View Full Version : SIG P226 chipped muzzle crown
I recently purchased a NIB SIG P226R 9mm stainless (2014 manufacture; NOT Elite, but the classic frame style). Last night I broke the gun down to clean it from the factory test fire and grease it. As I looked closer at the muzzle end, I noticed two chips in the muzzle crown; one at 12:00, and one at 3:30. The 12:00 chip impacts the rifling, and extends halfway across the muzzle crown itself. There are also some minor dings on the muzzle itself, but these are cosmetic only and don't really concern me. The factory finish was applied over the chips/dings. They are easily noticeable just by running your fingernail lightly around the muzzle crown.
I know these are very minor in the grand scheme of things, and if it were anywhere else I wouldn't really worry about it. However, I'm concerned with them being located on the muzzle crown itself, since my understanding is that an uneven or damaged muzzle crown can affect accuracy due to uneven gas pressure on the bullet. Although this seems to be a much bigger issue with precision rifles vs. handguns...Is this something that I even need to worry about? Or is it just a cosmetic issue that won't affect accuracy/barrel life? And if it does need to be fixed, would re-crowning the muzzle be enough, or would it require a new barrel?
I have already contacted SIG's customer service, and, while I was less then impressed with the rep's 1) apparent lack of knowledge about basic firearms knowledge, and 2) attitude in general, they have asked me to send pictures. I will keep the forum updated on what they have to say.
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Coal Dragger
09-18-14, 22:45
That's going to have an affect on accuracy potential.
I'd send that back to SIG.
I agree, send it back to Sig. There is no telling what other defects could be lurking in that barrel.
Thanks for the quick replies! On the subject of lurking defects, the barrel has an odd rainbow discoloration inside--looks like what you'd see on a part that was heat-treated [insert joke here about SIG marketing this as it's newest rainbow-dark-elite-scorpion-whatever model of the week :)]. I wasn't too concerned since I assume that barrels are heat-treated for hardness, but I just found it interesting since I'd never seen anything like that in any other weapon. When I asked the rep about it he said that they "warm" the barrels, and that what I was seeing was the Nitron finish...
You paid for a gun in perfect condition, expect one in perfect condition!
Yikes, if in fact it was truly NIB, SIG blew it on QC with this one.
HardToHandle
09-19-14, 06:42
Yikes, if in fact it was truly NIB, SIG blew it on QC with this one.
Another example of the SIG dictum?
European manufacture = Yes
U.S. Manufacture = NFW
I lived the dictum too.
And this is another good example of why you should always carefully inspect the firearm before you fill out any forms for it and take posession of it, and make sure the place you bought it from will accept returns.
A simple field strip would have revealed this, and even that would not have been required to notice these chips on the crown.
Buyer beware.
And this is another good example of why you should always carefully inspect the firearm before you fill out any forms for it and take posession of it, and make sure the place you bought it from will accept returns.
A simple field strip would have revealed this, and even that would not have been required to notice these chips on the crown.
Buyer beware.
This. To a T. I recently picked up a Beretta M92A1 and upon getting it home, realized that the muzzle crown was drilled off center...A simple inspection at the gun shop would have revealed this. Ive bought probably 50+ guns in a short span of time and to this day, i still dont inspect them as thoroughly as i should.
Also, get over it guys, anything made by man can and will have issues. US made Sigs are nothing to be afraid of.
But aren't gun forums precisely the place to spread rumors and have hissy fits over real, and mostly imagined, gun problems??
:)
And this is another good example of why you should always carefully inspect the firearm before you fill out any forms for it and take posession of it, and make sure the place you bought it from will accept returns.
A simple field strip would have revealed this, and even that would not have been required to notice these chips on the crown.
Buyer beware.
Yeah, I was kicking myself for not catching it when I did the FFL transfer. I gave it a once-over and even popped the upper off the frame to check the rails and locking block, but I never got a clear look at the front of the barrel since I was exercising good muzzle discipline, and I didn't see anything that would indicate that something was off--the slide and frame looked better than what I've been seeing in SIGs of late. Doom on me, I guess, and lesson learned. My FFL is going to hate me as I do everything short of detail-stripping and x-raying in the future...
UPDATE:
Yesterday the SIG rep told me to send in pics, and that they would forward the pics on to the gunsmith for inspection. He made it sound like the gunsmith wouldn't be available until Monday, but when I e-mailed the pics I got an out-of-office reply and it turns out the REP was out today. So I called back and asked to deal with a new rep, who asked me to forward the pics to him so that he could send it on to the gunsmith. I sent them in, and by the time I finished typing the post above I had a new e-mail asking me to confirm my e-mail so that they could get me a shipping label to send my barrel in, and as soon as they got it they would send out a replacement.
