This section of the review will cover the entire process of fully disassembling a stock TM P226 and reassembling the stock internals into the PGC kit.
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[Disassembly]
Before you start, first strip down the P226 as shown in the Take Down Procedure section.
Let's start by removing the blowback mech from the slide. Unscrew the two screws in the back of the slide. The two screws hold both the blowback mech and the rear sight onto the slide. Once the screws have been removed, carefully push the sides around the ejection port outward so that the blowback mech will be able to pull upward. While holding the sides pushed outward, pull upward on the end of the loading muzzle and pull the entire blowback mech out of the slide. You can see that the square embossments on the sides of the blowback mech are what holds it in the slide. Go ahead and remove the front sight from the slide as well. There is a small plastic clip inside of the slide that holds the front sight in place. Simply slide the clip off of the pegs of the front sight.
Next, unscrew all four of the grip panel screws and pull apart the grips. Remove the grips from the frame slowly as the trigger bar spring under the right grip may slip off and shoot out and become lost. Carefully remove the trigger bar spring from the trigger bar. The decock lever on the left side of the frame will also need to be removed. Simply pull the decock lever along with the spring and bearing out of the frame. Make sure that the decock spring does not slip off as it may shoot out in any random direction.
Remove the hammer spring seat from the frame by pushing the hammer spring seat upward while carefully holding the hammer spring and strut.
Removing the hammer assembly will require a pin puncher or similar instrument; a narrow rod and the butt of a screwdriver may also be used as an alternative. On the right side of the frame, there will be two pins: one is in plain sight on the beavertail and the other is right above the trigger bar. Carefully tap both pins out of the frame from the right side so that they exit out the left. Then the hammer assembly will be free to pull out of the frame. Be aware of the valve knocker lock and spring as it may pop out while you pull the hammer assembly out of the frame.
The trigger assembly is next to be retrieved. First, unscrew the hex screw hidden behind the takedown lever. Then remove the screw that is holding down the front of the assembly to the frame. The takedown lever will require holding down the safety click that holds the lever in place. Make sure that the takedown lever is in the horizontal position before you hold down the safety click with the end of a screwdriver or similar. Push the lever out from the right of the frame and carefully pull it out from the left while keeping the click pushed down the whole time. With the three key pieces removed, the trigger assembly can now be pulled out of the frame. When pulling the assembly out, be aware of the slide stop spring as it is another easily misplaceable component of the gun. Inside the now empty frame where the trigger assembly resides, you will see two small inserts on both sides of the frame. These are trigger pivot inserts. You can remove them and store them away. The PGC kit comes with higher quality inserts for the trigger pivot.
With the trigger assembly out, the last pieces of the gun are easy to remove. Pull the magazine catch stopper from the frame. Keep an eye on the catch spring as you remove the stopper from the frame. With the stopper out, you can pull the magazine catch out of the frame. Finally, unscrew the final screw holding the catch cover.
Here are all of the parts removed from the stock plastic frame and slide. Make sure you account for each of the parts as each one serves a critical purpose.
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[Reassembly]
Before you can put all of the parts into the PGC kit, you will need to do a little bit of fitting to some of them. Three parts will require fitting if you want the finished product to function normally and smoothly. The first part is the takedown lever. On the underside of the lever shaft, there are two slots that the stud on the safety click needs to keep the lever in place. Unfortunately, the slot on the left is too small for the click to allow the lever to move. So you will need to open up the slot a bit. Use a simple file or a dremel to deepen and widen the slot. When you put the takedown lever into the PGC kit later on, make sure that it can turn from the locked and the unlocked position smoothly. If there is any strong resistance or if the lever doesn't turn at all, you will need to open up that same slot even more. It took me three tries before I was able to get a deep enough slot for the lever to function correctly.
The second part that needs fitting is the ridge on the back of the trigger assembly. The purpose of that ridge is to prevent any magazine play or rattling inside of the frame. But in the PGC kit, the ridge protrudes too much into the magazine well and makes the magazine very difficult to insert and remove because it pushes too much against the magazine loading lips. You will need to be grind the ridge down enough so that the magazine can be inserted into the gun and exit the gun smoothly under its own weight. Again, use a file or a dremel and shave thin layers at a time. When you put the trigger assembly into the PGC kit later on, check to see if the magazine can be inserted and removed smoothly from the gun. If the magazine cannot insert smoothly or exit under its own weight, redo the fitting process and shave a little bit more off of the ridge. I had to dremel the ridge around five times for the magazine to move smoothly in the gun.
