SIG Talk banner
  • Notice image

    SigTalk is a forum community dedicated to SIG Sauer enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about Sig Sauer pistols and rifles, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!

Balky Black Watch: Can't get SRT in P226R

3K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  Billybob9949 
#1 ·
So, the goal was good... One full sized pistol, three calibers. The 'Black Watch' is the P226R in .357 SIG I bought three years ago, SN# UU72XXXX. The gun is in excellent shape and a fine shooter with the one piece ergonomic grips. I bought that pistol because I liked and like the performance of the .357 SIG and figured that SIG would build a good firearm for that caliber if anyone could. They did.

I ‘got the bug,’ and was such a SIG convert that I bought a SIG P229C in that pistol’s brief existence, which (Catriona) is also wonderful and my daily carry. I particularly liked the short reset trigger on the P229C, far more than I thought I would.

Last Fall I decided to have the work done locally on the P226R. It is out of warranty and used, and my gunsmith is superb. I bought a sealed PKIT-226-277-229 SRT conversion kit, a .40 S&W barrel, and a new, sealed blued metal spring guide for it, PN 1709180709. I also bought a Bar-Sto 9mm conversion barrel and a Wolff 15 lb. 9mm recoil spring.

I presented them to my gunsmith, a Master, and asked him to install the parts. The Bar-Sto took some fitting, but now it fits into the P226 like the proverbial glove and shoots. There were, alas, other issues. I overcame an issue with the new spring guide. My gunsmith found that the spring guide was infinitesimally too short for the pistol and did not fit snugly into my pistol’s slide opening. Consequently, it drooped down and blocked the action. The spare spring does work, and functioned when fired with the gun’s original metal spring guide. Turns out the new spring guide functions just fine with the original .357 SIG spring. As long as I keep the right spring with the right guide, I'm great, very do-able. It's probably a 'wearing in' thing.

I come before you all with the unsolved problem: My gunsmith then showed me how a stud on the sear on the SRT kit was too long to fit into the P226R’s mechanism like the original's does. He said that he could not make the kit work without major alterations to the SRT kit's sear. As my gunsmith is a man of proven ingenuity and skill, I admit to being at a loss. I would be grateful for your response and suggestions.

The ergo grips could be in the way... It's an older weapon, possibly there's something I don't know there... The new sear could be an issue...

Your thoughts, please?

Best!
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
I'm puzzled as to what a "stud on the sear on the SRT kit" is that is "too long".
Maybe he is talking about the lug on the sear that the trigger bar engages. But that shouldn't be a problem.

You P226 is a modern one with the solid machined slide, right? And it is DA/SA? If so, there is no reason for it not to work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: msinabottle
#7 ·
The only problem I can see, would be if he did not replace the old Safety Lever, with the new Safety Lever, as the old safety levers "tab" that interacts with the Trigger Bar, would interfere with the Sears "tab" that interacts with the Trigger Bar also. The "tabs" are indicated in "orange", and you notice the SRT Safety Lever is "devoid" of material in the area the original has it's "tab".
 

Attachments

#9 · (Edited)

You all utterly rock. It's a solid, U.S. made, DA/SA slide and gun. There's nothing for it but to get out a punch, pliers, and parts tray and follow that video. If disaster, return to start.

Thank you.

Best!
 
#10 ·
Just a heads up. Be sure to use SIG's amended take down procedure after adding the short reset kit.

After you lock slide back and rotate take down lever, then release slide and ease it forward to where the slide reaches the in-battery position. At this point lower the hammer with the decock lever. Now continue removing the slide.

On assembly, make sure hammer is lowered before installing slide.

This procedure prevents damage to the safety lever and associated parts.
 
#18 ·
My guess is this revised procedure has something to do with preventing the safety lever from sticking up as you slide the upper back on. Anyone with a Series 80 1911 (including Sig 1911s) is familiar with this, as the safety plunger can be broken off if you try to place the slide on without ensuring the plunger is lowered.

As long as you make sure everything is down as it should be before placing the slide back on the frame, you can probably forgo the added disassembly procedures. I know after years of taking down Sigs there's no way I'd remember to do those steps in just the models with SRTs installed.
 
#11 ·
Willard pretty much got the same sentiments as me. The oldest Classic P series have no trouble fitting the SRT kit to them, I don't see why a "newer" USA made pistol couldn't. It's not like the tab protrudes the frame itself. I'm not sure if your kit had the SRT safety lever, but the old safety lever has a tab, which the new SRT sear takes in order to catch on the trigger bar for an earlier reset. However, in order for them to have the new sear be engaged by the trigger bar similarly to how the old safety lever was engage through that tab, they had to redesign the safety lever which is the now long L shape one.
 
