With all respect to Mr Blade, I have had a SIG 226 crack at the rails after firing 20000 plus rounds through it. This is not a problem with their all stainless version guns i.e 230, 232.
This quote came from the SIGARMS website:
"Back in the 80's, I was stationed with the Army in Germany. While there I bought a SIG Sauer P220 chambered in 9MM. In the 12 or so years since then, I have never had to do any work on it (other than standard care). And I have fired over 10,000 rounds through the original barrel. This pistol still remains the most accurate and trustworthy of any of my pistols."
Matthew Budd
It's interesting to note that they don’t harp how long the product lasts after 10000 rounds. In defense of SIG their customer service department handled it very well and they sent me a new gun.
Now if the design was so perfect, why did they post this news release?
Contact: Laura Burgess
Dir. Of
PR/Corporate Communications
SIGARMS, Inc.
603-772-2302, ext. 136
burgess@sigarms.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SIG Sauer P226 Sport Stock Pistol Unveiled
Stainless Steel Frame and Slide
Exeter, NH - Feb 2, 2002 - SIGARMS, Inc., manufacturer of the highest quality firearms and firearms training, announces a new addition to the SIG Classic Stainless line of pistols. The SIG Sauer P226 Sport Stock features a stainless steel slide and frame, hand-tuned by J.P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH, in Ekernfoerde, Germany. The new sport pistol will be in 9mm Parabellum and also feature a heavy "match" barrel, and an adjustable LPA rear sight.
The stainless steel slide and frame add, "heft" to the pistol and gives it less perceived recoil and quicker target re-acquisitioning. The stainless also provides greater corrosion resistance. The P226 Sport Stock pistol will be available by special order only.
SIGARMS is a leading manufacturer of premiere sporting guns and small arms for the military, law enforcement, and civilian markets, and continues to offer the "industry's best" in firearms training. For more information about SIGARMS' complete line of precision-engineered pistols, rifles and shotguns see the Web site
www.sigarms.comor contact SIGARMS, Inc., 18 Industrial Drive, Exeter, NH 03833, Phone 603-772-2302.
In realty individuals like Mr. Blade probably never fired any gun that many times in their long and illustrious careers so I would suggest that they have their brain in gear before they start to type.
BTW, I own a 230, two 226's a 228 and a 229. On a side note if you ever decide to buy a used one look underneath the rails on the front of the frame you'll notice some interesting wear occurring there.
Tamara
2002-02-13, 11:46 PM
I have seen more than one P-226 range rental gun go down with a cracked frame. The first indication is that it will start consistently shooting to the left, usually after firing well on the north side of 30k rounds. Other than that, function is usually unaffected, really, although SIG will cheerfully replace the frame. FWIW, I've seen one Glock (and had reliable reports from gunsmiths I know about others) that has exhibited a similar phenomenon. Guns are just machines, folks. Shoot 'em enough and something's bound to break.
OTOH, ryucasta, that has nothing to do with why they came out with the stainless frame guns. They will continue producing the aluminum frames right alongside the stainless ones.
Most of the frame-cracks on P-226's that I have seen are on older ones with the humungous "sand cutouts" in the frame.
blades67
2002-02-14, 12:01 AM
Rental guns and heavily used (10-20000 rounds) doesn't mean that SIG frames crack all the time. There are few people that will shoot that much in their lifetime, and as was pointed out SIG Arms will replace the cracked frame. Still makes this a non-issue.
ryucasta
2002-02-14, 12:10 AM
Tamara,
If I came across like that was the reason why SIG was adding the stainless 226 frame to their product line up, then my apologies to all concerned. It's my understanding that they developed the SIG Sauer P226 Sport Stock because they wanted to market to the IDPA community and they knew that their existing alloy frames would not hold up to long term competition usage.
Their existing design is quite adequate if the number of round that will be shot is kept low < 15000. Lets face it how many shooters will put that many rounds through a gun not many.
For example I also have a 1911 that has an aluminum frame and steel slide by no stretch of the imagination would I shoot that many rounds through it. Common sense and experience tells me that a softer metal (Frame) rubbing against a harder surface (Slide) wear will naturally occur on the weaker of the two materials.
That’s my two cents
CZ_
2002-02-14, 12:24 AM
Rental guns and heavily used (10-20000 rounds) doesn't mean that SIG frames crack all the time. There are few people that will shoot that much in their lifetime, and as was pointed out SIG Arms will replace the cracked frame. Still makes this a non-issue.
I hope my Sigs last longer than 10,000-20,000 rounds. I don't consider that a high round count (I do a lot of shooting), as one of my Sigs is already approaching 5000 in under 3 years! If its true that 10k to 20k is the upper limit for Sig alloy frames, then I won't be buying anymore alloy Sigs. The only good news IMO is that the Sig 220ST is already out, and I hear that the Sig 226ST will be released before 2003. I'll be buying steel framed Sigs from now on if its true that the alloy lifespan is only 10k to 20k.
Tamara
2002-02-14, 12:40 AM
I'll be buying steel framed Sigs from now on if its true that the alloy lifespan is only 10k to 20k.
From the ones I've seen with the problem, the average is more like 25k-30k+. (...and again, not all develop this) If you've shot 5k in 3 years, then you have another 12-15 years before you even need to start thinking about it. I know of many that have put up with the abuse of being range guns for longer than that and are still plugging along. Most of the cases I've heard of are with older 9mm P-226's.
7Likes
I have picked my brain and asked other people and i have read all i could find on the drawbacks and problems with them and still have not found why i have had so numerous of experiences with different types model calibers and generations of them. 
Anyone else got any ideas?
