SIG P320 shooters... a question.

[trackskippy]

I picked up a what looks to be a clean and very lightly used P320XC in a trade last week. Ive always been a SIG fan, and it seems like a pretty nice gun. Wanted to pick a 320 up, but Ive been watching the drama that's been going on with them and just been waiting to see how things went. Kind of reminds me of my P250, but with a striker trigger instead of a revolver trigger.

While dry firing it and getting used to things, I noticed that the front sight would dip, ever so slightly right when the trigger broke. I thought that was a little weird, and the more I dry fired, the more I noticed it and it was starting to bug me. Then I noticed the rear of the slide was moving upward just a touch as the trigger broke, and that kind of answered that, but again, a little weird.

Shot a couple of hundred rounds through it the next day, and it shoots great. The "dip" doesnt seem to be affecting where things go, so, OK.


Since this gun came with the cut for a red dot, and Ive been putting that off for a while now, I figured why not, and ordered a SIG Romeo1Pro for it to give it a try. Got a bunch of red dots on a number of my long guns, this is the first on one of my handguns.

Fedex dropped that off this afternoon. Went on easy enough, and so far, havent had any problem picking up the dot. Seems pretty natural. Ran over to the range quick and got it zeroed up pretty good at 25 yards, and that went pretty smooth. Plan on running back over tomorrow and actually shoot it a good bit and fine tune it as necessary.

But.... ...... ..... the slight "dip" the irons had, is now a very obvious dip with the dot when the trigger breaks. A lot more noticeable here than with the irons. No biggie I guess, as, like the irons, it doesnt seem to affect where the rounds are going, but its just not something Im used to seeing, irons or red dots, and its bugging me.

Anyone else notice something like that with theirs?

 

[Destructo6]

With a magazine inserted, loaded or empty, you won't see a dip when the striker is released.

 

[trackskippy]

Thanks.

Mine does it with an empty mag in the gun. Just now tried it with a snap cap in the mag, and it looks like that does stop the slide from moving when the striker is released.

Kind of a weird thing, and if I wasnt dry firing, Id have never probably noticed it.

 

[JmacD]

I will have to look. I am probably close to 4000 rounds into mine, and I just updated the sites to x-ray three instead of the contrast sites. I will have to see if I notice anything like that. Mine is the full-size version by the way.

 

[trackskippy]

I put 200 rounds through mine this morning playing with it and it shoots great. Still getting used to the red dot, but thats been going pretty good too. As long as I dont think about the sight, and just bring the gun up to eye level and "point it", with my focus on the target, the dot is right there. If I let my focus drop to the sight, then I usually lose it, or dont immediately see it, and have to look for it.

The sights that came with the gun were three dot night sights, with a big green dot up front, and two much smaller dots at the back. The gun dates to 2019 and the sights are still bright. I would have preferred that the rear dots were a bit closer in size to the front, but they worked OK.

 

[JmacD]

The sights that came with the gun were three dot night sights, with a big green dot up front, and two much smaller dots at the back. The gun dates to 2019 and the sights are still bright. I would have preferred that the rear dots were a bit closer in size to the front, but they worked OK.

Sounds like the ones I have. I had the contrast ones, and the dots are the same size. I didn’t care for that at all! Far prefer the smaller size tbh. Especially at longer distances

 

[Old Dog]

I like that big-dot X=Ray front sight. Uncommitted on the red dot, so it always takes a bit of getting used to when I shoot it. I do like the 320 Carry size, and you can't argue with a 21-round spare mag!

 

[Outlaw75]

While dry firing it and getting used to things, I noticed that the front sight would dip, ever so slightly right when the trigger broke. I thought that was a little weird, and the more I dry fired, the more I noticed it and it was starting to bug me. Then I noticed the rear of the slide was moving upward just a touch as the trigger broke, and that kind of answered that, but again, a little weird.
.....
Anyone else notice something like that with theirs?

Don't have a 320, but I've got a Shield 2.0 that has the same dip when I dry fire. But like you, I've never had any problems live firing it.

 

[trackskippy]

I like that big-dot X=Ray front sight. Uncommitted on the red dot, so it always takes a bit of getting used to when I shoot it. I do like the 320 Carry size, and you can't argue with a 21-round spare mag!

View attachment 1172341

That big green dot is easy to pick up, day or night. Ive been going over to Ameriglo "Spartan's" with an orange ring around the vial on my Gocks, and really like that. Its real easy and fast to pick up. At closer ranges with either, just get that bright dot on the target and youre going to make decent hits, with no real sight alignment.

The red dot so far is pretty cool. Without that stock and cheek weld, Ive got a little Katharine Hepburn going on in me, but its not too bad, and unlike a laser, Im the only one seeing it. So far, Im doing better with snap shooting with it, than I am trying to hold and squeeze.

Like iron sights on a rifle, vs a scope or red dot, you dont see all that micro movement when youre sighting with the irons, like you do with the optics.

Red dots on a long gun, while very similar, are also very different, and that stock and cheek weld make a big difference in stability.

To soon to tell how I feel, one way or another right yet, but its going to be a fun and interesting learning experience either way.

Don't have a 320, but I've got a Shield 2.0 that has the same dip when I dry fire. But like you, I've never had any problems live firing it.

Thats interesting. All I have right now to compare are my Glocks, and they dont move a bit, nor do the sights when the trigger lets off.

 

[9mmepiphany]

All I have right now to compare are my Glocks, and they dont move a bit, nor do the sights when the trigger lets off.

That's interesting because all my Glocks do exhibit that movement; as do most striker fired, polymer framed, pistols. It's completely normal...that's why it doesn't affect the function of the pistol

The movement that you've noticed isn't the sights dipping so much as the slide rising at the rear. It has to do with polymer pistols not having full length rails...just those little pieces of metal embedded into the front and rear of both sides of the frame. There is natural "play" between the slide and the frame since there is limited contact between them. When you press the trigger, it imparts upward pressure on the slide through it's connection to the striker.

The reason it goes away when a loaded mag is inserted is because the "play" is removed by the upward pressure on the underside of the slide

 

[trackskippy]

Yea, I figured the dip and the rear of the slide rise out once I saw the dip. Hadnt tried it with something in the mag, and a round in that "taking out the slack" makes sense.

I just tried it again with three of my Glocks, a 17, 19, and 26, and with, and without an empty mag in the guns, the sights are rock solid when the triggers break. No dip, or any kind of movement at all.