by B.B. Pelletier
The SIG Sauer P226 X-5 combo BB pistol comes as an adjustable-sight version for just a few dollars more than the same gun with fixed sights.
Blog reader Rob was the instigator of this test of the SIG Sauer P226 X5 BB pistol. He commented in the second report on the GSG 92 that this pistol was superior in all ways and asked me to test it. He elaborated to say that he shot his pistol at 25 feet instead of the recommended (for BB pistols) 15 feet.
Rob is from Canada, where this pistol is also called the Open. That name does not carry over to the guns being sold in the U.S., but Rob assured me that the gun under test today is the one he is talking about.
Well, I’m a sucker for an accurate gun of almost any kind, so I took him at his word and today I’ll begin the test. I’m skeptical about the claimed accuracy but will be delighted to be proved wrong, as the world always has room for more accurate guns.
I read the owner reports on the gun, and one of them said he had heard that the compensator was supposed to be removable (the Pyramyd AIR website makes no mention of that, so I suppose he read it elsewhere), but he could not figure out how to remove it. Well, I had it off within one minute of opening the box. It’s held in place by a simple Allen screw in the bottom. Once off, though, it reveals an ugly threaded adapter that I don’t want to show, so I installed the comp again.
The compensator does come off easily, though I don’t know why you would want to take it off. The sight rail comes in the package with two Allen wrenches to install it.
No Hop-Up
Pyramyd AIR warns that the owner’s manual says the gun has a BAX Hop-Up adjustment and it doesn’t. This is one more case of an airsoft maker building a real BB gun that shoots steel BBs and not editing their airsoft manual. Hop-Up applies only to airsoft guns that shoot balls the Asians call BBs, but which are really 6mm plastic balls. Real BB guns that shoot real steel BBs (sized 0.171-0.173 inches) do not have Hop-Up. This is confusing to buyers and new shooters who are not aware of the discrepancy, and I wish the Asian manufacturers would get it right, but I suppose that’s never going to happen.
Lots of value
The best thing Rob did for me was to stress that this version of the pistol comes with a rail for optical sights, which I don’t use on handguns, but he also mentioned that only this version also has the adjustable open sights. When I checked both this and what I will refer to as the standard version of the P226 X5 on the Pyramyd AIR website, I was surprised to find that he’s right. For just ten dollars more, you get an adjustable rear sight! The rail can be removed easily enough and, in fact, doesn’t even come installed on the gun when you get it, so there are no worries about taking off parts. Just take the gun from the box and shoot it. The rear sight adjusts in both directions, and the adjustments are fine, precise little clicks. A thin-bladed screwdriver is needed for both adjustments, as the screws have very fine and shallow slots.
The trigger is something I simply cannot overlook on a gun that is supposed to be accurate. It is two-stage, with stage one being very light and ending at an almost imperceptible stage two. Stage two is also light, and you can see the trigger moving, though I can just barely feel it move with my trigger finger — and I’m used to the fine triggers on 10-meter target pistols! What I’m saying is that this is one of the finest air-pistol triggers I’ve ever seen — especially on a gun costing under $500.
The gun is mostly metal on the outside, with the result that the weight is quite heavy. Pyramyd AIR lists it as 2.66 pounds (2 lbs., 10.56 ozs.), but I weighed mine without the sight rail and found it weighed 2 lbs. 15 ozs. That’s 47 ounces, or eight ounces more than an M1911 firearm weighs! This is a heavy handgun!
The SIG dwarfs the M1911 pistol and weighs half a pound more.
All the controls work as they should, and the pistol can easily be disassembled by flipping up the disassembly latch. The safety is ambidextrous, with levers on both sides of the frame conveniently located for your thumb to operate.
The pistol disassembles like this in a few seconds.
There’s blowback, which means the slide comes back to cock the hammer for the next shot and also to impart a feeling of recoil to the pistol. I’ll have more to say about that in later reports.
