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New onset of failure to feed. SIG P229
4/28/2010 4:12:35 PM
Have a P229 I bought around 1993 or 94 (so it's not the possible decline in quality people report in newer SIG's). Always been extremely reliable. Just getting back into shooting, and hadn't really used it for 5-6 years. Using it more over the last 6 months or so.
Last two trips to the range I had a lot of failure to feed. If I push the slide forward it will feed it and run. Usually happens closing slide on a fresh magazine (I usually use the slide release, but I think it did it once or twice using the "slingshot" method). Happens occasionally while shooting in mid-magazine.
Happens with my stock Sig mags. Initially I noticed it with aftermarket mags. These mags I hated since I could only load 11 rounds. When the problems started it was after I got a Upula, and using that I found I could push the rounds down enough to get 12 in the Pro-Mags (so I figured the mags were the problem, but then I noticed it even with the SIG mags, and occasionally midway through a magazine).
Gun is clean, feed ramp looks fine. No change in ammo (FMJ rounds, Blazer and Atlanta).
Can this just be a worn out spring?
I probably have only about 1,000 rounds through it over the years.
Last two trips to the range I had a lot of failure to feed. If I push the slide forward it will feed it and run. Usually happens closing slide on a fresh magazine (I usually use the slide release, but I think it did it once or twice using the "slingshot" method). Happens occasionally while shooting in mid-magazine.
Happens with my stock Sig mags. Initially I noticed it with aftermarket mags. These mags I hated since I could only load 11 rounds. When the problems started it was after I got a Upula, and using that I found I could push the rounds down enough to get 12 in the Pro-Mags (so I figured the mags were the problem, but then I noticed it even with the SIG mags, and occasionally midway through a magazine).
Gun is clean, feed ramp looks fine. No change in ammo (FMJ rounds, Blazer and Atlanta).
Can this just be a worn out spring?
I probably have only about 1,000 rounds through it over the years.4/29/2010 10:10:55 AM
Springs are a cheap and easy fix, and a good place to start. Normally 1000 rounds shouldn't require new ones, but I would start there and see what happens.
5/8/2010 8:38:28 AM
Cleaned it really well in the chamber, and it improved things. Still had about 3 failure to feed at range yesterday with 250 rounds ammo. Put in a new recoil spring after it failed twice, and got the third failure with a new spring.
Noticed that the spring is really stiff on the rod, like it binds up (hard to remove it, and hard to get it to slide when I manually compress it. Cleaned the rod real well, as well as the spring, and lubed with lots of CLP but still feels like it binds up. Could that be the problem???
No one magazine does it. It can happen with my cheap ProMags as well as my Sig mags. All feed lips look fine.
Had the gun since 1994 and don't ever recall one failure and now it is suddenly a problem. I"m going to take it to a gunsmith to check it out, but wondering if anyone has any other ideas (also, not sure if the smith will be able to figure it out since it can take 50-100 rounds to get it to fail). After I cleaned it real well (and before the new spring) I hand cycled 48 rounds (4 mags) without a single failure to feed.
Anyone have any thoughts on why it may suddenly start doing this? Looked up on web but all I found as reasons are limp-wristing (I don't, plus it does it sometimes on first round when I use slide release) and dirty. Also weak mag springs (if anything I first noticed it with the ProMags the first day I was able to actually cram 12 rounds in using my uplula, so I'd think they'd be too tight if anything, plus I get some failures partway through a magazine).
Noticed that the spring is really stiff on the rod, like it binds up (hard to remove it, and hard to get it to slide when I manually compress it. Cleaned the rod real well, as well as the spring, and lubed with lots of CLP but still feels like it binds up. Could that be the problem???
No one magazine does it. It can happen with my cheap ProMags as well as my Sig mags. All feed lips look fine.
Had the gun since 1994 and don't ever recall one failure and now it is suddenly a problem. I"m going to take it to a gunsmith to check it out, but wondering if anyone has any other ideas (also, not sure if the smith will be able to figure it out since it can take 50-100 rounds to get it to fail). After I cleaned it real well (and before the new spring) I hand cycled 48 rounds (4 mags) without a single failure to feed.
Anyone have any thoughts on why it may suddenly start doing this? Looked up on web but all I found as reasons are limp-wristing (I don't, plus it does it sometimes on first round when I use slide release) and dirty. Also weak mag springs (if anything I first noticed it with the ProMags the first day I was able to actually cram 12 rounds in using my uplula, so I'd think they'd be too tight if anything, plus I get some failures partway through a magazine).
5/23/2010 7:20:35 AM
Recoil spring is on the guide rod backwards, small end goes on first
5/25/2010 6:14:16 AM
Originally Posted By flattire:
Recoil spring is on the guide rod backwards, small end goes on first
Recoil spring is on the guide rod backwards, small end goes on first
Check this.
Also, just because the promag springs feel tight doesn't mean they are properly smooth (for lack of a better term). Pick up a couple of MecGar mags, they are superior to Promags, in terms of springs and followers. Check your extractor and ejector as well.
7/4/2010 6:36:49 PM
When you say failing, failing how? Are they hitting the ramp and stopping dead, are they shooting up and sticking against the top edge of the chamber, or maybe completely past it and sticking out the ejection port. The devil can be in the details.
Have you cleaned the inside of the mag bodies, what is the condition of the follower. Take all the mag springs out and compare their free length to see if any have set noticeably. Remove the mag catch and look for wear on the engagement surface, maybe the magazines are sitting lower in the frame. Look on the bottom edge of the breech face for burrs or wear, and feel the top edge of the firing pin hole to see if it is catching brass or shaving it. Could the firing pin be sticking and catching a shell every once in a while (Super Rare I'll admit. Seen it though.)
I'm not intimately familiar with Sig's, so this is general diag stuff.
Have you cleaned the inside of the mag bodies, what is the condition of the follower. Take all the mag springs out and compare their free length to see if any have set noticeably. Remove the mag catch and look for wear on the engagement surface, maybe the magazines are sitting lower in the frame. Look on the bottom edge of the breech face for burrs or wear, and feel the top edge of the firing pin hole to see if it is catching brass or shaving it. Could the firing pin be sticking and catching a shell every once in a while (Super Rare I'll admit. Seen it though.)
I'm not intimately familiar with Sig's, so this is general diag stuff.
