2nd thoughts Sig P226 Dark Elite sadly disappointed.

[L-2]

If there's anyone else who isn't aware of this product, it might be an easy fix for loose sights in dovetails. It's called Loctite 290:
http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Threa...F8&qid=1422214277&sr=8-2&keywords=loctite+290

It's green and tends to wick into a tight void, like a sight in a dovetail. Otherwise, the red stuff, Loctite 262 may wick in just fine.

BTW, my SIG P226 w/night-sights & E2 grip is just fine. I've also heard of the loose rear sight issue on that Elite model, however, but have not had the pleasure of repairing one, as yet. It's a good idea, not mandatory, but some do this, is once a sight is set, to put some type of paint/nail-polish at the dovetail juncture. This can give a visual check to ensure the sight has not gotten moved by a bump since it was zeroed. This painting trick is also good for sights with easily adjustable knobs, like iron rear sights on AR, M1A, or shotguns.

Let's get a bit more positive: either fix it, sell it, or both.
Confidence is in one's head. The gun needed sighting-in anyway. Once sighted in, by securing the sights with Loctite, it could be a more robust set-up than anybody else has with an untouched/stock gun. It could be considered a "reliability" package!

Meanwhite, plan to buy a CZ. Once the CZ arrives, it may need some adjustments, too. Once both are in hand, sell whichever one(s) no longer meets one's needs/wants.

 

[Dudedog]

Won't happen, no way.
Not spending money to replace the sights. Buying those would add 18% to the cost of the gun.
I refuse to throw good money after bad replacing something that IMO should be correct from the manufacturer.

I would really like to be able to post postive things so maybe Sig customer service will give me something positive to post.
I managed to take a day of my vacation from work to try to deal with this tomorrow so I will update with hopefully good news.

Believe me, I would have prefered this to be a thread where I told everyone how much I liked it, how well it shot, flawless reliability etc.,


RE. Loctite, the rear sight screws are already put in with Red and can't be removed without heat. (according to Sig, {support call day 2} but I never got far enough to try adjusting them, was blaming my grip for shooting left first) My Citadel 1911, Colt 1911s, Springfield XD subcompact don't need Loctite or glue to hold the sights in the dovetails, so I don't see why the Sig should. Loctite might fix the front if it would hold still long enough for me to figure where it needs to be, but that is a bandaid and it is not going to solve the problem with the rear.
Loctite on them in the dovetail might be a good idea but then I am back to having to use heat to move things if I ever want to and I don't like the idea of having to use heat and they won't stay put to sight in so theres no way to "glue" them in place once adjusted Thanks for the suggestion about green (wicking) though.

I loctite all scope ring screws, purple usually works so I understand why you use loctite.

Guess I have just been lucky and have only had to call support on one other firearm in 35 years (Taraus), and it was 12 years old before it had issues.

 

[rhinoh]

What you experienced with the rear sight on your 226 Dark Elite is, unfortunately, a rather common problem with Dark Elites. So common that Bruce Gray actually manufactures a fixed rear sight to replace Sig's defective product

That is astounding to me that someone has to make a special sight because Sig can't get it right?
I am in the camp that a high end Sig should never leave the factory with an issue.
I have 3 Sigs, my P228 and P220 were flawless, however my P238 left the factory with the wrong front sight, a night sight at that.
Sig did send me a replacement right out when I called, didn't even want the wrong one back, it has been busy illuminating a parts drawer ever since.

 

[JRWhit]

Try to take it easy and don't get too worked up before you even talk to them. When dealing with cust service you'll get a lot further along being calm. Doesn't mean you can't object to the offerings, but you can do so without screaming at the guy on the other end. Good luck.

 

[tipoc]

I've sworn off Nike's. You know the tennis shoes (or is the correct name sport shoes, I dunna know). Anyway I bought a pair and the shoelace broke after one day. I'm heartbroken to the point of despair. I wept and cried on the internet. I will never buy another pair of Nike's. How can I trust them to save my life next time I'm running from the cops? Or whoever I'm running from. Let's say a bear. The laces could break again...or come loose and I could trip. What to do?

