September 01, 2018, 09:00 PM
greg1147P320 Take Down
Why does the take lever take so much effort to rotate compared to my P226? I now carry a small pair of channel locks in case I need to take it down during a competition or range trip. I have installed a Bruce Gray guide rod but even with the OEM it's becoming a PITA
TIA Greg
September 02, 2018, 06:33 AM
henryazquote:
Originally posted by greg1147:
Why does the take lever take so much effort to rotate compared to my P226?
Some seem to come from SIG more difficult to turn than others, judging by comments posted here. Mine was somewhat stiff when new, but I could still manage it, and it has smoothed out some over time. I still hold the gun so I can push down from the top with my stronger thumb, rather than levering it from the side. Make sure to keep some oil on the lever shaft, and especially on the O-ring. Mine is still more difficult to turn than other SIG models I have owned.
September 02, 2018, 07:32 AM
rscalzoI have Bruce's guide rods in every one of my 320's. While stiff, none require anything more than finger pressure to rotate.
September 02, 2018, 07:32 AM
10-7 leoI can rotate my 320s takedown lever more easily while my pistol is laying on a cleaning mat. All the force is applied to the lever instead of fighting myself by holding the pistol in one hand and using the thumb of the other hand to rotate it.
September 02, 2018, 07:26 PM
greg1147Thanks got it under control, thought it me with the arthritis thing.
November 29, 2018, 02:21 PM
bare bonesBelieve me, you're not the only one to experience this problem. Arthritis and lessening muscle mass in my hands/fingers makes this pistol a real dog to manipulate. I have a flat piece of bar stock to use for leverage. I'll oil it up and see if I can free it up some.
This age thing can be frustrating, but the fridge still keeps the beer cold.
November 29, 2018, 02:34 PM
sigfreundSomething I experienced after switching to a Grayguns recoil spring and guide rod in my 9mm P320 is that I must lift up slightly on the front of the rod with the slide locked back to allow me to rotate the takedown lever. No amount of force that I can exert works without doing that first.
December 01, 2018, 11:35 AM
NipperThis falls into the category of "Mysteries of the Universe. Last time I followed this theme there were three iterations of TDL's
1) The original was on my P320C 9mm when I bought it in January 2015. That one had the raised shelf that beat the hell out of your support hand thumb under recoil.
2) Then they changed to the flat version, which I ordered when it was available. Flat shape was fine, but took two hands and 12 fingers to turn the damn thing. Eventually loosened up a little after a lot of use and applying lube to the O-ring and the rest of the part. Still stiff though.
3) Then, purportedly, they revised the part another time to ameliorate the stiffness problem. I can't recall whether the third iteration solved the problem or not. However, the three versions had their own specific part numbers from what SF members reported.
I have no idea what's going on now. Have recently seen numerous reports of stiffness with current production TDL's. I thought that it had been solved with version number three.
Perhaps Sig should provide a special wrench for operating P320 TDL's.

December 01, 2018, 05:28 PM
YooperSigsMy P320RX takes 3 men and a mule to turn it. It is due for the safety upgrade so when it goes back to Sig, I will include a whine about that situation.
We will see what happens....