From a friend’s brand new SIG P226, the new “long extractor” … broken after 150 rounds.
This isn’t the first report I’ve seen of such a break, but it’s the first one I know of from a first-hand source within my circle of shooting buddies.
Years ago I wrote an article entitled Trust No One: An Insider’s Perspective. To this day it remains one of the most popular items on this website. The gist of the article is pretty simple: just because a model has been around for years doesn’t mean you’re buying, today, the same gun that someone else bought and used successfully three years ago.
Dimensions, materials, Quality Control processes, sub-vendors… these things all change daily at big gun companies with no notice to consumers. And while some of those changes do in fact result in improvements, other times they’re just cost-cutting measures or conveniences for the manufacturer.
During my five years at SIG I broke one extractor… after tens of thousands of rounds, much of it very dirty lead-nose ammo that was clearly gumming up the extractor. From all my customers shooting literally millions of rounds a year I don’t recall there ever being any kind of serious extractor problems. Those “small” extractors — which were standard back then, the new “long” extractor hadn’t been invented yet — worked great. It might have been a little tricky to install but otherwise I cannot think of a single reason why it should change. I knew Federal Air Marshals with over 100,000 documented rounds of violent 357 SIG ammo through their guns with the original extractors intact and running perfectly.
Is this broken part a fluke? It doesn’t appear to be if other reports on the web can be taken at face value. Whether that means the rate of failure has doubled or increased a hundredfold I couldn’t tell you. Only SIG knows that and I doubt they’re publicizing hard numbers. But it’s certainly a disappointment, especially coming at a time when SIG was finally getting out from under the image of poor quality control.
I’ve been very seriously considering doing a SIG for my 50k test gun in 2015. To be honest, this is not encouraging.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
That is the sole reason that I opted for the MK25 when I chose to once again shoot the SIG P226. The MK25 is the last P226 to still employ the short extractor and I’ve mentioned this on P-F.com. They can keep the anchor and phosphate coated parts, and chrome lined barrel. That’s all fluff, but that short extractor is what I consider non-negotiable.
The underlying reasoning behind the long extractor is for the employment of a MIM extractor, witness the crack in the picture.
I hope someone like Apex or EGW will start producing a more durable extractor.
While I’d be lying if I said that today’s range session was reassuring, I’m pleased by Todd taking the time to do this write up, and for SIG’s Customer Service department for sending me a new extractor w/ pin ASAP. I hope that this broken extractor was an anomaly, and I look forward to shooting my P226 for the next year.
Sigh.
I don’t know about how your friend’s broke, but the only SIG extractor I’ve heard of breaking was due to someone(yes it was me) inserting a round in the chamber then closing the slide, with the extractor having to “snap” around the cartridge case. That was one of the older “short” extractors.
If the newer ones are breaking, I’d bet it has more to do with the whole MIM parts vs machined parts than it would be the design of the long vs short extractor.
Your point is still the same….just because something used to be quality doesn’t mean what they make today is the same quality.
You were worried about 1911s being able to handle your test as well, and yet they did fairly well. Go with a Sig.
I’m gonna lay down the glove. Sig 229 DAK in .40 (pauses while the heart attacks begin)
Nah just kidding. But I’d love to see how a Sig holds up.
With the gun scene going main stream with the first Obama election, do you think (with the uptick in production) that maybe quality control has suffered across the board of manufacturers? I’m sure when any industry gets so slammed so fast that new hires are brought on and even old timers probably work overtime. Seems like there are more and more recalls and non recalled problems since 2009… I was wondering if there was a link. Maybe buying used pre-2008 guns would be wise for a year or two? What you all think?
I had really hoped Sig was moving beyond their quaility issues of the past several years. I still hope this is the case. I am very qurious about the new P227. Not curious enough to switch my duty and concealed guns from what I’m using now, but curious none the less.
If you do go the Sig route for the next 50k gun test, give the P227 a whirl. I really want to know if it can hang with the HK45, P30, or Glock 21….
David:
>>I don’t know about how your friend’s broke
It broke during normal use. There was no direct chamber loading.
“I’ve been very seriously considering doing a SIG for my 50k test gun in 2015.”
I am over 11,000 rounds with my 2012, long extractor, 226R without a single stoppage, malfunction or breakage. That said, the combination of a MK25 upper with a 226R lower, would seem to be ideal, at the cost of some buying and switching.
I think you should consider a Centurion size, G model Beretta for your test, and have a 92G Compact as a back-up (meaning spare pistol). I know a guy who has some magazines for the Compact.
I suggest some kind of DA/SA gun for the next test, whether it be Sig or something else.
I am personally curious to see how CZ stacks up these days.
Heads are sploding all over the intardnet.
Good thing about MIM failures is they tend to happen very early in life in my experience.
If the MIM parts make 1000 rounds they are usually “good for life”.
Go “cheap” on your 2015 test pistol.
SigPro 2022 9mm.
Oh yeah! That’s a great idea! I’d really be interested in how a Sig Pro would fare. It’s a Sig…DA/SA…polymer…something price wise that many could afford…it’s a perfect in between size…I definitely think it should be given some thought.
Todd:
As you say, things break and you can’t really say much about one breakage. This will embarrass SIG as they are cleaning up their act, but I wouldn’t treat one breakage too seriously.
As for a pistol to shoot in 2015, try the MK25. It’s become SIG’s signature 226 and it would be interesting to see a 50,000 round test on it.
Never seen a PX4 do that.
*ducks behind internet couch.
I’m currently carrying a Sig P229 .40 cal. that I was issued new in 1995 (#AE40XXX.) This handgun has digested well over 30k rounds with no problems. A few months ago, however, the original extractor tip sheared off during normal cycling. The replacement sent me was a smaller sized extractor than the original. I’ve fired hundreds of rounds since the installation of the replacement with no issues.