Both the BB magazine and the CO2 cartridge that powers the gun reside in the drop-free magazine of this pistol, making it a heavy component. The mag holds 18 BBs plus the CO2 cartridge that one reviewer said gives three complete magazines of shots. That would be 54 shots (3 x 18), which is very good, considering the gas also has to operate the slide in blowback. Rob mentioned that his gun shot considerably faster than the rated velocity of 300 f.p.s., so I’ll be testing for that, as well.
Everything considered, I have to say that I’m impressed with what came out of the package. But that was not the question, was it? The question was: Is this pistol really that much more accurate than the other similar BB pistols on today’s market? I’ve provided test targets with every BB pistol I’ve tested to-date; and when I get a claim like Rob is making for this one, I go back and look at all the evidence. When I tested the GSG 92, I did that and found that the Umarex Makarov has been the most accurate BB pistol that I’ve tested to this date. Not the most realistic, perhaps, though it’s pretty good there, as well, but without question the most accurate. That’s the standard this BB pistol will have to better if I’m to declare it to be the most accurate BB pistol I’ve ever tested.
It should be an interesting test!
Forgive my ignorance, but what is Hop-Up?
RidgeRunner,
In the world of airsoft, Hop-Up is some kind of device that puts a a backspin on the plastic ball as it leaves the muzzle, so it travels farther without dropping. It’s the same as a baseball thrown as a fastball, because the backspin creates a low-pressure air pocket that makes the ball’s flight more aerodynamic.
It doesn’t apply to BB guns at all, which is why you never heard of it.
B.B.
I happened to be wondering about this very thing. The principle sounds vaguely similar to the boattail design on centerfire bullets whose reduced cross-section in back somehow decreases a suction effect as the bullet flies through the air. Anyway, hop-up intruded into my consciousness while playing basketball with my Dad while on vacation. He used a very odd set-shot technique that surely has not been seen in half a century. The technique consisted of launching the ball from waist-level with a very pronounced backspin all assisted by abruptly raising the knee at the same time. Unfathomable! But if the backspin helps the ball’s flight that would go some way towards explaining things.
Matt61
In the simpler cheaper plastic AirSoft that claim to have hop-up, it basically consists of a short rubber sleeve around the barrel, just in front of the “chamber”. Part of the rubber intrudes into the barrel (on the top side). As the ball is propelled past it, the contact with the rubber retards the top of the ball, producing back-spin. Said back-spin, via Bernoulli (or one of the ilk), causes the ball to rise against gravity, yielding a flatter trajectory.
The higher end AirSoft have adjustable hop-up units (a clamping screw of some sort that controls how much of the rubber intrudes into the barrel. Not enough, and you get a sinker, too much and the ball actually curves upward above the sight line (as viewed from the side). Ideally, you get something that stays flat for the effective working range of the gun. While cheap AirSoft typically come with .12g unstable (look at the offset air bubble in the transparent) balls, ammo is available inthe .20-.25g range — adjustments may be needed to counter the slower (ie, more time for gravity to pull down) velocity of the heavier balls.
Someday I’ll have the room to actually try finding the trajectory on my rifle and pistol.
I tried the SIG X5 Open model a short time ago. While the accuracy was outstanding, the front sight on the slide actually broke inside the dovetail! PA’s usual excellent customer service had a replacement pistol on its way back to me, but I got the standard X5 with fixed sights and without the compensator. Point of interest — the replacement magazines available on the PA site do not fit the Open model, only the “standard” one. Looking carefully, one can see that the replacement magazines do not have the additional base that fits into the flared butt of the Open magazine well.
Anyway, the X5 shoots great and I’m very happy with its performance. It has proven itself to be far superior in accuracy to the Umarex SA177, the Beretta PX4 storm and the Tanfoglio Witness 1911.
Eric,
Pyramyd AIR is now calling the Open model a combo model, to differentiate it from what I referred to as the standard model in the report. It has been confusing, to say the least.
B.B.
I hadn’t noticed the terminology differences!
Gotta say that I recommend the non-combo version. If the magazine for the combo starts to leak or has some other problem that you cannot fix yourself, there are no available replacement magazines to purchase. You now have an X5 paperweight.
