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All good SIG brains -

I'll try to summarize what is a bit of a complex thing going on.

I bought 4 P228 threaded barrels direct from SIG.

I unboxed one, tried to install it in one of my P228s - it wouldn't "go", i.e. the slide would not slide all the way back onto the frame.

I tried the new threaded barrel on another P228 - no joy.

Etc., etc., etc.

...until I had tried all 4 new threaded barrels on 3 different P228s (I have more , but I figured testing 4 barrels across 3 pistols was a sufficient data sample)

None of the (4) new threaded barrels would "go" onto any (3) of the P228s.

I did some "research" (will explain if asked) and have determined that it looks, to me anyway, that the problem is the feed ramp on the barrel is contacting the lead edge of the locking insert (with a pretty hard definitive "clunk") stopping the slide's rearward travel there.

I talked with a VERY nice guy at SIG who says in his 6 years at SIG he has never seen this.

He wants to help. Say's they are guaranteed to fit. Want's to start off with me sending him (on their dime) one barrel and one pistol, and determine what is wrong and fix it. Then the plan is to send pistol and "adjusted" barrel back and me see if the barrel works on ALL my other P228s. If so, we know we have problem figured out, send the rest of the barrels back with the one P228, they will lather, rinse, repeat on the other 3 barrels and we should be good to go.

But before I do this dance, thought I'd run this by y'all.

The fact that these are threaded barrels should make NO difference, so we're just looking at SIG replacements barrels which SHOULD be a drop in fit, yet I'm "0" for 4 barrels fitting on any of 3 P228s tested with.

Unheard of, according to "Bo" at SIG.
Yet that's what is happening.

Any thoughts or ideas MUCH appreciated.

James

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I have been around here for 10 years and that is NOT unheard of. Perhaps not common, but you are not the first to report the barrel feed ramp interfering with the locking insert.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GaryBF,

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Thanks for the comment Gary.

I will have a follow-up question, but I think I will wait to see if there are some other postings first.

Again, thanks.

James

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It's very surprising the guy at SIG hadn't heard of that in 6 years. I bought a SIG threaded barrel to use in my P228s and had read they sometimes need fitting. So, I was not surprised when I had the same experience as you, where the barrel was hitting the lead edge of the locking inserts.

I took a fine file and carefully worked on the bottom of feed ramp until it cleared. That was more than a year ago and I've used the barrel in a number of my P228s without an issue. But, if SIG has offered to take care of it on their dime, I'd certainly take them up on it, especially if you're talking about 4 barrels.

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Well...

Tooky, you have sort of reinforced Gary's thoughts about "the problem".
a) this ain't nothin' new, we've seen it before, more than once
b) surprised that the guy at SIG has never seen it
(unless all you SIG-pros have just been taking care of it yourselves
and it has just never made it back up the chain to him)

And also, of course, you seem to be validating (I guess) my "diagnosis".

So if it IS the feed ramp whacking the lead edge of the locking insert,
I do find myself running it through my mind what course of action to take:

1- send back to SIG as "defective" and ask for a refund
a) I'd rather not, I want/need the item
b) as long as the "greater barrel" is fine,
i.e., if we think (?) there's likely no other issues with it, then no need to bail on it?

2- send it back to SIG on their dime and have them ease that feed ramp up a bit?
- I guess, though I'd really rather not trust my
precious, W. German, Bruce Grayed, P228
over to FedEx FOUR times if I didn't have to!
- and... I don't know who's going to be working on this.
The guy that this is his first day on the job? And he's learnin' on my gun?

3- Or just take the project on myself? Or... together with someone I know and trust?

Hmmm...?

Comments/opinions on this too then?

- Do the SIG replacement barrels seem to be good to go in general?
Including in these cases, to anyone's experience, except for the droopy feed ramp?

- Any experience with the "Repair Department" at SIG?

- Encouragement? or Not? To do myself or 3rd party other than SIG?
I'm wondering if I just couldn't to it, except...
whereas shortening the droopy feed ramp might seem pretty easy,
is keeping the perfect shape of that feed ramp highly precise and critical?
Easy to mess up the shape of the feed ramp and then you got a barrel that won't feed reliably?

Thanks SIG Forum for allowing me these late night musings?

Wise words welcome.

James

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Not unusual to have to fit barrels, even though most SIG barrels should drop in I would think. With a decent mill file, go slow and remove a skosh from the underside of the ramp.

Send it to Sig. The barrel might not be going fully into the slide due to the length of the hood.

