SP2022 slide lock problems

[Dst]

I got a new SigPro 2022 in .40 S&W a couple of weeks ago, but I wasn't able to get it out to the range until this afternoon. No pics, as I can't find my camera, sorry. It does look a whole lot like this, though.

So, the problem: About half the time I let the last round go downrange, the slide won't lock back. I experienced no other failures (always ejected and cycled just fine).

I was using Winchester White Box from Wally World, 165gr. Thinking that maybe they they were a little light at their rater 1060f/s, the only other thing we had were Winchester Rangers, which I think were rated at 1140f/s. I put one of those at the bottom of each mag and still had the same problem.

Some background...
The first thing I did when I received it was de-gunk the mags and gun with the sticky nasty shop grease that they had on it, and get it all cleaned up for use.

Evidence to this being successful include a noted increase in ease of slide function, and magazines don't just fall out when I hit the release, they're launched out. When I first got it, it of course had one of the sticky mags in the pistol, and the first time I hit the mag release I had to pull the mag out. After cleaning the hell out of the mag and the mag well, things got better.

I wasn't limp-wristing, but I haven't heard that to be as big an issue with sigs as it is with some other guns.

My thoughts...
It's either the recoil spring being wussy, which I highly doubt given the excellent overall function of the gun otherwise, or it's the mag spring being wussy, which is what puts the upward pressure on the slide lock lever after the last round leaves the magazine.

I plan to have a gunsmith look at it, but first I thought it'd be a good idea to see if any of you have experienced anything like this before, or if you've just got some insight that can help me get this working properly. Do I just need to give it some time to "break in", whatever that means?

Thanks.

 

[Independence]

Is this a brand new gun or a cpo sig? It would seem like new mag springs would fix your issue.

 

[Dst]

Er...

I got a new SigPro 2022 in .40 S&W a couple of weeks ago

Not CPO. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

[3rdRcn]

The half that it did lock back, were they random or did they mostly happen when you started shooting?

 

[wilcam47]

try seeing if the mag is the problem by loading an empty mag into the pistol and cocking the gun...if it doesnt lock back properly i would say something is wrong with the mag...

 

[Independence]

Not CPO. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

I have to report to the wife all "new" guns in the house, whether they are used or not. I was still in that mode. Like wilcam47 said, check if the gun locks back on an empty mag.

 

[eddiek2000]

Where did you get it from? I was looking for one and ended up with an XDm. Jeepdriver is our resident Sig expert and loves the 2022. I am sure he has some thoughts for you.

 

[JeepDriver]

Interesting.

Remember the 9mm is the origional design, the 40 is an adaption. I have a 9mm 2022 that I carry, It has never given me the slightest issue.

The 'de-greasing' of the mags is an important issue. They do goop them up! Are you sure that you are not limp wristing it? Have others shot it and had the same issue?

While I do not have much trigger time on the 40, The first thing I would suggest is some Mili-Tech on the rails & an ammo change.

WWB, while cheap and good for paper punching, can be a little lighter loaded then some others. I've seen it slow down the rate of fire on more then one MG in 9mm. Try some 180's from Mag Tech, Speer or Federal.

After that, if the problems continue, I would send it back to Sig.

 

[Dst]

Holy crap helpful responses! I love you guys!

The half that it did lock back, were they random or did they mostly happen when you started shooting?

Random.

try seeing if the mag is the problem by loading an empty mag into the pistol and cocking the gun...if it doesnt lock back properly i would say something is wrong with the mag...

If I load an empty mag and cycle the gun manually, the slide locks back properly. If I put snaps in the mag and manually cycle the gun, the slide still locks back appropriately.

I have to report to the wife all "new" guns in the house, whether they are used or not. I was still in that mode. Like wilcam47 said, check if the gun locks back on an empty mag.

Understood!

Where did you get it from? I was looking for one and ended up with an XDm. Jeepdriver is our resident Sig expert and loves the 2022. I am sure he has some thoughts for you.

Bud's: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/51/products_id/14911

Looks like it's sold out now

And now for the JeepDriver section...

Interesting.

Remember the 9mm is the origional design, the 40 is an adaption. I have a 9mm 2022 that I carry, It has never given me the slightest issue.

The 'de-greasing' of the mags is an important issue. They do goop them up! Are you sure that you are not limp wristing it? Have others shot it and had the same issue?

Nobody else has shot it, but I did have one of the RSOs double check me on that by watching me shoot, and he didn't see any limp wristing. He's got enough experience that I trust his opinion. I've also never had limp-wrist issues on gun where I hear they're a little more sensitive to it, like a Glock or a 1911.

