Sig P226 Light Primer Strike

[Jsalud]

As some of you may know I recently picked up a Police Trade in Sig P226 in 9mm for $400 not too long ago. On my first trip to the range I ran about 250 rounds of Brown Bear ammo and to my disappointment I had about 10-15 rounds that did not fire due to a light primer strike.

Brown Bear is a russian brand of ammo if I recall correctly and comes in a laquered steel casing. Is this a particular quirk of Sigs? Are they usually picky with the type of ammo ran through them?

For what it is worth I ran maybe 50 rounds of Federal white box and not one light primer strike and same with the 20 rounds of Speer Gold Dot. I am waiting on some reloaded, brass cased, FMJ's in the mail and I hope to avoid light primer strikes by choosing brass cased ammo.

[Mayor McRifle]

Is this a particular quirk of Sigs?

No, it is a particular quirk of Brown Bear ammo. This thread is mistitled. It should be titled "Brown Bear Is Crap."

Shoot good ammo, and the worm will turn for you.

[TKM]

+1 on the crap ammo.

Springs are still wear items though and should be changed when appropriate.

http://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto%20Pistols/SIG-SAUER%20%28SIGARMS%29/P-226/cID1/mID4/dID254

[Jsalud]

No, it is a particular quirk of Brown Bear ammo. This thread is mistitled. It should be titled "Brown Bear Is Crap."

Shoot good ammo, and the worm will turn for you.

Ah that is what I figured! It was too good of a price to pass up at .19c a round. Remanufactured Brass is not too much more though at .23-.25c a round.

I keep the good ammo for Self/Home Defense. I wish I could afford to shoot better ammo on range trips but I haven't hit the lottery just yet.

[Jsalud]

+1 on the crap ammo.

Springs are still wear items though and should be changed when appropriate.

http://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto%...D1/mID4/dID254

Thank you for the link. I will definitely be looking into that as soon as my budget permits. I want my HD pistol to be as reliable as the runs after a taco truck.

EDIT: I'll have to look into how those springs work before I can mess with them.

[QXSOUP]

Get yourself a couple of parts kits from TGS.

http://www.topgunsupply.com/sig_p226-9mm_parts-kit.html

The kit contains everything on the pistol that is consumable (replace after a while) except the extractor.

[Barang]

Is this a particular quirk of Sigs? Are they usually picky with the type of ammo ran through them?

For what it is worth I ran maybe 50 rounds of Federal white box and not one light primer strike and same with the 20 rounds of Speer Gold Dot. I am waiting on some reloaded, brass cased, FMJ's in the mail and I hope to avoid light primer strikes by choosing brass cased ammo.

I use different kinds of factory and remanufactured & my P226, 220 and 229 are eating them like no tomorrow.

[Go Navy]

Agree on the Brown Bear ammo. After my HK USP Compact 9 jammed on Brown Bear a couple of years ago, I gave away my remaining Brown Bear and will never use it again, period. We put a micrometer on that lot (I don't reload) and found its dimensions were slightly out of spec, whereas HK pistols are built to fairly close tolerances like most quality firearms. The HK has never malfunctioned with anything else, before or since.

Russian military arms are or were built to loose tolerances so that they'll fire even when used by illiterate 3rd world types with zero maintenance.

I've also seen/heard stories about suspect primers on Brown Bear.

[P5Ret]

Make sure if you start replacing springs (other than the recoil spring) that you know how it goes in. I've seen more than one F#*!ed up Sig when someone tried to replace springs.

[_TomT_]

Brown Bear is crap, and Silver Bear is downright dangerous.

[Go Navy]

As an owner of a Sig Mk25, and before that a Sig P226, my suggestion is that you might hesitate to do any modifications to your Sig until you shoot it more with some non-Russian ammo, which is what you're planning to do. It's entirely possible that there is nothing wrong with your Sig. I think you're going to be glad you bought it.

[Sig Marine]

Since you did not have any issues with Federals or Gold Dot, I would suspect hard primers in the Russian ammo. Many handgun reloaders have experienced problems with the hardness of Russian primers, Wolf comes to mind, and prefer to use CCI, Winchester or Federal primers. Not to say they are bad primers, just hard thus causing the occasional failure to fire.

As others have suggested, I'd shoot some quality factory ammunition from Blazer, Federal or Winchester before changing anything.

You mention it was a police trade-in, did Sig go through it and do a service?

Semper Fi...Sig Marine

[Jsalud]

Get yourself a couple of parts kits from TGS.

http://www.topgunsupply.com/sig_p226-9mm_parts-kit.html

The kit contains everything on the pistol that is consumable (replace after a while) except the extractor.

Hmm I think I will have to order one of those just in case. Always nice to have spare parts.

[Jsalud]

Since you did not have any issues with Federals or Gold Dot, I would suspect hard primers in the Russian ammo. Many handgun reloaders have experienced problems with the hardness of Russian primers, Wolf comes to mind, and prefer to use CCI, Winchester or Federal primers. Not to say they are bad primers, just hard thus causing the occasional failure to fire.

As others have suggested, I'd shoot some quality factory ammunition from Blazer, Federal or Winchester before changing anything.

You mention it was a police trade-in, did Sig go through it and do a service?

Semper Fi...Sig Marine

That was my first thought. I have heard of hard primers on these Russian Ammo. I think I will finish the last 2 boxes I have and be forever done with them.

Besides as soon as I can start reloading the savings of steel cased ammo will be moot.

I don't think Sig went through the gun before the lgs listed it for sale. It was traded in by Tracy PD and was for sale the next day. Based on the serial #U678xxx I am estimating it left the factory around 2003-2005 (http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...5/m/7320040262).

Would a 2003-2005 Sig warrant a spring change?

[QXSOUP]

You bet it does. At the very least change the recoil spring out.