SIG Hammerli Trailside

[TBT]

Can anyone tell me anything about this gun? Never hear anything about it and I was thinking about upgrading my Buckmark Camper.

[klmhq]

I've got the 6" target model. Competition grip and adjustable rear sites. Fabulous gun. I like the high velocity ammo.

I can hit a Coke can at 60 yds with 7 of ten rounds. The close range shots are one (very small) hole.

Bad side, it must be cleaned out (bore snake) every 50 rounds, preferably more often. Individual magazines are like $50 from Sig.

I love it and it'll stay in the keep forever rack until Sig and Hammerli make a .17 HMR

[TBT]

klmhq said:

I've got the 6" target model. Competition grip and adjustable rear sites. Fabulous gun. I like the high velocity ammo.

I can hit a Coke can at 60 yds with 7 of ten rounds. The close range shots are one (very small) hole.

Bad side, it must be cleaned out (bore snake) every 50 rounds, preferably more often. Individual magazines are like $50 from Sig.

I love it and it'll stay in the keep forever rack until Sig and Hammerli make a .17 HMR

It has to be cleaned with a bore snake every 50 rounds? Why? That seems odd ...

You like the .17HMR better than the 22LR? I know nothing of the .17 save it is getting pretty popular. Isn't it weaker than the 22?

[klmhq]

The barrel is very sensitive to fouling and the groups start getting bad after 50 rounds or so. A quick clean and everything is back to normal. Apparently, I'm not the only person to have this issue. Keep in mind that this isn't a combat weapon. It isn't even a plinker (not really). It's a competition weapon.

I've heard that the .17 is a better cartridge for accuracy. Like the Sig .357. It's a necked down .22LR cartidge and that gives more power. I'm not an expert, but that's what I believe based on a number of articles. Anyway, Sig isn't going to make one, so it's a moot point anyway.

[MLB]

Actually, the .17HMR is more akin to a necked down .22 magnum round. The .22LR and the .22mag are quite different rounds. The LR is quite anemic in comparison.

I have a Marlin .22mag bolt action rifle (883 if I remember correctly), but I don't use it that often as the ammunition is significantly more expensive than .22lr. Shoots flatter and harder, but those tin cans don't care. It would be useful as a varmit rifle, the 17hmr would be a bit better still. Check out the prices for a box of 50 of them though. Ouch!

[TBT]

klmhq said:

The barrel is very sensitive to fouling and the groups start getting bad after 50 rounds or so. A quick clean and everything is back to normal. Apparently, I'm not the only person to have this issue. Keep in mind that this isn't a combat weapon. It isn't even a plinker (not really). It's a competition weapon.

I guess that makes sense. Your right, it isn't a combat weapon. That still seems a little much though, 50 rounds.

I'm thinking that I am going to buy one, so I will follow your advise if and when I do.

[MLB]

I looked at the Trailside when I was in the market for a .22 target pistol. I did like the performance, it is a fine handgun for all of the reviews that I've read. The price was a bit steep though, and I couldn't warm up to the looks. I went with the Ruger.

[TBT]

MLB said:

I looked at the Trailside when I was in the market for a .22 target pistol. I did like the performance, it is a fine handgun for all of the reviews that I've read. The price was a bit steep though, and I couldn't warm up to the looks. I went with the Ruger.

The price doesn't seem too bad to me @ $360. I had the same issue with the Ruger though, I can't warm up to the looks. I decided to go with the Buckmark Camper some time ago as an alternative. Just looking at upgrading right now.

[TMan]

I've looked at the Trailside, but like MLB, I also went for the Ruger. I had the Ruger 22/45, and swore I would never own another one, but then I found out about the CCI Mini Mag .22LR ammo. Great stuff - it ended the occasional problems I previously had experienced with the Browning Buckmark, and the frequent jams with the Walther PPK/S (Froggie built version).

I'm wondering if klmhq could try the CCI ammo and then see if it still needed cleaning every 50 rounds. I'd really like to know because the Trailside Competition model is on my list of guns that I'd like to have.

Oh, incidentally, for the money, I don't think you can beat the Ruger. I let a friend who owns a Buckmark shoot my Ruger Competition model today and he was wishing he had bought the Ruger.

[klmhq]

I haven't shot my Trailside in a while (been working out the P-01). I'll try a couple of boxes of CCI and see what happens.

