#DotAllTheThings Sig Edition

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
Inspired by @rudukai13 and his plethora of Sig 320 shenanigans, I decided to start a similar thread re. the P series sig guns. Despite them being fairly popular (I thought) and having been around for quite awhile, it seems like mods for them are less popular and less prevalent than newer designs (ie. the 320, P09/07 from CZ, etc.). Sig as a company has done some fairly awful things, I get it. I am also boring and don't really care what I'm shooting, only that it is reliable, accurate, and I have spare parts/holsters/other ancillary gear and a S#$!-load of magazines. I currently am set up with the P series sigs in that way, and changing to another gun at this point would just be a lot of money and hassle, so I'll stick with them until I feel like it's holding me back (which will probably be never).

Hopefully this can help a few people out who are looking to enhance the performance of the 226/229 line of pistols (and will probably work for the 220/227/224 etc., but 45 is useless to me and the 224 is sort of unnecessary, so I probably will never really know). Beyond dealing with dots and comps like the roland-themed guns all have, I will also end up diving into different parts and tricks that I have found make me enjoy shooting these guns a bit more. Hopefully the coin will be available in the future to test some of the Grey Guns stuff, especially the new trigger shoe and bar, which looks very exciting, especially to a sig nerd like myself.
 

user12358

Regular Member
I'll throw some stuff in with the full disclaimer that I recently finally surrendered and went to a Glock full time for both OWB duty setup and AIWB after years of swimming upstream with trying to get holsters accessories and dots on SIGs, both P226s and P228s. I still use a P226 for suppressed applications as I have yet to find a quieter host and am a still a trigger snob at heart despite trying to learn to love the ease of everything surrounding gross striker fired triggers. A well setup classic SIG P-Series is the best duty grade trigger I have been able to find outside of 2011s (which I have never ended up using because of the dark magic that seems to be required to get magazines that actually work reliably).

P226 Suppressed.jpg
This gun has the following upgrades that are fairly typical for all of my P22X series guns:
  • Long Extractor Nitron 9mm Exchange Slide - I hate working on solid pin slides versus the two different two hollow pin generations. If you have a short extractor gun, I would seriously recommend the Gray Guns tool steel extractor after the few batch of poorly MIM'd extractors.
  • Trijicon RMR RM06 installed by L&M with blacked out irons - The most reliable dot I have found to date. This gun is actually still running a Type 1 because it has refused to die so far. I will probably look into mounting an Aimpoint ACRO P-1 in the future but I believe that it will require a custom plate to do so because of the firing pin safety cavity. Blacked out irons because Tritium pisses me off under NODs.
  • L&M Precision front serrations on both the upper and lower portions of the slide - I don't use the dot to manipulate the slide and I find the six front serrations found on elite slides to be exceptionally wanting in terms of actual grip and size.
  • SIG factory magwell grips with Talon Tape grips - After using all 3 different types of Hogue textures, nothing is as rough as Talon Tape and for $18 it is really hard to argue with the cost. The magwell grips and being very generous by calling themselves a magwell but it is better than nothing.
  • SIG factory M13.5x1 LH threaded barrel - I have found SIG factory barrels to be plenty accurate for Mid 90s to 100s on 25 yard B8s. The metric thread also has an O-ring which has helped in keeping the can on for longer strings of fire.
  • Gray Guns P-STR8 Flat Dual Adjustable Trigger - I personally prefer the flat trigger but have quite a few rounds on the curved version before this. The dual adjustable is critical because you can virtually eliminate all take up out of the double action pull and can eliminate or reduce overtravel based on user preference.
  • Gray Guns Gen 2 P-PAK (Self Defense) - The heart and soul of this gun. The sear, hammer, 19lb hammer spring, and safety lever provide a reset that is slightly better than the standard SRT kit (much better depending on how the kit is fitted), a very crisp SA and eliminates the stacking found in the factory DA while maintaining, in my opinion, duty weights and reliablility. I can't recommend this kit enough, especially if good triggers really matter to you.
  • Gray Guns FAT guide rod - A required upgrade when using single wire aftermarket springs. But honestly, you should just be using a factory braided spring or a Gray Guns pink braided spring. Still a beautifully machined part that doesn't hurt anything.