The last part that needs fitting is the hammer ramp on the blowback mech. This part probably needs the least material removed from it compared to the other two parts. The hammer ramp is what pushes the hammer back in the cocked position. But when installed on the PGC kit, the hammer ramp protrudes too much causing unnecessary resistance and wear on the slide and the hammer. Take a file or a dremel and take a thin layer off the top of the ramp enough so that it can cock the hammer smoothly. When you put the slide back on later and you find out that the ramp is pushing the whole slide upward when it cocks the hammer, go back and take another thin layer off the ramp. Be very careful as taking off too much material will result in the hammer failing to lock back in the cocked position when the slide is racked. Fortunately, I was able to get the hammer ramp to function properly in only two tries.
From here you can finally begin reassembling the parts into the PGC kit. Start by inserting the magazine catch into the PGC frame and center it. Then insert the magazine catch stopper into the slot in the middle of the magazine catch. Be sure that the catch stopper spring is in the correct position; refer to the documented pics above for reference.
The PGC kit comes with a bunch of metal inserts that replace the stock plastic ones. Take the two trigger pivot inserts and put them in the hole on both sides of the frame; the insert with the screwdriver slot should be on the left. Now we can drop the trigger assembly in. Take the entire assembly and slowly ease it into the frame. Be sure that the slide stop spring does not fall out during the process. Once the trigger assembly is back in place, the mounting screws can be screwed back in place. Before you continue, the PGC kit includes a replacement front screw for the trigger assembly as the stock one will not work due to having a wider thread pitch. Screw the new screw into the front of the trigger assembly. Then screw the hex screw into place. After both screws are secured, the takedown lever can be inserted. Just as mentioned above, slide the takedown lever into the hole in the horizontal position while holding down the safety click.
Now onto the hammer assembly. Take the whole assembly and slowly ease it into its place in the back of the frame. Make sure that the valve knocker lock and spring does not pop out while you insert the hammer assembly. Once the hammer assembly is in place, insert the two pins back into the holes. You will notice that the pins will be difficult to push back in so you will need to use more effort when tapping them. Remember that both pins need to be inserted from the left side of the frame.
Now that the hard part is over, you can finish putting the last pieces of the gun back on. Begin by putting the trigger bar spring back on the right side of the frame. Be sure that the spring is in the correct position as shown in the picture. Then put the decock lever back in place. Be sure that the decock spring is also in the correct position; do not put the end of the spring through the hole. Next, put the hammer strut and spring back in place. Because the PGC kit has the exact copy of the real steel hammer spring seat already sculpted into the frame, you will no longer need the bulky stock hammer spring seat. Also, since the PGC hammer spring seat is slightly higher than the stock seat, the hammer strut and spring will be a bit more difficult to put on. Insert the top of the hammer strut through the slot under the hammer assembly until you feel the hook catch onto the hammer bar. Once you feel the strut catch onto the bar, slip the hammer spring onto the strut and push the spring upward so you can mount it on the seat. This may take a few tries as the spring is difficult to push up now with only your fingers. Lastly, put the magazine catch cover back on the right side of thr frame. Because the PGC kit does not have a hole for the catch cover, you can do away with the tiny stock screw for the catch cover.
Before you put the grip panels onto the frame, I suggest that you insert the brass grip hole rings that come with the PGC first. With the rings on the frame, put the grip panels in place and screw the grip screws on to finish assembling the frame.
You can now finish off with reassembling the slide parts. First, start by putting the roll bar inserts into the holes in the slide where the blowback mech is to be placed. The PGC kit comes with two pairs of roll bar inserts to suit your taste: one pair is solid and the other has a hole in the center of the inserts. Next, install the extractor into the slot on the right side of the slide. Then you can drop the blowback mech into the back of the frame and secure it down with the rear sights using the two screws. Insert the front sight and secure it down with its clip. Then finish off by sliding the outer and inner barrel into the slide along with the recoil spring and recoil spring guide. Put the slide back on the frame and take a satisfying deep breath because you just finished building the P226.
Here is the finished product.
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For secondary reference, here are the installation pics and instructions provided in the CD that came with the PGC kit.
"Attention:
(1)When installing the metal frame, use a small file to file a bit on the Slide Lock to make a small slot.
Make sure the Slide Lock can be turned smoothly BEFORE tightening the 2 screws.
Otherwise the Slide maybe NOT ABLE TO BE DETACHED anymore, and/or the 2 screws will loosen even thread glue is applied.
If you don't understand the which part of the slide lock to be filed, please view "b.jpg" in the instructions CD or consult your gunsmith.
The second thing to mention is about the 2 small holes on the rear end of the frame.
