SIG GSR Status

[MikeH]

To recap: Cleaned and oiled new gun. Put 150 rounds through it, mostly 230 grain Hydroshok. Almost never got through a mag witout failure to feed. Two failure modes, jammed at the start of feed ramp or more frequently just before completely chambering. Always failed in middle of eight-round magazine, never at top or bottom. Didn't matter which magazine. SIG sent return authorization and paid postage. Got gun back in 12 days, with gunsmith note that nothing was wrong with pistol.

Current: Went to range Monday. Fired another 150 rounds or so, mixed bag of hardball, 230 grain Hydroshok, 230 grain Silvertips. No feeding failures while firing. Did have four failures to completely chamber the first round when dropping slide with slide stop. No failures with manual chambering.

Possibilities:

- I had done just enough shooting to settle the gun in before running out of ammo at first firing session. (The last two mags did feed ok that day.)

- Gunsmith did something he did not tell me about.

- The flight was good for the pistol.

Got to do another extended range session to develop some confidence in pistol. Also, start accuracy assessment. I sure hope that this problem is solved, since I really like this pistol.

 

[Matteo Escobar]

I'm about to get a new pistol. I really love the looks and romantics of the 1911, as well as the slim profile. I also really like the ease of maintenance and reliability of say, an XD-45.

It really is a tough choice, but post after post on board after board about 1911's not being reliable make me want to just pick up the modern $400 pistol and be done with it.

Anyone else in the same boat I am?

 

[Nikokurausu]

I have a Springfield Mil-Spec and a Colt 1991A1. Both are completely stock at this point. I haven't had any form of malfunction with the Mil-Spec and only magazine related problems with the Colt and it's OEM mags. A good deal of 1911 issues can be solved with good magazines. Head over to http://www.10-8performance.com/ and root around.

If I remember correctly, the first batch of GSRs had some bugs.

Matteo,

Hold off purchasing until after this month if you can. Supposedly, there's going to be a good amount of new pistols introduced at SHOT. One of them being S&W's new M&P45. The 9mm, 40, and 357SIG feel very 1911ish to me and the .45 isn't supposed to be much bigger at all.

 

[tony22r]

I'm about to get a new pistol. I really love the looks and romantics of the 1911, as well as the slim profile.
...
It really is a tough choice, but post after post on board after board about 1911's not being reliable make me want to just pick up the modern $400 pistol and be done with it.
...
Anyone else in the same boat I am?

Yep.. been on that boat.. dozens of times.

Generally.. reliability-wise.. 9mm > .40 > .45
(everything else being equal.. of course there's other factors)

plain physics.. .45 acp has more surface area to get hung up and only headspaces on the front rim of case.
9mm's tapered headspacing inherently feeds more reliably.. period.

related note.. my AR15 likes to be kept Clean & doesn't like reloads.. my 7.62x39 SKS i *maybe* clean once a year and it's NEVER jammed on me, and i feed it the Cheape$t fodder i can find!

..so cartridge/gun design has a LOT to do with reliability.

also generally.. really tight, super accurate race guns won't be as reliable and/or they'll be real finicky about loads.

I think (current gen) Glocks are pretty reliable.. but their loose chambers have also scared reloaders w/ kabooms. so i only shoot factory new ammo in all my glocks.

I believe Newer generations make a difference also.
my 1st gen glock 17 9mm jams like Crazy with hollowpoints!.. my recent gen glock 23 .40 gobbles up Everything and has never jammed.. It's MY CCW carry gun cuz it's so Good. HOW good?? it'll feed Mixed mags of wadcutters/truncated points/alum case CCI blazer/different weight bullets/you name it all day long hanging upside down from a tree limpwristed in left hand (yes i've tried it). There's noticeable improvement of many components with each generation.

so ammo *can* be important.. hell i've had a revolver jam (yea scary), and even a 12G pump jam.. (yea creepy). So it's made me consider ammo as well as gun design.

And sometimes it's luck of the draw.. remember Beretta 92's slide cracking when they were first made in the US?

I've also had more issues with the el cheapo brands.. and I stay away from first year Anything. I won't buy a Sig GSR (maybe as a hobby/range gun to mess around with but not for carry).. they've got too much of a bad rep for jamming. All I can say is.. Research the hell out of a model before buying.

 

[Oku]

Mike,

Glad to hear that things seem to be working now...if feed becomes a problem again, try the polish thing.

I suggested the Ranger SXT because it has a rounder leading edge on the lip of the hollowpoint. I carry these on reccomendation of the local Sheriff's dept range master.

Matteo,

Unless you have small hands, I'd avoid the XD. Glock, Sig and HK all make superbly reliable weapons. I've become a BIG fan of the HK USP with the LEM trigger in it. I also have a friend or 2 who have smaller mitts than I and they really like the P2000 (a .45 version due out shortly if it hasn't arrived)