September 10, 2018, 09:42 PM
wfodaveSIG P226 Caliber Change Question
I was looking on the Sig website to convert a .40 P226 to 9mm. Since I was told that the slides are the same width by a holster maker, I thought a 9mm barrel and a recoil spring would do the trick, but Sig shows a complete slide for their caliber exchange kit. Are they just trying to make money or is there a reason they offer it that way? TIA.
PS. I already converted a .40 P226 to .357Sig with a barrel change, so yes, I know that is the most fun conversion. But the way they are giving away .40 pistols right now, I was thinking about another P226 and a 9mm conversion.
September 10, 2018, 09:52 PM
burnetmaI have had success with just mag, barrel, & spring with my P226 for the purpose of competition, but I wouldn't recommend it long term or self defense.
September 11, 2018, 06:50 AM
Ordnance OutsellSold a lot of "multi-caliber" Sigs for years when I was an FFL and had personal guns set up same way!
All you need is a Barsto 9mm conversion barrel and 9mm mags,different recoil spring not needed. There may be cheaper barrels; but Barsto is the best.
Unless you get really lucky, Barsto will probably not have it in stock and be prepared for a lengthy wait; but will be worth it! Will cost you a little more than $200; but think of it as getting a 9mm pistol for $200. You can also get a 357 Sig barrel if you like?
Remember, it must be a 9mm CONVERSION BARREL, NOT A REGULAR 226 9MM BARREL!
September 11, 2018, 12:45 PM
wfodavequote:
Originally posted by Ordnance Outsell:
Sold a lot of "multi-caliber" Sigs for years when I was an FFL and had personal guns set up same way!
All you need is a Barsto 9mm conversion barrel and 9mm mags,different recoil spring not needed. There may be cheaper barrels; but Barsto is the best.
Unless you get really lucky, Barsto will probably not have it in stock and be prepared for a lengthy wait; but will be worth it! Will cost you a little more than $200; but think of it as getting a 9mm pistol for $200. You can also get a 357 Sig barrel if you like?
Remember, it must be a 9mm CONVERSION BARREL, NOT A REGULAR 226 9MM BARREL!
Thaks; that is good to know. That being said, I have bought from Bar Sto before and it wasn't ideal. I bought a .357Sig barrel for a Beretta 92 and it was the one that is as close as "drop-in" as they sell, but the lugs on the bottom were so oversized I finally gave up on my efforts to fit it and had to to send it all back to Bar Sto to be fitted.
September 11, 2018, 02:05 PM
GaryBFAlthough there is not a large body of proof, it has been reported here by at least two members that the P226 can be converted to 9mm with just a factory barrel swap. I have never tried it, however, I have converted the P239 and SP2340 with factory 9mm barrels and those worked well. None of these swaps are factory approved.
September 11, 2018, 07:32 PM
Ordnance OutsellDave, sorry you did not have a good Barsto experience. Have heard; but can't confirm that when they left 29 Palms (Marine influence?) and went to Dakotas, they might have fallen under influence of all those partying bikers? They do give themselves an"out" by saying "semi drop in"! Before I let my FFL expire, I was selling more Glocks and used KKM
for their 9mm conversion barrels and NONE ever needed to be fitted!
Garym realize you are not saying that you personally had the experience of using a factory
a factory 9mm barrel to do conversion: but would like to see the guns of those who said they did?
You can use a factory barrel IF you also go to
the expense of buying a 9mm slide, too?
Very simple and obvious reason why a 40 cut slide will not work with an OEM slide, is barrel
opening on the 40 slide is way too big. The simplicity of the conversion barrels is that the outer walls of the conversion barrel are thicker, so the dimensions of conversion are same a 40; BUT the barrel hole on conversion is 9mm sized, which is why it works in a 40 alide!
If you look at standard 9mm barrel next to conversion, you can see extra thickness of conversion barrel! Simple concept for conversion barrels: but it works!
September 11, 2018, 08:47 PM
wfodavequote:
Originally posted by Ordnance Outsell:
Dave, sorry you did not have a good Barsto experience. Have heard; but can't confirm that when they left 29 Palms (Marine influence?) and went to Dakotas, they might have fallen under influence of all those partying bikers? They do give themselves an"out" by saying "semi drop in"! Before I let my FFL expire, I was selling more Glocks and used KKM
for their 9mm conversion barrels and NONE ever needed to be fitted!
Garym realize you are not saying that you personally had the experience of using a factory
a factory 9mm barrel to do conversion: but would like to see the guns of those who said they did?
You can use a factory barrel IF you also go to
the expense of buying a 9mm slide, too?
Very simple and obvious reason why a 40 cut slide will not work with an OEM slide, is barrel
opening on the 40 slide is way too big. The simplicity of the conversion barrels is that the outer walls of the conversion barrel are thicker, so the dimensions of conversion are same a 40; BUT the barrel hole on conversion is 9mm sized, which is why it works in a 40 alide!
If you look at standard 9mm barrel next to conversion, you can see extra thickness of conversion barrel! Simple concept for conversion barrels: but it works!
It’s always the bikers ...
September 11, 2018, 09:05 PM
burnetmaquote:
Originally posted by GaryBF:
wfodave,
Although there is not a large body of proof, it has been reported here by at least two members that the P226 can be converted to 9mm with just a factory barrel swap. I have never tried it, however, I have converted the P239 and SP2340 with factory 9mm barrels and those worked well. None of these swaps are factory approved.
My trial was with a Sig P220 9 mm barrel.
September 11, 2018, 11:05 PM
Ordnance OutsellYour 220 was originally a 45? So you are saying you used a OEM 9 barrel in a 220 45 slide; and what mag did you use? Detecting a little sarcasm?
September 14, 2018, 06:48 PM
tcfieroI have dropped in a stock 9mm barrel in my 40 226. Change the recoil spring and mags and I am good to go. You can't do that in a 229 as the outer barrel diameters are different between the 9 and 40.
September 14, 2018, 07:19 PM
hrcjonI tested the same on a 226 and it was not OK so YMMV.
September 14, 2018, 09:51 PM
wfodaveInteresting. I read something by accident on another forum, and the key point was that on Glocks, the extractor has a different bend on the 9mm than a 40sw. Wonder if Sig is the same?