Hello from Knoxville TN!

[cation]

Just wanted to say hello before I start in w/ the questions! HEHE. I just bought a used P229 .357 SIG last week, so I'm a complete novice w/ shooting, gun care etc.



With that said, I think that I made my first mistake w/ the care of my gun... I'm afraid that I didn't lube up the slide rails enough before I went and put 100rds through it. (Still kicking myself)

When I first got the gun I field stripped it and cleaned/lubed it per the manual instruction, never having cleaned/lubed a gun before. The manual and I must have different definitions of "lightly oil" So anyways... I field stripped it tonight after shooting to clean and lube it and noticed wear to the frame slide rails that definitely wasn't there before...

I hope I didn't compromise the integrity of the weapon.

It would appear as if some of the plating has been scraped off the slide areas only on the frame around the hammer and near where the empty shells are ejected from the gun. The gun shot fine when I left, and I'm sure still does, but should I be worried about the premature wear that I've done? Some areas of the frame slide rail appear as if very small "glitter" sized flakes have been worn away, primarily near the hammer. I can catch a finger nail on them, but it doesn't seem to have affected the action of the slide at all, no catching/sticking issues to speak of. I'm so pissed at myself right now... I'm sure alot of you are thinking "stupid noob", and rightfully so.

anyways...

I can take pics if that will help describe the problem better... Any suggestions on what I can do? Should I worry/take it to a gunsmith? Thanks in advance for the help!

[DJ Niner]

If you had ANY amount of lube on the rails, they should have been okay, so I don't think that was the problem. If the gun was too dry, you probably would have had functioning problems like failures to eject the empty casings or failures to feed the new ones. It's possible that there were just a few machining marks or small burrs somewhere on the frame or rails that were ground-up/worn off by the first few shots. The colored finish wearing off on the frame rails is also normal; it happens faster on some guns and slower on others, but eventually it happens on all of them, so I wouldn't worry about that, either.

Be alert for any serious gouging on rails or moving parts, large chunks of metal popping up, gritty/grinding noises when you work the slide manually, or similar problems. If nothing like this turns up in the next several hundred rounds, then I think you're good to go.

[Baldy]

If you had ANY amount of lube on the rails, they should have been okay, so I don't think that was the problem. If the gun was too dry, you probably would have had functioning problems like failures to eject the empty casings or failures to feed the new ones. It's possible that there were just a few machining marks or small burrs somewhere on the frame or rails that were ground-up/worn off by the first few shots. The colored finish wearing off on the frame rails is also normal; it happens faster on some guns and slower on others, but eventually it happens on all of them, so I wouldn't worry about that, either.

Be alert for any serious gouging on rails or moving parts, large chunks of metal popping up, gritty/grinding noises when you work the slide manually, or similar problems. If nothing like this turns up in the next several hundred rounds, then I think you're good to go.

I agree with Mr DJ 100%. All autos go through a break in period no matter what their made of. Just like a new car motor or anything else with moving parts. If it is working OK I would say your just fine. Enjoy your new gun and two drops of oil on each side of the slide is plenty.

[cation]

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm probably overreacting about the slide wear that I noticed, but dang it if I don't want to take excellent care of my gun... know what I mean? Like I said before the slide action of the gun has no binds and/or hang-ups to speak of, so I'm just going to use a little bit more lube on the rails after each cleaning and continue to put rounds through it.

Thanks again for the advice!

[babs]

Welcome from over the mtn in Asheville. NICE pistol.. I'm here learning up before the purchase and I have to force myself not to drool over the Sig's and HK's. Have to keep my budget closer to 1/2 a G-note though.

[jeffie]

enjoye your sig, clean it afther shooting and as sait a little drop off oil on the slides is oké.
greetings from Belgium

Jeff

[tony pasley]

Welcome from the mountian top in North Carolina.

[Mike Barham]

Greeting and welcome. I can add nothing to the good advice given above.

[TOF]

Welcome from Northern Arizona

[babs]

Man we've got folks out in the gorgeous south west, folks up north, folks down here in the south (well, though we're in NC the guys my brother went to school with in Mississippi called him yankee).

Point is, these forums are great for getting to know all kinds from all places.

[js]

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm probably overreacting about the slide wear that I noticed, but dang it if I don't want to take excellent care of my gun... know what I mean? Like I said before the slide action of the gun has no binds and/or hang-ups to speak of, so I'm just going to use a little bit more lube on the rails after each cleaning and continue to put rounds through it.

Thanks again for the advice!

Welcome to the Forum...

As for your new Sig... I wouldn't worry to much. Maybe you haven't seen the Sig torture test video yet.

[babs]

Ya know.. I reeeeeeally didn't want to spend a freakin' grand on a pistol.. I gotta quit looking at these darn Sigs.