Tom Allen at Top Gun Supply told everyone once what to try when fitting a replacement barrel. (how's that for using an expert name for reference?)
Lets say a new barrel comes in and the bottom of the feed ramp hits the front of the locking insert. Question - is there something that can cause that other than the feed ramp growing in size? Why yes there is . A feed ramp does not grow and hit the front of the locking insert. What can happen is the hood is slightly too long and cocks the barrel down slightly and then the trouble happens. What Fred would do (that's me - Fred) is I would only touch the rear of the hood extension with sandpaper backed up by a flat surface like a tiny steel ruler. Hey, What would Tom Allen do who had 19 barrels come in that did not fit? OH Tom? ? ? He installed the barrel only in the slide and hit that large lug under the barrel with a wooden hammer handle of a wooden handled hammer. After a couple of licks the problem burr was gone and the barrel fit perfectly.
(and we did not shorten the feed ramp any)

If we start off shortening the feed ramp and then fire the weapon, the burr disappears and we now have a loose fitting barrel. What to do? Put that steel back on the bottom of the feed ramp.

(edit) The purpose of this post is to mention that the barrel almost fits and there is not very much needed to make it move away from the locking insert a little.(/edit)

I've had this happen to me before after disassembling and attempting to re-assemble a P228.

I slathered the front of the locking block with grease, put the slide back on the frame and then while holding the slide in one hand I whacked the backstrap with my other hand. The slide continued without incident after that.

What fjgile said, and one more:

I had a barrel that would not allow the slide to go on the frame. Measured and the barrel wasn't going up in to full lock up. But, the problem was not too much material at the front of the hood. Rather is was the diameter of the barrel being about 5 thousands too big so it was being restricted from fully going up into the slide up front.

Chucked it in the lathe and had at it with some fine abrasive paper. Worked nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by bumper:
What fjgile said, and one more:

I had a barrel that would not allow the slide to go on the frame. Measured and the barrel wasn't going up in to full lock up. But, the problem was not too much material at the front of the hood. Rather is was the diameter of the barrel being about 5 thousands too big so it was being restricted from fully going up into the slide up front.

Chucked it in the lathe and had at it with some fine abrasive paper. Worked nicely.

@bumper
I hope you come back and read this. I had a barrel come in that was the other way, too small in diameter. Really, the barrel should be sent back I guess because we cannot add diameter to it. I cocked the barrel up by removing metal from in front of the hood, the horrizontal part. Now the firing pin does not hit center but the barrel locks up in the slide.

I don't have a link to it but there is a very short video from Bar-Sto on YouTube that describes where to remove material to fit a barrel. He (Irv Stone?) is talking about fitting a Bar-Sto barrel but I can't think of any reason why the information wouldn't apply to any barrel (for the same type of action). If I recall correctly, the audio isn't that good and he explains it a little fast but it could be helpful.

quote:

Originally posted by cyberiad:
I don't have a link to it but there is a very short video from Bar-Sto on YouTube that describes where to remove material to fit a barrel. He (Irv Stone?) is talking about fitting a Bar-Sto barrel but I can't think of any reason why the information wouldn't apply to any barrel (for the same type of action). If I recall correctly, the audio isn't that good and he explains it a little fast but it could be helpful.

I went through everything and even got The SIG Armorer in on the fitting. Irv did not say anything about what to do when the barrel is too small in Diameter. They told me to specify what diameter I wanted and reorder. Since I had already worked on this barrel I would need to send $300 again.

Sorry, I misunderstood the problem. You bought one or more P228 barrels and they were too small to fit in your P228? I have literally never heard of that.

quote:

Originally posted by fjgiie:

@bumper
I hope you come back and read this. I had a barrel come in that was the other way, too small in diameter. Really, the barrel should be sent back I guess because we cannot add diameter to it. I cocked the barrel up by removing metal from in front of the hood, the horrizontal part. Now the firing pin does not hit center but the barrel locks up in the slide.

Not mentioned yet, but using DyKem layout fluid is a help in barrel (or many other) fitting situations. The DyKem it painted on the area of concern and then the parts fitted - the DyKem will show where the parts hit at it will be removed in those areas.

In my case, with the barrel being too large in diameter, it would go through the muzzle hole with ease, but then would prevent the barrel breech end from lifting into lock up. There were two hints this was the case, the breech end felt a tiny bit "springy" when pushed upward (no solid metal to metal lock up) and no DyKem was removed at the forward lock up surface of the hood.

Always go slow removing minimal material at a time and keep repeating DyKem check as you want the barrel as tightly fitting as possible for accuracy, while having it fit and move freely.