Sig Slim Grips Fail #2 Fix

It would be nice to get this information from the manufacturer's own product description instead of another site, but I guess that's why we have the Internet. I don't know if these guys have filled out the requisite forms to be classified as an "Authorized Sig Dealer" since they're just some Interwebz site selling "factory replacement grip panels."
At less than half the price from Sig and the same cost with shipping as the ones on eBay, I should be suspicious and require hand-holding by an Authorized Sig Dealer since my own experience is deemed inadequate to determine the optimal requirements of a Porsche oil-change - in any language.
But this is the second data-point I've gotten for the following information as opposed to one single experience, weighted by opinion:

These grips will not fit properly if you have the old style metal mainspring seat. Will fit P220's with the new style black plastic mainspring seat.

And I've got a 20-year old Sig/Porsche - time wounds endlessly, and so too the viper tongue of youth - and it inflicts engineering changes besides. However since I'm a highly skkilleted professional despite having not even Uno job, let alone Zwei, I believe there is a way to deal with the too-long screws and the 0.055" offset.

In the first case the thickness can be reduced by half - that's your 0.055" there.



In the second you can see in my old grips what appears to be a toothed or serrated lock-washer (epoxy actually, nonm-removable). They/it occupies a portion of the depth-cut for the screw-heads, since you don't want the heads seated below flush anyhow because then they become crud-collectors, and prevents the screws from seating too deeply, as in the deep-cut holes of the "slim grips." (bottom pic)
I believe this would allow the backside of the grips to form together in a seamless joint. It's the mainspring seat at the bottom that pushes the panels apart. Forcing them together only produces the wedgie-joint.

The problem remains that the grip is the primary and first interface with the gun, and its integrity should not be compromised - which might happen here, but since I have already begun to saw away at the tensile fabric of the grip and cannot return them, I might as well carry on...

Sig Slim-Grips - Fail

I had an issue with my grip on the Sig as far as how desperately I could put a clench on it. The gun felt just a bit full and rolly-poly to me compared to my 1911A1 (and I always figured I had big hands) so I looked around for solutions.

Sig Slim Grips! They arrived in a standard blister type hang-packaged enclosure with logo, lettering and cardboard that appears genuine. Since I bought them on eBay they may be clever fakes made in China by slave-labor.

But I don't think that's the case, the seller has a good reputation and a large inventory.  I believe they are factory replacement, and as the legal caveat on the back says, "A qualified gunsmith may need to install this (sic) part."

First up select the screw-driver bit that fits perfectly, then un-do the grip panels.  Part NEXT: Replace the old ones...Uh waitaminute, the grip screw penetrates through the frame now.





Since the thicker panels aren't holding it back it extends into the magazine well. Obviously the screws are now too long - the magazine doesn't like it and won't go in or out.
Meanwhile the left side grip isn't quite lining up. The top screw hole places the magazine release cut-out in a tight fit, and cants the bottom screw off to the right. We can fix that.  Grease pencil and Xacto knife to the rescue! Still the results are not real promising even with the screws tightened-down well into the mag-well.

The inner edges pin against each other and flare outward in a v-shaped gap. The inner edge where the grip panels meet impedes on each and needs to be shaved back so they don't present such a wedgie - and the grip screws need to be relieved of about two full threads so they don't penetrate into the mag-well.

As it stands in the picture (left) the magazine cannot be employed at all.  If the grips screws are not fully turned-in they leave a gap that displays the hammer spring and strut - and would allow debris to accumulate and tie-up the gun - not an option.

So what now?? I dunno. The gun feels more grippable with the slim grips, but I need to do a bunch more work if I want to get them to fit. And the grip screws need to be shortened by at least two threads.
In stock configuration with the grip-screws cranked down tight they still don't penetrate into the mag well at all. The slim grips at Sig are not advertised or described as requiring shorter grip-screws and the package does not list them as included either, but they seem very necessary.



Regular grips with stock-length screws that don't impede into the mag well fit nicely together with no gaps, wedgies, or misalignment.

