Do the Sig P22X series handguns hammers ever fully rest

[FishTaco]

Was looking at a Sig P227 at the store today and was checking the action of the decocker. It seemed to me that once I used this, the hammer never went fully down against the round striking point, even when dry firing. Is this normal? Do Sigs actually fully rest once fired. This gun always looked half cocked.

[Trajan]

Was looking at a Sig P227 at the store today and was checking the action of the decocker. It seemed to me that once I used this, the hammer never went fully down against the round striking point, even when dry firing. Is this normal? Do Sigs actually fully rest once fired. This gun always looked half cocked.

I don't know what the correct term for it is, but it has an inertia firing pin. Think of the SIG like a short stroke gas piston.

[FishTaco]

So, even though it looks like there is no way that hammer is hitting the striking point, it will fire? I was actually thinking I was handling a failed gun since it appeared to me that it would fall hard to the halfway position but never strike.

[Trajan]

So, even though it looks like there is no way that hammer is hitting the striking point, it will fire? I was actually thinking I was handling a failed gun since it appeared to me that it would fall hard to the halfway position but never strike.

It hits it and bounces off, giving the firing pin inertia. It just happens quick enough that it appears it isn't hitting it unless you look closely.

[CoryCop25]

The hammer falls fully when the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear. It is a safety similar to the M9. The firing pin block lifts up just before the trigger releases the sear.

[RHINOWSO]

Was looking at a Sig P227 at the store today and was checking the action of the decocker. It seemed to me that once I used this, the hammer never went fully down against the round striking point, even when dry firing. Is this normal? Do Sigs actually fully rest once fired. This gun always looked half cocked.Normal.

The only time the hammer strikes the firing pin is when you pull the trigger. Otherwise the hammer is in a "half cock" position (DA) or fully cocked position (SA). I forget what the technical term is for half-cock, but there is a rebound spring that moves the hammer off the firing pin, even if the round fails to fire. The hammer decocks to the same position.

The sole exception I'm aware of is older, pre-1992ish P220s. The would decock to the same position, but didn't have the hammer rebound feature, so the hammer would could rest on the firing pin in other cases. They are noticeable by the spur shaped hammer vs the newer rounded hammer.

SIGs also have a Firing Pin Block that keeps the firing pin from moving unless the trigger is pulled.

[MistWolf]

Quite a few firearms have what is called a "rebounding hammer". When the trigger is pressed to release the hammer, the hammer will fall completely. When the trigger is released, the hammer retracts, or "rebounds". Some hammers will strike a separate firing pin, some have the firing pin as part of the hammer nose. Some separate firing pins are of the inertia type, some are not. Some inertia firing pins have rebound springs, some do not.

Inertia firing pins are too short to contact the primer when the hammer is fully down. There will be a gap. It relies on the inertial energy imparted to it from the hammer strike to jump the gap to hit the primer with enough force to ignite it. Not all separate firing pins are of the inertia type. Non inertia firing pins contact both the primer and the hammer when the trigger is pressed and the hammer is fully down.

Rebounding hammers retract after after the hammer is released and are physically blocked from contacting the firing pin- or the primer, if the firing pin is part of the hammer nose. The better designs prevent the hammer from falling from their rebound position until the hammer is lifted from the rebound position, the trigger is pressed and the hammer released.

Some hammer fired firearms use a transfer bar. The transfer bar transfers energy from the hammer to the firing pin and will not be in place unless the trigger is pressed to release the hammer. This prevents the firearm from firing if the rebound mechanism should fail. Some designs use hammer block which blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin or the primer until the trigger is pressed

[FishTaco]

Excellent info. Just seems strange that I can never see the hammer drop below the half-cock position. Of course, the pistol- a tactical version with the 10/14rd mags combo- seemed solid as a rock.

[Harrier]

Just to clarify what others have posted above—even with the trigger depressed fully and held back, the hammer (at least the one on my P226) goes all the way forward, strikes the firing pin, then rebounds back a bit, irrespective of the trigger position.

