[FireArmFan]

I've been going back and forth for months now about what handgun to get. A month or so back i had a thread asking for help choosing between my list. Some of the ones on my list included a kimber 1911, a hk usp, a springfield xd, and a sig p220. I now believe to have my list narrowed down to one gun so i'm looking for advice on that particular one. I have shot an enjoyed every firearm on that list except the P220. however, the other day i was at the gun shop and i picked one up and something about it just felt so right. while i plan to eventually own that entire list, i'm only planning on getting one right now. The Sig seems to be my main choice right now. My question is to anyone with any experience with this gun. Using the search i did find a pretty good thread that helped a bit, but it didn't answer everything i'm looking for.
here's what i'm looking to know.
1. what pro's and con's does the p220 have?
2. for those who carry or have ever carried one, is it easily concealable/comfortable? (i understand wardrobe and personal comfort are a factor here, but i'm just looking for first hand experience)
3. suggestions on a nice holster for it. (preferably IWB or OWB, has to be left handed as well)

thanks in advance for anything you can provide.

[AK103K]

The P220 is a great pistol, accurate and reliable. The only "cons" to SIG's are, they tend to quickly multiply once you get one. :)

I have two older, non railed P220's and have never had an issue with either. Both have very nice DA triggers and both are very easy to shoot well with. Mine feed everything I put in them, including my LSWC reloads.

I've been resisting (and not very well I might add) the urge to pick up one of the new P220 Carry's. :)

The standard P220 is a Colt Commander size pistol, and is very easy to carry and conceal. I use a Blade Tech IWB or a Sparks VMII for mine. One thing nice with SIG's, if you buy the "railed" model holsters, you can use the same holster for more than one model. The P220, P245, and P226 will share the same holster. Remember, SIG's are addictive, you have to think ahead. :)

[silversport]

as a Southpaw (you mentioned left handed holsters so...) I feel the SiG Sauer P series are very Southpaw Friendly...

Older models have the sheet steel bent slide over a pinned breach block with an alloy frame...somewhat lightweight...comfortable and largely considered one of the finest .45ACPs you can buy (P220s were also available in .30Luger, 9MM, and rarely in some other calibers)...SiG Blue, Nitron, Ilaflon, Electroless Nickle, Stainless Steel...alloy framed and stainless frames...all sorts of configurations...get one.

Do not change the mag release...it will become (after a short amount of practice) easier to manipulate the mag release (if you have the American release...button on the frame like most guns...earlier ones had European heal release)...with your trigger finger...

Operate the beautiful SiG decocker with your trigger finger as well...

Release the slide in the sling shot method...don't use the slide stop...it is meant for stopping the slide (interesting how the names of some things follow their function)...:neener:

Sweet pistol that I carried on/off duty for many years...should you ever change your mind, it can be sold relatively easily because most people like this pistol.

VERY accurate and reliable...if you can, my preference is for the "older" folded steel slide with the pinned breachblock...West German or German marked pistols but I don't need or care for light rails or the current beavertails (never had a SiG bite)...but truthfully, only because mine were of that vintage...they're ALL good.
Good Luck!
Bill

[Fun2Shoot]

The Sig (P220) seems to be my main choice right now.

I'm in the same boat, or should I say 'was'.

I was hot to get a second 1911 style 45acp until I realized after posting the subject, "1911 - platform or 45acp ?" that the '45acp' was the attraction more than the 1911 platform.

I sorted out all my other 45acp semi-auto choices and basically settled on a Sig P220 DA/SA (or maybe SAO blued) in all natural stainless and began to try and find one.

Well, guess what, Sig just discontinued the all natural stainless P220!? :confused: Oh well.

Now any left over P220 stainless' will rise in price and I suppose out of my price range.

[nelson133]

I like my P220 a great deal, it is very reliable and, as you said, it fits my hand superbly, I shoot it as well or better than any other pistol that I own. Mine has a strong mainspring and needs full power loads to function. It doesn't feed anything too short, like 185 grain wadcutters, and likes an aol of 1.250 or less and a tight crimp to feed reliably.

[Mazeman]

The Sig P220 is a wonderful gun; accurate, well-balanced, great feel in my hand.... Some people say it's the best .45 out of the box, period.

But, IMHO, for concealed carry it's way too big. It's a full-size framed gun, much bigger than the Colt Commander. It would be too much for me to carry, and I'm a big guy.

[AK103K]

Actually, the standard P220 is a Commander sized pistol, and lighter than my Combat Commander. I'm not a big person and have carried both with no problem.