While I do not have much trigger time on the 40, The first thing I would suggest is some Mili-Tech on the rails & an ammo change.

I can't find any militec in the local shops, otherwise that'd be what's on there. I'll be buying some online, but in the meantime it's plain ol' Hoppes Gun Lube.

WWB, while cheap and good for paper punching, can be a little lighter loaded then some others. I've seen it slow down the rate of fire on more then one MG in 9mm. Try some 180's from Mag Tech, Speer or Federal.

I still think that it's unlikely that the gun would reliably cycle so many times but not kick the slide back enough to lock it, but the ammo definitely hasn't been rules out yet. I will be trying out different cartridges, so I'll be looking for the brands you mentioned.

After that, if the problems continue, I would send it back to Sig.

I hope it doesn't come to that. Thanks for all your help, everyone, and I'll update here if anything new happens in the coming weeks. I think that I'm going to also give the mags some more quality time, and double check that they're degunked inside and out.

While I'm thinking about it, would a slightly lighter spring be a good idea, or even a possibility, if it looks like the ammo's just giving enough recoil?

 

[3rdRcn]

Sean, I would narrow it down a little first, go buy a couple mags and try them, if it continues to be a problem then you need to send it back to sig. As you already know, I have a few sigs and none of them do this and they have a great reputation for cycling anything put in them. I think Jeep will agree that if your sig doesn't function flawlessly then it's broke, no ifs, and or buts. Try the mags first though cause you can always use a few more mags anyways.

 

[Dst]

Heh.

You know me, man! I'm going to go through this systematic-like. I'll be going with slightly hotter ammo, since that's the cheapest place to start. Along with that will probably be new mags because, as you said, I need more than two anyway. I'll also being double checking to make sure the mags I do have aren't still a little gunky.

This way I can do side-by-side comparisons with the WWB that I used today, since I still have some left, and the hotter/heavier ammo that I'll be picking up. I can compare my current mags with new ones with WWB, and then do the same test with the hotter/heavier ammo. This way, I can rule out ammo as the problem. I'll say again that I really doubt it's the ammo, and the part of the gun that has the most to do with the slide lock functioning properly is the mag spring, so if new mags/cleaning the old mags doesn't do it, this gun is very likely going to be in a box and out the door for some TLC.

Something I didn't do that I really really really should've done, though...well. Lemme tell my story again, a little shorter and with an important piece of info thrown in. The slide wouldn't lock back about half the time, and I've got two factory mags. I really should've been marking the mags when I had the slide troubles.

 

[JeepDriver]

Do you have some snap caps so you can cycle the gun and test the mag spring/follower.

 

[Dst]

Yes, I do. In all my fiddling around with the snaps before and after taking the gun out to the range, the slide has never failed to lock back when it should.

 

[wilcam47]

another thing you might try with an empty mag is once the gun is locked back with the empty mag put some pressure on the back of the slide see if it holds locked in place if it doesnt maybe the slide lock needs lube or needs to be "broke in"

 

[Dst]

I am glad to report that the problem has been fixed. The problem was, unsurprisingly, operator error.

I wouldn't say that I was holding the slide lock lever down with my thumb, or even that I was resting my thumb on it...but...



Needless to say, a little grip change to make sure my right thumb wasn't touching the lever AT ALL (or as 3rd put it...adjusting up "the loose nut behind the hand grip") and everything was working beautifully. Thanks to everyone for your help!

This post is now open to all due ridicule.

 

[3rdRcn]

I am glad to report that the problem has been fixed. The problem was, unsurprisingly, operator error.

I wouldn't say that I was holding the slide lock lever down with my thumb, or even that I was resting my thumb on it...but...



Needless to say, a little grip change to make sure my right thumb wasn't touching the lever AT ALL (or as 3rd put it...adjusting up "the loose nut behind the hand grip") and everything was working beautifully. Thanks to everyone for your help!

This post is now open to all due ridicule.

Douche!

 

[JeepDriver]

I alway forget about that.

Us ass backwards lefties don't have these problems!

 

[Dst]

Oh, man. That hurts my brain just thinking about it. How do you do...ANYTHING with this gun?! I know you can put the mag release on the other side, but I guess your trigger finger is also a slide release/decocker finger?

I'm so confused now.

 

[JeepDriver]

Oh, man. That hurts my brain just thinking about it. How do you do...ANYTHING with this gun?! I know you can put the mag release on the other side, but I guess your trigger finger is also a slide release/decocker finger?

I'm so confused now.

Sing shot the slide to chamber, use my middle finger to release the mag (left the release in the factory location, as on all my firearms) and my trigger finger to decock.

Us leftys have to learn to live in a right handed world

Adapt and over come!