On the gun: The sights are loose. 1. You can return it to Sig for repair. 2.You can repair them yourself. 3. You can buy a set of replacement sights and either install them yourself or have someone do it for you. 4. You can sell the piece as is, telling the truth about it and take a loss or lie to the fella and take a smaller loss.

Your call on the above.

Option 2. To repair the problem you will need a small piece of brass shim about .002" thick. Cut this to fit inside the dovetail without showing. See how the sights work when installed, too loose? Add a bit more shim till the sights get tight to push in by hand. Mark the place you want them. Install with a bit of loc-tight and using the tightening screws. This method has been used for over 100 years and works well.


tipoc

 

[guyfromohio]

I can sympathize with this. When you go with a Sig or HK, you expect a pretty darn good product. If I had to send it back for warranty work, it would be the last one I would own. That being said, I've owned three Sigs....a 229 Police Trade, a brand new 239, and an old beat-up 232. All three were/are phenomenal guns with 100% reliability. I only have the 239 of the three today, but it is one of my very few "never/very likely never sell guns.

Posts like these do give me pause about purchasing current production Sigs though.

 

[tarosean]

I'm heartbroken to the point of despair. I wept and cried on the internet. I will never buy another pair of Nike's.

Id be willing to bet if those laces were of the stamped variety, we wouldn't be having this conversation....

 

[tipoc]

I was more disappointed when my Air Jordan's didn't make me "Be like Mike". I can't dunk worth bat guano!

tipoc

 

[Dudedog]

Called Sig this morning. Wait time for customer service was very short.
They said send it in and they will repair it. They are paying shipping, nice.
3 week est. to get it fixed,
sigh.

Anyway I give their customer service a B+.

Maybe it will be perfect when it comes back from Sig.
I would give it a second chance but then if it breaks again I am back where I started.

Hopefully when I get it back I can sell it for not to much of a loss as Sigs have a good reputation.
I do feel it's value will be reduced when I tell prospective buyers about the sight issue. And no I don't intend to lie about it.


I did not intend to offend anyone who reccomened Sig, if I did I apologize.

For that matter I don't intend to offend anyone about anything.

I don't think it is unfair to point out that the firearm has problems, and I don't consider that bashing the company. I was upset more than I should have been but I was really excited about getting it after hearing how good they were, so I had high expectations.
I also don't think I am being unreasonable expecting it to work and not break.
Yes I agree, I went overboard.
If the firearm went months or years before it had an issue I probably would would feel differently.

Many people point out problems with Taraus firearms, so why should Sigs (or any other firearm)be different?
(no one made any comments about me pointing out the rear sight on my 12 year old Taraus broke)
I also see some comments about Hipoints. No one has said anything about those.

As I said earlier Sigs may be great guns, the only one I know about is mine and its not great. Maybe I just got a lemon, but that dosen't mean I have to be happy about it.
I am sure it might be possible to fix the sights with brass shims or loctite but why should I have to?




As side note I don't run from Police Officers, and have never had any reason to, if they want me I will cooperate.

Shoe laces are cheap I keep a spare pair at home and in my car.
If I spent over $1000 on shoes and the soles fell off I would not be happy either.


PS: Just because I bought the Sig dosen't mean I expect it to hit the bullseye for me, If I could find a pistol that would do that no matter what I did I would pay big bucks for it.

PS #2 The last Nike I saw that I liked was in Fort Bliss TX in 1967
(and in case your curious they did come in a Nuclear flavor to shoot down incoming Russian bombers, XW-7 warhead of up to 40 kT)

PS #3 If a bear is chasing me I won't have to run. I will be so covered with $!!p that it would take the bear a month to dig me out!

 

[sirgilligan]

The following is a joke.

A friend of mine was in love with this slender little red haired girl. She was shy, never went out much, but a good looker with intense green eyes.

