TM P226 slide doesn't lock back.

[Omi-san]

It's a stock TM P226 and I'm using propane. The slides doesn't lock back after the last BB is fired out of the mag. If I pull it by hand, it locks.

It used to function normally until I applied a bit silicone oil between the slide and the lower body.

I guess the slide is cycling too fast now. I tried wiping off as much silicone oil as possible, but it didn't make a difference.

Any solution other than switching to duster or getting an heavier metal slide?

[KEVORKIAN]

I'm having the same issue with mine as well! It's brand new & it is very selective when it wants to lock back....I use propane as well. I haven't really opened it up to see how it ticks but I'll post my findings when I do!

[Donster]

teflon tape to increase friction?

[dodger_me]

same thing always happened to me, i think it just cycles too fast

[Danke]

I got a barely used one and it's locked back every go around. On propane and 100% stock. No difference with either mag.

[Flatlander]

I got mine slightly used and it would rarely lock back after the last BB. Now after quite a bit of use it locks back more frequently. Here's why I think it works better now:

The spring in the mag is what pushes up the slide lock lever after the last BB. There is also a spring that holds the lever down (located somewhere above the trigger - haven't had to tear my gun completely apart so I don't know exactly where). I think the spring holding it down weakened a bit over time allowing the mag spring to push up a bit harder and catching the slide in time. So I think the only way to fix this problem is some how weaken the spring holding it down.

[Jugglez]

If the mag is low on gas it will not have sufficient pressure to blow the slide far back enough to engage the slide catch.

Gas it up full, load one round, and fire off 2 shots. the second shot should lock back. If it doesn't then it could be a number of things. Flatlander touched on one of them. Another would be the nub at the top of the mag spring that pushes the slide catch up, this small part could be worn down to the point where it's not engaging the lever reliably or at all.

[Omi-san]

My p226 is brand new. The little nub on the mag looks fine.

I tried duster gas and I still have the same problem. The slides only locks about 25% of the time.

I can't find a pattern to explain why it sometimes locks back. I tried shooting a single BB, 2 BBs, pressing the trigger all the way and holding it down slightly longer, warming up the magazine in my hand before firing the last BBs...

It's like if the slide has a mind of its own. It did work perfectly before I added silicone oil, but I can't see how the lubrication could have affected the mechanism involved in raising the slide catch.

[Crunchmeister]

I also have a brand new TM P226. It started doing the exact same thing to me after I fired off about 5 mags of BBs (2 on 134a, 3 on propane). Now, the slide will lock about 80% of the time when I'm using 134a, but never with propane.

I've found what the problem is. On the P226 (and other guns, I've noticed), the slide catch doesn't actually lock into the notch on the slide. It locks against an inner rail that holds the whole gas block assembly (don't know the correct term for it) inside the slide. That notch in the outside of the slide is just for show. The metal rail is extremely weak metal, and wears down VERY fast. I've shot propane exclusively in my other 2 propane-capable pistols (M9 and G17), and there's only minimal wear on this part, whereas the part in my new P226 is beat to shit.

The part in question is part# P226-5. I've got pics below of mine (sorry for the size, but wanted hi-res closeups). I'm sure if you guys check out your guns, you'll see the exact same problem.





So I firmly believe that this is due to a manufacturing defect. I mean, there's NO WAY that part should be damaged like that after 5 mags worth of BBs. At that point, these 2 parts shouldn't have come into contact (during actual cycling of the gun during firing) more than 5 times. My part looks like it's been beaten on with a hammer and chisel. Now I've been told that this isn't an issue at all on older P226 models at all. Hellfire (who sold me this one) has one that's seen a lot of use and run on propane 100% of the time, and he said his part isn't worn in the slightest. Looks to me like TM are using cheaper metal now in these guns, probably to try to cut costs.

In the past few days, I have contacted every major Asian airsoft parts supplier, as well as a shitload in the US. None of the Asian ones can get the part, and all the American ones referred me back to the Asian sites like Redwolf, UNC, WGC, etc. If one of you guys can find someplace to get this part, then please let me know.

