13 replies to this topic

[Scott G]

I am thinking of playing in production, and was all set to buy a Sig 226 in 9mm when the store owner talked me out of it (strange but true). He said that because of the steel slide and aluminum frame, the guns don't hold up well to high volume shooting. They shoot loose quickly, and he has seen some frames crack below the slide rails.

Anyone have any long term, high round experience with this gun?

[vincent]

Sig recently came out with an all stainless steel Sig P226 ST. If this is the gun that you want maybe this model will hold up better than the older aluminum frame models. Unfortunately I would expect that they are too new for anyone short of a Sig representative to have any high round count experience with one.

[David Olhasso]

Interesting:

I was the first GM in production division and that was 100% with my SIG 226 (aluminum frame and all). I guess that I have 20k to 25k rounds each of my 226s. They are both utterly reliable and shoot much better groups than I can. The only thing to ever break on my Sigs was an extractor that wore out and one of the roll pins holding the firing pin/extractor block in the slide.

This year I am shooting a Beretta Vertec which also has an aluminum frame. No problems yet.

If you are shooting 130pf loads, you change your recoil spring when it gets worn, and you keep you gun lubricated, then I see no reason why an aluminum framed gun cannot last for at least 70 or 80 thousand rounds. Of course, some will break at 5k rounds and some won't break to 500k rounds, but I believe the neither is the norm.

[Scott G]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply, it's kinda what I expected to hear. My guess is the crap that I was told is urban legend.

I'm curious: why did you switch to the Beretta?

[Little Bill]

Scott-
Like David, I would not hesitate to buy a 226 because of its aluminum frame. I have seen 226s with cracked frames (by the locking block) but they had been exposed to 30k or more of +P+ Hydrashock (155pf?) and had suffered from poor maintenance. (ie same recoil spring through 30k of +P+)

[vluc]

My first season of USPSA was run with a 1988 226 (9mm). Put a few thousand through it that season and along with what had been put through before, that pistol has soon many rounds. Holds up great...

[Wakal]

My wife has about 40,000 rounds through her P226. No problems at all.




Alex

[David Olhasso]

I switched to the Beretta mostly because I do not lock my 226 back on the last round. My traditional 1911 grip and meaty hands do a great job of holding the Sig slide stop down and preventing lock-back. In IDPA, a 100% lock back is essential. In IPSC, a 100% lock back in a 10-round division gives you one more "tool" in the toolbox.

I understand that Sig may be working on a new slide stop and grip to prevent shooters from stopping the slide lock.

[EricW]

He said that because of the steel slide and aluminum frame, the guns don't hold up well to high volume shooting. They shoot loose quickly, and he has seen some frames crack below the slide rails.

Scott,

This may be old news to you, but steel frames crack just as nicely as aluminum. Shoot sane loads and you should be peachy. As far as "shooting loose," keep in mind that every aluminum part of any quality these days is anodized. Anodizing, as I understand, is essentially a ceramic - very hard stuff. Life with aluminum is good, right up until the anodizing wears through. After that, it will gall like crazy.

Keep your slide greased up and free of grit and that eventuality will probably be a loooong way off...

Buy the steel frame because you want the weight, not because you're afraid of aluminum.

[Bucky]

A friend of mine who was an instructor cracked his P226 frame after about 40,000 rounds. He shot nothing but +P+ ammo. Sig replaced the frame for him, though this was 8 or 9 years ago. Not sure if they'd do so today. I would expect lighter loads to go way further than that.

-- Bucky.

[Duane Thomas]

Some early P226 frames were "scalloped" along the inward part of the frame slide rails. If you looked down the trough of the slide rails, there were actually little divots in it. This was intended to allow the gun to run longer before gunk interfered with normal functioning. What it really did was weaken the slide rails in the frame. Those guns - from a particular serial number range that featured this mod - had a reputation for cracking the frame slide rails under hard use. I'd be surprised to see it, otherwise. I'm not saying it hasn't happend somewhere in the course of the world, mind you.

[Bear1142]

Scott G,
As you can tell so far, I wouldn't give any credibility to the claims of the gun dealer. I have only heard of one group of Sig's cracking. They were Sig 220's (45acp) that were being used by DEA. After about 20-25K on Federal 230 Hydra-shok, some of the frames were starting to crack. Sig fixed this problem. This was circa 1992-94. I also attended a firearms school with a couple of SEAL's about 4 years ago. Both of them had 226's that were well worn. I asked about round count and both said they had over 100k on the guns. I think you'll have no problems with the 226 should you decide to get one.

Erik

[Kevin Kline]

I had gotten an email from a top shooter and he said for durability (not including 1911 styles) , the Sig is going to be at the front of the pack. He said the all steel version, P226ST I think, the gun will outlive you, you probably won't be able to put enough rounds through it in your lifetime to kill it. He was that confident on the durability. He shoots something else because that is his sponsor, but he was pretty confident on Sig P226's. I own one in 40, but haven't had the time to play with it (as always) and I don't always shoot them as well as others.

David Olhasso,

are you a GM in Limited or Limited 10 also or just Production? Being a GM (low GM that is) in Limited, I always shot 1911's and that is what I'm used to, and when I shoot Sigs, for some reason, I'm just not as accurate and sharp with Sigs. Did you have the same experience and you just shot the Sig P226 to death to overcome that, or it just came easy to you? I've heard great things about the accuracy of Sigs, but I don't get the same results, how about you?

[PistolPete]

This is the first time I've ever read anything negative about Sigs. I have a P226 .40 that has at least 15 K rounds thru it and I've NEVER had a problem. The guns still looks brand new and prob. fires even better. This gun has NEVER jammed on me either. I've yet to shoot a gun as reliable as this one. After reading this thread I checked the gun for cracks and such and everything is still appears to be 100%.

Pete