Sig noob question

[odesskiy]

Hey all!

Yesterday I finally took a plunge and picked up a killer deal of a P226 in 9mm. I've been a Glock guy forever, but always wanted to pick up a Sig and the opportunity finally presented itself.

However, I'm a little confused. While fondling the pistol yesterday, it looked like the hammer wasn't really falling all the way whether I was using the decocker lever or pulling the trigger. Is this intentional? Does the firing ping protrude more when the chamber has a round in it and that way hammer can only make contact with the firing pin when the gun is loaded? At the very least, I would expect different behavior from the hammer squeezing the trigger as opposed to using the decocking lever. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but the only gun I currently have with an external hammer is Ruger P95DC and on that gun the hammer falls all the way (decocking lever blocks the firing pin but lets the hammer fall freely).

Thanks!

[supersonic]

Does it go "bang" when you let the hammer drop on a loaded chamber?

[1911_sfca]

Don't worry, when you put a round in there and pull the trigger, it will go bang.

The hammer doesn't rest on top of the firing pin like a 1911; it comes back a little bit.

[odesskiy]

Does it go "bang" when you let the hammer drop on a loaded chamber?

LOL...I won't know for at least 10 days

[slick_711]

It's called a "rebounding hammer." It's a safety measure, the hammer is under spring tension in both directions, so it is never at rest upon the firing pin except in the instance that it is firing a cartridge with the trigger pulled to the rear. This is a good thing in a pistol that is designed to be carried hammer down on a loaded chamber. Your new Sig is functioning well and as designed, don't sweat it. Congrats on the purchase by the way.

[odesskiy]

It's called a "rebounding hammer." It's a safety measure, the hammer is under spring tension in both directions, so it is never at rest upon the firing pin except in the instance that it is firing a cartridge with the trigger pulled to the rear. This is a good thing in a pistol that is designed to be carried hammer down on a loaded chamber. Your new Sig is functioning well and as designed, don't sweat it. Congrats on the purchase by the way.

Thanks a lot. Your answer completely makes sense. Now I need to survive the usual 10 days of torture

[aca72]

Know your SIG Sauer Safeties

From: http://home.hvc.rr.com/cavan/IIIC2q2.html
It may be old but it's a priceless information about the SIG Sauer.

SIG Sauer Safeties

SIG-Sauer makes some of the safest handguns in the world. Both external (or "active'' or "affirmative'') and internal (or "passive'') safety mechanisms work together to ensure that gun fires only when the shooter pulls the trigger. A clear understanding of the safety mechanisms is essential, but it should be remembered that no physical device can make up for a careless or distracted shooter. The SIG-Sauers have exactly one external safety:

The Decocking Lever
All currently available SIG-Sauer handguns (except for double-action only variants) have a decocking lever on the left side of the frame. Pressing down on the decocking lever will safely lower the hammer. Once lowered, the next shot may be fired with a heavy double-action trigger pull. Internal safeties prevent accidental discharges during the decocking procedure, no matter how forcefully the decocking lever is pressed. The owner's manual that comes with SIG-Sauer handguns as well as many SIGARMS advertisements in gun magazines contain a warning to only and always use the decocking lever to safely lower the hammer.

This is incredibly important from a safety standpoint and bears reiteration: only and always use the decocking lever. Hammers should never be lowered by manually lowering the hammer while pulling the trigger. Lowering the hammer in this manner is dangerous in itself and prevents the full application of the pistol's safety features. Accidental discharges are a frequent, indeed likely, consequence of manually lowering the hammer.

I have found that often right handed shooters are unable to press down on the decocking lever without shifting their grip on the gun slightly. Such shooters may prefer to use the thumb of their support hand for this purpose.

None of the modern SIG-Sauer handguns have any other type of external safety - no grip safeties on the backstrap (like the Colt 1911), no trigger safeties (like the Glock and Smith & Wesson Sigma), no frame mounted thumb safeties (like the Colt 1911 or Ruger Mark II), no slide mounted thumb safeties (like the Walther PP, PPK, and PPK/S or Beretta 92F), no magazine safeties (like the Browning High Power and many, but not all, Smith & Wesson semi-autos).

All modern SIG-Sauer handguns share a number of internal safeties, which work in concert to assure the gun does not fire unless the trigger is pulled. They are detailed below, along with a short hands-on exercise demonstrating their function. First time readers, or those without a SIG-Sauer and manual handy may wish to skip over the exercise. All exercises are to be done with unloaded firearms; do not attempt them (or handle the gun in any way) if you do not know how to determine if the firearm is loaded. Throughout this document I have scrupulously used the terminology used in the SIG-Sauer owner's manuals; if you are unfamiliar with a part mentioned here, look it up on the exploded diagram at the back of your manual.

Safety Intercept Notch
If the gun is dropped directly onto the hammer while the hammer is in either the single-action or double-action position, the safety intercept notch on the hammer is engaged by the sear, and prevents the hammer from contacting the firing pin. Decocking (using the decocking lever) lowers the hammer to the safety intercept notch, completely out of contact with the firing pin.

