[SIG51]

I recently purchased the 9mm Exchange kit for mu P229 Classic 22LR. the kit installed w/o problems and I was able to get it to the range this morning and run some rounds through it......but....

I have had extensive fail to feed and fail to ejects regardless of the 'grain' ammunition I was using (115,124)

Here is what I observed;

Before the ejected casing has cleared the breech.
the slide is closing about half way
As you would suspect, fail to feeds fallow

I can lock the slide back with no problem manually but I have not seen it lock back on last round. I've tried this with one round in the mag, placed into battery, fired and breach fails to open.....

It is not the ammunition, it shoots flawlessly in my other 9mm Sigs.

I had the armorer @ the range look it over. He thinks this could be a recoil spring issue(?)

One observation made; the recoil spring has a white band @ one end.

I will get pictures uploaded soonest.

Comments welcomed, thanks

 

[bearone2]

white is the correct color, your thumb may be riding the slide lock/release.

 

[SIG51]

Pictures:

Mag in place

Slide, Spring Upper Housing, Barrel

position of barrel feed ramp

No Mag

It looks like the barrels feed ramp is way forward of where it should be.

I do wonder what the spring rating is (white?)

Again comments welcomed.

 

[SIG51]

white is the correct color, your thumb may be riding the slide lock/release.

I shoot left handed....I am aware of the release and my trigger finger is well arched off.

 

[Willard]

SIG51, as bearone2 mentioned, that is the appropriate spring. His mention of your thumb running interference, is also a possibility, but let's check a couple of other areas also.
First off I would ask if the rails were greased well, along with the muzzle area of the barrel. Second, besides being 115/124 grain 9mm ammunition, were they reloads, or factory loads? If factory, which brand?
Many factory ammunition "value packs" are probably a little light on power. After breaking in, they will probably function fine. Until then I would suggest some hotter 124 grain such as the Winchester "NATO" loading, or 147 grain loads, which will give you a little more recoil impulse.
Also make sure you clean your magazines of any preservative, as it can become a sticky mess, with powder fouling. As mentioned earlier, about lubrication, the preservative on the X-Change slide assembly needs to be cleaned off as well. Preservative oil/grease has very minimal lubrication value, it's there to protect against rust, while setting in a warehouse, waiting to be sold and installed.

 

[FLASIG]

How about lubrication ?
Have you lubricated with grease the frame and slide rails, outside of the barrel and guide rod?
Willard posted just before me. I agree with his advice.

 

[Willard]

SIG51 according to Sig it the P229 white painted spring should be 16 pounds.

Also are you using the 229-1 Magazine? The picture is hard to make out.

 

[SIG51]

Thanks all; I use Milcomm grease, oil and cleaners. I took the new upper assembly apart and cleaned/lubricated soon as I received the kit. I also went back into the P229 lower assembly and cleaned/re-lubricated the guide rails, and springs. I had just cleaned after a 22LR session so there was no powder residue internally.

Magazines; I did degrease them to 'squeaky clean'.

I'll give the 147 grain a run through and see how it performs.

My ammo is new from Freedom munitions. I have been shooting their various loads w/o issue in my two other 9mm Sig's (SP2022, P225). I do not shoot rem ammo.

Now that the spring question is answered (thanks again), I do wonder on the feed ramp on the barrel...just seems too far forward to me.

 

[SIG51]

Willard, yes I use only SIG OEM Mags. I bought a second 10 round for the Range and one 15 round for home defense. all of the Mags were shot and same results with each. I load only 5 rounds per mag during break in period.......300 + rounds minimum.

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

Yeah, that barrel ramp definitely is nowhere near where it should be.

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

Does the barrel extend beyond the front of the slide when the slide is closed??

 

[SIG51]

The Barrel is flush with the upper slide opening.

My P225 has a like ramp and it is much closer to the mag feed point. Too bad the barrels are not interchangeable.

I'll take the 'problem child' to the range on Thursday. I have several shooting associates who will be more than happy to give it a test drive.

But before, I'll take it down and re-clean/re-lubricate.....If the shoot test goes poorly, I'll have to call SIG. They do have my P250 SC .380 in house.....funny 'first'; my takedown is backing out horizontally.

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

I have a P229 Combat 9mm, a P229 .40S&W Stainless Elite, a P229 SAS Gen 2 .40S&W, and I have a spare P229 9mm conversion kit and a P229 .357 Sig conversion kit. I can swap uppers all day long on all of them and none of them look remotely like that.

"S'ump'n ain't right!"

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

How old is you .22 classic?

 

[SIG51]

Dated 30 Jan 2017.......

I have put @ least 750 22LR rounds through it...not a hitch other than one or two FTF's...examination showed good rim strikes on each but just a '****' round.

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

I was looking at your photos on a bigger screen. It may be an optical illusion from the camera angle making it look farther forward than it is.

But I'm puzzled on this one. I have never owned a SIG in .22 LR and tried to make a conversion so I may be missing something.

 

[SIG51]

It is' fore -sure' more forward than I think it should be.....I was just now thinking this would contribute to the FTF/FTE issues; if the unfired round is still in the feed stage, I rather think the spent round may not have enough space to properly eject??

Guess I'll find out more next range day.

BTW; there were no special notices on the 22LR to 9 mm conversion kits; slide the 22LR slide w/barrel & spring off. mount the 9mm slide w barrel/spring. Lock it back, lock the take down and supposedly, ready to go.

only catch is you can not use this kit on the older P6 /P229 German models...takes a different kit. I double checked...I did get the correct one.

 

[animalhd1]

I'm gonna say it's the locking insert. That insert has a short looking feed ramp. You may need to swap that out, it certainly doesn't look right. I'd say that rather than barrel being to far forward. If the insert had a deeper cut feed ramp it would line up with barrels ramp.

 

[aceman4]

What conversion kit do you have ? Does the slide have full or half serrations on the rear of the slide?

 

[SIG51]

I'm gonna say it's the locking insert. That insert has a short looking feed ramp. You may need to swap that out, it certainly doesn't look right. I'd say that rather than barrel being to far forward. If the insert had a deeper cut feed ramp it would line up with barrels ramp.

Yes that certainly makes sense to me.....I am guessing this then becomes a SIG Fix?

I have full serrations on the rear