As far as magazines, the SIG factory magazines are obviously good to go and the Mec-Gar magazines have been flawless for me and have yet to fail me while being much cheaper and having a nicer base pad.

The parts schedule that I have followed is as listed and, yes, there is definitely a noticeable degradation in the recoil spring after 5,000 rounds so please replace it on time:
  • Barrel: Upon unacceptable accuracy.
  • Decocking Lever Spring: 10,000 rounds
  • Extractor: 20,000 rounds
  • Extractor Spring: 20,000 rounds
  • Firing Pin: 20,000 rounds
  • Firing Pin Spring: 20,000 rounds
  • Magazine Spring: When magazine fails to lock the slide open.
  • Mainspring (Hammer Spring): 5,000 rounds
  • Recoil Spring: 5,000 rounds
  • Safety Lock Spring: 20,000 rounds
  • Slide Catch Lever Spring: 10,000 rounds
  • Take Down Lever: 20,000 rounds
Overall they are beautiful guns that when built correctly will be incredibly accurate and reliable firearms that are a pleasure to shoot. It is really a shame that we are now living in a striker fired world but that is a rant for another thread.

If I was going to pour more money into a P226 I would take a look at the new Gray Guns flat trigger + trigger bar combo and their captured guide rod.
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
Thanks @user12358 for the addition.

Here are a few shots of one of the 226s as it sits. Gun is the legion 226 with an RMR 1.0 and slide milled by L&M. I will note that I have had L&M do a couple slides, and I sent a 229 to ATEi. Fit from ATEi is tighter, and they also include recoil bosses which are absent in the L&M job. This RMR had some flickering/dying issues when I initially installed it. I took it off, installed the battewerx plate with the dimple, bent the contact out a bit, and reinstalled with a brand new duracell battery. All issues have disappeared.

Holster is from the no longer existing Armiger solutions with a small modification for the RMR. Comp is from Samson Manufacturing and was designed for the M&P shield, but works great on the 226. I had a range trip with @Matt Landfair @jhopkins6395 and @Tricks and they all got to try it as well. As long as Matt is alright with it I'll post a few 'action shots' of him shooting it.

So far I'm really happy with how it's shooting. It's been incredibly reliable, and I'm looking forward to putting a lot of rounds downrange with it in the coming year.

I will have a grey guns trigger bar/flat trigger shoe by next week and hope to give that a try in a different gun.
 

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user12358

Regular Member
I will have a grey guns trigger bar/flat trigger shoe by next week and hope to give that a try in a different gun.

Apparently this trigger bar/shoe combo will be replacing the P-PAK but will benefit from being paired with their SRT kit. Look forward to hearing how it is.

Also are you going to be trying out the Gray Guns magazine basepads?
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
I'm glad to hear that combo will be coming out. I have been waiting for Grey Guns to get their SRT kit back in stock, as I've heard the higher price is worth the quality jump from the Sig SRT kit. I will be sure to post about it as soon as I get some time with it.

Re. the basepads: I honestly hadn't really thought much about them. Most of the mags I use for matches have extended basepads on them to make 140mm mags, and I have just been using the 18 round mecgars as my carry mags. When the SRT kit is available from them again I might look into getting a 3 pack and run them for awhile.
 

rudukai13

Pro Internet User
Very nice Legion Nate! Hopefully soon someone comes out with a comp more specifically made for the Sig Classic series pistols but it looks like you're making do until then.

I'm sure at some point Sig will be putting out a Legion P320, and on that day my arsenal will grow by one more...
 

user12358

Regular Member
I got to try out the new Gray Guns EDC trigger kit today and was very impressed. The DA pull was even cleaner than a well broken in P-PAK and ever so slightly lighter. The gun it was in only had a standard SRT kit so the reset was good but not quite on par with a P-PAK and the single action pull had considerably more take up than a P-PAK gun. It definitely has me looking at getting an Acro P-1 put on a P226.
 

