactly, the colored side should be "tighter" and goes on the guide rod.
SIG recoil springs are color coded (to my memory...):
Orange = P226 9mm
White = P229 9mm
Blue/Purple = P229 40/357
Green = P226 40/357 and P220
Oddful enough my German P226 SportStock came from the mastershop with a white spring. Guess it's springed a bit lighter
