My LGS has a used P225 for sale but it "rattles" when I shake it.
It seems to be the slide.
There is a little bit of play in it.

Should I be concerned?
Normal for that model?

Some older SIGs do that. If it bothers you, don’t buy it.

I would probably steer clear of it.

Limited experiences here, but have one as well as other Sigs. No they don't normally rattle much, but can have a noise which sounds more singular than sloppy. There are other indicators like the worn barrel at chamber and a galled "smilie", and around edges of the gun. Even a rental gun or beat with many rounds most likely will work for many more. If that's the case, you'll easily find one with more life in it.

If you like it and get it for a good price, don't worry about a rattle. If it shoots well, enjoy your find. P239 pistols are usually the pistols that people complain about rattling. They're accurate and reliable.

If you buy the P225, use a light weight grease and shoot it. You'll forget about rattles if it shoots like mine used to.

You mean like a Glock or AK 47?

Fighting guns rattle, match guns do not. That rattle is the clearance that allows the pistol to function dirty and full of crud.

Buy it... Ship it Sig for SSP. Then shoot it. Enjoy the rattle!

I have a P226 that rattles if there is no bullet or snap cap in the magazine but does not rattle if there is one. It is a great shooter and never a problem with thousands of rounds through it.

Tough call on that P225 as they are not seen at LGS very often.

The simplest cure is don’t shake it.

quote:

The simplest cure is don’t shake it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you got it, you gotta shake it. {Dancing moves}

Grease not oil.

I’ll never understand the preoccupation with shaking guns. At what point during target practice, competition or defensive shooting does shaking the pistol come into play?

Years ago, before I knew enough to work on my own guns, I had taken my P229 for a firing pin replacement. The smith said my gun was a rattle trap. I don’t think he was a fishermen cuz he didn’t seem to understand my bad joke. But this pistol always shot like a laser, so I was surprised at this news. As it turns out, yes it does rattle, if it’s not loaded. And it does shoot like a laser. And it actually shows a LOT less wear than the P229 my dad gave me that is real tight. Like I’ve got thousands of rounds on mine and only a few hundred on the other and you’d think by the wear, it was reversed.

If, when in lockup/fully in battery, the barrel can move, then a rattle may be an issue. Otherwise quit playing with your gun.

The P239 could actually be described as a "baby rattle" there is that much play. But in actual use I have found both of mine are accurate enough to shoot a Dead President at 50 feet. They also feature a barrel to slide fit tight enough at lockup that requires a light tap to release them during a Field Strip.

Hint, it's the barrel to slide fit that matters, not the slide to frame fit. Having a somewhat loose slide to frame fit on a semi has proven to be one sure way to build a reliable pistol and IMO Reliability is a lot more important than a "perfect" fit. BTW, the P08 Luger was a very tightly fitted handgun back in the early 1900's while the 1911 was flat out sloppy in comparison. Guess which pistol had a reputation for ALWAYS working? Yeah, it was the 1911. Fact is one reason why the P38 came about was because the Luger had proven to be absolutely unusable in North Africa.

To Sum it up I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about a rattle. However with any used Sig with an Aluminum frame I would examine the slide rails closely because that is one area where Sigs are prone to wear.

I'm sure it's just fine. I bought a beat up P6 that was just a W. German police Simunition conversion (no live barrel) for I think $330. Sourced a live barrel for her and turned it into my main carry gun. It shoots very well, didn't think to check if it rattles!

quote:

Should I be concerned?

Most likely not. If the barrel is peened at the chamber shoulder or gouged near the muzzle, or if the frame rails are gouged up, you don't want it anyway. But simple play, even rattling, between the frame and slide doesn't matter. I had a P228 that would rattle if I shook it, but this mostly went away with a magazine in and a round chambered. What matters is the barrel to slide fit. The slide, barrel and sights are all as one unit at the moment of firing, so if your sight alignment and trigger control are good, the bullet will go where you aimed it.

Does it shoot?

I took a beater 2-tone WG P226 in a trade several years ago.
When I moved it side to side, it rattled quite a bit.
There was a lot of play between the slide and frame.



It was, at the time, one of the most accurate pistols I owned.

Gutted it, sent most of it to CCR for a refinish.



But sold it when I found my mint WG P226 with box, test target, and paperwork.

Check frame rails. If galled down to aluminum avoid. Some use oil instead of grease on rails. Wears faster. If extreme wear I'd avoid.