Low profile slide lock for Sig P226?

[benzy2]

Picked up a Sig P226 the other day and really enjoy the pistol. It shoots very well in my hands, it feels like a solid and well built machine, and I paid a decent price for it. All good things. There was one recurring problem and that was slide lock. It wouldn't.

Let me restate that because after doing a bit of reading it seems there are two potential problems. The first being a mismatch with the old style mags and new style slide lock. That isn't my problem. When I shoot one handed it will lock every time. When I manually cycle the slide on an empty mag, it will catch.

My problem is the second option, the one where I ride the slide lock. I spent an afternoon trying to find a way to shoot the pistol two handed that didn't cause slide lock issues and couldn't find an acceptable option. I tried thumbs up, thumb out, thumb really out. If I look at the slide lock lever wrong, it won't catch. Even a moderate thumbs out hold will touch just slightly under recoil and fail to lock the slide. It seems a mix of two issues. The first being I can't find a hold that feels solid that doesn't at least brush the lever during cycling and that even a slight brush of the lever is enough to keep it from engaging.

I'd really rather not work more on a new hold, as this current one seems to work for the Glocks, M&Ps, 1911's, CZs, etc without an issue and it is also as stable of a hold as I can find. If an equally firm grip is possible, I'll consider switching. I see quite a few people suggest tucking your thumbs under but with my hand size, I remove most of my support hand from the gun that way, which feels very unstable.

I don't want to give up on this gun as it seems to do everything else very very well.

 

[JTQ]

From Bruce Gray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiLuLKLQCMc

 

[benzy2]

Maybe it's small hands (typically fit a medium sized glove well), but I can't do that. To get a my thumb off the release (and far enough off it doesn't touch during recoil) I have to loose the majority of contact with the gun with my strong side palm. I'm using the E2 grip as well as it's the only grip that felt good on a Sig.

Took a minute with a cheap camera to take some pictures.

Here is what it looks like with two hands when I adjust so my right thumb stays far enough away from the lever to allow the slide to lock on empty:


Here is what it looks like when I remove the support hand to show the contact I get with the gun using this hold:


That's a little exaggerated but not much. My struggle comes with getting a purchase on the trigger itself in DA makes me shift the strong hand a bit which then makes it hard to get my thumb off the slide lock. Maybe the SRT system would do a bit for me in the reach issue. Still want to give it more time and the band-aid idea sounds like a good option to at least try out a few times.

 

[Shipwreck]

I have small hands too. And, I just recently got a 226. This was happening to me every time I shot two handed too. But if I shoot 1 handed, I am fine.

I even tried my best and swore it wasn't me. But I went back into the store, and a guy came back into the range and watched me shoot. Itw as me. Adjust my grip, and it never happened. However, I don't wanna change my grip permanently either. I just live with it now.

However, I bought a new Sig M11A1 this week. The left grip has a "bump" near the slide lock lever. At the store, I suspected that this might keep my fingers aware from the slide lock. I went and shot the gun earlier this week. Sure enough - no issues at all with that gun. It keeps my thumb away from the slide lock lever

 

[9mmepiphany]

I used the same grip that Bruce does...with my right thumb riding on the back of my left thumb



This puts my right thumb well clear of the Slide lock



Having the right thumb off the frame has no negative effect on how secure the grip is on the gun.

I would think the E-squared grips should actually help your issue as the grips force your hand lower on the frame.

You can trim off the rearward extension of the slide stop level with where it enters the frame...but I'd think changing your grip would make a lot more sense

 

[roval]

Saw that same video and tried it but just went back to the same 1911 grip since I shoot better with it. I have a 227 which has a similar grip. Putting my thumb on the other thumb makes me feel my grip Is slightly open. I only use it at the range though.

 

[benzy2]

9mmepiphany, isn't the top of your left palm touching the lever with that high of a grip? Just brushing it with anything on mine stops it from activating, palm or thumb. I figured the E2 would help more and I'm going to give it more of an effort but so far it feels very weird to adjust my grip enough to get off the slide lock lever.

 

[9mmepiphany]

9mmepiphany, isn't the top of your left palm touching the lever with that high of a grip? Just brushing it with anything on mine stops it from activating, palm or thumb.

Nope, my left thumb is under the lever and actually sloping away as I pronate my wrist forward...you can see that in the second picture above. The left thumb rides atop the de-cocking lever.

While the slide stop seems to be right there for the left thumb to press on



...there really isn't any contact. Pronating the support wrist forward makes all the difference.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Putting my thumb on the other thumb makes me feel my grip Is slightly open. I only use it at the range though.

It is slightly open...but, it doesn't really affect the security of your grip as you shouldn't be applying pressure with your thumb anyway

 

[benzy2]

I may not have said that well. If I get a high hold on the support hand (left), the meat of my left palm (not thumb) brushes the slide release, which is enough to stop its function. To get my strong (right) thumb off the lever, I've got to stress and strain to keep it off the lever. Its a constant effort, not just resting the right thumb slightly outward. I also can't physically get my right thumb to sit like yours in your first picture. I can't get the nail rotated parallel to the ground. To get to that, I have to totally let go with my right hand. Wish I was there in person as you seem to be very good at fixing a grip.

Edit: I believe I may have figured out part of the problem. On the two pictures of just the right hand on the gun, look how much lower my grip is than yours. The top of your thumb at the first joint is basically in line with the bottom of the slide. Mine is much much lower. My lower grip twists the thumb to the point it can't rotate away from the frame far enough to miss the slide lock lever. On a CZ, Glock, M&P, and 1911 I grip much higher on the frame which allows me to get my right thumb off that area. I don't have enough hand size to fill the recess at the rear of the grip on the E2 while still getting high on the frame.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Your lower hand placement is due to the shape of the E-squared grip panels forcing the hand away from the rear tang of the frame

 

[RX-79G]

You can use the slide release from the Sig SAO pistols. It moves the lever further forward, and is a relatively inexpensive part from Sig.