For P226 fans.

June '83? Oh, now I would LOVE to read that report.

A few years ago I tried to see how far back the AR archived issues go, but they only go back a few years...not even back to the 20th century.

I remember having that issue. I wish I saved all of my gun rags from over the years as they had some really neat pics.

Here is my library of American Rifleman magazines beginning in 1973. I have room for a few more years.

AR Magazines by GaryBF, on Flickr

quote:

Originally posted by GaryBF:
Here is my library of American Rifleman magazines beginning in 1973. I have room for a few more years.

AR Magazines by GaryBF, on Flickr

Very Nice! An enviable reference collection.

The problem is that there is no master index (that I know of), so finding something is tedious at best.

quote:

Originally posted by GaryBF:
The problem is that there is no master index (that I know of), so finding something is tedious at best.

Ain't that the truth! I once tried to reference an AR article from several years earlier. I remembered the year correctly, but was several months off in the wrong direction. After spending an hour or so going through my (disorganized) copies with no success I fell back to plan B. I maintain PDF copies of AR for digital reference. However, what I learned was that I couldn't use the MS Find feature to search the entire Folder of PDFs, I had to open each one individually and do a Search.

I eventually found the article I was searching for but it took way too long and I find myself dreading looking for old AR articles even when I know the article would be of great help to me.

Some sort of index would be very handy!

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
June '83? Oh, now I would LOVE to read that report.

A few years ago I tried to see how far back the AR archived issues go, but they only go back a few years...not even back to the 20th century.

Here you go...

Thanks for posting the article! Looks like an outstanding handgun based on the article. Pretty neat to know it lived up to its promise!

"15lb DA" Holy crap, must have just used the cray-cray heavy P6 mainspring back then. My surplus P6 felt like 15# DA also until I put a 19# mainspring in there...

quote:

Originally posted by Gambit:

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
June '83? Oh, now I would LOVE to read that report.

A few years ago I tried to see how far back the AR archived issues go, but they only go back a few years...not even back to the 20th century.

Here you go...

Ahh, that was nice to read! In reading some of the test protocols and the ammo used for testing it was a bit of a walk down memory lane, and a reflection of what was available and acceptable at that time.

I also found the description of the barrel interesting. I knew that the P226 used a slightly oversized chamber, but had never seen it referenced as a NATO chamber.

I'm a bit dubious of the 15lb. DA trigger pull claim. My SIG factory manual for a KC lists the trigger pulls at DA 5.5 kg SA 2.0 kg (just a fraction over 12 lbs. and 4.4 lbs.)...but I'd be interested in reading a SIG P226 factory manual from the '83/'84 time frame to check the specs listed then.

While I think the P226 is an excellent gun, both old and new, this article confirms that even the early (older) West German guns were not infallible, or that they "never choked" and "ate anything they were fed". Obviously there were some bullet weights and shapes that caused stoppages in what most would agree was a reliable platform.

Gambit, thanks so much for taking the time to post this! I really did enjoy the read.

quote:

I'm a bit dubious of the 15lb. DA trigger pull claim. My SIG factory manual for a KC lists the trigger pulls at DA 5.5 kg SA 2.0 kg (just a fraction over 12 lbs. and 4.4 lbs.)...but I'd be interested in reading a SIG P226 factory manual from the '83/'84 time frame to check the specs listed then.

I am not.
Had a JJ P226 purchased in Jan, 1989.
Outside of several other faults that it had, the DA pull was VERY heavy and had a pronounced stacking.
I had replaced the mainspring with a "reduced weight" spring shortly after purchase and it did reduce the DA pull (not the stacking).
But that particular spring would also coil bind before the sear could set, effectively making the pistol DA Only.
Subsequently, the original mainspring was reinstalled.

Along with that particular pistol's other faults, the trigger pull was one of the reasons I dumped it a month or so after getting a CZ-75C compact (which I still own).
That CZ being a better pistol in every aspect than P226 S/N U383699.

Gambit, thanks. Beginning in '87, I carried a P226 full time for several years. Fine old pistol that never,ever, malfunctioned in any way.

quote:

That CZ being a better pistol in every aspect than P226 S/N U383699

You just caused a number of members to go run and check their serial numbers on their early models...

This is the first gun I ever lusted after, awesome to read on of the first reviews ever of it. Thanks for the post!

I just sent a JJ 226 to Robert Burke. Its DA felt very Euro to me. The SA was excellent, though.

I'm sure my first P226s were earlier than U383699. When semi-autos were authorized as a primary weapon in 1986, a number of us purchased our own and attended the required revolver to semi-auto 3 day transition training. The only malfunctions I saw, were with a P226 that an officer had monkeyed with internally, then added tall, totally inappropriate for duty use, target sights. The Firearms Unit staff was not amused. Other than that, I never saw a SIG malfunction throughout the three days of training. Sure glad none of us had U383699

quote:

Originally posted by rock185:
Other than that, I never saw a SIG malfunction throughout the three days of training. Sure glad none of us had U383699

My prior post did not mention anything about malfunctions other than when the mainspring was (briefly) changed to an aftermarket part.

I mentioned "other faults".

Nevertheless, I am also glad none of you had U383699.