#13 ·
Could it be that the GS had a problem installing the the trigger and trigger bar in the pistol with the long SRT safety lever installed?

Installing the trigger bar in a standard reset P-series pistol can be a challenge and nearly impossible in an SRT pistol because the long safety lever blocks the trigger bar. Member fjgiie has written about this and recommends installing the safety lever after the trigger bar is in place which makes the process much easier.
 
#15 ·
I actually find that installing the whole sear assembly after the installation of the trigger bar to be easier.

I didn't know that the safety lever could be left out from installation of the whole sear assembly. Would be kind of weird that the sear's pin is halfway through and you'd have to shimmy the safety lever in once you've installed the trigger bar after putting half of the sear assembly in. But I guess whatever works.
 
#17 ·
Well, that was fun. But it is also done. Thank you for the support, interest, and the help.

I followed the video step by step, having watched the video twice through. I did the whole job on a sheet of Masonite next to my desktop computer, with the help of a powerful desk lamp, punches, and my father's old lure-making needle-nosed pliers.

The parts that came out were absolutely standard, there were no deviations at all from the pictures above. The ones that went in were also as pictured. Getting in the new sear was far and away the worst of it, my fingers were just a BIT too big for the last positioning, I finally held the frame at angle where I could finally nudge the sear into alignment, after dropping the sear some 20 times.

The only other deviation from that superb video was that I had to use the removed pin to keep the sear and safety bar in place while I got the spring into position, after that, no trouble at all. The Black Watch passed all three of the function tests and definitely has a much shorter trigger reset now.

What I think happened with my gunsmith is that he had the grip off and looked at the way the old parts functioned and thought the spring post would interfere with the new sear. It certainly made for a fun installation!

But--with all of your help--success. Thank you all very much, and I have indeed made note of the amended take-down drill.

Best!
 
#19 ·
I'm glad it all worked out for you. Now you need to practice, and get the "feel" of letting off the trigger just enough for "reset", then squeezing again for those quick "Double-Taps"!
 
  • Like
Reactions: msinabottle
#20 ·
If you ever find yourself with an SRT sear/safety lever installed, and wanting to remove or install the trigger/trigger bar, it's super quick and easy to remove and replace the safety lever.

1. Release upper leg of sear spring (move to right).
2. Move sear pivot pin to left only enough to clear the safety lever.
3. Remove safety lever upwards with magnet.

Reverse to install. While moving sear pivot pin back into position, hold ejector firmly towards left side of frame so it does not "lock" the pivot pin.

As an aside, SIG increased the safety lever lower leg length a few years back to correct and intermittent problem. The previous shorter lower leg SRT safety lever would sometimes lodge on top of the trigger bar to prevent it from returning fully upward. When this happened it caused a longer reset than even a non SRT reset and presented the potential for short stroking the trigger.

When adding the SRT to guns with adjustable triggers with overtravel stop, it's important to pencil test before and after, and/or make sure the firing pin block safety fully clears the firing pin at or before sear release. With most or all of the trigger overtravel removed, the safety lever will not be lifting the firing pin block plunger as high as before. This may result in light primer strikes or FTF along with hidden damage to the FP block plunger from FP impact to the plunger. (Had one old P229 that wouldn't shoot at all after adding SRT! Fixed by making a new higher lift safety lever as I didn't want to remove the trigger overtravel stop.)
 
#22 ·
Finally shot the Black Watch with the Bar-Sto 9x19 barrel and the SRT, last Thursday. It was lovely. I used my Browning Hi-Power's favorite load, a 124 grain FMJ over 6 grains of HS-6. No jams, with three new magazines, good accuracy and function. The SRT was as nice on the P226R as it is on Catriona, my P229C.

So, the ending is happy. Now I bat around a question... Do I leave the Black Watch as a 9x19, say, that FBI 135 grain +P load, with three 18 round magazines giving me 54 rounds of that... Or go back to the native caliber, and recoil spring, of .357 SIG and 42 rounds of that in the same carry rig.

I lean toward the latter. Barring the apocalypse, the extra 12 rounds of a weaker caliber probably don't signify, although the ability to carry a SIG in either caliber appeals.

I mull. Thank you for all your input and quite useful advice.

Best!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top