Unnerving Jamming Issue

[Hoootie]

Hello again everyone. I have another active post here regarding concealing my Sig Sauer P226. Unfortunately, this may become a moot point because I am having a problem with jamming, and currently wouldn't feel comfortable carrying my gun. If my description below is not good enough, please let me know and I will take pictures to illustrate the problem. Currently, when I rack the slide to chamber a bullet, I need to allow the slide to fly forward quickly, or I will often encounter a jammed bullet. I don't think this should be the case at all. If I slowly ease the slide forward, it will almost always jam. Along the slide, where the bullet is chambered, there is a tiny wedge-shaped piece. It is on the right side of the slide, located very close to where the firing pin emerged and contacts the bullet. I believe it is for helping guide the bullet in properly, but I'm not sure. The problem is that this piece often catches on the groove near the rear of the bullet. Consequently, the slide will not move fully forward, and a bullet is lodged halfway in. To remedy this, I must remove the clip and re-rack the slide. I have also had this jamming issue mid-clip once or twice at the firing range. I think I remedied this by making sure the bullets are pushed completely against the back of the clip. However, I still don't feel comfortable with this, as I don't want my gun to jam in an emergency. What can I do to ensure this won't happen? At this point, I might just get a revolver to carry. At least I know that won't jam... Please help!

[D-FENS]

Something to consider. I can't say for certain waht you're talking about but the peice you're talking about almost seems like the ejector. it grabs the rim of the casing and when the slide cycles, it pulls the casing out of the chamber and ejects it.

DO NOT ease your slide forward. It won't give enough power to properly load the round into the chamber AND have the ejector grab the casing's rim. If the ejector doesn't grab the rim, when the round fires, the casing will not be ejected. The slide will still cycle and try to feed another round into the chamber. Since the first round wasn't ejected, it will load the second round directly in behind it. This is a very serious problem and if fired, could create a big boom.

Always pull the slide back as far as it will go and then let go. DO NOT ease it forward. Let it go. it needs all that power to properly load the round into the chamber.

I learned this the hard way by making an ass out of myself at TonyF's noob class.

[Hoootie]

Ok hopefully that is all the problem is. That makes sense anyway.

[Hokkmike]

A second to what D-fens said. You are not supposed to ease the slide forward or assist it in any way. Pull it back as far as it will go and release it letting the spring do its work. I would expect that doing it any other way WOULD cause a jam. That should make you feel better. Try it that way from now on and see if your problems doesn't, in fact, disappear.

[D-FENS]

Do you generally try to ease the slide forward? If so, I can imagine this being a problem. Though, you said it happens in the middle of a magazine. So, assuming you fill up a magazine (factory magazine?). You rack the slide to the rear and completely release the slide and you can shoot through several bullets and it jams in the middle of them? Or does it only happen when you ease the slide forward?

Don't be afraid to let the slide go. Sure, it's loud but it's necessary. You won't hurt your gun because everytime you fire a bullet, the same action is occuring, only more violently. Only movie stars can rack the slide and ease it silently forward.

I'm by no means a gun expert. I am sure some more knowledgeable persons will chime it. Just clarify, if you can, whether this always happens on the 2nd round or if it happens randomly?

Also, what ammo are you using?

EDIT: What TonyF and Company taught me was to rack the slide all the way back and then let my hand go and slap my shoulder. It's been very effective. Once the slide is all the way back, keep the hand moving backwards to the shoulder. The slide will slam forward, as it should.

[elston32]

FYI

Please see page ten of the SIG226 operators manual, section 5.5, quote:

"Procedure:
1. Point the pistol in a safe direction.
2. Insert full magazine and check that it engages.
3. Draw back slide to the stop and allow it to fly
forward.
– The pistol is loaded and ready to fire by
means of Single Action trigger."

good luck!!

--elston

[Hoootie]

Thanks everyone, your info is much appreciated. In answer to your questions, I always allow the slide to fly forward when at the range. I just recently noticed that you couldn't ease it forward, and I didn't realize that this is normal. In answer to the other question, it has jammed randomly in the middle of a clip a few times. Since then, I was told to tap my magazine against my hand before inserting it, to insure that the bullets are firmly against the back of the magazine. Since I started doing that, I haven't had another jamming issue whilst firing.

[TonyF]

Another list member was experiencing the same thing with his glock based on advice from some of his acquaintances.

Reposting my reply for your benefit.

Anytime you are chambering a round, the slide should be pulled all the way back and released so that it moves forward into battery with the total force of the recoil spring driving it forward.

The only time you should ease the slide forward is to close the slide on an empty chamber. To do so otherwise is hard on the extractor.

Think about how "fast" and "violent" the slide cycles when you shoot. It is designed to cycle in such a fashion in order to function properly. There are timing issues involved with respect to the relationship between the recoil spring and the magazine spring.

Allowing the slide to "ease" forward when chambering a round screws up the timing and that's why you're experiencing malfunctions.

Always let the full force of the compressed recoil spring send the slide into battery. "Keepa u hands off".

If you ever begin to experience a failure to feed allowing the slide to freely move forward as I've described, then chances are good that the magazine spring has become weak and that relationship has also likewise been screwed up. Time to change mag springs.

[Glocker]

Another list member was experiencing the same thing with his glock based on advice from some of his acquaintances.

Reposting my reply for your benefit.

Anytime you are chambering a round, the slide should be pulled all the way back and released so that it moves forward into battery with the total force of the recoil spring driving it forward.

The only time you should ease the slide forward is to close the slide on an empty chamber. To do so otherwise is hard on the extractor.

Think about how "fast" and "violent" the slide cycles when you shoot. It is designed to cycle in such a fashion in order to function properly. There are timing issues involved with respect to the relationship between the recoil spring and the magazine spring.

Allowing the slide to "ease" forward when chambering a round screws up the timing and that's why you're experiencing malfunctions.

Always let the full force of the compressed recoil spring send the slide into battery. "Keepa u hands off".

If you ever begin to experience a failure to feed allowing the slide to freely move forward as I've described, then chances are good that the magazine spring has become weak and that relationship has also likewise been screwed up. Time to change mag springs.

That member would be me , and since TonyF gave me this explanation I have not experienced any more jams...............Thanks again TonyF

[God's Country]

As already stated you are likely experiencing an operator issue.
On another matter please don’t refer to a magazine as a clip. Not that I care, but I don't want Emptymag to have another excuse to post shamelessly.