sig 239 slide locking closed

aklaft

aklaft

Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
147
Likes
3
Location
Lunenburg, MA
Feedback: 10 / 0 / 0
I just purchased a sig 239 today. When I rack the slide and let it "slam" back into place freely, the slide becomes very difficult to to rack again. It feels like it pulls back about 1/4 inch and then a great deal of force is needed to move it further. Any sig shooters out there know if this something that will go away with some shooting and break in, or is it a defect? Thanks!
 
i bought a used 229 a few months ago very few rounds through it and it would do the same thing but since then ive shoot over 1000 rounds thru it and it doesnt do it at all any more so i think its just a break in thing
 
Cross-X said:
Send it back to Sig!
Click to expand...

Did you buy this new from a dealer? Perhaps try him and see what he says.

After my recent experience with Sig Service, I would not recommend this as a first step. If you bought it at an FFL and he can't help I would take it to Four Seasons. See if their Sig guy will take a look at it and go from there.
 
RKG said:
You should not allow the slide to slam into battery on an empty chamber.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but that I think there is little risk of that causing damage to most modern guns. A highly tuned 1911 with a light trigger? Maybe. Dropping the slide a few times on a new P239? No, that's not going to hurt it.

The last time I was at a class at SigSauer Academy, George Harris (who is now Director of Training and in charge of the Academy) had us drop the slide on empty chambers. And he specifically addressed the concern about damaging the guns by doing so. He said it would not hurt the Sigs.

I wouldn't spend hours dropping the slide on an empty chamber. But I wouldn't worry about doing it now and then either.
 
Last edited:
Any sig shooters out there know if this something that will go away with some shooting and break in, or is it a defect?
Click to expand...

I just got back from my FFLs shop where I checked out a Sig 239 and asked him his opinion (he is much more knowledgeable about firearms design and problems than most FFLs are). He could not think of anything which could cause this other than a recoil spring problem. Are the recoil spring and guide rod installed correctly? Does there appear to be any kinking of the spring? If the end of the recoil rod is not correctly mated against the barrel you could possibly experience a difficulty in racking the slide.

I hope that you find and correct the problem soon.
 
When I bought a new factory .357Sig barrel for my P239 .40 I had the same symptoms. Could be because it's new, you may just have a tight fitting barrel, which means it will be very accurate. At first I literally could almost not open my slide a couple times and almost gave up. At the time I was on the Sig Forum (was since kicked off for making fun of Anna Nichole Smith) and was advised to just shoot it by multiple members that had the same experience. After a box or 2 of ammo mine was fine and has been 100% reliable. BTW, the .40 barrel now collects dust. .357Sig ROCKS!

Rack the slide a bunch of times, or better yet take it shooting. Racking the slide w/o a mag and w/o a round isn't going to hurt anything. Sigs can be dry fired all day long as well.

Use a good amount of oil on the slide and other working parts (within reason). Sigs like to be wet, that's what I hear anyway. Mine run just fine with just some oil in the rails.
 
Strip the gun down and lube or grease the barrel and the spring.
While the slide is empty drip some oil on the inner channels and on the spot where the barrel 'sits'.
Oil the rails on the frame and the two base plates in the back of the frame.
Reassemble and shoot it a few times.

Sigs love oil.
 
Is it harder to pull back than when cocking the hammer? Even if not, do you feel the resistance at the same point? And does it get easier after dropping the hammer?
 
A dollar to a doughnut says that the OP has a small burr on the face of the locking surface, possibly caused by allowing the slide to slam into battery with an empty chamber.

The clue is when he says he can retract the slide about 1/4" before it becomes hard to continue pulling. That first 1/4" is when the barrel and slide move together, locked. At that point, the cam wants to drop the rear of the barrel down, to unlock, and this is where he is meeting resistance.

Otherwise, his description of symptoms matches "corner drag," more common with Gov't Models than SIGs, but possible with any 1911/P35 design. See Kuhnhausen for a description of "corner drag."
 
Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll play it safe and bring it down to four seasons. For the record, the manual says "release the slide on an empty chamber" so I thought it was ok.
 
aklaft said:
Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll play it safe and bring it down to four seasons. For the record, the manual says "release the slide on an empty chamber" so I thought it was ok.
Click to expand...

It IS ok. I've been told that by the head of training at SigSauer Academy in NH.
 
aklaft said:
Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll play it safe and bring it down to four seasons. For the record, the manual says "release the slide on an empty chamber" so I thought it was ok.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it will be just fine if you shoot it. Oh well, you can pick up more ammo for it while your there. [wink]
 

Similar threads

Glock 34 slide options
Replies
1
Views
265
paul73
paul73
Hand Fitting an Alchemy 1911 Frame and Slide
Replies
0
Views
347
nin7474
nin7474
Gas tube position new PSA .300 Blk upper / Sig lower & BCG
Replies
12
Views
347
pastera
pastera
Sig P322 Range Report #2
Replies
8
Views
891
massgun
massgun
P365 SAS Slide Weight
Replies
5
Views
537
pinefd
pinefd
Back
Top Bottom