DO NOT drill the holes to make them bigger otherwise the fire power will drop.
Use a plastic hammer or screw driver grip to hammer the pins into the hole.
(2)Please refer to photo ¡§frame-mag.jpg ¡¨ to cut a thickness of 0.3-0.5mm IF you can¡¦t remove the magazine smoothly.
(3)Please refer to photo ¡§slide-smooth.jpg¡¨ to cut a thickness of 0.2-0.4mm IF the SLIDE is not smooth in action."
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(in progress)
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[Nitesiters Night Sights]
Installing the dots onto the iron sights may seem simple and easy, but the entire process is actually very tedious and time consuming. Though the tools and supplies that come with the Nitesiters should be sufficient enough to install the dots, I recommend using this set of tools along with the ones provided: a bottle of 91% rubbing alcohol, a plastic syringe, super glue, and a few extra toothpicks or barbecue sticks.
Before the Nitesiters dots can be installed, the painted dots on the stock iron sights need to be removed. The alcohol pad that is provided should be sufficient enough to remove the paint from the sights, but I suggest using the more potent alcohol to remove them. Fill the plastic syringe with alcohol and put a drop of alcohol on the painted dot and let it set for a moment. You will then notice that the white paint will start breaking up and turning into liquid. Clean off the alcohol and drop a fresh new droplet into the dot sight and use a tooth pick to "stir" it. Continue applying more alcohol and rubbing the paint off with the toothpick until all of the paint is gone as seen in what used to be the left dot in the pic. I cannot stress enough how imperative it is to have the iron sight free of paint and sterilized clean.
Once the dot foundation is free from paint and clean, the Nitesiters dots can be installed. I added another step in the process by putting super glue into the dot foundation to insure that the dots will never come off. Put a drop of super glue onto a piece of paper and use a tooth pick to "paint" the liquid super glue onto the dot foundation. Most super glue will not bond to paper so you do not have to worry about rushing the application. Once the glue has been applied, use the blade provided and slip it under one of the Nitesiters dots and slowly lift it from the cookie sheet. The dot's super adhesive will keep it well planted onto the blade so it will not fall off. The next step will require your steady hand and patience.
Steadily hold the iron sight and slip the dot off of the blade so that the dot is lightly ontop of the dot foundation. Then use the toothpick to push the dot inside of the depression; for the front sight, you only need to flatten the dot. The dot's adhesive and the super glue will not settle rapidly so you will have enough time to adjust the position of the dot with the toothpick if it is offset. The dot must be secured onto the iron sight so continue using the toothpick to firmly press the center of the dot and its outer edges. The residue, as I have mentioned above, will flake off as you push the dot in and can easily be removed with the blade, the toothpick, or a pair of tweesers. The night sights are fully functional and immediately ready to use on the field once you finish installing them, but the glue and adhesive will require 72 hours to completely bond as recommended in the instructions. It is also recommended that the sights be warmed with a hair dryer or similar heat source to help the adhesives bond.
Here is a before and after comparison showing the original iron sights on the left and the finished product on the right. You can still see some residue as I have not finished cleaning it off. In my opinion, they look exactly like the stock latex paint sights before I removed them.
Here is another comparison between the Nitesiters night sights and the stock contrast sights: TM P226 with Nitesiters on the left, KJW P229 with stock sights at center, KJW P226 with Nitesiters on the right. Personally, I cannot tell the difference.
TM P226 on the left, KJW P229 on the right.
KJW P226 on the left, KJW P229 on the right.
The night sights glow brightly in even the dimmest lighting conditions. These are the dots after a short five minute charge under the morning sun.
To sum it up, these night sights are solid white for quick acquisition during the day, and at night the sights glow a bright flourescent green that are considerably brighter than the more expensive tritium sights. The sticky adhesive on the dots will keep them stuck on the iron sights until you wish to remove them using the hobby blade. Add a bit of super glue if you are sure you want the sights to be permanent.
Mr. Presley has quite an amazing product here and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants a nice pair of quality night sights at a bargain price in their pistol. Check out his website for more information and for other Nitesiters shapes and sizes to fit your pistol, (
http://www.nitesiters.com/).
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(in progress)
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Contraints And Dependents
The chronograph used is the Shooting Chrony F1 Master
The pellets used are ICS 0.20g pellets.
The test is conducted indoors in a garage.
There is a five second delay between each shot.
The magazine is filled to capacity with propane before each set.
The magazine is loaded with 10 rounds before each set.
The magazine is hand-warmed for 30 seconds prior to inserting into the gun.
The hop up is turned off.