You have to search for them but both mags are available from PA.
I can’t give you the link for them since I’m writing this on my phone while on vacation but if you pick your pistol going thru the accessories you should be able to find your mag.
J-F
How about that! They finally got a replacement mag to market, website shows it as a new product.
When I called Palco Sport, the US distributor, they said at that time that there were no mags available. Looks like I wasn’t the only buyer put-off by the lack of replacement magazines…the market must have spoken clearly.
I saw a new episode of American Airgunner yesterday. It seems that in a feeble effort to mend my broken heart, they have found someone to replace Crystal Ackley’s spot on the show. Hailey Walcutt is her name. She isn’t rough on the eyes, but she has none of Crystal’s personality. Crystal was a natural behind the trigger and in front of the camera. I’m sure she will be missed by anyone who watched the show.
I am happy AA is back for a third season despite my griping. One bit of good news is that Paul Cray, Field Target champion, is back this season. I really enjoy his appearances.
Hm, this is interesting. Yes, an apparently feeble response. But let’s give Hailey a chance and a look via the Google Image search.
Matt61
I really like the looks of that pistol, and I don’t mean the Sig! The old A1 looks amazing. I bet it could tell some stories. I would like to find piece in just that shape. B.B., have you used this gun for c.c.? I’ve been carrying a G21 for a number of years, and have gotten used to it. Some think the big Glocks feel like a 2×4, but I think they feel like two 2×4’s! I wish I got turned on to 1911’s earlier, as I think they are about perfect.
Hm
Hank,
That 1911 is one I recently acquired. It came with the original NRA box, from when it was sold to the public back in March of 1960.
It’s been back to the Raritan Arsenal for a rework one time and is really surprisingly original. It was made in 1917.
I don’t carry it, but I’m not afraid of shooting it. My reloads are so easy on guns that they preserve the gun is original condition for much longer than the 230-grain hardball cartridges.
The really sad thing is I reworked several 1911s like this back in the 1970s, when we didn’t know any better.
B.B.
Hm, I have just acquired a “re-arsenaled” gun, and I’m wondering just what this means. Is it as good as new or, my suspicion, is there a range of possible conditions provided that the gun is shootable?
Matt61
Matt,
The answer depends on the country, the arsenal and the timeframe of the work. Things change, based on what’s happening in the world at the time a gun gets fixed at an arsenal.
For example, I have a No. 4 SMLE that was made during WW II and went back to the arsenal for a rebuild in the 1950s. The gun was returned to a high grade of serviceability but with very little concern about appearance. The work is called Factory Thorough Repair, and the Brits do it to get the functionality back to at least baseline specifications. They do, however, keep all the serial-numbered parts on the same gun.
The American Army did the exact same thing in the 19th century, when they repaired/rebuilt thousands of Colt SAA revolvers, except they paid no attention to serial-numbered parts, which is why a 5-1/2″ military Colt SAA (the artillery model) will seldom, if ever, have matching numbers.
The Swiss, on the other hand, are anal when it comes to keeping things together. If you find a Swiss rifle with numbers that don’t match, you have one that someone outside the government has worked on. Of course they haven’t fought in a world war, either.
The Russians are somewhere in-between. They tend to keep all the parts together until the ship hits the sand, then they throw all caution to the wind and do whatever it takes to pump guns back into the hands of soldiers.
B.B.
I have the “regular” version of this pistol and does seem quite accurate even with the non adjustable sights, I picked the non-combo one because of the ugly (to me) compensator that leaves an even uglier piece of barrel sticking out when you remove it. My only complain if you can call it that is that the thing is LOUD.
I have two questions:
I also have the Tanfoglio Witness 1911 and the front post decided to leave me and the gun because of the blowback never to be seen again, does someone know where I could get a replacement post or the complete slide? It wasn’t bought from PA because sadly they don’t ship to Canada.
My second question is about the Makarov, I would like to know which version you’re talking about? The Umarex made and not very expansive one or the one actually made in Russia which looks very nice but is more expensive and can be hard to find?
