9mm pistol gunsmithing

[scottcrb]

i have a sig p229 in 9mm. bought it from  buddy years ago and always has been a good shooting gun. the question is is there any noticeable difference having a gun smith "tune " it up? action ,slide ,trigger etc.  i have noticed that shells wont feed correctly, occasionally jamming in the ejection port instead of loading into chamber from the magazine.  also what would a tune up job run and any good gunsmiths in the Seattle area for this kind of work?

[scottcrb]

surprised not one reply yet. i know there are some 9mm guys on here. or even just semi auto pistol guys. competition guys? is any gunsmithing worth it on a factory 9mm sig229?

[pianoman9701]

Scott,

I'm not great when it comes to knowledge about customizing guns. I know that some guns take longer than others to break-in and that might be a reason for frequent jamming. But it sounds like you've had it for a while. 500 rounds should be enough from new for most semis. You may be over-oiling the slide, as well. Next time you go shooting try a little drier slide. Is your magazine cleaned regularly? How about the ammo? Are you buying it cheap or running good quality loads through it? That's about all I can come up with. for you. We have a good gunsmith down here, but i know you've got some up there. Good luck.
PMan

[scottcrb]

the slide operates fine and isnt over oiled at all if any. i mainly shoot the blazer brass 124gr so i think that should be a descent ammo and the gun has well over 1000 rounds through it. i mainly use my bore snake for cleaning and the occasional through clean and lube. the magazines i have not done any cleaning too and may be an issue i guess but seems to feed OK most of the time.

[pianoman9701]

If the magazine is dirty, it may feed too slowly or unevenly, and that could cause a jam. Try cleaning and oiling them.

[scottcrb]

yeah ill give that a shot

[TwoSixFourWins]

I would start with a new mag, feed ramp polish (easy DIY). Take it apart and clean the carbon from the slide rails and guide rod. It is possible a new recoil spring would help too but with only 1000 rounds through it I wouldn't imagine it needs it. Basically the top two, new factory mag and a good cleaning inside and out.

[BirdHunter]

Try C.a.R. Firearms in Tukwila - Fred Hastings - does good work - prices are fair.

[scottcrb]

thanks guys i did a real good clean and re-lube and ill let ya know. i do think one of the problems is one mag is not a factory mag and may be a cheaper mag and not have a great spring in it. im gonna try and get a couple more factory mags and try that feed ramp polishing. still wouldn't mind a trigger and sight job on it.

[cwuwildcat]

When you get issues with feeding/ejecting, the issues can be;

1) magazine.  Problem with spring, bent lip, dirt/sand inside causing an issue with the follower advancing smoothly, etc...
2) ammo.  Just because its 'good ammo' doesn't mean its good for your gun.  Try a different brand, round nose vs hollow point, different grain bullet, etc...  I've got a .22 that will only feed reliably on one particular brand of formerly inexpensive ammo in one grain.
3) Recoil spring.  Did your buddy swap out the original, or did Sig make a change in later years to correct the issue?
4) limp wristing

[scottcrb]

When you get issues with feeding/ejecting, the issues can be;

1) magazine.  Problem with spring, bent lip, dirt/sand inside causing an issue with the follower advancing smoothly, etc...
2) ammo.  Just because its 'good ammo' doesn't mean its good for your gun.  Try a different brand, round nose vs hollow point, different grain bullet, etc...  I've got a .22 that will only feed reliably on one particular brand of formerly inexpensive ammo in one grain.
3) Recoil spring.  Did your buddy swap out the original, or did Sig make a change in later years to correct the issue?
4) limp wristing

i have tried a few different ammos in both round and hollow point . the recoil spring i have no idea about, and i know my form isnt great but i dont think limp wristing is the problem. it may very well be the magazine. 

[magnanimous_j]

I'd guess the mag. If not that, the recoil spring. I bought an old POS Lama from a buddy for 25 bucks because it would jam every other round. Put a new spring in there and it ran like a top.

[thinkingman]

Try C.a.R. Firearms in Tukwila - Fred Hastings - does good work - prices are fair.

Second...Good guy, seems to know his craft, and very fair pricing.

[300rum]

Yes, there is a huge difference when you have a good gunsmith "tune" up a pistol.

I wouldn't take it to just any 'ol gunsmith, there aren't any good "general" gunsmith's.  There are people who specialize in certain "platforms" and then there are people who tinker and know a little about everything but not much of anything.

I don't know anyone who specializes working with Sigs, that's who you want to find.

As was said earlier, try a new mag and/or new mag springs.  You said that it was older so I would change mag springs, I change mine every year as they are really cheap.  Pull apart a new mag and compare the spring to your old spring, you will see a pretty big difference.  You can also tell by how much easier it is to load to capacity.  You can also buy a new mag and compare measurements and see if yours are off. 

I personally don't buy "cheap" mags when it comes to pistols.  Factory pistol mags are generally the best available.  If you continue having mag problems with the same mag, toss the mag, they are just a consumable part.

Recoils springs are consumable too. Replace them every couple of years (at least) and 5000 rounds.     

If you have feed problems that aren't mag related and you think you have an actual mechanical problem with the pistol, try calling Sig first and possibly send it back to them to look at.       

   

[JJB11B]

also replacing the springs in the magazine and weapon and making sure the feed lips on the magazines arent damaged make all the difference in the world

EDIT__should have read the previous post.