To demonstrate the function of the safety intercept notch, unload and decock your SIG-Sauer and apply moderate thumb pressure to the hammer. Observe that the hammer is not free to travel forward to contact the firing pin since the sear has engaged the safety intercept notch.

Firing Pin Safety
Located within the slide, a firing pin safety blocks forward motion of the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled. When the trigger is pulled, the (unfortunately named) "safety lever" pivots upward and disengages the firing pin safety.

To demonstrate the function of the firing pin safety, unload and field strip your SIG-Sauer as described in the manual, separating the barrel from the slide. Place the slide upside down on a table in front of you. Press on the rounded end of the firing pin where it emerges from the breech block and observe that the firing pin does not emerge from breech face. Repeat, this time while pressing downward on the firing pin safety, and observe the firing pin protruding from the breech block. Lastly, examine the frame and locate the stamped steel safety lever located just forward of the hammer. The safety lever pivots upward and disengages the firing pin safety when the gun is fired. Since SIG-Sauers should not be dry fired when field stripped, cock and hold the hammer back while pulling the trigger. Observe the safety lever pivoting upward.

Disconnector
Protruding just above the right grip panel, the disconnector is part of the trigger bar. When the slide is out of battery (ie: not locked fully forward) the slide presses the disconnector downward and the trigger is literally 'disconnected' from the sear. This prevents the SIG-Sauer handguns from firing unless the slide is fully in battery - a very good thing since a cartridge fired out-of-battery lacks support around the brass cartridge case and is likely to burst, possibly injuring the shooter.

To demonstrate the function of the disconnector, unload and field strip your SIG-Sauer as described in the manual. Locate the rounded top of the disconnector just above the right grip panel. Using your thumb to press downward on the disconnector (as the slide would do when it is out of battery) pull the trigger. The trigger pulls easily, the hammer does not move. Lastly, note the rounded cutout in the right slide rail which permits the disconnector to move upward only when the slide is in battery.

Hammer Reset Spring
Perhaps the least commonly understood safety feature employed by P220s manufactured in or after 1994 (serial numbers above G219166), as well as all P225, P226, P228, P229, P239, and P245 models. The hammer reset spring is a small spring attached to rear of the hammer and concealed by the plastic hammer stop. The spring actually pulls the hammer away from the firing pin. If the hammer is lowered incorrectly by using the thumb and trigger (and an accidental discharge does not immediately result), the hammer reset spring will pull the hammer away from the firing pin back to the safety intercept notch.

To demonstrate the function of the hammer reset spring, dry fire an assembled and unloaded gun and hold the trigger back. Press the hammer forward until it contacts the firing pin. When the hammer is released, the hammer reset spring pulls the hammer back to the safety intercept notch. Release the trigger, and again press forward on the hammer. The safety intercept notch prevents the hammer from moving forward and contacting the firing pin.

Thus, a hammer reset spring is essentially unnecessary if the user only and always uses the decocking lever to lower the hammer. Are P230s and pre-1994 P220s any less safe for lacking a hammer reset spring? Only if the decocker is not used! I have what I believe to be a valid report of an accidental discharge resulting from a blow to the hammer of a pre-1994 P220 which was not properly decocked using the decocking lever. My conclusion is that under some circumstances, the firing pin safety alone may be insufficient to prevent an A.D. if a pre-1994 P220 is improperly decocked. Again, this applies only to pre-1994 P220s which lack the hammer reset spring and were improperly decocked without using the decocking lever. One last time: only and always use the decocking lever!

Impact Safety
Unlike the four safeties described above, the impact safety is not currently implemented on any SIG-Sauer handgun, and only of interest to the true student of SIG minutia. Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, Germany was awarded US Patent 4,011,678 on Mar. 15, 1977 for a ``Safety System for Firearm.'' The impact safety is similar in design to (and coexists with) the firing pin safety, inasmuch as it is a spring-loaded plunger in the slide that prevents forward travel of the firing pin under certain circumstances. Whereas the firing pin safety normally blocks the firing pin, the impact safety normally permits the firing pin to move forward. The impact safety only blocks the firing pin when the gun is dropped in such a way that inertia carries it into the path of the firing pin against the tension of the impact safety spring. This redundant safety was thought to supplement the firing pin safety. Again, the impact safety cannot be found on any commercially available SIG-Sauer.

[odesskiy]

Awesome article, thanks. The Hammer Reset Spring section completely answers my question. Thanks again!

[Noypi916]

From: http://home.hvc.rr.com/cavan/IIIC2q2.html
It may be old but it's a priceless information about the SIG Sauer.

Sounds like your a SIG guy!

[cobra198]

Aca72, great info. Thanks! A friend of mine used to have a 226 and it was such a great firearm. Probably one of my favorites! I kick myself for not purchasing it when he ended up sellin it.
And odesskiy - enjoy ur new sig! Im sure u'll love it.