J-F
J-F,
I mean the Umarex gun. I also own the Russian one and it isn’t much to talk about, except for the fact that it was made from a firearm. But the Umarex gun is beautiful. And like I said, the one I have is the most accurate BB pistol I have tested to this time.
I noter that you complain about the noise. And for some reason, Pyramyd AIR has the sound level set to 4, which is high. So I will be looking at that when I do the velocity test.
B.B.
My Makarov is a year old and has been used only a few times. Recently I put on crosman cartridges and they leaked. I read that the narrow neck variety of cartridge (gamo, umarex and daisy) should be used instead of crosman and the cartridge should be centered carefully before tightening. If you agree I will order some daisy cartridges from PA. Thanks for any input.
Have you tried a few drops of of Crosman’s “PellGunOil” on the tip of the cartridge before inserting it and seating/puncturing.
You may just have a dry/dirty seal…
Read any of the reviews of CO2 guns, and somewhere in each I’m sure you’ll see a reference to “a few drops”… For example, the section on the magazine for
/blog/2011/07/gsg-92-co2-bb-pistol-part-1/
Joe,
I have never had the problem you mention and I use Crosman cartridges exclusively. Of course I also use Crosman Pellgunoil on every new cartridge.
B.B.
Yes I always use Pellgunoil. I also cleaned the area around where the cartridge is pierced (as advised by a Umarex tech). I will buy a pack of of Daisy cartridges with my next purchase from PA. Thanks again for your comments.
Adjustable sights all the way! I forked over additional money to get adjustable sights on my Ruger Single Six and SW1911 and have never regretted it. The space-age appearance of this pistol also makes me re-think another modern accessory–the laser sight. Thanks to an article by Massad Ayoob, I concluded that the laser sight was a toy not used by serious operators. But in a recently released report about the Navy Seal strike on Osama bin Laden, I see that the laser sight played a very large role indeed. Can’t get more serious in operations than that. So, I am digging up my PA sight that I bought for my Walther Nighthawk.
Hope everyone has been getting along okay. I am just returned from a vacation in Hawaii with plenty of trips to the range. The star of the show was the Winchester 94 which had its once a year outing and fired off 80 rounds over the course of three sessions. I guess I have come a long way. I remember when shooting that rifle impressed me with its “amazing violence.” Now it just seems like a loud pop and eminently controllable. At 50 yards, I actually had four shots overlapping in a vertical line–outshot the scoped AR-15 next to me! However, the group size at 100 yards was much larger than you might expect with an extra fraction of a second and an additional 50 yards for the bullet to travel… As something of a scope snob, I thought I would have more trouble with the open sights adjustable only for elevation. However, the sight picture and holdover fell into place and worked well enough. (I do have a lingering question about the bead front sight. I used a 6 o’clock hold, but is that really appropriate for a bead front sight? If so, why not have a post instead of a curved surface? On the other hand, putting the bead right on top of the target doesn’t seem any better.) As good as anything else was cranking that lever and kicking out those cases. Magazine rifles all the way! If you don’t have a Winchester 94, I would recommend the Walther lever-action. This design is a real classic.
I also made a bit of progress with the 1911 and finally shaved off that tiny bit of heeling still left. The cardboard under the target was getting fairly chewed up with all of my missed shots. They were grouped okay but about 2 feet below point of aim. The cure for this? Follow-through. When I did this, I was guaranteed to land on target. As a general observation at the shooting range, I noticed that your serious shooters of firearms, most of whom seemed to handload, seemed to be very stingy with their shots–perhaps because of the labor invested in each cartridge. They seemed to shoot about once every 10 minutes while fiddling and chatting the rest of the time. I, on the other hand, was definitely on airgun pace with the little mountain of cases at my bench.
