I need help. Sig P6

[kstrongsyj]

I will try to recap this as quick as I can. I am frustrated as all get out.

Recap...

1. Old German Police P6 import. Gun runs flawless
2. Keith plays pretend gunsmith and takes it completely apart, every piece, in order to Duracoat it.
3. Sprayed clean with brakleen
4. Baked at 200 degrees about 20 minutes to get remaining oils out
5. Blasted with 70 grit Aluminum Oxide
6. Baked again
7. Blasted again to clean up.
8. Brakleen, then alcohol.
9. Duracoated. Admittedly, I did it thick.
10. Gun no longer goes back together.

Here is the problem. The feedramp does not go over the "locking insert" block in the frame, causing it to bind before the slide is completely in place.




So I figured the paint was too thick, even though the take down lever lines up, I removed all the paint underneath said Locking Insert.



Didn't fix it, so I went to the slide. This is the point where my buddy reminded me 220 slides and 225 slides will go on each others frames respectively. So I pulled out a 220. 220 slide goes right on the 225 frame, however the 225 slide will not go on the 220 frame, same binding occurs. Great! Progress! It is the slide! So I removed all the paint everywhere on the slide...where the breechblock mounts to the slide...



Where the chamber goes into the ejection port...

[kstrongsyj]

Also removed the paint at the barrel end where it meets the slide.



Everything is back to exactly the way it was pre-paint. Yet it still wont go back together. HELP! Any ideas from anyone?

[Voo]

are you sure you know how to reassemble it?? the locking block is probably the most annoying aspect about putting back a Sig P-series pistol together.. ur pics are fine, but they really aren't showing much in the way of 'problems'.. i would make sure the locking block insert was installed correctly.. everything else is easy to deal with at taht point..

Also, another thing, did you blast the frame with aluminum oxide as well??

[hung380]

70 grit aluminum oxide roughed up the ramps?
Heating changed the dimensions of the slides?
Try polishing the slides?
Just a guess, dont know for shure.
How did you remove the duracoat?
I might be wrong but arent you suppose to use glass deads to blast away old coatings without roughing the surfaces too much? Aluminum oxide is the sharpest of all blast media.

[kstrongsyj]

are you sure you know how to reassemble it?? the locking block is probably the most annoying aspect about putting back a Sig P-series pistol together.. ur pics are fine, but they really aren't showing much in the way of 'problems'.. i would make sure the locking block insert was installed correctly.. everything else is easy to deal with at taht point..

Also, another thing, did you blast the frame with aluminum oxide as well??

100% sure it is put together correctly. Yes, I did blast the frame, however I dont believe the frame is the problem. The problem I can see is the barrel doesn't appear to be sitting correctly in the slide. I am attaching a pic of my P6 compared to a buddies, and as you can see his chamber sits up through the opening in the slide more than mine. Keep in mind, neither the barrel or the block were painted. They were removed from the pistol and set aside until reassembly.

his

mine

70 grit aluminum oxide roughed up the ramps?
Heating changed the dimensions of the slides?
Try polishing the slides?
Just a guess, dont know for shure.
How did you remove the duracoat?
I might be wrong but arent you suppose to use glass deads to blast away old coatings without roughing the surfaces too much? Aluminum oxide is the sharpest of all blast media.

- Ramps were not blasted or heated.
- I am wondering that myself about heating, but 200*? The gun has been much hotter than that as I have shot hundreds of rounds at a time. I used this pistol in a Tactical Response class last year.
- The only thing I have not done is removed the paint from the inside rails of the slide. I am hoping to avoid that.
- Glass bead IMO creates too smooth of a surface. I was recommended to use AO by several gunsmiths I trust that have duracoated hundreds of guns.

Thanks for the replies guys...

[Voo]

i would check the breechface on the slide.. dropping the barrel in and putting the spring + recoil rod into the slide should be straightforward... see if you can see where it's binding..

if this all goes in right..then you can figure out if it's your receiver that's off..

also, the reason i asked about the frame is that the finish is anodized.. if you blasted it with aluminum oxide..you've potentially worn away the anodizing on the rails.. I guarantee you that duracoat wont' be as tough as the anodizing you had on the rails to begin with.. once the duracoat wears, you'll have steel on aluminum contact..

[kstrongsyj]

i would check the breechface on the slide.. dropping the barrel in and putting the spring + recoil rod into the slide should be straightforward... see if you can see where it's binding..

if this all goes in right..then you can figure out if it's your receiver that's off..

also, the reason i asked about the frame is that the finish is anodized.. if you blasted it with aluminum oxide..you've potentially worn away the anodizing on the rails.. I guarantee you that duracoat wont' be as tough as the anodizing you had on the rails to begin with.. once the duracoat wears, you'll have steel on aluminum contact..

The slide is good. I am 98% certain it is barrel to slide fitment that is off somehow, I just cant figure out where/why. only thing I can see is that the barrel doesnt "cant" forward like it should, as if the hole in the front of the slide is off somehow. I just cant see how. I removed all the duracoat already in all the spots it could be affected. I have an easy solution, file the front of the ejection port and/or the hole in the slide where the barrel sits, I just dont understand why I would need to. Plus, I am afraid this will change the gun enough to either effect accuracy and or safety. I am really mad about the whole thing, cause I love this pistol.

I had not even thought about the anodizing. I will have to make sure I keep an eye on the duracoat wear to make sure that doesnt happen! Thanks for the heads up

[kstrongsyj]

Well, the answer was a BFH (Big F'ing Hammer) I had tapped it a few times before, but I just didn't want to get too aggressive with it. I know it is really hard to believe this, but I have fawked stuff up using too big of a hammer before. I finally got pissed this morning, picked up a 5 lb mini sledge and whacked it about 60% or so force 3 or 4 times. Slide slid right on the frame. Seems to lock up perfect and function good, however after racking it 30 or so times I took it apart and same thing happened, I had to use the hammer to get it back together. I am going to go put 4 or 500 rounds through it and see if it still requires a hammer for assembly. Thanks everyone for the help!