I think my biggest complaint is loading the magazine.

BTW: Disassembly is a snap with the Trailside. It does require a flathead screwdriver though.. But the whole thing breaks down into three pieces... and no springs running around loose.

[MLB]

The Ruger takes a bit of training to break down. It's not entirely intuitive until you understand how the mechanism works. After that, not as big a deal as it's made out to be though.

$360 for the SIG sounds like a pretty good price to me too. The ones I was looking at were around $425 at the time. Turns out that I spent almost that much for the Ruger by the time I talked myself into the competition model anyway.

[TMan]

klmhq said:

... and no springs running around loose.

For the Browning Buckmark I need to use a allen wrench. Also, there is a little C-clip (or maybe an E-clip, I don't remember) that holds the spring. When disassembling for cleaning, I've had the clip come off and go flying. Fortunately, I've been able to find it, but at some point my luck may run out. Also, the is a post that sticks up on the frame that makes it difficult to push a cleaning rod through. I found the easiest way is to turn it upside down and clean from the muzzle.

I probably should keep a record of which guns I shoot, because I know I shoot some more than others. When I get ready to go to the range it is purely an emotional thing of which guns I take and shoot. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know which guns I enjoy shooting more. I know I shoot the Ruger .22's a lot!!!

["DoubleAction"]

TMan said:

For the Browning Buckmark I need to use a allen wrench. Also, there is a little C-clip (or maybe an E-clip, I don't remember) that holds the spring. When disassembling for cleaning, I've had the clip come off and go flying. Fortunately, I've been able to find it, but at some point my luck may run out. Also, the is a post that sticks up on the frame that makes it difficult to push a cleaning rod through. I found the easiest way is to turn it upside down and clean from the muzzle.

I have three Buckmarks, and the easiest way I found to clean the bore is to remove the barrels from the frame. One screw, located on the front of the frame, above the trigger guard, retains the barrel in place; Removing the screw allows the bore to be cleaned from the chamber , rather than the muzzle end.

[klmhq]

MLB said:

...$360 for the SIG sounds like a pretty good price to me too. The ones I was looking at were around $425 at the time...

The 4.5" barrel model tends to run in the low to mid 300s. The 6" tends to run in the mid 400s. At least that's what I noticed on gunbroker.

[TBT]

Here is and was my major hang-up with the Rugers: The tapered barrels on the affordable models and the price on the nicer looking ones. I hate the look of those tapered barrels. Hate it like poison. The nice competition model Rugers are as much as if not more than the Trailside and other higher grade models.

I’ve had nothing but good luck with my Buckmark so far, just something about it doesn’t thrill me. It’s also cheaper than the nice looking Rugers.

[TMan]

TBT, I forgot with guys that looks matter. I don't know what you mean about the tapered barrels. I guess I haven't seen one with it. I have the 10" barrel on one and the other is the Competition model like MLB has - in fact it was his review that convinced me the buy the Competition model.

However, when it comes to looks, you can't beat the Buckmark with the rosewood grips. Even my S&W 41, which cost much more, doesn't look as good as the Browning.

DA, you are right about removing the screw, but I don't like doing that. I hope I'm not screwing anything up by cleaning from the muzzle and holding it upside down. If I held it the normal way, junk would go into the gun, but I thought by doing it upside down I would avoid that.

[MLB]

Some of the Mark II's are tapered:


I like the looks of the rosewood Buckmarks too. I almost bought that one instead. Hard to beat the nice crisp trigger of a S&W Model 41 though. The bolt of the Trailside reminds me of the S&W actually.

[TMan]

Oh yuk You are right - that is one ugly gun. I haven't seen one of those in person. Wonder why they did that? If my memory serves me correct, the S&W has the lightest trigger - 2.0 lb according to my scale.

I wonder what the Sig Trailside has as far as trigger pull. It doesn't say on their web site.

There is a review of the Trailside at the following address:
www.galleryofguns.com/shootingtimes/Articles/DisplayArticles.asp?ID=297

[TBT]

Why is the Ruger MKII so insanely popular?

[MLB]

I think part of it is that up until recently, there weren't that many choices of .22 autoloaders. There are a few more now (maybe 6 or seven?), there was mostly just the Buckmark, the Mark II, and the S&W.

The Ruger is rock solid, the Buckmark looks nice, and the S&W (Model 41) has a teriffic trigger.