HopsCop17

Amateur
Thanks @user12358 for the addition.

Here are a few shots of one of the 226s as it sits. Gun is the legion 226 with an RMR 1.0 and slide milled by L&M. I will note that I have had L&M do a couple slides, and I sent a 229 to ATEi. Fit from ATEi is tighter, and they also include recoil bosses which are absent in the L&M job. This RMR had some flickering/dying issues when I initially installed it. I took it off, installed the battewerx plate with the dimple, bent the contact out a bit, and reinstalled with a brand new duracell battery. All issues have disappeared.

Holster is from the no longer existing Armiger solutions with a small modification for the RMR. Comp is from Samson Manufacturing and was designed for the M&P shield, but works great on the 226. I had a range trip with @Matt Landfair @jhopkins6395 and @Tricks and they all got to try it as well. As long as Matt is alright with it I'll post a few 'action shots' of him shooting it.

So far I'm really happy with how it's shooting. It's been incredibly reliable, and I'm looking forward to putting a lot of rounds downrange with it in the coming year.

I will have a grey guns trigger bar/flat trigger shoe by next week and hope to give that a try in a different gun.

FYI this gun shot stupid flat in my opinion. I shot it after having shot several various handguns to include 5'' Sig X5, PPQ, Hudson H9 (Also an impressive gun), LTT Beretta, my Gen 5 17, and some others. I was very impressed with how easy it was to track the dot and make follow up shots.
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
I got to try out the new Gray Guns EDC trigger kit today and was very impressed. The DA pull was even cleaner than a well broken in P-PAK and ever so slightly lighter. The gun it was in only had a standard SRT kit so the reset was good but not quite on par with a P-PAK and the single action pull had considerably more take up than a P-PAK gun. It definitely has me looking at getting an Acro P-1 put on a P226.

I got mine in as well and put it in a 229. I haven't had much time to to any adjustments on it, so there is still some take-up, but overall the weight on the DA pull is lighter, and smoother. It feels more like my original tac ops with about 25K through it (although I think the tac ops trigger is just as, if not smoother due to use). I'm still on the fence on if I like the EDC trigger kit or just the standard short reach trigger better. I used to think the flat faced triggers were the end all be all, but when I'm finding a thinner curved trigger gives me personally a bit more control, especially when shooting SHO or WHO.

I agree with you 100% on the ACRO on a 226. I actually have a MK25 that I am holding onto just waiting for the P-1 to become available. I'm not sure who will be willing/able to do the work, but I'll bet I can get ATEi to give it a go, or perhaps L&M.
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
Update on the Grey Guns trigger. I have since shot a couple matches and had a few practice sessions as well as dry fire with the new grey guns trigger shoe and bar kit. The TL;DR, I wish I would have saved my money. Now this is not a dig on the quality or performance of the parts at all, as the quality is surely there. I think it is more of a preference thing. Like I mentioned a few posts ago, I find the shorter reach, thinner, and curved triggers give me more control and I do find myself leaning more and more into standardizing on the "double SRT" trigger: the short reset and short reach. That was what came on my original tacops, and after a few thousand rounds it was just as smooth as the grey guns trigger, and replacing the trigger shoe on a stock sig is under $30 vs. #150+ for the Grey guns set. So it looks like the grey guns trigger will go up on the selling block in the near future.
 

user12358

Regular Member
If anyone has an old P-PAK (which they are sadly no longer selling), it is fully compatible with the the EDC trigger and will finally give you a completely stacking free DA pull without changing any of the SA characteristics. With a 19 lb mainspring it is a 7lb 13oz DA pull and a 3lb 1oz SA pull and has been 100% reliable with NATO spec 124 gr and 147 gr HSTs.
 
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