Sig 226 Question

[Polishrifleman]

Just picked up a Sig 226 in 9mm.

Has anyone used the conversion barrel's for these that they can provide feedback on? Evidently I can buy .40 and .357sig barrels which both take the same mag.

Does anyone have information to the contrary? In snooping around a little I found the barrels for $150 a piece but do they just drop in?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[Soybomb]

Sorry the 9mm slide cannot take the conversion barrels to my knowledge, gotta buy the .40 or .357 to switch.

 

[Polishrifleman]

So you can switch down from the 357 or the 40 to the 9 but not up?

Can I just get a new guide and spring?

 

[Frohickey]

357Sig/40S&W share the same case head diameter. The 9mm has a different diameter.

While you can do a barrel conversion for a 357Sig/40S&W slide and 9mm barrel, it will not reliably eject the round every time. Best to get a 9mm slide, or better yet another P226 in 9mm.

 

[Polishrifleman]

I have the 9mm, and realize the similarities with the .40 and .357sig.

What do I need to do to turn my 9 into a .40 or .357sig?

Answers so far....

I am hosed guide rod is different?

Question Back....

Can I get an appropriate guide rod and spring to go with the interchangable barrels?

Will the .357/.40 mag fit in the 9mm Mag well?

Or am I just destined to have a great 9mm?

 

[allen268]

So you can switch down from the 357 or the 40 to the 9 but not up?

That is correct....

 

[Polishrifleman]

Thanks Allen

 

[Sport45]

I'd really be surprised if a 9mm slide will work on a .40/.357sig frame. The ejector is not in the same place. I think what they are saying is that you can install a 9mm barrel in a .40/.357sig slide and it will work marginally. Probably because the ejector is out too far to reliably hit the spent casing so most of the ejecting is being done by the magazine spring forcing the next round up.

Or am I just destined to have a great 9mm?

With this one, yes, I'm afraid so. That's nothing to be ashamed of though. My P226 is the only 9mm that's come into my "stable" without being sold in a couple of years. Very nice gun. A real keeper.

 

[K-Romulus]

poking around Sigforum, I learned that the P226 can swap .40/9/.357 slides and barrel assemblies, but the other SIG models have issues with some sort of frame part that won't accept a different slide (but the part is replaceable with one that will work).

Most SIGforum people talked about doing the slide-swap as a way of going from .40/.357 down to 9mm, but I don't know if you can go up. This was deemed a more reliable option than getting a 9mm "conversion barrel" that would need gunsmithing/fitting to fit properly in a .40/.357 slide, and that would also be "off" from the .40/.357-zeroed sights.

I sure hope this 9mm slide swap works, because I ordered all the 9mm parts and will try it out in the next week or so.

Total shipped cost: $326:

CDNN = used complete slide (no sights) = $100;
Numrich = new factory chamber indicator barrel $90, nickel guide rod $14
TopGunSupply = 3 used 15rd magazines $60, Wolff 9mm guidespring $8
Ebay = new Meprolights $54

 

[onikuma]

cool... let us know how it goes.. im trying the same experiment..

im starting with the p226 in .40/.357 and picked up a new 9mm slide, rod and spring, and now trying to acquire the 9mm barrel. hoping itll work

 

[K-Romulus]

Numrich seemed to have the best price on factory barrels, but they have the chamber indicator notch (if that matters to you). New "regular" factory 9mm barrels seem to go for $175+, and the Numrich deal was too good to pass up for my purposes (range use).

For the peanut gallery:
$326 for the slide conversion "kit" does seem kind of high, but it is still way cheaper than another complete P226 (unless you go for one of the used CDNN "good-to-fair condition" lottery guns which seem to be selling for ~$350-$400).

In comparison, the shipped price of a conversion barrel "kit":

Barsto or EFK conversion barrel = ~$200 (+plus three month wait time)
Gunsmithing fee for fitting the conversion barrel = ? (BarSto will fit for a small fee, but again with a wait time)
recoil spring = ~$10
9mm magazines (e.g., 3 used) = $65

~$275+, but that price is with your slide's sights that may be off. If you want to shoot casual IDPA, then you would have a problem.

Incidentally, my "CDNN special" slide came in last night, and it had the SIG I-dot factory sights. All the other parts came in, too, and everything fit together on the frame and passed a function check. I will get it to the range when I get a chance, but probably not for a week or so. . .

I took a look at SIGForum last night, and it seems that you can go up from 9mm to .40/357 with a slide swap, but the cost may be steep due to the high dollar price tag on the stainless slides used for the higher calibers (compared to the older folded/stamped metal slides for the 9mm like what I got from CDNN).

 

[combatpreacher]

Any time I have altered a duty style handgun...I have just ended up wishing I had purchased what i wanted in the first place...a great excuse to have several.

 

[perception]

For sig factory barrels, check out http://www.topgunsupply.com

They have the best prices I have ever seen and have excellent feedback on sigforum.