Sig p228 reliability issues?

[drunktank]

Just to add - label each mag and take note the failures for either or both.

[Sikvenum93]

Maybe the previous owner has had the slide locked back for 30 years.
Change the main spring.
Ball ammo?

Yeah ball ammo. I have a P6 which is the exact same size as the p228 and the recoil springs are the same height.


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[SkyHawk]

What ammo were you using - exactly.

There are only four reasons why the slide would not lock back:
- you were riding the slide stop lever
- the mag follower did not engage the slide stop
- the slide stop is jammed and does not move
- the slide did not reach full stroke

Be sure the recoil spring is correct, the spring height tells you very little about the condition. Also be sure you are using quality ammo that has sufficient power to operate the gun.

Every old Sig I ever bought including P6 and P228, I installed a factory spring refresh kit first thing.

[Sikvenum93]

What ammo were you using - exactly.

There are only four reasons why the slide would not lock back:
- you were riding the slide stop lever
- the mag follower did not engage the slide stop
- the slide stop is jammed and does not move
- the slide did not reach full stroke

Be sure the recoil spring is correct, the spring height tells you very little about the condition. Also be sure you are using quality ammo that has sufficient power to operate the gun.

Every old Sig I ever bought including P6 and P228, I installed a factory spring refresh kit first thing.

I'm using Remington brass. The stuff that was on sale during Black Friday. The mag follower solidly locks back the slide when I manually retract the slide.

I don't think it's the slide not getting a full stroke because it does consistently pick up new rounds.

I'll buy a few spring kit and try the gun again.


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[dok]

The early sigs used an interesting magazine that had zig zag folds in the back.Try a sig magazine first. I own a 226 and 228 which were former sheriff department issue.Literaly 10,s of thousands of rounds with many types of ammo and always perfect reliability.The sig modernization spring kit is cheap and improves the trigger.I did damage an extractor when a commercial reload ruptured.The extractors are very very difficult to come by on the early sigs.Once you get the bugs out and get used to the double single action you will love the weapon.Again locate and try a factory magazine the 226 mags will work.Make sure the follower on your mag is 9mm and not 40 cal.

[SkyHawk]

That ammo should be good to go.

You can try this: load one or two rounds in the mag, and slow fire. Do this 5 or 6 times and see what happens. With my P6, I had the problem more frequently when rapid firing, but it was always operator induced. I am right handed though, so much more likely to happen. I don't see how you would induce it with a left hand grip, but stranger things have happened.

Also make sure your mags are clean and the mag spring is strong. If your mag spring is not strong enough to have the follower enage the slide stop quickly enough, or the inside of the mag is dirty and the follower drags, that could do it too. The follower has to be lifting up on that slide stop with authority, or it will miss the chance to grab the slide. You wont notice this when racking the slide manually.

[jswizzle]

If it's that new, I would just keep shooting it to see if the problems goes away before you start spending money on replacement parts. If it still has significant trouble around the 400-500 round count, then I'd call Sig first to see what they can do.

[SkyHawk]

If it's that new, I would just keep shooting it to see if the problems goes away before you start spending money on replacement parts. If it still has significant trouble around the 400-500 round count, then I'd call Sig first to see what they can do.

Well it's West German. They stopped marking them W. German in 1995. ie, Not new. Likely has many thousands of rounds through it.

[jswizzle]

Well it's West German. They stopped marking them W. German in 1995. ie, Not new. Likely has many thousands of rounds through it.

That is true, although OP had stated that he was told it only had about 200 rounds through it. I'd have to look at the rails and common wear spots myself to make a judgement on whether that could be possible for a W. German Sig, but I'm just going off of that info.

On a similar note, if I had one of those beautiful W. german sigs, it definitely would NOT be a safe queen.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I suspect the mags. I only use factory mags on all my sigs. Have never had a single failure.

Find factory mags before you go too far down the rabbit hole. And change the recoil spring for a new one.

And the slide failing to lock back was likely your thumb. Easy to do on those guns. I had to modify my P6 so the slide lock lever was riding closer to the grip.

MecGar *is* the OEM for magazines for Beretta, FN Browning, Colt, CZ, Kimber, Llama, Remington, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, STI, Tanfoglio, Taurus and Walther.

https://mec-gar.com/oem-manufacturing

[Sikvenum93]

That is true, although OP had stated that he was told it only had about 200 rounds through it. I'd have to look at the rails and common wear spots myself to make a judgement on whether that could be possible for a W. German Sig, but I'm just going off of that info.



On a similar note, if I had one of those beautiful W. german sigs, it definitely would NOT be a safe queen.

I thought as you did but the rails are literally pristine. There is no difference in colour or feel to the rails and the rest of the frame. Which is why I believe the seller.

Typically sigs with thousands of rounds will have glossy rails.



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