Being religious he never pressed her before the wedding, and that night, low and behold, this little gal was really a little guy.

He wanted an immediate annulment, but a bunch of guys told him, "Hang on, don't get worked up. Things like this can happen" and "You can fix this yourself, just get a scalpel, or you can send her off to this place to get her fixed".

Regardless, the expectation was ruined and the planned fun on the honeymoon was shot.

I made myself laugh anyway.

 

[Rinspeed]

I know lots people have Sigs and really like them and they may be great guns guns, but IMO the one I bought is junk.

You think the pistol is junk because you're having an issue with the sights.

Hopefully when I get it back I can sell it for not to much of a loss as Sigs have a good reputation.

You way over paid for it and most people that are really into Sigs think the older ones are much better and cost about half of what the new ones do. I'm sorry you are having some issues but give them a damn chance to make it right before declaring how much it sucks. It's a mechanical device, even Six Sigma companies put out a few defects once in a while.

 

[Dudedog]

Bud's is listing P226 Dark Elites for about what I paid (got to subtract taxes and fees) so actual cost was $1098 so I did not over pay by much if at all.
Thats what they cost new.

You way over paid for it and most people that are really into Sigs think the older ones are much better

Don't know anything about the old ones, or any new ones other than mine, the old ones might be much better, didn't buy and old one.
I am happy for people who have them and like them, to each his own (it's still sort of a free country) but my Honeymoon was ruined.

And I am giving Sig a chance to make it right, don't have a lot of choice.
When I get it back I am going to sell it because I am not happy with it, my choice. (it's still sort of a free country).


I am not an expert shot with a pistol so working sights are a big help to me.

Junk
anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.
It's worthless to me now because I don;t have it and can't shoot it and couldn't really shoot it the last time I wanted to.

Anyway .......mellow......mellow...mellow

 

[Rinspeed]

I really didn't want to sound like a jerk but I've owned 10 or 12 Sigs over the years. Give them a chance to fix it and then shoot the damn thing, if you need some ammo send me a PM and I will hook you up.

Just don't think the grass is going to be so much greener on the other side of the road. As long as you put some rounds through it and it's reliable you will forget all about the stupid sights not being set right. Sig has put out some dogs over the years put they have also put out some world class pistols. Anyone who tells you different is a total dork.

 

[Dudedog]

No problem, you don't sound like a jerk to me.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion in my book.
(it's still sort of a free country)

There is an old saying
Opinions are like bleeps, everybody has one and they all stink.
(my grandmother said it a little different......but if I used the kind of language she used I would get banned for sure)


I am flogging the dead horse again....
I will stop before I get my own thread closed.
Will post how long it takes to get it back, when I get it back, and what if anything Sig has to say about the problem.

Broken - not functioning properly; out of working order

 

[tipoc]

Don't know anything about the old ones, or any new ones other than mine.
I am happy for people who have them and like them, to each his own... but my Honeymoon was ruined.


And I am giving Sig a chance to make it right, don't have a lot of choice.
When I get it back I am going to sell it because I am not happy with it, my choice. (it's still sort of a free country).

Anyway I give their customer service a A.

Maybe it will be perfect when it comes back from Sig.
I would give it a second chance but then if it breaks again I am back where I started.

The gun did not break. The gun was not ruined. If you were expecting a honeymoon you were bound to be disappointed because you were buying a gun and not marrying another human being whose sex you could not figure out due to a lack of observational skills.

The sights were loose. That's all. It's bad and a downer but very far from a ruined or broken gun. It's also an easy fix. You had several choices about what to do. You chose to return the gun to Sig for them to make the rather simple repairs. You give their customer service a thumbs up!

It is remarkably immature and odd to write off a whole line of firearms because of one minor defect with a new gun. (Yes minor, the actual equivalent of a broken shoelace.) As you acknowledge you know nothing about Sigs outside of the one you got and because of a minor issue on one gun you will write the whole line off. Odd!