The first rep was a tool, but I'm more than happy with how the second one is handling things. I'll keep everyone updated with how everything proceeds.
I never got a clear look at the front of the barrel since I was exercising good muzzle discipline
I like to field strip every handgun I buy and inspect it carefully. Lesson learned for next time, no doubt.
gtmtnbiker98
09-19-14, 13:12
Another example of the SIG dictum?
European manufacture = Yes
U.S. Manufacture = NFW
I lived the dictum too.
The above adds such value, thanks for sharing. Not!
It's not always so easy to catch something at time of purchase, especially when some guns are coated in what seems like a gallon of grease and oil. Most of the shops I deal with will let you do an inspection but some start to get nervous when things get torn down. In the excitement of the moment it's easy to miss the little things, look at buying a new car only to get home and find the ding that was in the door parked away from you or the one the salesman was leaning against the whole negotiation.
I would have been hard pressed to catch anything on my two Baer pistols as they came shipped in a ziploc bag with what amounted to a bottle of CLP, even after toweling off it was leaking out from everywhere.
I'm sure Sig will make it right, it's only a barrel and should be an easy swap, still sucks though!
teutonicpolymer
09-19-14, 16:40
if it is used have SIG/the seller fix it
if this was used then I would try it out and if it didn't group well I would try to recrown it if SIG wouldn't fix it but there doesn't seem to be much extra barrel length if any
UPDATE
Still waiting for SIG to send me my replacement barrel. But...Osage County Guns somehow came across a NIB MK25 replacement barrel with the phosphate finish AND the chrome lining. Couldn't pass that up, so put in the order, and just got it today. Good, tight lockup, and great quality on the barrel. Going to put some rounds downrange next week, and when SIG finally gets around to having some P226 barrels in stock, I figure the one they send will go up on the EE NIB. I will update the thread with a range report of the new gun, but all-in-all I'm very impressed with how the gun handles in dry fire. Racking the slide feels like the SIGs of old, and I hope it shoots as good as it looks. Also installed an SRT kit, replaced the pinchy short trigger with a standard trigger, and threw on a set of G-10 grips with stainless hex screws. All that is missing now is a set of Ameriglo Spartan Tactical sights and a Safariland 7TS holster...
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gesundheit
11-22-14, 20:40
Did Sig ever came around to shipping you the replacement barrel?
Did Sig ever came around to shipping you the replacement barrel?
Yeah, got the barrel a couple of weeks ago (should be going up on the EE soon...) BUT had to send the gun back to SIG back to the factory because I got 9 class 3 failures to extract in the first 200 rounds. They only had it about a week and on Friday I got the notification that it's coming back, so we'll see what they had to say...
gesundheit
11-22-14, 22:59
Well I hope the Sig comes back in tip top shape.
Well I hope the Sig comes back in tip top shape.
Got it back after only about 10 days--they swapped an extractor spring, test fired 40 rounds, and even cleaned it when they were done. I could definitely feel the difference in the extractor tension once it came back. I took it out to the range tonight and ran 50 rounds of Speer Lawman and 50 rounds of Blazer Brass without issue.
Yeah, got the barrel a couple of weeks ago (should be going up on the EE soon...).
Does this mean the numbers on the barrel and frame no longer match? I'd send the whole gun back to SIG and ask for another...
gesundheit
12-03-14, 22:54
Got it back after only about 10 days--they swapped an extractor spring, test fired 40 rounds, and even cleaned it when they were done. I could definitely feel the difference in the extractor tension once it came back. I took it out to the range tonight and ran 50 rounds of Speer Lawman and 50 rounds of Blazer Brass without issue.
Awesome!
Does this mean the numbers on the barrel and frame no longer match? I'd send the whole gun back to SIG and ask for another...
SIG doesn't put serial numbers on their barrels/slides. I believe that they used to in the early 90s, but the modern guns only have a serial number on the right side of the frame above the trigger. At least some of the slides have some sort of internal control number on the inside, but that doesn't match the serial number or its format.
I'm happy with the phosphate barrel, and every round that has been fired out of the gun (except for the first factory test rounds, I guess) have been with that barrel, so all the parts are wearing together. Plus I can sell the NIB standard replacement barrel they sent me to add to the toy fund...
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