Sig P228 opinions

[BAM-BAM]

Modern Beretta Firearms (1994)

Page 118; The M9 trials (1984) only tested/ shot 3 of each gun ( out of the 30 supplied) and required all three to shoot 5,000rds w/out "structural failure", no averaging ........ if one failed they all failed.

Two Sig suffered cracks at 6,523 and the other [when inspected] at the 7,000 rd mark .

page 119; "all three Beretta ....passed the endurance tests without difficulties." No numbers of rounds fired given in the book.


After the SEAL slide issues the Army .........(page 136) had the
"Army Laboratory tested 12 Berettas to "structural failure"

6K+
4,908
17K+
21K+
24K+
7K+
21K+
21K+
23K+
30K+
30K+
27K+

Mix of M9s,SB-F and commercial 92Fs

 

[Chubbs103]

During the US tests of the 226 in competition with the Beretta expected service life of the new US gun was lowered to 7,000 rds to be considered due to frame breakage of the 226s by 7,000 rds caused by “bowing of the slide” during recoil. Because 7,000 rds was the average the longevity requirement was further lowered to 5,000 rds with the stipulation that none of the test guns failed before the 5,000 rd figure. That’s how the 226 finally got accepted for bidding.

I found this to be an interesting statement. One that I had never heard. The 5,000 round service life was established at the time of the 1981 pistol trials. No entry passed the 1981 trials entirely. This 5,000 round service life requirement was carried over to the 1984 trials which Beretta ultimately won.

If you are curious, here are details direct from the United States General Accounting Office.

http://archive.gao.gov/d4t4/130439.pdf

 

[BAM-BAM]

The Book again.......................

page 117-118 " The endurance test led to some controversial results....... rounds to be fired from each gun.......decreased from 10,000 to 7,000 then 5000......

Some things I noted;

This seemed to be continuous fire test

Page 139 "...in early 1989 the Navy made a one time purchase of 1500 Sig 226 pistols for the SEALS. By late 1990 the 226 pistols also began to experience frame cracking. "

Page 145 Beretta's concerns "the ammunition..... used by the SEALS was so over powered that it produce near proof-load levels with ever shot. Given several thousand shch shots........

 

[alwslate]

The “structural failures” of the dozen or so Berettas were slide breakage. The problem was identified as a substandard batch of steel that Beretta ended up stuck with when France cancelled a contract for Beretta pistols.For political reasons France had demanded that no materials come from some country they had issues with and than cancelled the contract. Once the problem with the slides was discovered and eliminated there were no more broken slides. After the US military contract was was fulfilled Beretta continued to test their guns. Durability tests proved that average lifespan of slides was in excess of 80,000 rds.