[Mr.Anderson]

I believe my 2022 decocks like this as well.

[RWH24]

If you hold the trigger the the rear, you can manually push the hammer forward. Release the trigger and no go. Hammer will feel dead when trigger held to rear, pushing hammer forward mushy.

[FishTaco]

Slowly releasing the hammer with the trigger pulled still resulted in it being stopped at the half cocked position.

[BufordTJustice]

If you hold the trigger the the rear, you can manually push the hammer forward. Release the trigger and no go. Hammer will feel dead when trigger held to rear, pushing hammer forward mushy.
Which is why Sig says to ALWAYS use the decocker instead of manually allowing the hammer to return forward like decocking an old Colt SAA. Manually returning the hammer bypasses the safety notch and could ale the hammer to be bumped into the firing pin nose.

[Mr.Anderson]

Which is why Sig says to ALWAYS use the decocker instead of manually allowing the hammer to return forward like decocking an old Colt SAA. Manually returning the hammer bypasses the safety notch and could ale the hammer to be bumped into the firing pin nose.

The decocker was to me one of the selling points on the 2022. I love that thing.

[Palmguy]

Excellent info. Just seems strange that I can never see the hammer drop below the half-cock position. Of course, the pistol- a tactical version with the 10/14rd mags combo- seemed solid as a rock.

It rebounds very quickly....quickly enough that it's hard to tell.

[gunnut284]

Shoot the gun. If it goes off then you know it when all the way down.

There is a rebound spring that returns the hammer to the resting position, it you are trying to lower the hammer manually to see it forward then you have to push it to overcome the spring. It does go all the way forward, briefly.

[RWH24]

Which is why Sig says to ALWAYS use the decocker instead of manually allowing the hammer to return forward like decocking an old Colt SAA. Manually returning the hammer bypasses the safety notch and could ale the hammer to be bumped into the firing pin nose.

Yes Sir, I failed to say after pulling the trigger on empty chamber and hammer is down, you can push it forward until you release the trigger.
ALWAYS USE The DeCocker. It was hard to break some of the old 1911 guys when we went to agency issued Sig 226's. Finger on trigger, thumb on hammer, pull trigger and lower hammer.
Some just holstered hammer cocked too. Bunch of learning curves for some

[Mr.Anderson]

I know this isn't a thread about the SP2022's but I wanted to throw this out there;

When decocked, if I slide the decocker down again, the hammer actually moves back about a 1/16th"

[FishTaco]

Finally got to shoot a Sig with these characteristics and it does actually go off and send a round downrange through some kind of trickery.

[hossb7]

Finally got to shoot a Sig with these characteristics and it does actually go off and send a round downrange through some kind of trickery.

I wrote this a while back for another forum, but it's still applicable here:


Pulling the trigger on a P226 causes this part to move upward:

http://i.imgur.com/ZjqRkOX.jpg

What is that part? Let's find out. According to the diagram, it's #28:

http://i.imgur.com/XYxiH6u.jpg

The "safety lever":

http://i.imgur.com/bzmIJ2t.jpg

and when the safety lever moves upwards, it comes in contact with this:

http://i.imgur.com/q1M9NCA.jpg

part #13:

http://i.imgur.com/JZcy0aw.jpg

the safety lock:

http://i.imgur.com/ORLYI2A.jpg

so pulling the trigger makes the safety lever go from this:

http://i.imgur.com/7In0VGZ.jpg

to this:

http://i.imgur.com/oHigk9N.jpg

Which deactivates the safety lock in the slide and allows the hammer to fall, hitting the firing pin and in turn the primer.

when using the decocker, the safety lever does not move, and the safety lock does not disengage meaning that it's physically impossible for the firing pin to move. also, if you'll note, when decocking, the hammer never makes contact with the firing pin (however, that's a moot point since the safety lever doesn't move when you decock).

[FishTaco]

That's an excellent and detailed description of what happens.