Doing my part to help the economy - new Sig came home

[johncanfield]

I'm in the process of upgrading my handgun collection to very high quality and went to the San Antonio gun show this morning with the objective of buying a P236 or 237 or 238 and I wanted to look at the FNs and H&Ks.

There were zillions of Glocks, XDs, Ruger, S&W, Tarus, etc. there but few Sigs and fewer yet H&Ks and FNs. But after I looked at almost every Sig and FN/H&K at the show I found exactly what I wanted (I was torn about buying 9/40/45 caliber) - a P236 Tacops (E26R-357-TACOPS) in 357 Sig. 357 Sig appeals to me because I'll be carrying a P239 in 357 Sig.

The Tacops comes with four magazines (15 rounds), beaver tail, front night sight and a short reset trigger - it has all the goodies. I love the beaver tail BTW.

When I field stripped the gun it looked very dry so I added just a tiny bit of lube here and there. Then put 30 rounds of ball ammo through the gun and it worked flawlessly. Easy recoil and when I learn to shoot it, it will be a tack driver (I had some moments of brilliance and put bullets exactly where I was aiming a few times at 7 yards .)

[SA_Steve]

Congrats !

I have too many Sigs in too many calibers but cannot part with any of them.

239 in .40 is my favorite

[sookandy]

I just picked up a P227 yesterday. Sig has a promo for a lot of their handguns. 2 free mags and a bag. Have to fill out their rebate form and mail it in.

[johncanfield]

I bought a P239 from a buddy a few weeks ago (in .40 and I have a .357 barrel/mags for it), it's at Sig getting their full service package. Forgot all about Sig's promotion of a bag and magazines - looks like I struck gold .

[bmwrdr]

Congratulations, good choice. Mine are all in 9 mm except the P227.

[cheezit]

Just picked up a p238 wife and p938 for me.

[johncanfield]

My wife carries a P238 Equinox, wonderful little .380.

[baldeagle]

That is too weird. You and I have the same guns; P226 and P239. My P226 is 9mm, but the P239 is .357 Sig and my EDC.

[johncanfield]

That is too weird. You and I have the same guns; P226 and P239. My P226 is 9mm, but the P239 is .357 Sig and my EDC.

Great minds think alike . Just had a problem with the 226 yesterday while running 4 magazines of ball ammo (S&B) through it. After two full mags dear wife got a no fire and the slide was locked in battery. I had to put the slide nose on some wood and whack the grip a few times with my hand to move the slide back and eject the casing. It was a light hammer strike on the primer so I don't know if the casing was deformed or if we have a new mechanical issue with the 226. I'll know more later today after I play with the gun some more.

[bmwrdr]

Surely strange thing with your P226, please keep us posted what your findings are.

[AlaskanInTexas]

The Swiss economy?

[johncanfield]

Regarding the locked slide, in battery, and with a dud round (or at least a light hammer strike):

I measured the dud casing for width right below the groove (at the primer end of the casing) and compared it to two other rounds and they were within 0.001" of each other. Measured the length and again the dud and new ammo (oh, BTW - these are all brand new and not reloads) measure within 0.001" of each other. Then I pulled the barrel out and placed the dud casing in and it was a good fit, not tight at all. I compared the barrel fit of the dud round compared to two other rounds and I could tell no difference among them.

Since the episode yesterday, I've run 4x15 round magazines through the P226 with zero problems. So I think that makes about 150 rounds run through the gun with only that one rather significant failure. Not sure what to think, I guess I'll consider it a fluke and move on especially since the gun is behaving so well. I have 500 rounds of Privi Partizan (125 grain) coming this week so I'll keep throwing lead until I'm happy with the Sig's performance.

Running the ammo through is giving me some good practice shooting with it in DA mode (it's DA and then SA) - I'm not used to DA but I'm getting there and learning to make a constant trigger squeeze. For the last 100 rounds I've just been in DA mode - it's forcing me to learn the DA trigger .

[bmwrdr]

Was it brass or steel casing? I remember a stuck steel case a few years ago in a Walther PPS but the same brand worked flawless in my CZ and SIG.

[johncanfield]

Brand new brass (Sellier & Bellot ammo), I've shot hundreds and hundreds of rounds of S&B and find it to be very reliable.

[bmwrdr]

Brand new brass (Sellier & Bellot ammo), I've shot hundreds and hundreds of rounds of S&B and find it to be very reliable.

There were only 3 issues ammo related issues I can remember.
1. .357Sig in my Glock 32 Gen 2 produced a stovepipe on occasions.
2. Old, cheap Israeli military surplus 9 mm ammo producing a squib load and a burned case.
3. Steel case feeding issues in a Walther PPS, any brass ammo worked fine.

On my SIG P938 I had feeding issues in the beginning but that problem was fixed after I disassembled and de burred the magazine body and a few hundred rounds.