[Ala Dan]

SIG P220 Pro's:

a) grade A+ on performance, these things work right out of the box~!

b) accuracy- the most accurate DA/SA self loader I've ever shot, very capeable of some amazing results.

c) craftsmanship- top notch, Swiss design combined with German engineering

d) operation- simple and easy too take down for cleaning

e) customer service- ranks near the top, right along with S&W and North
Ameerican Arms.


SIG P220 Con's-

a) regular blued finish is a bit weak, unless kept up on a daily basis.

b) limited to 7 (or 8) shot magazines.

c) pricey, but well worth every penny spent.

[ravencon]

The Sig 220 is one of my favorites pistols. It feels right and just wants to shoot well for me. Reliability is great.

However, it is not one of my normal carry guns. But YMMV, after all, some people do like 'em for CC.

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. Though pretty thoroughly entrenched with the single-action automatic, I must admit that I'm extremely partial to the SIG-Sauer P220, and for the same reasons mentioned by previous posters.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/hipowersandhandguns/SIGSauerP220magrock1.jpg
I've not carried this one bought in the '90's very much nor shot it as much as some of my other pistols in .45 ACP, but it has never failed to feed any type of JHP or ball round be they commercial or handloaded. It doesn't like handloaded 200-gr. CSWC's, but works fine if no more than five are loaded into the magazine. Such is fine with me for the range.

The pistol shown above is the conventional DA/SA and while the initial DA shot is somewhat heavy, I have not found the transition between it and subsequent SA shots to be difficult. Like felt recoil, this is probably subjective and might or might not hold true for others.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/hipowersandhandguns/SIGP220rightfrntGrn1.jpg
I guess my main complaint with the P220 would be the lack of serrations or checkering on the front strap. Other SIG-Sauer handguns have other than smooth surfaces. Though I'd prefer such, in all honesty I cannot say that I've noticed any lack of control even with sweaty hands as the gun comes from the factory. Still, I stuck a piece of anti-skid tape on this gun.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/hipowersandhandguns/Ammunition/SIGSauerP220GS15ydtarg1-1.jpg
This 15 yard group was fired using a two-hand hold while seated with my wrists braced. It was fired slow-fired and SA only.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/hipowersandhandguns/Ammunition/SIGSauerP220controlledpairs10yds-1.jpg
At 10 yards, each set of controlled pairs was fired starting with the pistol in DA and from a low ready. Each shot was fired as quickly as a flash sight picture could be obtained.

Speaking only for myself, the P220 out of the box has proven reliable and with more than enough mechanical and practical accuracy to meet 99.99% of my perceived needs, real or imagined.

Best.

[tbtrout]

One of the best out of the box combat pistols available. Comfortable lightweight and easy to handle while being rugged and reliable.

[bear71]

Stephen,

I'd love for you to get ahold of and do a write up on the P220 SAO. Any chances of this happening anytime soon?

One neg I have heard of by some right hand shooters is that the slide lock/release button is situated right where they want to rest their thumb and sometimes upon expelling the magazine the slide doesn't lock open because of inadvertant pressure on the lever from the thumb.

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. There's always a possibility, but I have to buy the guns I write up or borrow from friends.

I will be doing a report on the P220 with the DAK system in the near future.

Best.

[Atticus]

I love mine...no complaints period. I highly recommend trying a set of Hogue rubber grips for it. Generally, I don't care much for rubber grips,or Hogue, but the grips they make (without the finger grooves) for the P220 are quite the perfect match for me. I don't carry mine that often, but it conceals nicely in an HBE holster worn under a jacket.

[AK103K]

One neg I have heard of by some right hand shooters is that the slide lock/release button is situated right where they want to rest their thumb and sometimes upon expelling the magazine the slide doesn't lock open because of inadvertant pressure on the lever from the thumb.
I think this is more a problem for the 1911 shooters who shoot with a high thumb. If you shoot the SIG's with your thumb down, its not an issue at all. You also get a more solid grip if you shoot this way, (on both pistols for that matter) making for more controllable shooting.

I've always thought the SIG's controls were in the right place and much easier to access, but if your used to a 1911, they will seem backwards.

[FireArmFan]

Thanks to everyone who replied. it's good to hear all the good things about it. and even as far as con's go i would say the good outweighs the bad. i'm pretty excited to get mine. keep the info coming if anyone has anything to add.

[Taffnevy]

I was in the same boat as you for the longest time, and my selection of pistols was almost identical.

