Took my new Sig P227 to the range today an noticed that every piece of .45 ACP brass was dented after firing. What would cause this?
(Picture attached).

Dented Brass

I'd guess they're getting dented by the ejection port.

Yes, but how?

Would i be wrong to guess that hot ammo or weak recoil spring would allow the slide to cycle faster thus resulting in harder ejection of the cases slamming them hard into the slide.

I have a Daewoo Dr-200 with an adjustable gas port and when its not adjusted correctly for hotter ammo will cycle hard slamming the empty .223 cases into the upper denting every rd.

The Daewoo uses a gas port change to adjust for ammo difference where your P227 uses different spring weights to make the change in adjustment.

Thanks Mustang PaPa,
I have some springs for other Sigs & 1911's that I'll try next time I go to the range.

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The dents are where the brass impacted the leading edge of the ejection port. It's not a big deal if you don't reload because brass is softer than the steel slide ~ the impact won't hurt the gun.

Watch the first video on this page about Pistol Recoil Springs and observe where the shell impacts the slide during ejection. www.PistolWizard.com/guides/recoil-spring

If you want to prevent the dent, it's the ejection angle or slide speed that needs to change.

Slide speed can be controlled by different weight springs. I'm curious how far away does the brass land from where you're shooting?

I haven't shot a P227 enough to know what to expect. For my P226 ejected brass lands about 8-12 feet away when I'm in the open and brass isn't bouncing off the walls of a shooting stall.

If brass is falling within a few feet of you, your spring is too heavy for that load.

If brass lands more than about 12 feet away, your spring is too light for that load.

Too strong or too weak recoil spring leads to reduced reliability.

Reshaping the face of the ejector will change the angle. Tuning 1911s, it's not uncommon for guys to break a few ejectors as they try to change the shape. A longer ejector can start the rotation of the brass earlier. Order a few P227 ejectors if you intend to try this and keep one unmodified in your spare parts kit. Finding a qualified gunsmith for the P227 will be difficult. Finding a 1911 gunsmith that tunes performance pistols will be easier and the process for the ejector should be about the same. On a P227, the ejector is a drop-in part anyone who has gone thru the Sig Classic Pistol Armorer Class can easily replace an ejector.

Regardless to changing springs or reshaping the ejector's face, if this pistol will be used for defense test using your defensive carry load. Keep testing with your defensive carry load to the point you are satisfied on the reliability of your pistol's operation, then test some more.

In the future, always end each range session by shooting a box of your defensive carry load to ensure your P227's performance is as you desire.

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And if you're a reloader, you can tune the ejection by tuning the load. I've got Mrs. Flash's 9MMs and 380s set up to eject just over her right shoulder.

She hates it when they hit her in the face.

Went to the range this afternoon and this is the results:
Factory 230 gr RN with my P227 ejected brass lands about 9.5 ft avg when I was in the open. Heavy dents.

Handloads:
185 gr LSW, @738 fps, 6 ft. No dents
185 gr XTP @ 865 fps, 5.5 ft. No dents.
185 gr XTP @ 909 fps, 8 - 9 ft, "very" lite dents on 3 out of 5 cases.

My P227 is the carry version with a 3.9" barrel. Has the RED multi strand recoil spring.

I might try polishing the ejector & Extractor to see if that helps.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lv2tinker,

quote:

Originally posted by lv2tinker:
I might try polishing the ejector & Extractor to see if that helps.

Polished ejector & extractor, helped some but not a big help. Brass still denting but not a deep.

Ordered new ejector & extractor. The new extractor had a #1 stamped on the side. The original had a #2 stamped on the side. I don't see any visible difference but does anyone here know why the different #'s on the extractors?
20221215_227-3 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/197008023@N07/[/url]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lv2tinker,

Such markings are often just to identify the machinery used to produce the part in the event of a problem or for other reasons. That would be my guess.