The road to the poorhouse

[gb6491]

Once upon a time, I had a CZ Shadow 2 that I really liked, but found it was just too heavy for me. I also had a friend that was wanting something special in a CZ. He had been hitting the web pretty hard searching for one, so I made him a sweet deal on my Shadow 2

Still, I missed the Shadow 2. I have a 75B and SP-01 that are excellent guns, but I was hankering for a bit more.
My "go to" local shop has had a used, 10 year old, P226 Elite on the shelf for some time and I found myself giving it a closer look. It had a few dings, but was in pretty good shape overall. The shop knocked an additional $80 dollars off of it. I'm feeling pretty good about saving that $80....if I had only knew.

So, I get it home and decide to add new night sights to it as the set on it are nearly dead. Cha-ching

The sights come off with a little bit of struggle, but not really that difficult. I find SIG must have not done much fitting as the rear dovetail has a raised edge that was hidden by the sights. Oh well, I'll fix that and the other dings and refinish the pistol. The dovetail peens nicely back into place and the other dings are gone after a bit of work. Time to strip it for some bead blasting. The damn pin that holds the firing pin in place will not move. It's a solid, domed pin that requires a special punch. Cha-ching. It's not moving: PB Blaster, heat, freezing it, bigger hammer...nothing is working. I guess it was inetivable that while beating on the pin with increasing furstration that the punch would slip or bounce. It did and I've more dings to clean up. At this point I'm resigned to the possibility that this pin is coming out short of drilling or buying shop press(with no gurantee that would work).

I'm pissed. Looking at alternatives, I see some one has a P226 Legion upper list on Ebay for about $560. That's a little too rich I'm thinking at the time, but I look the next day and it's been sold. That should have been a harbringer of things to come. I look around a little more and find a new "legacy" SIG upper in .357 Sig on sale for $269. I put it and two magazines into the shopping cart, but decided to look around a little more. I find a complete upper in .40 on an auction site for $280 shipped with two magazines. It listed as used, but looks to be unused (the magazines have a slight bit of wear). Now, I can't decide which caliber to choose. Then, Cha-ching, it hits me...buy one or the other, then get a barrel in the other caliber. I'm about to do that when I look at the math and figure if I go with the .40 deal it's only $70 more to go with the entire .357 upper vice buying just a 357 barrel (this is counting in that I get two mags in the .40 deal and would need to buy two if I went with the .357 deal. Cha-ching.

Back to the Elite slide,
I clamped it to my work bench and over the next couple of days (maybe it was shorter), I alternated between douching it with PB Blaster and wailing on it with a hammer. A buddy calls and while chatting with him, I reach for a nearby hammer, one of the lighest I have, and give the pin a few good tomahawk style wacks with that. WHAT!!!!! the damn thing moved and came right out. Lordy.
The Elite slide took a bit of work, but I've cleaned it up and refinished it.
Waiting for parts:
https://i.postimg.cc/DwTh9DLm/226ref1000.jpg
I had already placed sights on order for it and Lakeline had them to me in no time (TRUGLO Tritium Pros).
The same could be said for the folks I bought the uppers from. Brownells was a day behind with a new pin.
The new sights were among the easiest to install that I've ever done.

The new uppers,
Both are finished in Nitron. Both are immaculate. Barrels interchange with no seen issues. I like the two tone look.
Even with the extra money involved, I'm a happy camper.
https://i.postimg.cc/T3kvSP9Y/226-x1000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

In for a penny, in for a pound,
Alright, this now becoming a money be damned project. I want a short trigger and E2 grips. Cha-ching!
https://i.postimg.cc/0NTtzgnq/226e11000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/FsCVf5Fn/226esnc1000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


A word about the two nitron coated slides: the "Legacy" slide has a short extractor, the other has the newer long extractor:
https://i.postimg.cc/gk14Sb9L/226-357snc1000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/nVY76ssJ/226-40snca1000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


All told, I figure I'm about in to this P226 Elite for what it would have cost me for a new one (retail suggested price) and some extra magazines.
I also figure I could sell one of the Nitron slides to tilt that balance, plus the short trigger and E2 grips are a "custom" touch....not to mention 3 calibers


Of course, there are other expenses:
https://i.postimg.cc/qvFRCrFq/ammo3571000.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


Regards,
Greg

[yqtszhj]

Thanks for sharing. Oh how I can relate to that story with guns, cars, etc... the Sig turned our really nice though.

Now I’m not sure if your story is going to cost me or save me money. I received an email from my local Sig distributor saying they had LEO trade in 226 and 229’s in .40 cal. for a really good price even if they have external wear as long as the internals are OK. I’ve wanted a 229 for some time and getting one as a project gun initially sounded OK.

I’ve bought a red box 226 in 9mm from them before that looked like it had rarely if ever been fired. It may have never been issued I’m thinking. The wife claimed that one. I hope they’re sold out by the time I get there.

[gb6491]

I finally got a chance to try out the new sights on the 9mm slide during an outing in the desert with my wife. It was pretty windy and I was all over the place. What groupings I did get were low, leaving me disappointed.

SIG sights are numbered and I have a #8 front/#8 rear on this slide. I was thinking I might need to go to a #6 front (which only comes in a set from TRUGLO).

