Sweaty Sigs

[coldfusion]

Went to the range with a buddy yesterday. I brought my G19, he brought his P226. My glock is bone dry, fires like a gem, while his sig is dripping with more lube than a Saudi Arabian pipeline, with three malfunctions. Probably atypical - they were the house reloads - but there it is. My glock, with nothing but a ballistol bath from a week ago, and his sig, drenched in lube, 120 rounds each, 0 vs 3 stovepipes.

So it gets me thinking: did he overdo it with the lube? Is that the problem? Well, I don't think so cuz every youtube review I see of sigs, they're absolutely glistening with lube. All along the slide seam, at the trigger seam, around the takedown lever, on the barrel, etc etc, wetter than a [insert lewd analogy here]. Now I know sigs are nice guns. But do they really require that much lube? How is it that SEALs use these things in ocean conditions, yet every civilian model I come into contact with requires a moist pampering like my glock never does?

I was considering SSE for a non-LCI Mk25 before SSE perishes, but not if it's gonna require appreciably more maintenance than my glocks. Any thoughts sig owners? What do folks love about this gun? It looks damn cool. I know that. But as a simple, practical, functional tool, is it worth getting? I don't do safe queens, and it's a pricey piece. So this b's gotta work. Appreciate any insight.

[pc_load_letter]

Perhaps he was just limp wristing those shots.

[18Dmedic]

Sounds like a personal problem for your buddy. Ive never had a malfunction with either of the three I've owned. I ran them pretty dry, somewhat wet, and in the open ocean. Never an issue.

He may want to send it to sig with a nice note.

[coldfusion]

Perhaps he was just limp wristing those shots.

Not. After the first stovepipe I watched his form very closely, no limpwristing. 18Dmedic might be right and it may need to go in to Sig, but I'm still struck by the excessive lubing I've observed with this gun. I've even seen them packaged from the factory in a lube-soaked plastic bag.

[Cyc Wid It]

He should do this: http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...35/m/908103701

Yes, that guy is an expert. He used to work at GGI, now he works at Apex Tactical.

[saudadeii]

Don't forget, the Sig 226 is all metal and has much longer rails that need lubing. The Glock has just 4 small tabs like my SP2022.

I got a bit carried away lubing it when I first got it. "Sigs like to run wet!" they said. It ended up staining the inside of the rug I transport it in. After a very thorough cleaning, I backed off the oil quite a bit and use very little grease. It's been fine.

New guns come covered in preservative, not lubricant. My RIA 1911 was swimming in it. Less is needed on Poly framed ones.

[CAGLS]

Most new model Sig frames are aluminum and the slides are stainless so to prevent galling the aluminum frame rails you want to run them wet with lube like Slide Glide lite. I just put a bead along the rails on the gun and slide, rack it a couple times then wipe off the excess seeping out. I don't get any ftf, fte, or stove pipes.

[Bill Steele]

The first thing he should do is buy a few boxes of commercial ammo and see if he gets the same result.

Frankly, range reloads are not a standard to measure pistol function by.

I prefer grease to oil as well, but it isn't a lube issue.

[fullrearview]

I break Glocks... Sigs, not so much.

[Black Majik]

Did he shoot lube the gun himself? Was it new and came from the factory that way?

SIGs like a healthy dose of grease on the rails, and I normally run mine pretty wet. Grease on rails, light coat of oil everywhere else.

[pc_load_letter]

Funny, picked up my XD yesterday from the store. Completely dry. Forgot to lube it and packed it in for the range. Ran great through 200 rounds. C'est la vie I guess.

Best of luck to your buddy. That's an expensive gun to have something wrong with it.

[evlblkrfl]

My 226 has been flawless for 14 years. No more oil than any other pistol I own.

[oddball]

I have a MK25 (non LCI, mag disconnect) and it has never failed to fire, and I have put approx. 150 rounds thru it; it's been top notch reliable. I don't run it extremely wet, just a little bit of grease on the rails and a light coat of Slip 2000 on the rest of the appropriate parts. Except for the grease, pretty much the same method of lube that I use for my Glocks.

One reason that your friend's P226 is having problems might be magazine related. For awhile, many folks were having issues with the U.S. made factory mags manufactured by Checkmate. This is the reason why Mecgar replacement mags are in such high demand (they used to be the OEM company for Sig mags), along with the original zipper back/dovetail German magazines. Checkmate might have improved their mags in recent times, but look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAiXJphUn8g for clarification.

[SacTown]

Sigs run best with grease and not oil on the rails. Oil will seep out of every orifice, especially if there is too much. High temp grease tends to stay put when compared to oil or any of the "tactical lubes". With proper lubrication it should run just fine even if it is dirty. After the initial cleaning mine ran over 2,000 flawless rounds without cleaning when I first bought it so I have no problem trusting my life with it. I've never had a single malfunction with my 9mm P226 in well over 5,000 rounds and counting and when it finally does have a stovepipe or FTF etc. I will simply tap, rack, and move on. Also don't forget to look at magazines/ammo as the possible culprit. I would say 90% or more times that is the problem. So that would be the first place to look at by trying multiple magazines and various sorts of factory ammo. Reloads are another possible reason for the malfunctions, unless they are your own reloads or from a reputable reloader.

[coy80176]

^^^

Grease is the word...