I was gifted my duty gun (P226 in 357SIG) when I retired. I haven’t shot it much since then, maybe one box. Someone left a few boxes of fmj in my truck, and I’ve got a box left.

I wanted to shoot it more, so I ordered a factory barrel in 40S&W. I reload 40 for my STI EDGE, so I have at least 1000 rounds of it laying about.

Now I wait for the tracking number.

Wish I could have kept my old pancake holster, but it was issued so I had to give it back.

They gave you your pistol but kept the holster?

Really!

You can get a 9mm slide for it and shoot even cheaper you know.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
They gave you your pistol but kept the holster?

Yes, had to turn in my duty gear and my off duty pancake holster, while the dept was transitioning to a 9mm railed P226 that none of new guns would work with the old holsters. Made no sense.

But I wasn’t well liked by the staff, because I spoke the truth and wouldn’t sign a contract to always support the staff, so I couldn’t make Sgt. But the issue of the gun was a state statute, so they couldn’t outright deny me it.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Really!

You can get a 9mm slide for it and shoot even cheaper you know.

But the slide and new barrel are twice as much as a new barrel by itself. And I reload 40. And I wouldn’t have to buy new mags.

I’m cheap, I know, I know

First thank you for your service.... I hate to pick but if you had just held out and hinted in this thread you were thinking about getting a 40 cal barrel.... well I would be surprised if someone didn't offer you one....

Anywho... next time I go to my gun club.... I'm going to put a 9mm barrel in my P226 357sig and see what happens.... you know this works fine in the P239's... then all you would need is a barrel and magazines....

I recently purchased a P226-SSS-40 from a forum member that started its life as a 40S&W factory pistol.

I also received a 357Sig barrel, a 9mm barrel, 9mm mags, and a P226 9mm recoil spring.

According to the forum member, when I want to shoot 9mm in this 40S&W framed all stainless pistol, all I need to do is switch out the barrel, mags, and the recoil spring (lighter weight vs. the 40/357 recoil spring) and the pistol will function 100% when shooting 9mm. I have not yet tried this because this pistol is so fun shooting the 357Sig round thru it but the forum member I purchased this set up from said he shot it many times and it worked great.

I guess I need to also get out to the range and give the 9mm set up in this pistol a try.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarmsp226:
I recently purchased a P226-SSS-40 from a forum member that started its life as a 40S&W factory pistol.

I also received a 357Sig barrel, a 9mm barrel, 9mm mags, and a P226 9mm recoil spring.

According to the forum member, when I want to shoot 9mm in this 40S&W framed all stainless pistol, all I need to do is switch out the barrel, mags, and the recoil spring (lighter weight vs. the 40/357 recoil spring) and the pistol will function 100% when shooting 9mm. I have not yet tried this because this pistol is so fun shooting the 357Sig round thru it but the forum member I purchased this set up from said he shot it many times and it worked great.

I guess I need to also get out to the range and give the 9mm set up in this pistol a try.

I have heard that’s really all there is to it. Sig sells the entire slide (or used to) as a caliber change. But IIRC all you do is swap mags, barrel and recoil spring

You can use a 9mm barrel in a P226 357/40 slide, as well as a P239 357/40 slide. Both are fine for range use, but for self defense, I would use a 9mm slide with the smaller breech face. A P229 357/40 slide will require a 9mm conversion barrel from EFK or Barsto to work properly. Hope this helps.
I hate swapping barrels at the range, so for that reason I have accumulated spare slides to accommodate my extra barrels.

quote:

Originally posted by Nontypical:
You can use a 9mm barrel in a P226 357/40 slide, as well as a P239 357/40 slide. Both are fine for range use, but for self defense, I would use a 9mm slide with the smaller breech face. A P229 357/40 slide will require a 9mm conversion barrel from EFK or Barsto to work properly. Hope this helps.
I hate swapping barrels at the range, so for that reason I have accumulated spare slides to accommodate my extra barrels.

Some have reported reliability issues attributed to extractor size differences when using 9 in the .40 slide.

My barrel showed up today, drop in perfection.

Gonna try it out this weekend.

If you don't mind my asking, what was the make/model of the Pancake holster?

………

quote:

Originally posted by CD228:
If you don't mind my asking, what was the make/model of the Pancake holster?

Don’t remember, I was issued it in 99 and turned it in in 17. It was similar to a don Hume h721, but wasn’t boned. It was for off duty or detective work, eventually they issued a safariland security holster for the detectives

I shoulda kept the thing, they were getting railed P226s, so it likely wouldn’t fit those.