Then you say you will sell the repaired gun to save yourself the possibility of heartache down the line!

Personally I don't care if you like Sigs or not. It doesn't insult me if you don't. Nothing you've said insults me personally. I just find it hecka odd. Like a guy swearing off Chevy trucks cause he gets a flat tire on his truck and swears he can't trust Chevy trucks again.

On another thread you are asking about CZs. I predict you will be disappointed in those as well and denounce the line also. Possibly because one magazine gets stuck or some such.

tipoc

 

[Dudedog]

Broken - not functioning properly; out of working order

Honeymoon -any new relationship characterized by an initial period of harmony and goodwill:

I feel I have recieved a lot of good information here and the people are helpful and friendly so I thought I would ask about CZs some more.
Some people said bad things about them, their right, nice to know, my decision to buy one or not.
I don't see a problem asking about CZs some more. People can chose whether or not they want to respond to my post.
No one has to read my posts. (other than the mods) I feel I have made quite a few worthwhile posts with some good information.
I should probably not have mentioned exactly why I was looking for a CZ but it goes back to my CZ vs Sig question thread and after saying I bought the Sig I wanted to explain why I was asking about CZs more.
In hindsight that was probably not necesssary and was maybe in poor taste. I feel I made a bad choice buying the Sig that's my feeling and only my feeling and until it is "Brave New World" and the goverment gives us all Soma to force us to "feel good" I can feel bad if I want to.

If I buy a CZ and it has problems and I post them people can criticize me if they want for doing it, the mods can ban me if they want (thanks for your toleration, and the job you do guys/girls)
I for one don't mind admitting I made a mistake on a purchase, If I have an issue I let people know. Their choice if they even waste time considering what I have to say.
If I eat at a restaurant and it makes me sick, I tell people and don't go back there.


I have a 50 year old Colt commander. It has needed parts like springs, mags ,bushings (probably about time for another barrel). Maybe I have just been lucky as it has worked as designed.
Feeds SWCs if they are just right but if not it dosen't. It was not designed to feed SWCs so I don't blame it if it dosen't. I don't blame it if I use crummy mags and it dosen't feed. I don't buy any more mags that don't work well for me my choice. I appreciate the information if people say I like xyz mag or I have had bad luck with abc mags and I think they are junk, I can decide to buy them or not.
The Colt decided to bounce cases of my forehead one day becasue I changed what I was feeding it, I don't blame it for that either even if it did draw blood.
(definitely mad about it's change of diet!, right over my safety glasses into my forehead, blam)


Who knows, maybe most new firearms made now are not up to the quality of those made in days gone by. That might be an intersting topic for a new and more enjoyable thread.

I started this off bad and it's getting worse so I am going to shutup here.

Back to an always enjoyable cruise thru reloading.

And I promise this is my last word here until it gets back from Sig and I report on the repair time and what if anything they have to say.

 

[Rinspeed]

I started this off bad and it's getting worse so I am going to shutup here.

Totally not necessary my friend, we are all here to learn and share our experiences good and bad. You just seem a little new to this whole process of having a problem with a pistol you paid good money for. There are a boatload of people, that paid a whole lot more for pistols than you did, that have had bigger problems, so don't sweat it.

Like I said, give them a chance to fix it and if you are still having problems then consider your options.

 

[guyfromohio]

It is junk if it has to be sent back for work after three trips to the range. I would be just as angry. If I'm buying anything in a class above Jennings/Raven/Taurus/Hi Point/Ruger, the expectation is that it have quality to match price. One really should get what one pays for.

 

[Dudedog]

Thanks Rinspeed
Now I guess I am liar since I broke my own promise.

 

[sirgilligan]

Any company has one and only one chance to make a good first impression.

I am available to hold any CEO's hand and teach them how this is done, all they have to do is call.

