Had a few light primer strikes with my P226.

[PaulD]

The last two times I've brought it to the range, I've gotten two or three cases where the gun will fail to ignite the primer. If I pull the trigger again, it goes. So far this has happened with regular Winchester White Box and today with some Fiocchi 124gr 9mm.

The gun has been totally reliable before this. Any thoughts as to the problem? Soft firing pin? The gun has had less than 1000 rounds through it.

 

[jasons]

Are you using a stock mainspring?

 

[PaulD]

Are you using a stock mainspring?

Yes, the gun is completely stock except that Greg Derr did a very mild trigger job on it. He basically just smoothed it out a little and just took a bit off of the DA weight. FWIW, it's a 226 Elite Stainless with the SRT.

 

[whatluck]

How many rounds through it? The upper may need to be cleaned.

 

[PaulD]

How many rounds through it? The upper may need to be cleaned.

Around 800 rounds and I field strip and clean it after every range trip. I could try to clean inside the slide. What's the best way to clean out that area?

 

[whatluck]

Around 800 rounds and I field strip and clean it after every range trip. I could try to clean inside the slide. What's the best way to clean out that area?

It should need thousands of rounds before firing pin and extractor needs cleaning. There's a roll pin that you need to punch out on the slide, and it needs to be replaced with a new roll pin.

I bet it's that this is caused be the lightened DA.

 

[PaulD]

It should need thousands of rounds before firing pin and extractor needs cleaning. There's a roll pin that you need to punch out on the slide, and it needs to be replaced with a new roll pin.

I bet it's that this is caused be the lightened DA.

The lightened DA was done very soon after I got it and it's been fine for a long time since. Do you think that's something that would be caused by that but wouldn't show up for awhile?

 

[jasons]

....just took a bit off of the DA weight.

Which is typically done by swapping in a lighter mainspring....

I only mention it because I bought a used p220 with a light mainspring that would FTF all the time. I swapped in a 19lb spring and the FTFs went away. I have some spare springs in assorted weights if you'd like to try them. I just ask that you keep track of which one is which and give them back when you're done.

Around 800 rounds and I field strip and clean it after every range trip. I could try to clean inside the slide. What's the best way to clean out that area?

The only good way is to detail strip it, but you really shouldn't need to until you're looking at well over 5,000+ rounds. If the firing pin protrudes and isn't binding there's really no reason to open up the slide. (On the older slides you had to do so to clean the extractor, but recent external extractor models are much easier to clean. Not that you're having extraction problems.)

 

[PaulD]

Which is typically done by swapping in a lighter mainspring....

I only mention it because I bought a used p220 with a light mainspring that would FTF all the time. I swapped in a 19lb spring and the FTFs went away. I have some spare springs in assorted weights if you'd like to try them. I just ask that you keep track of which one is which and give them back when you're done.





The only good way is to detail strip it, but you really shouldn't need to until you're looking at well over 5,000+ rounds. If the firing pin protrudes and isn't binding there's really no reason to open up the slide. (On the older slides you had to do so to clean the extractor, but recent external extractor models are much easier to clean. Not that you're having extraction problems.)

Thanks. I'll give Greg Derr a call during the week to ask what he did as part of the trigger job.

This is pretty much my favorite handgun to shoot. It's like my baby is sick!

 

[drgrant]

Pull the slide off and take the barrel out. Push down the firing pin safety plunger with something, and use something else to push the firing pin back and forth and see if it moves freely without any binding or grinding. See how far it comes out of the breechface. (110% unlikely, but if the end of the pin broke off somehow, you wouldn't see much protrusion... )

He would have had to go REALLY light on the mainspring to induce light strikes.

FWIW I have a couple 19 pound Wolff mainsprings here if you want to try one.... they'll fit any P series with a plastic hammer strut.


-Mike

 

[PaulD]

Pull the slide off and take the barrel out. Push down the firing pin safety plunger with something, and use something else to push the firing pin back and forth and see if it moves freely without any binding or grinding. See how far it comes out of the breechface. (110% unlikely, but if the end of the pin broke off somehow, you wouldn't see much protrusion... )

He would have had to go REALLY light on the mainspring to induce light strikes.