However, yesterday, I was able to get to the indoor range and try my hand again. I also wore my trifocals. The results were much better and proved the sights are adequate...the user, not so much.
Taking my time, the 8 of the first 10 rounds fired cut a hole on the bottom of the X at 10 yards. I was holding right about there, so I'm pleased with that. As I sped up, I started drifting left and stringing vertically. I had some flyers as well:o All in all, a much better outing and I think the sights will do just fine.
https://i.postimg.cc/QtPYmR4J/target.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MM7YKr8n)
https://i.postimg.cc/gkJz7R2S/P226-Elite-Stainless-GB.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

Never ever blame yourself, I'm sure it was the sights, in the heat of the desert they probably swelled up some and forced your shots low.
Inside they normalized and were spot on.
That's a better story and I'd stick with it.

Pretty gun.

[jeepster09]

Sweet looking gun. I love my Sigs. They do use 2 different sights depending on caliber. The 9mm and 357 use one and 40 and 45 use other. You can buy just the fronts from Trijicon. I use the Trijicon HD sights on all of mine. I think you did good!

[gb6491]

Never ever blame yourself, I'm sure it was the sights, in the heat of the desert they probably swelled up some and forced your shots low.
Inside they normalized and were spot on.
That's a better story and I'd stick with it.

Pretty gun.
That's it...it just wasn't windy, it was a full blown haboob that was driving grains...no, shards of sand into my eyes. If I hadn't been changed to a cactus (which did restrict my grip), I would probably have been swept away in the storm;)


Sweet looking gun. I love my Sigs. They do use 2 different sights depending on caliber. The 9mm and 357 use one and 40 and 45 use other. You can buy just the fronts from Trijicon. I use the Trijicon HD sights on all of mine. I think you did good!
Good point. The problem with the sights I have is that even though they are marked 8, they are TRUGLO's 8 which are taller than other makers 8s. So I might have had to acquire a TRUGLO #6 front sight which to my knowledge is only sold as part of a set.

Regards,
Greg

[yqtszhj]

Those results look good to me. Just so you know, this story.inspired me (aka. cost me a little money.) I went to my local guy (twice actually) and he pulled a LEO trade in P229 out of the back that looked nice for the price. Doesn’t look fired much and holster wear is minimal. I couldn’t pass it up. Got some replacement grips on the way.

[gb6491]

Nice pickup yqtszhj! It looks to be in fine shape.:)
What kind of grip are you going with?
Besides the grips in the photos I've posted, I also have a set of rosewood that came with the gun, but I like the E2 the best so far.
Regards,
Greg

[yqtszhj]

For simplicity sake I ordered some thin Hogue rubber grips for $21 as I had held one with those grips and liked them. The E2’s are nice too but I think this set had been on and off a few times because they have lost some of their spring and shift around a little bit and the texture is a bit worn and mashed flat on both sides. They’re like tires I guess and get worn.

After I shoot it a bit and determine it’s a keeper I may go for some thin G10 “Scorpion” grips I’ve seen online that look sharp. I’ve seen those rosewood grips and they are real nice too. I think I’ve read they are a bit thicker.

It must have the SRT trigger on it because the reset is much better than the P226 my wife took for hers after I bought it.

[Alfonse]

That's a beautiful Sig. Your guns are spectacular. Let me know if you have another Shadow 2 you want to part with. :)

[AIRret]

That 226 is a beauty and your workmanship is top notch!

[Bawanna]

Now AIR, where have you been lately, been watching for you day and night. I thought maybe you were wanting to see other people. Or maybe the convict locked you in the storage compartment of the RV so we couldn't chat.

[gb6491]

That's a beautiful Sig. Your guns are spectacular. Let me know if you have another Shadow 2 you want to part with. :)


That 226 is a beauty and your workmanship is top notch!
Thank you both :)

yqtszhj.
Did you shoot that P229 yet?

Watch out for the Convict Bawanna! He's a hardcase:ohmy:

[yqtszhj]

yqtszhj.
Did you shoot that P229 yet?


Actually I shot it this afternoon. Shot well the first 75 rounds or so while it was clean then started getting some fail to extract. After I got home I noticed the extractor was chipped pretty bad. Looked online and found out it’s a MIM part. No worries, found one online for $9.75 so I ordered it and the 2 little springs behind it and they should ship tomorrow. It is a soft shooter for a .40 cal. I really like the Hogue grips I got for it too. If it all works out I might get some G10’s later.

My accuracy wasn’t so hot though. I don’t shoot it as well as my CZ’s. Need more practice.

[AIRret]

Now AIR, where have you been lately, been watching for you day and night. I thought maybe you were wanting to see other people. Or maybe the convict locked you in the storage compartment of the RV so we couldn't chat.

The convict and I have been helping his almost 95 year old Mom who lives on her own.

And I've had a few health issues....no cancer, just a lot of pain. Lately, I'm doing better, but now we've been busy with a new puppy. Three days after we got her she had diarrhea for three days. Once that was clear she got an urinary track infection....we've had to take her out every 2 to 3 hours, 24 hours a day. Thank God that's clearing up.
I'm training her to be a therapy dog. In the past I've trained and 3 Bouvier de Flanders and one Standard Poodle. I've used these dogs to visit schools, nursing homes,
and hospitals. I switched to the Standard Poodle (50 - 65lb dogs) because I can get them into more facilities since they don't shed and they are hypo-allogenic. I never in a million years thought I'd ever own a Poodle, but they have the size, smarts and temperament for the job. Plus, they were originally bred to be bird dogs.

My Doctor would like me to take the training further so she can become my service dog....I hope I won't actually need one for a good little while, and even if I do, I would probably only need her to pick things up off the floor and pull me up stairs occasionally.
I've missed you folks.