Trade my Sig 1911?

[Polinese]

So I have a Sig 1911 XO that I bought used. Build quality seems great, I like that all the parts are supposedly forged... but the tolerances on the thing are so tight that today it even jammed on a FMJ round. Granted it was fairly dirty but still. I've had trouble getting it to be 100% with hp ammo. OK not a huge deal, kind of a known problem with the platform. Maybe it was the ammo or the mag... but I am starting to thik about trading it in for maybe one of the remington's as I'd like a blued classic styled 1911. I have a ruger 1911 and it has been dead reliable since day one with anything I feed it. The ruger rattles and the Sig does not...

Anyone care to weigh in

 

[Uncle Malice]

How many rounds do you have through it, and did you buy it new?

On tighter 1911's a break in period is not uncommon at all.

My $1,400 Springfield TRP was jamming once or twice every 100 rds when it was new. After I got past about 500-600 rounds, it magically stopped and became 100% for the next 1000 or so rounds.

I would say you should clean it and properly grease it up rails. Take the gun a few hundred rounds of FMJ to the range and see what happens. If it's still jamming, I would give Sig a chance to take a look at it before getting rid of it.

 

[Polinese]

I've had it about 2 years now but only put maybe 3 or 4 hundred roudns through it. about 70 or so hp's. Bought it used so didn't know if sig would take a look at it without charging me out the backside for stuff.

I broke it all down and gave it a real thorough cleaning today. I'm not doing anything immediately but i feel like used with a few hundred through it I shouldn't have issues. The jam I had today does not usually occur with FMJ, it's one of few that I've had.

 

[Uncle Malice]

I would at least try giving Sig a call. They may or may not even ask if you are the original owner. I wouldn't necessarily offer that information up right away.

And there's really no way for Sig to know if you are the original owner or not unless the first owner unless the previous owner sent it to Sig and they would have the serial number on file with someone else's name.

Sig 1911's should be able to run well with JHP as well as FMJ ammo. If jams with FMJ are much less common, I think my complaint to Sig would be more in reference to it not being reliable with JHP ammo. That's something that they should be able to test and confirm more easily.

Anyways, I wouldn't give up on it just yet... but I understand if you do. Good luck!

 

[Polinese]

Thanks! Think they'd be willing to swap the grip safety for me while they're at it? Can't stand the one on it haha.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

If you've got a good local gunsmith, it might be worthwhile to have him look it over to see if he can do something to make it run better. (If you have to send it to SIG yourself, that's going to be costly; if they'll pay for it, go for it...)

Take a box or two of ammo with the gun if you go to the gunsmith -- the same ammo that gives you problems. Let him shoot it and tweak it.

You might spend a little bit, either way, but you'll likely end up with a gun that's right. More importantly, if you get rid of it and buy another used gun, there's no guarantee that the replacement won't have problems, too.

The basic gun you've got it a solid gun.

 

[Polinese]

Yea I mean I love the 1911 platform, I carry my Ruger off duty and feel more confident in that than I do my service weapon (not that I'm a slouch with my service weapon). I just want the sig to be as reliable as my Ruger has been. I've tried a few different hp's through it. Primarily gold dots, and one of the pmc varieties both gave me roughly the same amount of trouble. Tried the factory mags, the ruger mags, and some springfield ones still get 2-3 jams a magazine.

 

[TunnelRat]

If you let SIG know it's used they'll definitely charge you. I'm not recommending anything one way or the other, just letting you know.

 

[LockedBreech]

I know it's not the thread topic, but I'm glad you've had luck with the Ruger 1911. I am having a hard time resisting the siren call of Ruger's Commander, since it's available for 600-650 now.

 

[fire4606]

My Sig 1911 C3P took 500+ rounds before it finally began running 100%. Since then it has been actually 100% for me, so it just needed some breaking in, which to me is ridiculous but I've been informed it's a 1911 thing.

My SW PC1911 has been 100% from round one for anybody and everybody that's shot it much tighter gun as well.

Just my experience....

 

[geetarman]

The Sig 1911 TacPac that I gave my daughter has always been 100 percent reliable. I have others from other makers that need to run some before they became trouble free. I sometimes use a little lubriplate ( copper ) on the slide and rails and just work the gun until the shiny spots smooth out. You can actually hear the "whine" of the slide when you work it back and forth. When that goes away or there are no "sticky" spots moving the slide on the frame, I feel I am good to go. The Dan Wesson PM9 is the smoothest 1911 I own and the slide felt like it was on ball bearings. The others, not so much.

HTH

 

[Polinese]

Maybe my smith could just polish up the rails?

 

[BigJimP]

I think the Sig 1911's are pretty good guns for the money ...not especially high end / but the one's I've seen seem to run very reliably.

( but I believe in the 1911 platform / and carry a Wilson Combat CQB 5" model all the time ...in .45 acp )...and with over 20,000 rds thru it now, its about 11 yrs old, its never had a single issue.

I'd be shocked if a decent gunsmith couldn't clean it up ...and make it run 100%. But I also fall into the camp of cleaning it after every range trip...and clean the mags too.../ I suspect what you are seeing is more of a mag issue...but 500 rds thru a decent 1911 is barely a break in period on most guns /I doubt its a tolerance problem...the tolerances on my Wilson 1911's are tight ...not too tight...but tight / and they're accurate.

 

[jaytothekizzay]

Sigs are tight.
They do get better with break-in.My 226 would malfunction once in a while until it saw about 500 rounds or so. It loosened up a bit and is now 100% with any ammo I feed it

 

[jaytothekizzay]

Make sure it is properly lubed also... not just clean. 1911 does not like to be dry.

 

[k511]

Switc mags...I have a Sig STX 1911 and was having feeding trouble with JHP's, I switched to a Wilson Combat mag and never had a failure of any kind after that...

 

[presspics]

SIG makes one of the best 1911's available IMHO. I would call SIG and let them fix it. I certainly wouldn't trade it for a Remington

 

[Phil McGrath]

Just my .02, you said you picked it up used? I've always been of the opinion that any used 1911's should have fresh springs.

I'm also of the opinion that a pistol should run out of the box. My own work bench, kitchen built 1911 that is as tight as any high end custom pistol. Too date while not having a high round count under its belt maybe 1000rds of softball loads it hasn't choked.

But, I have a friend that also has a SIG 1911 that I have fired and its very nice pistol. He was ready too bash his head in when he first bought it. This was a New pistol he said that while racking the slide and playing with it, it was slick and smooth. At the range it would choke on every mag. After about 1000/1500rds down the tube it was enough for it too mate/blend/break-wear in, yet is still very smooth and tight. Too be honest he is a very patient man, I don't think I would have been.........

 

[Polinese]

I agree I think guns should run out of the box... if it needs a break in do it at the factory. I don't think I should have to spend money getting the gun to work right. I'll hang onto it, see if sig or my smith can get it running right. maybe just sit there and work the slide while I'm watching tv.

 

[Phil McGrath]

Honestly, I played with my frame and slide for almost two day's rack, rack, rack, clack, clack, clack about 10,000 times it had a little sticky spot going into battery. My frame is SS and the slide is Steal. No lapping compound was used just light oil and muscle, It drove the Wife nuts but it put a smile on my face......

Long story short, its buttery smooth and the sticky spot has vanished. Tight pistols do run, all I have is the stock 16lb recoil spring and a 19lb main spring. Ammo is a cream puff hand loaded 185gr bullet running maybe 800fps.