The better SIG?

[texcaliber]

I have been told by a few of my peers that the older SIGs with the folded slides are better than the newer Milled slide.... for no reason other than that was what they were told. Well I dont buy it. So, I am putting the question out to you folks. I know there is a better awnser than "some guy told me".

Tex

[Hazcat]

... I know there is a better awnser than "some guy told me".

Tex

Why?  Did some guy tell ya? 

[texcaliber]

Why?  Did some guy tell ya?   

WISE.....GUY.......errr......CAT! Now if you are done laughing at my grief, hows about a awnser? 

[Hazcat]

WISE.....GUY.......errr......CAT! Now if you are done laughing at my grief, hows about a awnser? 

How's this;

In the early Seventies, SIG undertook the design and development of a pistol that could be easily and cheaply mass produced with modern technology. In order to save on the production costs, they entered into collaboration with the German firm of J.P. Sauer & Son. Before World War II, Sauer had been located in Suhl in Thuringia. After the war it moved to and reorganized in the Western Occupation Zone in Eckernfoerde in the state of Schleswig-Holstein near the Danish border. Specializing in sporting rifles and shotguns, Sauer made no sidearms since the end of World War II until the first of the SIG-Sauer pistols, the P220. Their contribution to the SIG-Sauer collaboration included a decocking lever that lowered the hammer to a safety notch, which first appeared on the Sauer Model 38, produced during the latter years of the Third Reich. The SIG-Sauer P220 used the mass production expedients pioneered by Sauer and other German arms makers as a wartime time cost saving measures. Thus the precisely made Browning breech locking arrangement mating the barrel lugs with recesses cut into a one-piece forged steel slide was replaced with fitting the squared rear shoulder of the barrel into the front of the ejection port cut out in the slide stamped out of sheet metal, with a separate breechblock pinned into it. Instead of machining the frame out of a tough steel forging, SIG-Sauer fitted a steel feed ramp and trigger housing into a frame made of a light aluminum alloy. Overall, the meticulous principles of Swiss precision gave way to the planned obsolescence of disposable hardware. In fairness, the P220 was developed for the armed forces and adopted in 1975 as the standard issue pistol of the Swiss army and the Japanese self defense forces. To be adopted, the P220 had to compete against the SIG P210 at 25 meters. But it fails to do so at the longer ranges, where the P210 excels.

More at http://www.p210.com/history/

[ratcatcher55]

It is my understanding that a typical DOD contract has a service life clause in it on any weapons system. The M11 or Sig 228 was suppose to last 5000 before failure.  I would guess the M9 has the same thing in its procurement contract. The P229 was designed with no such caveat.

I had 15000 rounds through mine before I turned it in without a problem but my understanding is that the M11 in service in the military are starting to be tough to maintain though not as bad as M9's. DOD bought non Beretta magazines (low bid) that fail at frequently.

Typically most pistols did not see 200 rounds a year through them.

[Sponsor]

[texcaliber]

Attaboy Hazcat, I knew you had it in ya. Thanks man. I will have to set aside more time and checkout the link you gave me to find the awnser to the folded vs. milled being better.

Tex

[Hazcat]

Typically most pistols did not see 200 rounds a year through them.

Heck I more do that out of several pistols (each) monthly.  And I would bet Tex and DW do WAAAAAYYY more.

[ratcatcher55]

This brings up an interesting point.

Now I typically shoot 400-500 rounds a month of 9mm or 45ACP ammo and 50-100 of 5.56 for practice.
Add 75-100 rounds at a monthly IDPA match.

What's everybody else habit?

[Michael Bane]

There was a VERY secret study done by a major firearms company about a decade ago that concluded most handguns were fired less than 100 rounds in their entire working life.

RE: Sigs folded versus milled...no difference one way or the other. I own both. The 210 suffers from the same problem as all the older guns, be they Thompson submachineguns or Colt Python revolvers...it was designed to be hand-fitted and basically supplied in what we would now consider small numbers. In fact, modern manufacturing techniques are better than much of the previous hand-fit guns...for every 210 or Python, there were a thousand other handguns that just didn't deliver the accuracy and reliability because of inconsistancy in parts and fitting. remember the 1911s of 20 years ago? We thoguht of them as the ultimate "kit gun," in that a gunsmith had to overhaul the thing before it would run. Now, the most accurate and reliable out-of-the-box 1911s in the world come with barrels that are fitted by computer-controlled machinery...notice I don't mention which one, because too many people would have a stroke.

BTW, take an out-of-the-box 210 and shoot it against an out-of-the-box 226 X-5...betcha the X-5 is every bit the long-distance gun the 210 was. Better ergonomically by a substantial margin. Cost about the same in equivalent dollars...

Michael B

[texcaliber]

Heck I more do that out of several pistols (each) monthly.  And I would bet Tex and DW do WAAAAAYYY more.

Thats a VERY SAFE bet on this end Hazcat.