During my trip, I also investigated how much my shooting skills were transferable to other hand-eye coordination sports. For golf-putting I went from absolute disaster to a semblance of competence. One big problem is that I could not look simultaneously at the ball and the target (hole). How does one aim with any precision? It finally started to fall into place by verifying the hole with a quick look and using body position to aim, sort of like snap shooting. And it was also possible to interpret variations in the green as different kinds of wind which required compensating holdover left and right. But what really held me back is that tapping the little white ball just did not have the cache of slamming in that clip for the M1 and feeling the thump of the recoil. Basketball seemed a bit more promising since I could at least keep my eye on the target during the shooting sequence, but the actual performance was well-nigh disgraceful.
I also put in the time reading a Tom Clancy novel. Duskwight, I believe you are right that Tom Clancy has a thing about Russian culture. One of the characters of the book is a renegade Russian female agent called the Snow Maiden. This name seems to refer to a Russian folk-tale about a woman who has the temperature of snow and is doomed to melt and die upon contact with humans or any source of warmth, so she rips out the jugulars of humans (although I don’t know if this is in the original story). Anyway, the Snow Maiden is incredibly lethal in every way imaginable and recognizes no boundaries. She is particularly evasive because of her tactic of turning on her allies of the moment, shooting them in the neck, and making whatever deal is expedient. She even kidnaps an evil general of the Soviet era, an old boyfriend, and has her way with him before taking him off to a new destination. It is kind of entertaining to watch the swathe she cuts through anybody and everybody. However, a separate part of the novel shows how a small country is deeply grateful for intervention by U.S. Special Forces which stabilizes the regime, so we know that the whole novel is a complete fantasy.
While meditating on the lovely geometry of my mirror-bright bores in my Savage 10 FP, Anschutz and Lee-Enfield No. 4, I found myself wondering about a question. The deviation of the rifling from a straight line parallel to the axis of the barrel is fairly slight. But what exactly is the angle between the rifling and the axis? Knowing that the rifling makes a complete circle in 9 inches or whatever the particular twist of the barrel should give you all the information you need to figure this out. But exactly how one does this is not apparent to me. My best guess is a vector equation for a helix from a math textbook that I don’t have to hand, but maybe someone here knows how to calculate the angle or just knows what it is.
Matt61
Matt61,
Welcome back! You said, “The deviation of the rifling from a straight line parallel to the axis of the barrel”. Did you mean “deviation of the rifling from the axis of the barrel”, where that axis runs straight through the middle of the barrel? You are correct that this would be modeled as a helix by way of parametric, or “vector valued” function. For a right-circular helix, the equation would be,
f(t) = (x, y, z) = (cos(t), sin(t), t), where the z-axis runs straight down the middle of the bore.
But there’s more information here than you need to answer your question, I believe. Consider just the projection onto the x-z plane, or y-z plane. Then for the desired instantaneous angle, you are looking at the derivative of either cos(t) or sin(t). Of course, you can factor in the given period of 9 inches. If I understood your question correctly, the angle between the rifling is along two directions, and varies continuously over that period, and so there is no single answer. You can pick and choose either cos(t) or sin(t) to answer your question at any given point.
Victor
Picking sin(t) is easier than cos(t), because one is just a shifted version of the other, with sin(t) requiring no shifting.
Out of my current squad of “real” handguns, only my nightstand pistol doesn’t have adjustable sights (the Walther P99 rear /can/ be slid for windage after loosening a screw or two, and the front is available in four heights, easily swapped — which I recently did, putting in the shortest front as I was hitting low when function testing it). My S&W 459 and S&W 4006 both have the fully adjustable rear in between the wedge shaped carry wings. Even my replica Remington cap&ball has adjustable target sights.
Only pellet gun with out adjustments is the Umarex Walther CP99 (two screws to drift adjust rear, no alternate fronts). The cheap AirSofts don’t have adjustments, but the good one with blowback does.
If this P226 has decent accuracy (for its class) I may add one to the stable before I get laid off (I’m in the 60 day countdown if it doesn’t get rescinded) and move to MI (though I think smoothbore BB may be exempt from the “handgun safety inspection” [aka, registration] and “permit to purchase” paperwork).
