P226 - threaded barrel vs non threaded

[fabb600]

I was looking at the P226 in two models. One comes with a threaded barrel - putting barrel length at 4.9" vs 4.4".

Is there an accuracy advantage to having the threaded barrel model with the extra .5"' barrel length? Or is it not really much different since the sight radius is still the same?

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... -dark.aspx

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... arrel.aspx

[gyrfalcon]

longer barrels tend to be more accurate, in this case the difference would be negligible. Basically it's a choice between being able to add a suppressor or not.

[jshuberg]

There will be no notable accuracy difference between 4.4" and 4.9" barrels, but you will have a slightly higher muzzle velocity from the 4.9. Nothing you wouldn't be able to get from simply shooting hotter ammo. Barrel length by itself has almost nothing to do with accuracy, provided the barrel is long enough for the bullet to accelerate to the minimum velocity necessary for the rifling to impart a fast enough spin on the bullet for it to gyroscopically stabilize after leaving the barrel.

Also, unless you are already shooting < 3" groups at 25 yards, you are not yet hitting the accuracy limitations of a stock P226 pistol. Work on your shooting technique and mastering the fundamentals of shooting first. There are ways to increase the accuracy of a pistol, but barrel length by itself is not one of them.

The downside of having a threaded barrel is that it sticks out in front of the slide. Because of this it's more prone to becoming damaged, can cause problems coming out of as holster, and can more easily get hung up in concealment clothing, etc. Unless you are going to be using a suppressor (illegal for most of us in MN) there is no reason to get a threaded barrel on a pistol.

Hope this helps

[gyrfalcon]

Barrel length by itself has almost nothing to do with accuracy, provided the barrel is long enough for the bullet to accelerate to the minimum velocity necessary for the rifling to impart a fast enough spin on the bullet for it to gyroscopically stabilize after leaving the barrel.

That's somewhat like saying engine size has nothing to do with the speed of a car...unless

[rukwikenuf]

Barrel length by itself has almost nothing to do with accuracy, provided the barrel is long enough for the bullet to accelerate to the minimum velocity necessary for the rifling to impart a fast enough spin on the bullet for it to gyroscopically stabilize after leaving the barrel.

That's somewhat like saying engine size has nothing to do with the speed of a car...unless

Not that I'm trying to flame a fire, but Shuberg knows more about handguns than almost anyone I've met, and he's a bit of a SIG-savant to boot.

Fabbrini, get a regular bbl, and if you want to attach something to the end later, get a second bbl

[Seismic Sam]

Plus there's no telling what will happen if you get stopped by a Barney Fife type officer who finds you with a supressor-ready pistol, jumps to the conclusion that this is PROOF that you have a supressor, and calls in the reinforcements for a full felony shakedown plus harassment, intimidation, and maybe some bogus citations like the guy in Minneapolis who got arrested for having hollowpoint bullets in his gun.

[justaguy]

.5 isn't going to matter.

I would rock the threaded.

[jshuberg]

That's somewhat like saying engine size has nothing to do with the speed of a car...unless

You're right that it kind of does, but not in the way most people think.

Accuracy of a rifle or pistol is it's ability to put the bullet in the exact same place across some given distance. The bullet has to travel through the air, so we need a way to make the bullet behave in the air the exact same way despite variations in the air between the shooter and the target over time. This is done by imparting a very fast spin on the bullet so that it remains consistently oriented throughout the arc of it's travel. This is called gyroscopic stabilization, where the weight and momentum of the spinning bullet will resist external forces (variations in atmospheric conditions) that are applied to it that would otherwise alter it's travel path.

The velocity of the bullet as it leaves the barrel is proportional to the length of the barrel. The faster the bullet travels through the barrel, the faster the spin that is imparted on it via the rifling. As long as the barrel is long enough that the rifling is able to spin the bullet fast enough to properly stabilize it, adding more barrel length will *not* increase its accuracy. In fact, you could potentially add enough barrel to increase velocity to the point where the spin rate is too fast, which will over-stabilize the bullet. An over-stabilized bullet will remain consistently oriented in space, rather than consistently oriented across it's arc of travel, meaning that at the end of it's arc the bullet will not be moving tip first through the air, it will be moving 'tip up' at the angle the round was fired, which will decrease its accuracy.

This is why heavier bullets need a faster twist rate to stabilize. Heavier bullets resist acceleration more than lighter ones, meaning their velocity will be slower leaving the barrel. Slower bullet = slower spin, so a barrel designed with heavier bullets in mind will have a faster twist rate to get it's spin fast enough to stabilize the slower moving bullet. It's also possible that an extremely over-stabilized bullet will be spinning so fast that it will lose its copper jacket and disintegrate in the air before ever hitting the target. Try shooting cheaper 40gr bullets through an AR-15 with a 20" barrel with a 1:7 twist and you'll see what I mean.

When you get into rifles, there are other factors that can effect accuracy that can be effected by barrel length - stiffness and harmonics. However, these are not effected by barrel length specifically, but rather the overall geometry of the barrel. In general though, shorter barrels are stiffer than longer ones, so there is a point where if all other barrel geometry stays the same, increasing the barrel length beyond a certain point will decrease accuracy because there will be more flexibility across the length barrel.

So, while barrel length can indirectly have an effect on the overall accuracy of a weapon, there is a wide range of lengths where accuracy is not affected at all, and most well engineered weapons are manufactured within that range.

That's my "I'm bored and have nothing better to do than ramble on the internet" answer. You are now free to continue on with your lives

[xd ED]

That's my "I'm bored and have nothing better to do than ramble on the internet" answer. You are now free to continue on with your lives

Ramble till your heart's content. That was an informative post.

[Elsie9]

+++1 Great post, thank you

[fabb600]

Well, sort of a moot point now. I just ordered a shiny new CZ Custom Shadow Target. I can't wait to spend some time with it!

[rukwikenuf]

Well, sort of a moot point now. I just ordered a shiny new CZ Custom Shadow Target. I can't wait to spend some time with it!

wow. that's all i can say, just plain ol "wow".

how many A.D.D. kids does it take to change a lightbulb? wanna go ride bikes?!!




did you go 9mm or 40s&w? do they even MAKE it in 40?

[Snowgun]

did you go 9mm or 40s&w? do they even MAKE it in 40?

No, because .40 is a retarded caliber whose only use is to make major power factor.


Good choice buying the shadow, nobody shoots sigs in competition.

[Scratch]

Well, sort of a moot point now. I just ordered a shiny new CZ Custom Shadow Target. I can't wait to spend some time with it!

wow. that's all i can say, just plain ol "wow".

how many A.D.D. kids does it take to change a lightbulb? wanna go ride bikes?!!




did you go 9mm or 40s&w? do they even MAKE it in 40?

Wow is right.....

He went 9 mm.


At least he was sure about that....

[fabb600]

Well, sort of eu a moot point now. I just ordered a shiny new CZ Custom Shadow Target. I can't wait to spend some time with it!

wow. that's all i can say, just plain ol "wow".

how many A.D.D. kids does it take to change a lightbulb? wanna go ride bikes?!!




did you go 9mm or 40s&w? do they even MAKE it in 40?

A.D.D? Ha - actually I've been going to Bills over the past couple months shooting Glocks, HK, Smith and Wesson, Sig and the CZ. I finally came down to the CZ and the P226 and last night I picked the gun that feels the best in my hands. And to get the Sig to the same trigger feel and sights (from somewhere like Grey) would have brought the price too high.