Ambient refers to room temperature prior to starting each set, not the magazine temperature. The magazine temperature is most likely colder than the recorded ambient temperature.
The P226 is fully upgraded along with the independent parts in the results below.
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Action piston head/Action floating valve
Laylax piston head/Action floating valve
PDI piston head/Action floating valve
(in progress)
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distance from target: 5m
(in progress)
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These are the some of the stores that i have bought parts from to build the TM P226.
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Dentrinity Shop (
http://www.dentrinity.com/)
Dentrinity is a very reliable airsoft dealer based in Hong Kong. The guys over at Dentrinity are very friendly and will try to get your order shipped out by the next day or two. Their product selection is massive with some of the lowest prices around. When Dentrinity exports replicas pistols, they will paint the end of the barrel instead of the slide. Upon request, they will put putty on the trades of your gun to keep them intact from Customs. Lastly, email response is quick to within one day. I sometimes inquiry them about when certain items will come back in stock and they always reply promptly. I cannot think of any way one can go wrong dealing with Dentrinity. This is my thumbs up and my good merits to you all at Dentrinity. Keep up the great work guys.
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WGC Shop (
http://www.wgcshop.com/)
WGC is another fantastic airsoft dealer in the Hong Kong area. Pretty much the same great qualities that Dentrinity has can be experienced with WGC as well. They give the choice of using putty or grip tape to cover up trademarks if you so choose to; I recommend going with the tape. Also, I love how they throw in random "gifts" for larger orders; a few gifts to mention are a speedloader and a WGC embroidered cap. I am sure WGC will be even greater now that they have recently expanded their warehouse. Another thumbs up to you guys at WGC.
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Cobra Airsoft (
http://www.cobraairsoft.com/)
Can you say fast as a cobra? The Hong Kong based Cobra Airsoft guys really live up to their name. I ordered a few parts for my KJW P226 from them before and they shipped it out in less than half a day and to my surprise, it arrived at my house the next afternoon. Their selection is not as wide, but they make up with their insanely quick shipping time and customer service. Just keep doing what you do best Cobra.
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Uncompany (
http://www.uncompany.com/)
Situated in Hong Kong, UNC is also a very well known retailer in the airsoft world. Though they do not have a wide selection, UNC has more unique gun parts for sale that you will not find at other airsoft retailers. They also offer the option to cover up trademarks with putty or tape if so requested. Their customer service is not as responsive as Dentrinity or WGC, but they will get back to you with your questions answered. Out of all of the overseas retailers I have dealt with, UNC has the lowest starting shipping price for pistols; $10 less shipping compared to Dentrinity and WGC. On top of that, their shipping speed is respectably quick and will arrive at your doorstep within the end of the week, if not the following Monday. The only problem that I have with UNC is their slow website speed. Other than that, UNC is a great reliable place to pick up a few parts and deserves my recommendation. Thanks UNC.
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Airsoft Northwest (
http://www.airsoftnw.com/)
(review coming soon)
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Airsplat (
http://www.airsplat.com/)
Located in Los Angeles, California, Airsplat is good for ordering supplies and other commodities for dirt cheap. I cannot speak highly for their product lineup as they are mostly entry level. My only disconcern about Airsplat is how they apply paint on gun barrels, atleast on pistols. As I have mentioned earlier, they apply primer on the barrels before they paint it making it impossible to fully remove unless you spend the next week constantly using toxic chemicals to somewhat dissolve the primer. But, it is worth it if you want to keep the orange paint on; especially since their KJW pistols are bargain cheap. Also, when Airsplat packs the little bottles of silicone lubricant used for propane adaptors, they do not tighten the cap enough and sometimes one or two of the bottles will leak during shipping. you may end up losing 20% of the silicone in the bottle if it manages to leak; a big downer for Airsplat. Other than that, they are reliable and ship out relatively quickly. One of my favorite item from Airsplat is their 5,000 round jar of ICS 0.20 gram pellets for $12. They also sell heavier rounds for low prices too. I cannot speak for their customer service as I never needed to talk with them yet. Otherwise, as long as you are aware of their downsides, you can get a lot for cheap at Airsplat and you can shoot for the free ground shipping if you order over $150. Airsplat, you are almost there. Keep up the good work.
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Topgunsupply (
http://www.topgunsupply.com/)
Located in Chesterland, Ohio, TGS boasts a very large selection of parts and supplies exclusively for Sigs and various other firearms. If you need real steel grips for your Sig, these are the guys you want to go to. They have flat rate shipping by USPS 2-3 day priority and a friendly staff ready to answer all your questions. Their shipping is also quite speedy and reliable. "Hoorah" TGS.