I have a Sig 226, 1988 build and a 220 that is newer, probably 5 or 6 years old. I swear if I even look at the things wrong the slide rusts. My HK, Glock, and Serbu Super Shorty do not do this, neither has any AR I've ever owned.

What's the deal and how do I stop it? Is there some place I can send the slides to and get a different coating put on? I hate to spend the money but I am sick having to keep an eye on them. I shoot them both the best out of any of my handguns so I'm not ready to just give up on them yet.

Thanks in advance. I hit the search on the bottom for "rust" but it didn't pull anything up. I apologize if this has been covered in detail 900000 times.

Soak them in penetrating oil for a day or so. Let it creep in good and deep to neutralize any active rust. Then clean off with bore cleaner and re lube.

OIL

I'd do this first. If it continues you can always have the slides refinished.

Let me clarify. I put oil on them just about every time I handle them. Went to the range yesterday afternoon though, and this morning they were rusted up. I oiled them up and it goes away for the most part. I'm just sick of dealing with it. Even in the safe, unless I put them up wet wet wet, they rust.

What would be a coating I could have put on them that would not do this? What coating is on them from Sig? Will Glock refinish a Sig slide?

try eezox gun oil on the exterior.... best rust preventative oil ever made

BOESHIELD T-9

Get all the rust off, hit the slide with some rubbing alcohol and a cotton rag. Let it dry and then hit it with the Boeshield and let it dry for a couple hours before reassembling.  It's all the same stuff, the bicycle T-9 works the same and you can get it at a bike shop.  It was developed by Boeing aircraft for wings. It's a a high falooting paraffin/synthetic oil mix. If your slide has a blued finish, touch it up with some Birchwood Casey super blue first. I re-finished a German surplus P-6 with super blue and the boeshield treatment and it looks brand new.

It sounds like you have pre-Nitron slides and the Sig blue has worn off.

The slides are stainless steel which do not (traditional) blue well and will rust.

I would recommend some light blasting with a refinish.  Even something cheap and easy like Cerakote will protect them.  Check out Customized Creationz and look at the work Todd has done––it's pretty cool.  If you call/e-mail him, he will give you good advice and recommendations.

Sig will refinish a slide in Nitron for $99 (last time I checked).  Just be forwarded that the new Nitron process will produce a finish that's lighters and flatter than the slide.


ETA:  I had this problem on a used P226 I bought last year.  The mistake I made was taking it to Gander Mountain for hard chrome––they had to buy the gun back from me, they messed it up so bad.  So if you are going to refinish, go with someone who has a good rep with Sigs!

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the insight.

The only thing I can add is that the older sigs have stamped steel (carbon slides) and the sig bluing and or the K-kote sucked. Some came nickel coated but that eventually shows wear. The stainless or one piece slides weren't widely introduced until the appearance of the P229 around 2000 or so.

look under Accurate Plating and get them Hard Chromed.

Have you ever had a Sig hard chromed?

This is what I tried to do and I don't recommend it.  Because the frame is alloy and the slide is SS, there is no way to match the finish––it looks like crap.  What they have to do is nickel plate the frame first so the hard chrome will adhere which results in a different penetration rate and finish.

When the gun is finished, the frame is a matte and the slide is glossy.  Also Sig slides do have blemishes that will show more with chrome.  If you have any rust issues the finish will look "off" in those areas.

I just went through all of this––wish I would have taken pics.

The exception would be a 100% SS gun...

No, I was not saying to hard chrome the whole pistol. Just the slides and maybe the controls. I am sure his frames are not rusting. I have never heard of anyone even trying to hard chrome an AL. frame.  Hard Chrome works great  on slides and takes little care for rust.