What seems clear to me now is why modern polymer-frame gun manufacturers are emerging with grip-frames that are designed with removable back-straps and other bits and pieces to suite various sized hands.

It's easier than re-fitting grips that are a bit wobbly or incompatible without further modifications, sanding and filing and all that old-style craftsmanship.

As always clickez to make the pics mo'bigga.

Flying Suicide Monkeys

From this morning's The Times of India we learn that the Laskar-E-Taiba (Army of the Pure) terrorists, the militant wing of  Jama'at-ud-Da'awa, have purchased a sizable amount of para-gliding equipment from Europe, sufficient to launch 50 or so virgin-seekers, presumably not just for Fitness-Fridays and cocktail hour chit-chat but for some meaningful "demonstration" during India's upcoming Republic Day (their 4th of July) celebration on January 25th.

This is the same group of harmless hockey players from Pakistan that is responsible for the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai (Bombay for those of you over 50) that killed nearly two hundred people and injured more than three hundred.  The threat of flying suicide-monkey-bombers was heightened after India received intelligence reports from Western agencies that the LeT and other terror groups were planning to hijack an Air India flight. From the sound of it, the Germans gave 'em up on the para-gliding gear.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba has acquired more than 50 para-gliding equipment from Europe, setting off alarm bells in the government that these could be used to carry out air-borne suicide attacks in the country.

The intelligence input which came barely days ahead of Republic Day celebrations has prompted authorities to ensure a tight air security around all vital installations, official sources said here on Friday.

The input about movement of overground workers, owing allegiance to LeT, in Europe led the sleuths to find out that they were on a shopping spree for para-gliding equipment, the sources said.

Security agencies have carried out mock drills in different areas in the country as part of the exercise to prevent any air-borne suicide attack by LeT terrorists.

The input bears significance in view of the fact that government has already put all Air India planes operating in the country's neighborhood on high security alert following intelligence reports from Western agencies that the LeT and other terror groups were planning to hijack a flight.

For a little background: The Council on Foreign Relations and the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a terrorism database on the region, invites us to know that the Lashkar-e-Taiba agenda is outlined in a pamphlet titled "Why are we waging jihad," - which happens to be for the "restoration" of Islamic rule over all parts of India and they justify their ideology by a Koranic verse that says, "You are obligated to fight even though it is something you do not like" (2:216).

So just great, call for more 72-virgins.

Meanwhile, back in November 2009 two guys in Chicago linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba were arrested on terrorism charges for plotting an attack on Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten - the paper that ran the Mohamed cartoons.

The fact is they operate from the high-country of Jammu and Kashmir, India's alpine region where para-gliding has become a popular bourgeoisie sport, so conceivably they could become airborne with the equipment they've purchased - or just set up a para flying school... Isn't that what Islamobombers like to do, attend flyng school?
Sheesh...

Ceiling Ass-Crack! Oh Great...

I got Plumber's Ceiling.

It's not raining inside yet but there must be a bit of a lake overhead, and the temperature and moisture have conspired to rip an ass-crack in my ceiling.  It's about two-feet long where the paint and base-layer of mud has split.  You can see the joint where two pieces of drywall - thankfully still dry - have blown-out the tape.

I hope it holds-up until later in the year when we're scheduled to get the roof re-done.  I hope we can afford the assessment that will bring... But the roofs are old, and under-engineered.
Lovely day isn't it?  View out the clerestory window facing due north.

Secret Odin Codes!!

Since I don't have enough money for a Trijicon Jesus-scope, I took a look at my Swedish made Aimpoint for a secret message. There on the bottom was a Nordic rune!!

11407 #891359 - which obviously translates to the Norse year 1140 and the seventh month in which it is said in the 89th Chapter of the ancient Norse MIÐALDAKVEÐSKAPAR, from the year 1359BC, chapter SKÁLDATAL - 9. og 10., Hornkl 09 Hrólfsdóttir nefju:

Odin gick ut i sanden landet och vävde en korg av blixtnedslag, stulit alla kvinnor och att blod för olja.

