I decided to use day three on the range to prove out the gun using a variety of self defense ammunition. It was an expensive trip.
I decided to use my third day on the range with the P224-9 to run off a bunch of self defense ammunition I have been sitting on for quite a while. I wanted to know for sure that it will run with the hotter loads. All totaled I ran another 2750 rounds through the gun and it is definitely time for a new recoil spring. The break down is as follows:
500 rounds of 147gr Hydra Shok
250 rounds of Corbon DPX 115gr +P
500 rounds of Speer GDHP 124gr +P
500 rounds of Ranger T Series 124gr +P
1000 Rounds of M882 Ball
The gun fired and functioned perfectly with all of them. We experienced 3 more of those magazine torque malfunctions from slide lock, but no actual stoppages occurred during firing. Towards the end I could feel the gun begin to push much harder against my hand which I am attributing to a weakened recoil spring. I disassembled the pistol afterwards and inspected the parts for signs of battering or cracking and could not find anything. Using a magnifying glass and a loupe, I inspected the areas know for cracking and found nothing. I included pictures below:
All totaled, the gun now has 4450 rounds through it. After a day filled with all that hot ammunition I would say it has been beaten into submission. I have completely cleaned the gun and re-applied a new coat of Frog Lube. Side note: The Delta Point did not falter one bit during all those high pressure rounds.
The next post will include a pictorial comparison of the P224 next to some similar sized guns.
Looks like a heckuva little pistol for concealed carry! I would love to pick one of these up for carrying in the summertime. How does it compare to the P239 in handling characteristics? Easier or harder to control and follow-up with?
It is about the same as the P239 to me in handling characteristics. I like the fact that the P224 has a wider, E2 style grip. I find it gives me a better grip which makes up for the loss of the little finger being on the gun. I had to install Hogue rubber wrap-a-round grips on my P239 to make it manageable. Otherwise my hand was not comfortable. The P239 gives you a full hand grip in a slim frame while the P224 is a shorter grip that is wider due to the double stack frame. For this reason I prefer the feel of the P224 over the P239.
The biggest advantage over the P239 is the capacity. 8+1 for the P239-9 compared to 12+1 for the P224-9.
When did sig start making the frame guide-rails an integral part of the locking block?
Is that design applied across all current Sig P-Series pistols?
Please forgive me if this is a remedial question, but I have been away from Sig P-Series pistols for a while and am not up-to-date on the design updates that happened over, say, the last decade.
My last Sigs were a West German 220 and an older 245 and the rails were a part of the aluminum frame not the steel locking block (or so I remember, correct me if I’m wrong). I sold them just because they didn’t fit me, not because they weren’t fine pistols. I have stayed away from sigs for a while but the new 227 really has me looking hard at them again. Will the same design be used on the 227?
The rail on the locking insert is only on the P224.
The P227 rails are like all the other Classic Line Guns.
Oh see, from the advertisements I thought they just chopped down a standard p-series.
From the looks of that block, a whole lot more thought went into it than that, like Sig didn’t want to compromise durability just for the sake of making a smaller pistol.
That’s good to see.
Very, very impressive. Nearly 5k rounds and only 3 malfunctions and those were related to the magazines. 12+1 and compact.
Scott, what are your opinions on using the P224-9 for pocket pistol purposes?
It is far too big and chunky to be an efficient pocket pistol.
Scott, just so I am clear, you are seeing malfunctions when running extended magazines from duty sized guns?
I am seeing malfunctions when using the old style magazines form the P228 and P229-9. I asked eh engineers and they indicated that those are not recommended for use int eh P224-9. They say to use only the dash 1 magazines typically associated with the newer E2 style guns.
I asked 2 other end users about the concern and they indicated that they had no troubles with the Dash One magazines. The engineers will not support using the older mags because there is too much play between the mag and the gun.
How often have you been cleaning and lubricating the gun? I took my P239 out again today and had some issues with it that have been cropping up lately and am hoping that it’s just dirty.
I cleaned and lubed it before I took it out the first time. It was fully lubed again when it was converted to DA/SA and then a full clean, inspect and re-lube after the 2750 rounds of the high pressure stuff. Which is how it sits now waiting for a replacement recoil spring.
So it has actually been cleaned twice. Once after I got it before I started shooting, then again at 4450. Lubed at 700 and 1700 rounds.
Please do not compare this gun to your P239. They are completely different guns. If you are having trouble with your P239, clean it thoroughly, lube it correctly and run it with proven reliable ammo. If it still fails to work properly keep notes on what it is doing and include pictures whenever possible; then seek out a SIG SAUER certified Armorer or a licensed gunsmith. The P239 is a proven platform with an extremely large installed base. Any problems with it, should be addressed by someone who knows the platform.
I find the German guns seem to prefer 124gr.. Thanks for your work Scott.