It has been quite some time since I have owned a new pistol. Several years. I have put a couple hundred rounds through the P226 but it still seems pretty stiff. It's otherwise a joy to shoot, I love it, will likely be buried with it, etc. so it isn't a knock. I know at some point the springs will relax a bit and the weapon will settle in. Generally, how many rounds is that? Thanks.

A 226 of any model should need no break in. It should run 100% out of the box, using quality factory ammo, otherwise I'd be very disappointed.

To your exact question my two legions didn't need any "breakin". And to the broader question I have quite a large number of other 226's and none of them did either. But I have heard of some that won't run with truly wimpy ammo till they have a few rounds of normal ammo. SO if it concerns you run a mag of nato spec ammo and be done with it.

Is the pistol malfunctioning in any way? If not then don't worry about you perception of how you feel the springs should be.

Seems like OP is asking the "break in" that has nothing to do with reliability. His break in is more about how long (how many rounds) it takes before the springs soften up a bit. So, just keep shooting. You only have a couple of hundred rounds through it so far, which is nothing.

OK, maybe I misread it. But in real life the question is total nonsense. I defy anyone to be able to demonstrate to me while slide racking (and the recoil spring that's the only spring he can possibly be talking about) is discernibly better or worse with more rounds. Blind test. I'll supply the guns. It simply is not a measurable thing at the level of racking the slide as a person.

I own several 226s including a Legion. All have run 100% right out of the box. No "break in" seems necessary to me. Come to think of it, this holds true for every other model of SIG pistol I own, or have owned in the past; they all run 100% out of the box.

All these threads about “my gun rattles” and now we’re going the other way and complaining they’re too stiff?

OP, if the pistol functions, that’s what matters. To some extent, they’re supposed to be stiff, otherwise the recoil spring and/or tilting/locking barrel aren’t accomplishing their jobs.

I recently got a Beretta APX Target. It has the 'heavy duty' dual recoil spring and it was relatively difficult to 'rack' the slide (I don't think the APX slide serrations are that good). After about 300 rounds of factory ammo racking the slide is noticeably easier.

What are you asking, or what are you having a problem with? Trigger gritty or slide seems hard to rack? Something else?

12131 seems to be one of the few, so far at least, that actually took the time to read the initial post and interpret correctly that there is no reported functioning issue of the gun...in fact the OP plainly states that "the gun is a joy to shoot". that he " loves it ", and " will be buried with it "...so, it's a fair bet that when he refers to "break in" he isn't talking about shooting a certain number of rounds before a gun becomes reliable...and lo and behold, if one reads just one sentence further into the short post we come to " I know at some point the springs will relax a bit and the weapon will settle in. Generally, how many rounds is that? Thanks."

Some members seem to get bent out of shape whenever the subject of "break in" comes up, but it's fairly obvious that "break in" has a different meaning to different people, and there isn't one generally accepted definition.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
OK, maybe I misread it. But in real life the question is total nonsense. I defy anyone to be able to demonstrate to me while slide racking (and the recoil spring that's the only spring he can possibly be talking about) is discernibly better or worse with more rounds. Blind test. I'll supply the guns. It simply is not a measurable thing at the level of racking the slide as a person.

Years ago, new car manuals specified engine break in periods, which included and required the new owner to use specific oils, operate the engine within certain power settings for a given distance (miles), and to perform more frequent oil and filter changes. The only reason that modern new cars don't come with an engine break in period for the new owner to perform is that the manufacturers now perform it at the factory, instead of relying (hoping) that the new owner will perform it correctly.

The General Aviation engine manufacturers that I'm familiar with still list specific engine break in procedures that include using specific oils, more frequent oil/filter changes at specified engine times & calendar days, monitoring oil consumption, monitoring engine temperatures and to avoid prolonged ground engine operation, and in some cases avoiding higher altitudes operations during the break in.

Over the years on this forum there have been multiple threads in which a member asked for help with a brand new magazine that was either too difficult to load any rounds into or experienced difficulty in loading the last round or two into; one of the common suggestions was to fully load the magazine and let it sit for a period of time.

We've also seen numerous similar complaints with extra stiff slides that were difficult to hand rack. In some cases it may have been due to insufficient strength by the user, or perhaps even an injury or physical ailment, or perhaps even improper technique combined with slide gripping ridges that offered little surface contact to establish good contact...or any combination of these...but one of the common suggestions offered is to lock the slide open for a period of days, or conversely, just keep shooting the gun until the recoil spring relaxed.

If there is no "break in" then why should we expect a magazine to be easier to load after it has spent some time fully loaded or after it has been repeatedly shot and loaded? If there is no break in then why should we expect a slide to be easier to rack after it has spent several days locked open or after it has been repeatedly cycled through firing?

Another test to demonstrate "break in"; take a brand new classic P series SIG out of the box, unfired except for the factory test fire, and field strip it and remove the recoil spring and lay it down on a flat surface. Next, remove a brand new unfired SIG factory recoil spring from its packaging or parts kit and lay it beside the recoil spring removed from the gun. You will notice that the brand new recoil spring inside the unfired gun (remember,factory test fired only) is noticeably shorter than the new in package one. The mere act of installing a (presumably) new recoil spring in the gun at the factory into the slide, racking a handful of times, and the relatively few rounds test fired, is enough to cause the new spring to compress and take a "set"...voila, break in.

This same test can be performed for a classic P series magazine spring. Remove the spring from a brand new SIG classic P series mag. (Note: it's my belief, from observations, that either none of the mags or perhaps only one of the included mags is used in test firing so it is entirely possible that the magazine has never been loaded). Lay it down on a flat surface. Remove a brand new factory spring from its packaging that has never been installed in a mag tube, and again, you will notice the spring inside the mag tube will be shorter than the one from the packaging...break in.