So that's that, the Norse Gods have spoken. Blammo!

Sig P220 Front Sight

Lessons on Buying Used:  Last year's Birthday Gun has been a lot of fun and a great learning tool  -and I'm still learning. One thing a prospective buyer should take note of are the sights.  Despite my bifocals hampering a clear sight picture, I should still have taken a more exhaustive look at the front - I just figured it was a bit dim.  The hell it is.  So, as a means of brightening it up I got out the old Artist Tools: a white grease pencil and an X-acto knife.  I filled the void and trimmed away the excess to produce a bright white dot that has remained well stuck in the cavity in the front post.  I think there used to be tritium in there or something.
Still and all, there remained the idea of moving forward to some new night-sights to replaced the old ones - an easy fix from the Brownells catalog. Uh, oh. Most of the three-dot sights available, whether Trijicon, Meprolight, fiber-optic or adjustable-whatever come ready to slide into a dovetail cut.
I don't see a dovetail cut on the front of this sucker. I wonder how the front post is secured? It looks almost like it's been forged into place.
This may need to be returned to Sig for service when I want that upgrade - or a gunsmith machinist with a end-mill. (I know one.) If I can get away with just sending-out the slide I'm cool, then I can mount the .22LR upper on it and turn pennies into noise.

DISCLAIMER-DISCLOSURE: They asked me, so I sold a how-to blog-post to Brownells that is now up on their GunTech archive, it's about setting up a reloading bench in a small space. They came to me with an offer, I didn't solicit them - but there's a reasonable suggestion of connectivity now however minor - still, I don't work for them or benefit from their sales or payroll. Maybe if I can take some more good pictures and have another idea they like it can happen again. Maybe not.

January 16th, 2010 Match

Discovered a bit of cleanup work to do when I went to change batteries - ick!  I love me them Peltor Tac-6's but they freakin' chew-up batteries like the cookie monster gobbles treats - seriously, the battery life is measured in RPM or something.  Gotta think about a replacement.

The forecast scheduled a beak from rain in the AM, and we enjoyed clear if cool weather with a fairly light turn-out on the firing line.  It was time to test my new shooting glasses.  With a bit of monkeying-around I could get a good, clear picture of the front sight - it took some effort and I didn't always take the time - and simply couldn't during the rapid stages.  But it was a test for basic averages and for precision.

Despite a huge lay-off time (like since September) not shooting, I managed to eak out a nice little 1-1/4" group shooting Black Hills 68-grain Match load during the slow-prone stage. (updated)

Too bad it wasn't an inch lower and filling the X-ring, but instead I picked up three Tens and a Nine with a single X...and 410-3x overall - still a Sharpshooter and not an Expert though.

In the afternon the mare's tales came up, the sky darkened-over, and the chill set-in. Big snow in Tahoe and all the Sierra resorts, and we may escape the designation of a drought year if the snow-pack remains deep.  It's been raining off and on ever since - and just stopped hailing a half-hour ago.

Since it's been cold my wife got me some silk long-johns for my Sunday birthday. It helps keep the PG&E bill-collecting ogre away from the door.

Other cool shit that happened on Jan. 17 is that in 1706 it was America's First Scientist and Geek, Ben Franklin's birthday, and later in 1886 it was airplane inventor Glenn Martin's, famous for the company that spawned the awesome Pan-Am China Clippers (Martin M130). Then, in 1911 Eugene Ely was the first to land an aircraft on board a ship (USS Pennsylvania), in 1929 the most awesome Popeye the Sailor Man first appeared in a comic strip, and in 1944 the Corvet Violet sinks the Nazi U-641 in Atlantic Ocean. Even later, in 1966 a U.S. B-52 crashed in the ocean near Palomares, Spain and we went for a hunt for 4 lost H-bombs in the water, then in 1969 the debut album Led Zeppelin was first released in US, and the mop-tops released Yellow Submarine in the UK. Finally in 1991 Iraq fired 8 Scud missiles on Israel, and Operation Desert Storm began...

As always, click to embigulate the pictographs.