Matt,
To me Clancy has n_o_t got a thing about Russian culture. I believe his Russia is situated somewhere north from Shangri-La and he studied it from Cold War era posters and 20-30’s movies 🙂
duskwight
BB, (or anyone else in the know for that matter) I was wondering what the rules are for bringing unrestricted airguns across the canada-us border. I was reading about the Roanoke show, and it caught my interest. My family regularly makes trips down that way, and the airgun shows around here tend to be sparse and overpriced. I can only buy airguns under 500 fps, but I figure there would be a lot more selection. Anyways, can I bring them across the border without trouble, or will I just need to fill out a couple of forms? Or not bring them over at all? As always, all feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Nathan
Nathan,
I do not know the laws, but I do know that there are several Canadian dealers who set up at the Baldwinsville airgun show every year. That’s in New York, so they have to cross the border both ways.
B.B.
BB, thank you very much for the prompt response. I think the dealers probably have an importation license, which will not apply to me. Anyways, do you know which dealers? Perhaps there are some I haven’t checked out yet. Thanks for the help,
Nathan
nathan,
No, I don’t remember these guys’ names, but none of them have any licenses. they are just private individuals dealing in airguns, the same as everybody else at the show. It has been seven or eight years since I have attended Baldwinsville, and I have forgotten the names of the guys I knew there, but many of them were Canadians.
B.B.
Nathan:
First of all for possessing non-restricted (mostly rifles) or restricted (pistols with the barrel length over 105 mm) in Canada you need a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). These is for rifles/pistols shooting over 500 fps at the muzzle. Do you have non-restricted PAL? If you don’t forget about bringing any non-restricted guns from the States to Canada. If you do then go to the website of the Canada Border Services Agency and upload the MEMORANDUM D19-13-2-IMPORTING AND EXPORTING FIREARMS, WEAPONS AND DEVICES. Read it carefully and you will know what to do.
Rob
What I meant was guns under 500 fps which don’t require a license. They may be called uncontrolled, but I’m not sure.
Nathan
Uncontrollednderstand what you mean. In principle yes you can bring a gun under 500fps from the US to Canada. If you plan to do it the best advice to you is to make a copy of the MEMORANDUM D19-13-2-IMPORTING AND EXPORTING FIREARMS, WEAPONS AND DEVICES issued by the Canada Border Service Agency and keep it handy at the border crossing where you have to declare your gun to a Canadian Custom officer. The most important section in this Memorandum is the section on “Uncontrolled” firearms which is the name the CBSA uses to classify all guns under 500fps and many others (e.g. signaling devices-read “blank guns”). A large number of the CBSA officers have no idea about regulations governing the import of “uncontrolled” firearms to Canada. Only a handful of them know what to do. However, if you have a copy of the said Memorandum with you and you will show it to them, they will always find someone who is more knowledgeable and most likely, will positively approve your case. All the time you have to show your respect to the officer and be polite. If you bring to Canada an airgun under 500fps which is an exact replica of an existing firearm you must also remember that according to the Canadian gun laws the air guns under 500fps which are the replicas of existing firearms (e.g. Sig Sauer P226 X-Five) are NOT classified as replicas but as firearms which are DEEMED NOT to be firearms for but only the purposes of sections 91 to 95, 99 to 101, 103 to 107 and 117.03 of the Criminal Code of Canada and pertinent sections of the Firearms Act of Canada (that’s why they are called “uncontrolled FIREARMS). The Memorandum also clearly states (p.15) that an uncontrolled firearm cannot be classified as replica. This point may be very important if you plan to bring an air gun like that to Canada to avoid a lengthy discussion at the border crossing because REPLICAS of firearms are classified as PROHIBITED DEVICES in Canada (airsoft replica guns are in most cases prohibited devices unless the receiver is translucent plastic or its muzzle velocity is in excess of 407fps). Finally, in order to bring any air gun to Canada you must be 18 years old.
Cheers
Hello everyone
Rob from Canada here. First of all, I am very flattered that B.B. calls me “the instigator” for his test of the Sig. Thanks B.B.!
