Sig P6 Jams, slide open & bullet resting on ramp

[kcd]

My Sig P6 doesn't like the Federal +P+ 115 grain jacketed hollow point (9BPLE). About every 6 shots, the slide just stays all the way back and the bullet is resting on the ramp, unfired. I'm thinking that maybe the 9BPLE is too powerful for this gun since I've used Magtech JHP as well as two brands of FMJ ammo on it without any problem. Has anyone experienced this type of problem?

 

[Jaybeez]

There is a picture floating around the interwebs showing the two types of sig P6 feed ramps. One version works really well with american style hollowpoints, the other can be really picky. It turns out the german police used hollowpoints with a plastic roundnose cap in them to aid in feeding and improve expansion, much like fancy american rifle ammo.

I found pictures of the feedramps, and the fancy german ammo on ar15.com, in the handgun > sig sauer section.

 

[MauiWowie]

I don't own a P6 but if you want to sell this one I'll take it:
anyway.....
I would post your question on sigforum alot of P6 owners there

http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/150601935/m/3261045941?r=2771026941#2771026941

feed ramp mod
http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/150601935/m/2951007241?r=2951007241#2951007241

 

[Jaybeez]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=14&t=71817

 

[kcd]

I don't think the hallowpoint is jammed against the ramp in this case because there is space behind cartridge. The slide looks like it never started moving forward, like the way it opens after the last round in the mag is fired.

 

[zoostation]

maybe try replacing the recoil spring, should be around 10 bucks at Wolff, www.gunsprings.com

 

[kcd]

maybe try replacing the recoil spring, should be around 10 bucks at Wolff, www.gunsprings.com

That seems like a good site -- they have mags for $7.50...Spring could be it -- easiest solution would likely be to use only the ammo that it likes, such as Magtech or the FMJ they sell at Walmart.

 

[Onua]

the slide locks back with a round still in the magazine? Is the unfired round just laying on top of the magazine? FTF like those would lead me to believe the magazine is the culprit.

of course only using the wally world fmj is a solution if you only ever target/plink

 

[kcd]

The unfired round was half out of the mag with the front part resting on the ramp. I think the ammo was too powerful but a different spring could solve the problem. If it were a magazine problem, I wouldn't expect the problem to be limited to Federal 9BPLE, which was produced as a high powered Police ammo. I may just pick up one of those $7.50 mags though -- you could be right.

My P6 also works fine with Magtech JHP, which is for self defense. But I keep a revolver for home protection.

 

[Independence]

It's the magazine springs that need to get replaced. The hot rounds are throwing the slide back so fast the magazine spring doesn't have time to load another round and on the return it starts to load the round before it's all the way up.

 

[RobMoore]

When you get this malfunction, is the round pressed hard into the feed ramp?

Are they old magazines?

So it only happens with hollowpoints?

Eliminate variables and you will come to the solution. With the small info I have, I suspect your gun either doesn't like JHP or needs a new magazine spring.

 

[kcd]

...and on the return it starts to load the round before it's all the way up.

There is NO return -- the slide never started to move forward to load the round.

 

[kcd]

Is the round pressed hard into the feed ramp?

No

Are they old magazines?

Yes

So it only happens with hollowpoints?

Not all hollowpoints

 

[crabhab]

It's the magazine springs that need to get replaced. The hot rounds are throwing the slide back so fast the magazine spring doesn't have time to load another round and on the return it starts to load the round before it's all the way up.

+1 for this I have a P6 marked 8/82 I had two old mags that came with it and I bought 2 new ones from sig. When shooting hot loads the gun would do the same thing with the old mags lock back as if an empty mag. When using the new magazines I had no problem at all.

 

[kcd]

According to this article (from a Google search,http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...htm+slide+locks+back&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us), the problem could be due to the nose of the bullet (large diameter nosed like the hollowpoints) bumping against the slide release and engaging it. The other possible cause is your left hand bumping the slide release.

Or from the FiringLine Forum (http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...8+slide+locks+back&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us): "First, make sure that you are not accidentally locking the slide back. Keep your thumb down out of the way and see what happens.

If that is not the problem, it could be either the slide stop spring and plunger not working right or the slide stop angle wrong. Or it could be that the internal part of the slide stop is too long and is being contacted by the bullets in the magazine; this is most likely with some handloads or oddly shaped bullets. "

Mt guess is that the large, odd shape of this particular type of hollowpoint is bumping against slide release and engaging it.