Yeah, I have this "won't lock open" problem with several (about 1/5) of my magazines (both American release AND Euro release) for my BDA p220 .45 cal and 9mm's, and I can't figure it out, really, but the mags work ok otherwise.

But what about this Turn-Around problem:
Why do some of the mags lock my slide open AND I CAN'T RELEASE THE SLIDE OR EJECT THE MAG (IT'S STUCK) WITHOUT PHYSICALLY DEPRESSING THE MAG FOLLOWER WITH A PENCIL/STIFF ROD FROM ABOVE THROUGH THE LOCKED OPEN SLIDE? What does that imply?

I just got a P226 Classic 22 (.22LR). Slide does not lock back on last shot, but this is the design for the .22LR per the owners manual. Love the gun, now I am waiting for the 9MM X-CHANGE kit....

Moral - don't try to fix this on the P226 .22LR version - its not broken.

There is another cause that will make the slide lock fail.

DEFECTIVE Slide catch lever.

I've only seen this with P226. SIG manufactures two type of slide catch lever. Their claim is that one is for standard capacity magazine and the other is for 10rd magazine. I don't know and I don't care what their intent was behind makeing two different slide catch lever, but what I do care is that that is not the end result.

The end result is that the slide catch lever with the longer arm for magazine follower contact works with both type of magazine, and the slide catch lever with short arm will destroy the follower of both type of magazine.

The short arm slide catch lever contacts the plastic follower too narrow, and force concentrated in that narrow area will make the arm dig into the follower. As the slide catch lever contact area on the follower gets eaten up, the slide catch lever will not be pushed up enough at some point. The slide will lock back no more.

SIG refuses to recognize this. The short arm lever is not a "wrong" part as SIG claims. It's a defective part and should not be manufactured any more.

Regarding the P6/P225 slide catch levers, I note that on my old P6, when the slide is pulled back for field stripping etc. the catch never fails to engage and hold the slide back. Now, on an newly acquired P225, one has to thumb the catch lever upward to cause it to engage the slide and hold it. Which is proper function? Both? Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by sse:
Regarding the P6/P225 slide catch levers, I note that on my old P6, when the slide is pulled back for field stripping etc. the catch never fails to engage and hold the slide back. Now, on an newly acquired P225, one has to thumb the catch lever upward to cause it to engage the slide and hold it. Which is proper function? Both? Thanks.

Um ..., do you have an empty magazine in both guns? If you do, the slide catch lever should be pushed up automatically to engage and lock the slide back.

quote:

do you have an empty magazine in both guns?

No, and the lock functions with the empty magazine. Yet another conundrum solved...

I've got an interesting situation here:

P226 .40 , 10 rd factory mag
Slide *Never* locks back on empty mag.
Does not lock back after firing last shot.
Does not lock back upon manual pull of slide with empty mag inserted.

The slide release lever does not spring back into position (slide removed).

The slide release lever is quite difficult to move upwards and downwards.

There does appear to be a spring attached, however, the forced required to move the lever is so great, the spring does no good.

The mag follower is too weak to push up the slide release lever. There is nothing wrong with the mag as far as i can tell, it works in my P229. (slide catches on empty mag)

What do I do? The P226 is only 3 days old...

http://i40.tinypic.com/21kczvb.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/1059nhi.jpg

(Slide release lever stays up by itself, no mag inserted in these pictures, it's stuck and does not move freely)

Replace your slide catch lever spring.

I actually swapped out the P226 spring w/ a the spring from a P229 that I had available. It did not fix the issue. I even swapped slide catch levers. I called Sig and they are supposed to take it in for warranty work.

Fisrst time at the range with new 250 and the slide will not lock back after last round. happend on 2 mags first and now happpens on 3rd mag from time to time. The pistol has less then 200 rounds through it. Is there a fix that I can do. Is Sig taking care of the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Fred Flintstone:
Is Sig taking care of the problem.

Have you read this thread? Are you sure the problem isn't you?

i am amazed this type of problem is still going on with a sig. my old sigp220 never had any of these issues, my two year old duty weapon sigp220 has all of these problems and then some. sig sends us new springs but the problems do not go away. they then tell us it is the way we shoot. i shoot the duty weapon the same way i shoot my old sigp220 which has never had any problems. (many many many rounds through the old p220) this is why we have dropped the p220 as a duty weapon and have gone to the smith and wesson M&P45. And yes, we have no problems with the m&p. i guess sig has lost its edge.

Yes Chris I read the thread or I would not be adding to it! The problem is not me, it is the weapon. If you push up (put pressure) on the bottom of the mag when firing last round it will catch. When you out and empty mag in you will see the release lever go uo and when pressure it put ont he bottom of the mag it will go up the remaining 1/16 to 1/8 inch . This allows to cathc the slide.

I just wanted to add this is first problem I have ever had with any of the numerous Sigs that I have owned or carried on duty. My 220 is a flawless weapon as was my old 226 and my Browning /SIg BDA

quote:

Originally posted by Fred Flintstone:
Yes Chris I read the thread or I would not be adding to it!

Hard to tell since you provided no details initially. As it's a new pistol, my suggestion is to contact SIG.

Update on my slide lock: Sent pistol to Sig for repair. They sent it back within 1 week. Works great now. They replaced slide lock lever & function tested.

I have had no problems with my 229/40 until I put a 22 cal conversion kit on it. I found an answer on this forum indirectly. The pamphlet that came with the kit had the answer, I just overlooked it. I now know what to look for if I have any future problems.

I have an ex NYPD P226 that someone swapped the nickel parts out for older parts. When an empty mag is inserted and the slide held back, the slide stop refuses to engage unless it's tapped downward or lightly pushed upwards. I think it doesn't fit in the newer stainless slide, it has a rub mark on the slide stop where the slide stop meets the slide. It also is "stuck" until bumped down or up, it then makes a click and goes up, holding the slide.

quote:

Originally posted by ontmark:
I recently bought a new 226 in Calif 10 round mag Law. Slide did not lock open. Looking at Magazines on the SIG Site when enlarged the picture shows the 12 round mag having a protrusion for the Slide Stop Lever, where the 10 round mag has this area rounded off. Called SIG customer service and they shipped me four followers part number off the 12 round mag for free. Installed them and it works fine, No it didn't change the capacity actually has made it easer to load the last round with speed loader. How have room in Mag for 10 and a half rounds.

Hello there,

I'm new to this site and just recently purchased a P226R in .40 S&W. I also live in California and had the same problem with my 10rd magazines not locking the slide back after the last round was fired. I say your post and decided to give this a try. So far I've only function tested the gun and it seems to have solved the problem. I'll get back with more after I take it to the range, hopefully later this week.

Thanks ontmark!!