Finally!!

[Ganesh TT]

Av - how do u feel once u received the most awaited gun and handled first time?

[a__v]

Thank you all for your comments. I will definitely post updates after a visit to the range.

Av - how do u feel once u received the most awaited gun and handled first time?

For the first hour I couldn't believe the fact that I got it, but after that, it was one of the happiest moments I have ever had. The guys at the store took almost an hour as they checked out all the paperwork and checked with one of their legal consultants. I was getting nervous wondering if something would go wrong, but nothing did and 10 minutes after they got the go ahead, I walked out with it. Got 2 free hours of range time for my patience

[xl_target]

Congratulations and a great choice!

Now start running ammo through it. It will start to smooth out after a few rounds. The mags will get easier to load, the gun will get easier to cock and the trigger will smooth out..
Pretty soon, she will put all the empties in one area. Several of my SIG's do this unlike my other auto's that throw brass all over.
Get several hundred rounds through it as soon as you can (keep a log). That way if any problems show up, you can get them fixed right away. Once you get a couple of hundred rounds through it with no issues, you know you now have a reliable gun that will continue to function for the rest of your life.

Before you shoot it clean it properly, including the barrel, and then follow SIG Forum's lubrication recommendations. SIG's like to run wet.
Don't adjust the sights till you get quite a few rounds through it. At first you will most likely shoot low and left (if you're right handed). Your technique and skill will improve with time and more rounds down the pipe. Grip is important and so is the trigger squeeze.
Here are two videos that will help you with grip (this is for combat shooting, not bullseye):
[youtube][/youtube]
[youtube][/youtube]

Next, dry fire the crap out of it. If you're nervous about dry firing it empty, put a yellow foam earplug under the hammer or get some snap caps. Read this. Practice holding it steady on a target as you squeeze the trigger. You goal is to be smooth and steady. Don't worry about speed as that will come later. Remember, it always the "unloaded" guns that seem to go off. Check and double check the chamber and remove the magazine before dry firing. Keep the ammo in a different room, if you have to.

You are going to have a blast with this new pistol. Be safe, my friend.

[boris]

After 3 months of deliberation and then a further wait of almost 3 weeks for the order to come in, finally got my hands on exactly what I wanted!!

Sig Sauer P226 Enhanced Elite in .40 S&W. Didn't get a chance to try it out yet, but thats what I plan to do this weekend!!.

Excellent weapon sir, she is a beauty. I have a few questions:

1) Are you on an H1-B visa sir??
2)Was the 3 month wait for the hunting license for immigrants on H1-B?
3)Would you please share with us the process for legal permit to purchase a firearm in the US for a non-citizen, i.e your experience?
4)Is the process as much a pain as compared to the one in India?

Thank You.

[a__v]

Thank you very much XL. Took your suggestion and spent some time looking at the SIG and the CZ, before finally deciding to go with the SIG. The E2 grips on the SIG made it feel just right in my hand.

I'm gonna take your advice and try to put a couple hundred rounds through it over the weekend or early next week. Got a Kleenbore kit on sale on thanksgiving, so Saturday is going to be my "learn to clean your gun" day & then probably off to the range.


@boris:

Excellent weapon sir, she is a beauty. I have a few questions:

1) Are you on an H1-B visa sir??
2)Was the 3 month wait for the hunting license for immigrants on H1-B?
3)Would you please share with us the process for legal permit to purchase a firearm in the US for a non-citizen, i.e your experience?
4)Is the process as much a pain as compared to the one in India?

Thank You.

1. I'm on a L1 visa
2. Getting the hunting license is not difficult. An associate at work conducts the 2 day class, which is required in Ohio. After that you can go to any place which sells hunting licenses and buy the license. The 3 months I spent thinking about the consequences/responsibilities that come with owning a gun and to make up my mind. All that time was also spent narrowing down what I would buy if I decided to go ahead with it.
3. Here in Ohio there is no permit required to purchase a handgun (I think class 3 firearms are the ones that need a permit). As long as the NICS check comes in fine, and you meet the "non-immigrant alien" exemptions,you should be able to buy a firearm. In my case the store manager did spend about an hour making sure that he can sell me one. I really thank him for putting in that effort as it removed all doubts.
4. Nothing can compare to the painful process in India. Over here, as long as you do your due diligence and research, every step is easy and painless. Ofcourse, being a non-citizen, you have to be extra careful to make sure that you abide by every law that applies to a non-citizen. I was told by a lawyer to get a CCW permit, just to be on the safe side, even if I don't plan to carry the firearm.

[Sakobav]

A_v

congrats .40 Sw is NPB in INdia? Looking forward to your report but not sure how readily available is its ammo in India worth checking ...

Good luck

[xl_target]

40 S&W is NPB in India.
As to availability, I can't say.

[a__v]

Got a chance to put some rounds through it this weekend. I didn't realize how detailed a cleaning session can be until I started. Took about an hour and a half for my first cleaning after watching the videos on SIG's site. Then to the range and back home and another round of cleaning.

First off, the spring and trigger felt a little hard at the beginning...guess thats normal for a new gun. Also the slide release takes some effort, which I believe will get easier with time. I only had time to fire around 100 rounds through it this time. As expected, the first few rounds went low and being a 40, it has a snap to it that needs some getting used to. After the first few rounds, I was able to get a good grouping at 10yrds in Single Action. Double action was a bit heavy and most of my shots went off their mark. The trigger The Enhanced Elite comes with SRT but I didn't realize how reduced the trigger reset was. It felt like the trigger barely moved and it was ready for the next shot. This was quite a surprise compared to the previous SIG I tried which did not have SRT.

Shooting a rental was fun, but putting the first few rounds through my very own gun, now that was one heck of an experience. Time to take a wise man's advice and dry fire the crap out of it before my next range visit!!

[aaroraa]

sweet !!

[xl_target]

a_v,
Don't use the slide release to release the slide.
Grab the back of the slide (covering the sights) with your left hand and pull it back and let go. Do not ride it in, let it slam forward under the spring tension.
It's more positive and this way there is no chance of your finger slipping off the slide release. If you take any defensive gun training classes, that is what you will be advised to do. Don't worry, you cannot damage it. When firing, the slide slams back and forth under spring tension with a lot of violence. On some pistols (it most likely wont happen with your SIG), using the slide release constantly (especially in competition) wears the sharp edge of the slide release and the cut in the slide rendering it unable to catch. Of course, this will require many many rounds.

The SIG SRT sure is nice, isn't it? Another tip about the a SIG; Slip a business card under the takedown lever as you turn it to take down and reassemble the gun. If you don't do that, you will eventually get a semicircular mark in the finish around the takedown lever. Take a look at the rental SIG's, I'll be willing to bet that they all have it. It doesn't affect the function of the gun, it's just a cosmetic issue.


It sure is good to see you having fun with your SIG. Keep us updated on your progress as you put more rounds through it. Once you get used to it, you will find that it is a very accurate handgun even though it is a service pistol and not a target handgun.