In the end I went with an STI Trojan.

I'll give you my reasons.

-I decided that for my first pistol, and possibly my only one for a while, I did not want a polymer gun.
-I'm not crazy about reports of Sigs CS, and the fact that they come out with a large amount of re-designs and "new" models every year.

Additionally, I went down to the local gun shop and held all of our potential pistols. The P-220 did feel good in my hand, but it did not feel SOLID like the 1911. I'm sure that it was the lightweight aluminum frame.

The 1911's that I held just felt good. They felt solid and slim. They pointed perfectly, and the triggers were much different than all the other pistols. The 1911 triggers just "broke", there was no take up or warning. You just put a little pressure on the trigger and the hammer fell, even on the cheapest GI Springfield. Of course there was a difference between the $475 GI and the $1000 Kimber Raptor trigger, but the GI trigger was still a lot better than the $950 Sig P220 Combat trigger.

So in the end I decided that I liked the 1911 platform best, and in my price range ($1000-$1100) the Trojan has a bunch of fans. I even bought it from a Smith who is going to take it apart, clean it up, do a trigger job and check for reliability.

[1BLINDREF]

I've had my P220 for about 14 years and love it. I don't carry it often - it's a bit bigger then I like. I put a set of Hogues on it and it feels perfect in my hand. The only problem with Sigs is that you get addicted to them :D I carried a P228 for a long time untill the P229 DAK came out. I now carry a P229 DAK .40. Next want, not need, is a P239 DAK. You can't go wrong with a Sig - good quality that'll last a lifetime. Good luck!

[usp_fan]

I was at the store today and asked the kid behind the counter if they had the 220 SAO in yet. He said what's that? When I explained, he asked, why don't you just get a 1911?

I told him I had one and I also had a 220, I was interested in trying the combination of the two.

I think each pistol is excellent in it's own right and either is very comforting to carry. A good holster makes carrying both doable and comfortable. The best thing I can say about the 220 is it was perfect from the get go. I did change to the short trigger, but that's due to my small hands. Novak or ACT magazines are a good solid buy if you want 8 round capacity and don't want to pay SIG prices for mags. Don't over look the factory 7 rounders that pop up. They are bomb proof and usually a good deal as everyone scrambles to sell so they can add mags with one more round capacity.

I will note one major difference for me btwn the SIG and the 1911. Muzzle flip is more pronounced. I'm not good enough for this to matter much, but it is easy to notice shooting them back to back. Good luck and post pics when you get yours. You may also want to go over and browse the sig forum. They are very educated and will make a fan out of you if you let them.

--usp_fan

[robctwo]

You need a 220ST
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e186/robctwo/PICT2411.jpg

[FireArmFan]

The one i'm currently looking at is the Bi-tone. Looks like this http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=6&productid=92

i don't really have a preferance between the all black or the bi-tone. i like them both, plus the store i want to get it from only has the bi-tone in stock right now. Gander Mountain has the all black one but i would rather spend my money at the smaller store anyways. they are much nicer to me and the people at gander generally ignore me.

[HuntAndFish]

1. what pro's and con's does the p220 have?
2. for those who carry or have ever carried one, is it easily concealable/comfortable? (i understand wardrobe and personal comfort are a factor here, but i'm just looking for first hand experience)
3. suggestions on a nice holster for it. (preferably IWB or OWB, has to be left handed as well)



1)
PROS: Quality is good, functions well, very durable, easy to field strip. Good service from SIG.
CONS: DA/SA trigger takes lots of practice for the transition from double to single action. This is something to seriously consider if you are going to carry it. My P220 is an older one. I'm not familiar with the railed guns or DAK trigger. You can't let that first shot go just anywhere, it has to be on target. You are responsible for where it lands as with all the others. I don't carry mine anymore for this reason. Taking a few training courses showed me the value of a carry gun that always gives you the same trigger pull and reset each time. YMMV.


2)
As said it is a commander sized gun and about the same weight loaded, so it is a "medium" carry I guess. A good belt and holster are required to carry it comfortably. Not much different than a commander sized 1911 (ie; not a pocket pistol, but acceptable with a carry garment or the right loose clothing).

3)
No experience with left handed holsters. I used the IWB Galco royal guard which I see is usually available for lefties. It was exceptable although there are better holsters (ie; more expensive and better quality). Looks like this holster is on back order for this gun so maybe they are popular.

galco royal guard for P220 (http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterG3.asp?ProductID=899&GunID=150)