SIG SAUER eaSy So you Can Dave Street , Do It I Top of the page: The recoil spring on top is factory new while the one below is clearly worn. A tired and worn out recoil spring will cause the slide to impact the frame much harder — leading to broken parts inside the gun and even a cracked frame. Above: Here’s a shining example of laziness. This SIG was exposed to water, then never properly dried and oiled. There’s no excuse for an officer’s gun being in this sad state. Below: This firing pin positioning pin broke into three pieces after I removed it from a deputy’s P220. n the early days of my career (1976 to 2008), times were simpler. The standard-duty weapon was the trusty old .38-caliber, 6-shot revolver, and that was about it. Not until 1987 did my agency authorize .45-caliber, semi-auto pistols. Deputies were limited to either the S&W Model 645 or the SIG SAUER P220, but we were happy because after all, we were finally entering the 20th century with cutting edge handguns. That they were .45s? Even better. Everyone went through a transition course and learned how to use the new guns, yet virtually nothing was said about maintaining the beasts. There are a lot of differences between revolvers and semi-auto pistols. Unlike revolvers, pistols have numerous springs, levers and moving parts. The problem is springs wear out, but nobody told us that back then. I shot my SIG P220 until it nearly beat itself to death. When it started having failure to feed and double-feed malfunctions, I finally took it to an armorer, and that’s when I learned about maintenance. It’s the only way to keep the gun running reliably. Recently, I spoke with the SIG SAUER law enforcement representative and he advised me a duty weapon should be completely disassembled and cleaned every year by a certified SIG armorer. He also said their guns should be inspected and have a new spring kit installed every three years or Boing-Boing 34 WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM • JULY2012
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