FWIW I have a couple 19 pound Wolff mainsprings here if you want to try one.... they'll fit any P series with a plastic hammer strut.

-Mike

Thanks Mike. I may take you up on that.

It's a bit late tonight but I'll try that out some night this week. I'll also flush out the firing pin channel.

 

[drgrant]

Thanks Mike. I may take you up on that.

It's a bit late tonight but I'll try that out some night this week. I'll also flush out the firing pin channel.

As a curiosity, you have a 9mm P229, right? The springs are compatible, so you could temporarily swap the spring from that gun in your P226 if you wanted.

If you decide to take the spring out, just BE CAREFUL because you can wound yourself while installing or removing the base. (don't ask me how I know this..) Taking it in and out is easy, just take the grip panels off, decock the gun (if it's not already) and then use a screwdriver to push up in the slot, while guiding it off with your other hand and gently "unloading" the spring/strut.


-Mike

 

[jasons]

Lots of guys like to use the 17 lb spring and they're probably fine for a while until they sag down to 16 or whatever. Even brand new at a full 17 lbs they're about 80% [STRIKE]lighter than[/STRIKE] the weight of a stock spring and are pretty close to the absolute bare minimum for reliability. Some guns and some primers tolerate the weaker springs better than others (my p226 "play gun" runs great with a 17,) others (like the p220 that I mentioned) are more finicky and need a stronger spring. (19 in that case.) It just depends.....

Anyway let me know if you want to try some other springs. I've got them all in my kit. (Short and long in all common weights.) The mainspring is super easy to swap out. Takes like 2 minutes....

 

[PaulD]

As a curiosity, you have a 9mm P229, right? The springs are compatible, so you could temporarily swap the spring from that gun in your P226 if you wanted.

If you decide to take the spring out, just BE CAREFUL because you can wound yourself while installing or removing the base. (don't ask me how I know this..) Taking it in and out is easy, just take the grip panels off, decock the gun (if it's not already) and then use a screwdriver to push up in the slot, while guiding it off with your other hand and gently "unloading" the spring/strut.


-Mike

It sounds like I should wear safety glasses! Thanks Mike. Good info.

 

[PaulD]

Lots of guys like to use the 17 lb spring and they're probably fine for a while until they sag down to 16 or whatever. Even brand new at a full 17 lbs they're about 80% lighter than stock and are pretty close to the absolute bare minimum for reliability. Some guns and some primers tolerate the weaker springs better than others (my p226 "play gun" runs great with a 17,) others (like the p220 that I mentioned) are more finicky and need a stronger spring. (19 in that case.) It just depends.....

Anyway let me know if you want to try some other springs. I've got them all in my kit. (Short and long in all common weights.) The mainspring is super easy to swap out. Takes like 2 minutes....

So you're saying I should just order the damn spring to keep on hand anyway.

It is good to have a parts cache.

 

[jasons]

So you're saying I should just order the damn spring to keep on hand anyway.

It is good to have a parts cache.

That's what I did. Basically I looked at the parts list and bought a few of everything that was likely to wear / break or get launched and was reasonably affordable.

The springs are fairly cheap and definitely worth having on hand. Just check to see which version of mainspring assembly you have before you order. The older guns had long springs, long hammer struts, and a short metal base with a roll pin. The newer ones have a shorter spring, shorter hammer strut, and a long plastic base without a roll pin.

Personally I think the older version with the long spring is a bit smoother (more "linear" if that makes sense) but that could just be in my head. The drawback to the old setup is that it's slightly more of a PITA to swap the springs. (You either need a vice or a third hand to hold the strut while you compress the spring far enough to get the roll pin in.) Also you can swap the new assembly with the old or vice versa as long as you swap all three parts (sometimes the grips as well.)

I have all sorts of spare Sig parts so if you want to try before you buy just let me know and I'll lend you whatever you need.


Side note for anyone reading this who might consider swapping springs on a carry or personal defense gun: It's not a good idea IMHO. If it's a gun that you're betting your life on keep the stock spring and deal with the heavy trigger.