Eric said (quote): the replacement magazines available on the PA site do not fit the Open model, only the “standard” one (end of quote). This statement is a bit confusing. The standard magazine fits the Open/Combo model like a glove. When I purchased my Open model on sale I also purchased a spare magazine for the money I saved on the price difference between the regular and sale price. Indeed, the only difference between both magazines is that the Open/Combo mag has a thicker magazine butt plate. But that DOES NOT affect shooting in any way. I’ve been shooting both magazines without any problem. It may only be a small aesthetical problem for people who are very picky about things like that.
Now this “ugly threaded adapter”. It can be removed. If you look at the front of the adapter you will see two grooves. These groves are for screwing out/in the adapter. However, for doing this first time I recommend to field strip the Sig completely. The photo posted by B.B. showing a “disassembled” pistol is only a first step. In the next step the barrel and springs should be removed from the slide. It field strips literally like a real 9 mm pistol! Then take out the barrel with the attached adapter, put a flat rectangular piece of steel into the grooves on the front of the adapter and try to unscrew it. However, be very careful to not overdo it. In some Sigs sold in Canada the producer put some sort of a weak “glue” (?) on the adapter thread (I have no idea why!) so it is better to unscrew it in small steps otherwise the barrel shroud can be damaged. I am not sure if this is the case for the American models. When the adapter is removed from the Open/Combo pistol you exactly get the Standard model!
I agree that the Sig is loud and kicks like a mule for the first 10-12 shots and I love it! This way, I don’t have to drive to the range so often which is a pain in the butt in Canada (gun regulations). One more thing. I never load more than 15 BBs in my BB blowback guns. Otherwise in rapid shooting the magazine cools down and the cycling becomes slower if the number of BBs is 18-20. In Canada we are allowed 10 round mags for pistols anyway.
I am anxiously waiting for the test results by B.B.!
Rob,
If you look carefully you will see that the PA website has two different mags for the X5. One fits the Open model, the other fits the standard. When I bough my Open model, I also purchased the only available spare magazine at that time, which did not fit. They subsequently marketed a spare mag for the Open model.
Eric
Hi Eric:
I still don’t understand your problem. Why are you saying that the standard magazine doesn’t fit the SIG Open pistol? The only difference between the standard magazine and the Open magazine is that the Open magazine which comes together with the SIG Open pistol has a thicker butt plate. That’s it. All the other dimensions are exactly the same for both! I purchased a spare STANDARD magazine for my SIG Open model pistol and it fits and works without any problem. The only thing which comes to my mind where you could have a problem with inserting the standard magazine is that it needs more forceful push to the very end of the magazine well until you hear quite loud “click” which indicates that the mag is securely locked in the grip. This is a bit different than for the Open magazine which has a thicker butt plate and inserts more easily. If you push the standard (thin butt plate) mag without sufficient force the gap between the grip and the mag will still remain which may give you impression that the mag doesn’t fit. That’s the only explanation that comes to my mind.
Hi….i was just reading your post and in one part,your talking about unscrewing the end of the threaded barrel on the Sig Open.Mine is on really tight!This difinitly does come off?
Thanks
Greg,
Do you live in the U.S.? And did you buy the gun new?
If yes to both, then the compensator does unscrew.
B.B.
Hi Greg:
Yes the end definitely comes off. However, you must be careful not to ruin the pistol. Like I wrote in the the post the manufacturer puts a bit of glue on the thread. Sometimes the amount of glue is minimal but sometimes a bit larger. After disassembling the pistol try to unscrew that insert from the external barrel but very very gently. If you feel a great resistance during unscrewing take a hair dryer and warm up the insert. The warm glue becomes softer and will eventually give up. Then you clean the threaded parts thoroughly with a soft brush to remove all the glue. That’s what I did with my pistol.
Cheers
Rob
Hi….i was just reading your post and in one part,your talking about unscrewing the end of the threaded barrel on the Sig Open.Mine is on really tight!This difinitly does come off?
Thanks
Did you back out the set screw that is located on the underside of the muzzle brake?
It isn’t really (from what I can tell) a threaded barrel (as used for silencers) so much as a barrel with a groove into which a set screw can lock.