Mrs. Mike ordered me a kydex IWB holster that arrived today. I use them for CCW as I can remove them easily when I get back to the house.

I use an inside the waste band leather holster for my P239 but I more often than not have it outside my waste band but inside the belt... seems the waste bands of my pants have been shrinking as of late.... I need to go check the temperature of the water on my washer as well as the air on my dryer.
But I'm old school and prefer leather. Maybe because it tends to look even better as it ages.

Range Report - 12/16/23

I took my P226-40-SSS to the range. I also took the 9mm barrel, mags, and factory recoil spring. Interesting results.

1st Shooting Cycle - Shot the pistol with the factory 40 barrel, mags., and recoil spring - 36 rounds of Blazer factory ammo - zero issues.

2nd Shooting Cycle - Swapped out the barrels and dropped in the “BAR-STO” 9mm barrel (not factory as to Nontypical’s comments above that an aftermarket barrel may be needed in this set up). Also swapped out the mags for Sig OEM 9mm mags but not the recoil spring. Shot two different ammo’s - details and results are:

Scenario A - Factory Ammo - Blazer 115gr FMJ Brass Case - Had four FTE in two mags (28 rounds).

Scenario B - Reloaded Ammo - 124gr FMJ loaded @ 910-940FPS (load I use for my PPC AR) - Had 10 FTF/FTE out of 14 rounds (one mag and then I stopped).

3rd Shooting Cycle - With the Bar-Sto 9mm barrel installed and using the factory 9mm mags, I changed out the recoil spring from the factory 40cal spring to a new OEM 9mm recoil spring. Being that it was new I oiled it good before inserting and then I hand cycled the pistol about 10-15 times to ensure it was properly seated and functioning. Shot two different ammo’s - details and results below:

Scenario C- Factory Ammo - Blazer 115gr FMJ Brass Case - Had one FTF/FTE on the second round fired but after that every round fired (56 rounds total - 4 - 14 round mags) functioned properly and the slide locked back on three or the four mags after the last round was fired.

Scenario D - Reloaded Ammo - 124gr FMJ loaded @ 910-940FPS. Eight rounds out of 28 rounds fired either FTE or FTF and the slide did NOT lock back after the last round was fired from these two mags.


Based on my very limited range shooting, for my specific pistol I determined the following:

1 - The factory recoil spring for the 40cal is significantly more stout than the factory 9mm spring and
the 9mm recoil spring must be in this gun for factory ammo to function properly (knowing there is
still a chance that I will experience a FTF or FTE).

2 - Not 100% positive an after market barrel is required but having had one this was not a variable I had
to bring into this equation.

3 - Guessing a 9mm Stainless Steel slide assembly is lighter than the factory 40cal slide assembly and if
I had a dedicated one for this pistol it might function 100%.

4 - I did not focus this range trip on accuracy therefore I cannot provide any details on this topic.

5 - Photo below is the pistol and barrel I used (mags and recoil spring were OEM and are not shown).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigarmsp226,

Pretty much in the same boat as you, everyone says go 9mm but every time my department qualified i squirreled away .40, guns shows i would nickel and dime projectiles, the last time i cleaned i tallied up over 2000 rounds factory and reloading possibility of over 14,000, yes I'll stay with .40

Range report!
Just got back from the range and I just swapped the factory 357SIG barrel for the factory 40 barrel.
Ran 500 rounds thru it flawlessly-my thumb hurt after about the 100 mark and I remembered I had a upula loader in my range bag! FIL gave it to me probably a decade ago.

Night sights are dead but that’s OK. I got the gun in 2004.

Surprising the 357SIG sights are spot on for the 40, considering the 357 is a 125 grain bullet and the 40 is a 180 grain. At 25 yards, dead center. (Using a 6o’clock hold)

for Sigarmsp226,

yes the 9mm slides are slightly lighter than the 357/40s and it is also very obvious the recoil spring is lighter for 9mm. the nice thing is the 40/357s are the same.

Blue - - Thanks Sir, now to be on the lookout for a Hen’s Tooth (9mm Stainless Steel Slide)

My goal when purchasing this beautiful pistol from a forum member was to use when shooting some 357Sig (never owned one before now) and lots of 40S&W but having everything I need to shoot 9mm except a stainless steel slide may result in me shooting it with the 40/357 slide for now until I can find one that I can afford.

MikeinNC - Sorry my friend. Did not mean to derail your 40/357 thread topic with my 9mm issues. Mark