Personally, this is the last TM gun I buy. When I was first shopping for guns and asking advice about specific guns I saw, I had people yelling and screaming at me to buy TM, because TM never is 100% reliable and never gives problems. This is my second TM gun, and the second one that's failed on me right away. My M4A1 lasted all of 2 weeks of gentle plinking use before blowing out its gears. Now my P226 lasted all of 10 minutes before failing. My P226 is a beautiful gun and shoots incredibly well (as long as I'm using propane), but this is still the last TM that I buy. Even my cheap clearsoft Double Eagle AK47 outlasted the TM guns. I put about 20 000 rounds through that AK, mostly in long, sustained auto bursts, and it's mechanically still working fine.

I'm thinking that due to this weak part, it may be beneficial to upgrade to a stiffer recoil spring and metal spring guide before even firing the gun at all to prevent this from happening. The stiffer spring would slow down the action of the slide and then it wouldn't latch so violently (particularly on propane).

[Styrak]

Ah, didn't know about that on the Sigs. Mine's a KJ, so it's pretty much a TM clone. But that looks bad...

It looks like my KJ P229 works the same way...except all parts are metal, the slide catch, slide, and internal slide catch. Maybe that's why it's held up.

[Crunchmeister]

I came close to getting a KJ at first, since my KJ M9 is a badass gun (my favorite pistol so far). But due to the well-known leaky mag issue with KJ (I experienced that too), I decided to spend the extra on a TM instead. Never fucking again. TM can stuff their guns up their asses as far as I'm concerned.

I still love this P226, and have a metal slide / outer barrel and some other performance upgrade parts on the way for it, so I'm going to stick with it for now. At worse, the catch lever should be able to correctly catch onto the metal notch in the metal slide should this happen after I get the replacement part to fix it.

But seriously, this is my last TM gun.

[Omi-san]

Yep, that's the problem.

But the stock TM pistol is not meant to be used with propane, so it's our fault I guess. It's still a disappointment since TM has such a good reputation with their recent GBBs.

Do P226 metal slides come with that part or we are supposed to transfer it from the plastic slide?

Would adding a spacer under the magazine spring fix the problem? Could it push the slide catch upward faster and harder before it as a chance to slip?

[Crunchmeister]

Yep, that's the problem.

But the stock TM pistol is not meant to be used with propane, so it's our fault I guess. It's still a disappointment since TM has such a good reputation with their recent GBBs.

Do P226 metal slides come with that part or we are supposed to transfer it from the plastic slide?

Would adding a spacer under the magazine spring fix the problem? Could it push the slide catch upward faster and harder before it as a chance to slip?

Metal slides don't come with that part at all, unfortunately. You have to transplant that part into a metal slide.

I agree that TM guns are supposed to run 134a gas, but there are many users of older TM P226s that have been running on propane for hundreds of rounds without this issue. It seems this is an issue with new models - the ones everyone claim work fine on green gas / propane. I only fired 3 mags on propane (I ran out) it was on the 2nd mag of propane that it failed the first time. Seriously, I can't see how quality metal would wear out that quickly, even running propane.

[Danke]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around that being caused by the gas.

The slide stops and then recoils catching on the hold open catch with an empty mag. That is driven by the recoil spring. If the slide was blasting back so hard the energy was echoing into the return cycle you would think other parts would also be showing damage or accelerated wear.

May a casting or case hardening problem.

Illusion here has a cherry 226 build on a TM, he'd be the guy to PM.

[Styrak]

Originally Posted by Crunchmeister

Metal slides don't come with that part at all, unfortunately. You have to transplant that part into a metal slide.

I agree that TM guns are supposed to run 134a gas, but there are many users of older TM P226s that have been running on propane for hundreds of rounds without this issue. It seems this is an issue with new models - the ones everyone claim work fine on green gas / propane. I only fired 3 mags on propane (I ran out) it was on the 2nd mag of propane that it failed the first time. Seriously, I can't see how quality metal would wear out that quickly, even running propane.

Actually, shitty metal. TM metal isn't that great.