Ignore me — subsequent responses indicate that you are not talking about the muzzle brake itself, but the part that /it/ is attached to…
Happy Birthday to Me.
I just had one of those mile stone birthdays a couple weeks ago. At my urging, no party took place, as I still have enough over the hill memorabilia from when I turned forty.
Like any good American male, I contemplated getting a muscle car, hair transplant, stomach staples, face lift, and a 23 year old girlfriend, but in the end I let it all go. My actually gifts were some cologne, socks, and a few scratch off lottery tickets, all of which I was thankful for, but not terribly excited about.
It didn’t take much to decide I would also reward myself with a new air rifle. The challenge more than ever is to only make meaningful additions, as I still plan on never owning more than a half dozen pellet shooters in this new world of ours.
The winner? A Marauder in .25 caliber.
Why? I have to admit I kind of surprised myself, as I thought one PCP would be sufficient, but I kept seeing all those .25’s that shoot nice 100 yard groups with those Green Mountain barrels. .25 caliber also gives a significant jump in energy over .22. You never know when squirrels may mutate and try to take over the world. I don’t want to be under gunned.
Scheduled to arrive this Thursday, it will also ease the pain of my HW50 that has been gone since May for its extreme make over. This will be my first brand new rifle in a couple years, can’t wait to open the box. Hope it smells good.
Should have had PA do a live 10 for $10 — and include the target squirrel [muahahahahaha]
Wulfraed,
Thank you, but I fear the squirrel would be a little ripe and kill that new gun smell!
Volvo,
Happy birthday!
What a wonderful present. Whoever selected it for you knows you very well, I am sure 😉
Can’t wait for the report.
B.B.
B.B.
Thanks. It seems to be proven winner, but I will add my 2 cents.
Volvo,
EVERYONE!
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Volvo …
Happy birthday to you!
Victor
Victor,
Nice voice, many thanks.
Volvo,
Belated birthday wishes!
My 63rd b-day is coming up very soon, and I am NOT getting an airgun 🙂
Edith
Edith,
Nor have you indicated that you want one. I am listening.
B.B.
B.B.,
The smiley face was supposed to communicate that I was pleased that I wasn’t getting an airgun 🙂
Edith
B.B.,
Re: Selective hearing that all males are blessed with
A couch. A couch without holes in it.
kevin
thanks Edith. You should post your birthday wish-list, that will put a little pressure on Tom.
Volvo,
Happy Birthday. Assume this must be the big seven O since you passed on the 23 year old girlfriend.
Hope your .25 caliber marauder is as accurate as my friend Erik’s. It’s an airhog ( only about 12 accurate shots, a magazine and a half) but man is that thing accurate. If nothing else, it should keep your mind off the HW50 until it returns.
kevin
70? Ouch.
I am but a pup, I just started with “adult airguns” at a much younger age than most.
The number of good shots for the .25 seem to be all over the board, but I’ll see soon enough.
I just hope it comes with the fill probe!
A happy one to you !
It’s always an excuse for me to get something new.
twotalon
twotalon,
thanks, if we don’t treat ourselves, who will?
Happy shooting!
could the sig also use lead round ball ammo? how would using lead effect the way it shoots.
Jim,
I doubt the barrel is large enough for a .177 lead ball. It says 4.5mm /BB caliber, but they don’t mean it. It’s probably a 0.173″ bore.
However, I will make a safe try using 4.3 and 4.4mm balls (I used to own a couple zimmerstutzens and I have a lot of strange caliber lead balls in stock.
Why are you interested? The bore isn’t rifled, so the accuracy will probably not be much better if it works at all.
B.B.
i was thinking maybe reduced rebound hazard if shooting in a garage or basement. also if the lead bbs are heavier than the steel shot, wouldn’t there be at least a slight advantage in fps? My LD loves heavy pellets.
Jim,
There would be an advantage in power, but the velocity would only increase if the lead balls seal the bore better. The way the Mag. works, though, if they fit it might work.
We shall see.
B.B.