If I am a firearms manufacturer and I find that either a batch of out of spec sights made it through quality control or a machine was cutting the dovetail wrong all you have to do is post an explanation on the company website and social media page. Give clear directions on what the process is to get it fixed and insure them that customer service will be polite if you want to vent. Then give them two free mags, and a hat and a coupon for LE pricing on your next purchase.

If those things were done as soon as someone posted on the forum that the sights were loose they would say, "Yes, go to the manufacturers website. They know and have an expedited process for you. I hear they are throwing in some free magazines as well."

As to writing off an entire company for failing to make a good first impression, well some think the OP is cutting off his nose to spite his own face. This would only be true if there were no one else that makes a product that can do the same thing and the product was essential.

There is nothing wrong with everyone saying what they would do in the same situation but there is no right or wrong action here.


p.s. Do you know why companies don't report their problems on their website and social media page? Because the distributors would scream "How can we sell this item now! No one in their right mind is going to by a pistol that the sights will fall off of!" Then the company would have to pay all of the distributors to send all of the firearms of that model back. Some may need the sights fixed and some may not, but all would have to come back. Suppose they have made 5,000 firearms that are on the distributors shelves. That means 5,000 come back. But if you just sell the item and only 500 have an issue you only have to pay for 500 to be shipped and you only have to risk upsetting those 500. So, if the bottom line is a concern higher than initial impressions you can justify that risk. But today the risk is larger. Telling your dissatisfaction on line creates a situation that the company can not measure, and that is, those that would have bought and now will not buy. Suppose the very first one sold had the sights fall off and someone posted this on all of the forums. Imagine the worst case scenario and no one buys any more of that model firearm. The company has now slid down the slippery slope a bit further. Does the company now try to make it up to the distributor by buying them back? Suddenly that is a lot more cost than the originally shipping the 5,000 back. Wouldn't it be interesting to see a lawsuit where a woman was trying to defend herself against an attacker and the sights fell off of her gun and she missed her shot, she was then raped and left for dead. Could she win the lawsuit when public information from the forums is gathered that the manufacturer has known about the problem and did not contact the owners.

 

[Zerodefect]

CZ has a superior product IMO. They have an odd reputation for reliability up here. Maybe CZ never bites off more than they can chew, or maybe the have plain better attention to detail. I don't know, but CZ is always a safe bet.

Sig is walking down the Kimber road.

Still, I don't have a single pistol with factory sights. Everyone is custom done by me. I can make them as tight or loose as I want. (usually 10 pound hammer tight)

 

[Delford]

A bit off topic but guyfromohio lumped Ruger in with Jennings/Raven/Hipoint. Though not nearly as expensive as Sig, Ruger handguns are among the most robust and dependable firearms made. At least the P series. And Revolvers. I cringe at the gun show when I see a Bryco or Jennings, etc. but Ruger is way above that in reliability and their sights stay on. Do they break? Maybe, but their customer service is exemplary.

Dude, best wishes on your issue resolution and I really liked your Nikes

 

[guyfromohio]

Delford... I agree that Bill Ruger era guns are built like tanks. I always referred to them as the Honda Civic of guns....inexpensive but will outlast the driver. Current production Rugers don't have my confidence. In fact I shot the sights off of my friend's brand new LC9. My apologies if I've taken the thread off course by slinging mud at other mfgrs. Not High Road on my part.

 

[JRWhit]

I noticed a certain 226 dark elite for sale in the classifieds.
It really isn't any of my buisiness, but I really feal that you are doing yourself a disservice by bailing on the whole thing. It's my humble opinion to give this thing a try after the manufacturer has had a chance to fix this. You may well wind up completely satisfied and avoid taking that painful hit in the wallet. I understand if you've lost confidence in this product but this honestly sounds more like spite, for which you will only be affecting yourself.
best of luck.

 

[GLOOB]

I could have believed there was a tiny chance in hell that this is just a fluke that slipped by QC. I mean, yeah, the person installing the sights would have known they were loose, but maybe the slide got mixed up with another.

Then I read post #6.