There have been several reports, again over the years, of brand new SIG P226 9mm that experienced stoppages. It has been noted that the factory 9mm recoil spring seems to be especially stiff...the common "fix" for these issues, avoid some commonly accepted weaker powered ammo and instead use higher powered ammo. In most cases it only takes a few mags worth of the higher powered ammo before the recoil spring relaxes enough that some of the weaker ammunition can reliably cycle it...break in.

Although it isn't as commonly discussed now, how many years of posts has this forum seen in which a member inquired or complained about classic SIG frame rail finish wear? Enough so that one knowledgeable member published a "color code" for determining wear. The commonly accepted belief, and one that I agree with from my own experience, is that the frame rail wear appears early on in the round count, and then tapers off to a slower steadier less pronounced rate...break in.

Need further proof of break in? How many times have members commented on the fact their classic P series SIG had a trigger pull that improved over round count? Enough so that, in many cases, it was suggested that members simply dry fire their guns hundreds/ thousands of times simply to improve the feel of the trigger. Break in.

Want still further proof of break in? Compare a brand new unfired (again, factory test fired only) classic SIG P series barrel and note that, in most cases, there is evidence of at least some barrel "smilies". Now take a brand new out of the package SIG barrel. Most accept the fact that barrel "smilies" naturally develop over slide cycling and round count and don't give it a second thought...that barrel finish wear...break in.

I bought a brand new auto knife a few years ago, my first one. The first time I deployed it the firing button was difficult to press, the blade was slow to open, and my initial reaction was " wow, this button is harder to press and the blade moves slower than I expected from an auto knife". 20-25 subsequent firings of the blade and the actuating button became easier to press and the blade fired faster...break in.

As to your point on whether measuring the effort required to rack a slide is a measurable quantity, I'll agree...we don't have any common convenient tool or gauge that will produce a quantifiable measurement of slide racking force or recoil spring force...but just because a change in force isn't readily measurable doesn't mean that the effect doesn't exist.

Slides and frames burnish together, Trigger Bars smooth out, Main Springs, Recoil Springs, Magazine Springs, Mag Release springs etc...parts smooth, high points wear down, springs relax...I would argue that "break in" is a real phenomenon and involves the "wearing in" of parts, usually at a greater initial wear rate that decreases over cycle time. In many cases it is apparent, at least to those who pay attention to such things, and while it may not be "measurable" in some cases, that doesn't make it any less real.

The reasons as to why gun manufacturers don't perform "break ins" on their production guns before shipping them out should be fairly obvious.

The real question is to whether "break in" affects the reliability in a production gun like a SIG. In most cases, again from my experience, I would say no, but in some cases under certain conditions, yes, it could occur...which is why it is best to put a few hundred rounds of different types of ammo (including higher powered rounds) before determining whether a gun is truly defective.

As to the OP's question; I would expect that in classic P series SIG like his P226 Legion I would expect the "break in" to be complete and the springs to relax within 100-500 rounds just as a ballpark figure.

I've always heard here on gun forums that a semi-auto needs about 500 rounds for 'break in' before you consider doing anything to it other than clean and lube...

My third time to the defensive hand gun course at Front Sight I showed up with a brand new never Fired (other than at the factory) Sig P226 (MK-25). One of the first things the instructors want to do is fire the weapon you are training with... when my p226's turn came up I politely asked the instructor if I could fire it since it was a 'Virgin' and he let me. I put something like 650 rounds through that pistol over the next four days with out a malfunction.

+1 on the 500 round count thing. I won’t put a pistol into carry rotation until it has at least 500 rounds without issues.

I don’t recall if the OP posted about applying grease to the rails, but if not I’d start there and seeing a good lube will help. I usually lube them up and then cycle them by hand several hundred times before the first trip to the range. After that after every cleaning I’ll reapply grease to the rails and then cycle them 10-15 times after the function check. Anywhere you see finish rub should also get grease.


+

I've always thought you should be able to take a brand new gun and just shoot it with out all this hoopla about cleaning and lubing first... until yesterday...

I picked up a brand new never fired still in the case Sig P239 and went to my gun club... took it out of the plastic bag and it was the driest gun I have ever seen... saving grace was there was one of those little packs of complimentary oil in the case. I actually would have not shot that gun in it's direct from the factory condition it was so dry.

It's really a case by case basis. All semi-autos will loosen up with use. I personally prefer my pistols to be as tight as possible when new. I have had some of my P series SIGs that were so tight out of the box, the slide wouldn't close completely in to battery if you lowered the slide by hand when handling it.

The other issue is in the US, we have access to brands of range ammo that are pretty anemic. So a lot of folks attribute their pistol needing 'break in' because they had a few FTFs with 115gr WWB. When in actuality, it would likely run fine right out of the box with Fiocchi or NATO spec ammo.

HK P30Ls are known for this. It's not uncommon for them to not run well with 115gr WWB when new. After a box or two of warmer ammo, they settle in just fine. Is that really a 'break-in'? I would say it was weak range ammo.

Pistols that really do require a 'break in' I think are high end 1911s and full house custom guns that are hard fit. Some of those are crazy tight out of the box and the directions specifically state what break in they require for full reliability.

I like 500 rounds before I will carry a new handgun. Not because I think of it a "break in" but they are after all machines put together by in part by humans so I want to make sure they function right. I have never had an issue with any Sig or H&K out of the box.

A small aside on ammo. Many 1911's are not pleased with JHP's. My P365 has been great with all ammo including ancient surplus however very inaccurate with WWB. Go figure.