Sig P226 mags

[chad68]

Will older P226 mags form the 80's or 90's fit/work in todays P226's?

[nemisis1400]

i don't see why they wouldn't

[leelaw]

They should work fine.

[Saigon1965]

I like the older zipper back mags than the newer ones -

[localguy]

What's the benefit of the old german mags vs. the mec gar italian mags?

[himurax13]

I believe the older factory Mags could only hold 15 rounds of 9mm. The new Mecgar mags have an 18 round capacity of 9mm with their flush fit models and their extended models will hold 20 rounds of 9mm.

[wu_dot_com]

from what I've read up, there are nothing benifical about the old vs. new mecgar mags. the only thing about the old mag is that the spring might need replacement.

and another thing about the new mag is that, due to the higher capacity (18 vs. 15), the newer mecgar mag spring fatigue out quicker due to more compression when its fully loaded. as a result, if you constantly leave 1 mag fully loaded at all time, the spring will loose its strength quicker if the 18 rd mag vs 15 rd mag.

[localguy]

If I recall from college physics, springs don't wear out from being fully compressed or fully extended, but they do from constant loading/unloading. There isn't any issue with leaving a magazine fully loaded or unloaded for years-- It's the ones you use constantly that have issues.

[wu_dot_com]

If I recall from college physics, springs don't wear out from being fully compressed or fully extended, but they do from constant loading/unloading. There isn't any issue with leaving a magazine fully loaded or unloaded for years-- It's the ones you use constantly that have issues.

you are absolutely right with that statement. but, that is only true under ideal static loading condition. most of the compression springs are design to compress to its solid height without permanent set. however, in a realistic situation, a magazine spring can be compress beyond solid height if the spring were to bend and overlaps sideways during loading. when you take account of the variability in height of the mag follower, dirt, and small rocks that could make its way into the magazine during its lifetime, the spring could face plastic deformation during usage.

below is a recommendation from wolff. despite the fact that they sell springs as a business, i still think it have some truth in their statement.

5. How often should I change magazine spring? Should I unload my magazines, rotate magazines, load with fewer than the maximum rounds?
Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and are the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as in law enforcement and personal/home defense applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs in which the magazines are loaded up only when shooting.

Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. In many older pistol designs, maximum capacity was not the always the goal such as with the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was room for more spring material in these guns which reduces overall stress and increases the usable life of the spring.

More recently higher capacity magazine have become popular. These are designed to hold more rounds with less spring material often in the same space. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause it to fatigue at a faster rate. Unloading these magazines a round or two will help the life of the spring. Rotating fully loaded magazines will also help the problem somewhat but it is not always practical.

In applications where the magazine must be kept loaded at all times, a high quality magazine spring such as Wolff extra power magazine springs, will provide maximum life. Regular replacement of magazine springs will provide the best defense against failure from weak magazine springs. Regular shooting of the pistol is the best way to be sure the springs are still functioning reliably.

http://www.gunsprings.com/faq

[localguy]

I hadn't considered the fact that magazine springs don't compress in an optimal fashion. Cheers for the explanation and link.

[9mmepiphany]

What's the benefit of the old german mags vs. the mec gar italian mags?

the older mags...i'm referring to the ones with the dovetail jointed backs are cooler looking...more original

the newer factory mags have a one piece tube and a slicker outer finish

the Mec-Gar (non-factory) mags use the same tube, but their springs compress differently...which allows higher capacity

[SkiDevil]

Older P-226 Mags VS New 226 Mags

Will older P226 mags form the 80's or 90's fit/work in todays P226's?

YES.

Although you do not mention caliber, because of the date references I will presume that you are referring to the 9mm P-226 Magazines.

The major difference in the new style vs old style mags are the assembly of the magazine tubes. The old zig-zag backed mag tubes were allegedly supposed to be weaker. And allegedly split after pro-longed usage. Although, I have personally never seen this a friend who is an armorer/ range officer in an LE agency which issues SIGs told me that he saw it with the older 220 .45 zig-zag backed mag tubes. Supposedly it has happened with both the 226 and 220 mags.

Several years ago, SIG customer service told me in a phone conversation that this was the rationale for switching-over to the new SIG 220 stainless steel mags, in order to prevent the splitting of the mag tube at the rear (zig-zagged tubes).

Although, the SIG 226 double column mag is different in dimension and construction, the same method was used in the final assembly of the older mag tubes for both.

I have used both types (solid and zig-zag) in the 226 and 220 (.45) pistols and not observed any significant difference. And I know several LEOs who still carry 220s with the old zig-zag mags (left constantly loaded) and not had any problems either.

If you have a choice, it would seem the newer design would be optimum given that SIGs rationale for the change makes sense. A solid tube should endure longer than a welded one, especially if heavy use is anticipated.

That said, if one has the older mags, then a prudent measure is to replace the springs with WOLF heavy-duty springs and leave only the magazines needed loaded.

I have both of the magazines and replace all of the factory springs with the WOLF springs and left several fully loaded and have noted no ill effects over the past 10+ years.

Bottom-Line, all of the SIG branded magazines are high quality and last a very long time. If you can avoid dropping them on hard surfaces like cement or asphalt and clean them periodically you should have few problems. The MEC-GAR magazines are the same. But, I myself would stick with the SIG standard mags. ALSO, avoid PRO-MAG, KBI, and other knock-off type magazines for the 226 because they are generally not reliable and of a lesser quality build.

SkiDevil

FWIW- All of the SIG branded magazines are produced by the Italian company MEC-GAR. This same company produces magazines for several other manufacturers as well.

As a matter of fact, the 15 RD SIG magazine is a modified version of the Beretta 92 FS magazine. When SIG designed the 226 9mm the 92 FS magazine was used as the basis for the design of the SIG double column magazine.

[bohoki]

i got to say all my mags for my 1988 sig are the dovetail back type one has a couple of the spot welds cracked near the lip but they work since the dovetail design keeps it together fully welded mec gar probably wouldn't have that problem

[9mmepiphany]

fully welded mec gar probably wouldn't have that problem

they aren't welded, they are formed as one piece...there is nothing to separate

[bohoki]

they aren't welded, they are formed as one piece...there is nothing to separate

really?

are you sure?

how are they made?

are they extruded seamless tubing then formed?