.45 ACP SD Ammo for Sig P220

[Agsalaska]

So I just posted on the 9mm HST thread that I think any flavor of Federal HST ammo is a good choice for 9mm. But I also have a lot of experience in 9mm and there is quite a lot of data available for all kinds of firearms, barrel lengths, etc.

I recently acquired a Sig P220. And while I have owned and do own several .45acps, I have never looked at one beyond a range gun so have never bought anything other than FMJ

Data is much harder to come by. Most tests I have found online are from either a subcompact or a full size 1911. The P220 has a 4.4 inch barrel, kind of a tweener.

On a whim I bought a box of Speer gold Dot 230gr +p, but am not all that interested in +p ammo(havent shot it yet). But if that's the best answer that's fine.

Curious to see what you fellow THR posters feed your SD .45s. And anyone with a Sig P220 gets bonus Agsalaska points.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[JDGray]

Golden Sabres always feed in everything I’ve tried them in.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I use standard pressure Speer 230 gr Gold Dot JHP in all of my full size .45’s

 

[JTQ]

I think a lot of this stuff is just hair splitting. The difference between the best .45 Auto ammo and the worst .45 Auto ammo is probably smaller than the difference between any .45 Auto ammo and the best .38 Special ammo. Just buy any reasonably well regarded round, that you can find, at a price you're willing to pay, that feeds, and is accurate enough in your gun and move along.

I have Remington 230gr. standard pressure Golden Saber in my 1911, but the spare mags have 230gr. ball ammo in them. I'm not that concerned one way or the other.

The late Stephen A. Camp did some ammo testing and it is recorded on his web page, some of it with a SIG P220. None of the information is going to be terribly current, though.

https://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/OtherHandguns.htm

 

[MikeInOr]

I load my own self defence ammo with Gold Dots. They feed fine in my half dozen 45's. I just load standard pressure rounds and have never found a need for high pressure rounds.

For me the selection of self defence 45acp ammo is much less critical than 9mm ammo due to the bigger bullet... and any good JHP should be very sufficient in 9mm.

Even FMJ .45acp is a well proven man killer so any JHP should do the job very well. It is really not worth the time to worry about which JHP is best.

 

[Terry G]

I'm just as guilty as the next guy buying .45 self defense ammunition (.45 Golden Saber 230 grain), but the truth is .45 FMJ will do the job anyway. Ever hear of anyone saying they shrugged off a hit with .45 FMJ?

 

[Cacas ex Fortuna]

I fired a lot of different pills in the P220. Hornady Critical did the best, so I have a box just in case someone wonders into our roach motel.
These days I use 230 cast, and they are my standard practice round. We do have 1000 RN jacketed, but them are for where ever happens.

 

[The_Quartermaster]

I only have 230 standard pressure HST's. The Speer GD's won't always cycle in my 1911 but the HST's will so that's what I chose for both 45's.

 

[Slamfire]

I think a lot of this stuff is just hair splitting. The difference between the best .45 Auto ammo and the worst .45 Auto ammo is probably smaller than the difference between any .45 Auto ammo and the best .38 Special ammo. Just buy any reasonably well regarded round, that you can find, at a price you're willing to pay, that feeds, and is accurate enough in your gun and move along.

I have Remington 230gr. standard pressure Golden Saber in my 1911, but the spare mags have 230gr. ball ammo in them. I'm not that concerned one way or the other.

I agree with your assessment about the insignificance of differences between ammunition. Most of the differences are hype based on shooting in wood, duxseal, wet newspaper, water jugs, and not living creatures which react totally differently. And that is the problem, we can't test bullets like the Japanese did with swords. Sword testers actually chopped up living people, and they had a chop sequence, designed to thoroughly test the sword!

from Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tameshigiri



Given that today's lethality modeling is based on "similar to" media, whether or not some expanding bullet will actually work as advertised is a could be. Based on that, I consider the most important issue that of reliable function. The Gold Standard for function is the simple 230 FMJ RN. If a self defense round consistently feeds as well as the 230 FMJ than it meets my standard for function reliability. Since ballistic performance on target is more or less an act of faith, use whatever you believe in.You are not going to make up in ballistic performance what you lack in shot placement.

My P220 fed 185 JHP's and 230 FMJ's well. Also fed 230 LRN bullets well. I have orders of magnitude more bullets down range in 1911's, and I have found that 1911's are sensitive to bullet type and magazines. Maybe the P220 is less sensitive, which would be a good thing.

 

[1KPerDay]

Golden Sabres always feed in everything I’ve tried them in.

Same. Golden Sabres for P220 IMO. I have had feeding issues with some other JHP

 

[Agsalaska]

I think a lot of this stuff is just hair splitting. The difference between the best .45 Auto ammo and the worst .45 Auto ammo is probably smaller than the difference between any .45 Auto ammo and the best .38 Special ammo. Just buy any reasonably well regarded round, that you can find, at a price you're willing to pay, that feeds, and is accurate enough in your gun and move along.

I have Remington 230gr. standard pressure Golden Saber in my 1911, but the spare mags have 230gr. ball ammo in them. I'm not that concerned one way or the other.

The late Stephen A. Camp did some ammo testing and it is recorded on his web page, some of it with a SIG P220. None of the information is going to be terribly current, though.

https://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/OtherHandguns.htm

Did not know he had passed. I remember that website but have not seen it in years. I think I found my reading material for the evening.

And I tend to agree with you on the first paragraph. It is probably six of one and half a dozen of the others. Just want to make sure I am not missing anything when I buy.

 

[Agsalaska]

Same. Golden Sabres for P220 IMO. I have had feeding issues with some other JHP

Cool. I will be sure to buy some when I test.

I will probably buy a box of those and a box of 230 gr GD and one of the HSTs. Whichever one I shoot with the most accuracy and no malfunctions I will buy 100 more. If they shoot with no malfunctions I will fill the mags up and go with it.

Again I am just trying to make sure I am not missing something obvious.

 

[Gordon]

The Sig P220 are tanks and they are one of the least picky .45s ever made for ammo ! The + P Gold Dots you got are close to optimum in it for defense IMHO and gel test reports. I feed mine Winchester Ranger 230 +P but thats expensive and hard to find. It opens to 3/4" and holds the sharp petals out and it is rated at 980 FPS from 5" barrels.
https://www.atlantictactical.com/winchester-ra45tp-ranger-45-acp-auto-230-grain-p-t-series-jhp-ammo/

 

[WrongHanded]

The Sig P220 are tanks and they are one of the least picky .45s ever made for ammo ! The + P Gold Dots you got are close to optimum in it for defense IMHO and gel test reports. I feed mine Winchester Ranger 230 +P but thats expensive and hard to find. It opens to 3/4" and holds the sharp petals out and it is rated at 980 FPS from 5" barrels.
https://www.atlantictactical.com/winchester-ra45tp-ranger-45-acp-auto-230-grain-p-t-series-jhp-ammo/

When I had a P220, I carried the same Winchester ammo. I had several 50 round LE boxes left that I sold with the gun. I think I bought it all back around 2010 when both the gun and the ammo were cheaper. Nice combo, but too much grip length for me to CC easily. And that was really my only complaint.

 

[trackskippy]

I had a number of P220's, German and US, as well as a P245 and P220 "Compact". They fed everything I ever put in them. Id say just pick whatever you like and youll probably be fine.

The P220 really isnt al that big, basically Colt Commander size. The P245 really wasnt all that small either. SIG always had a weird idea as to what "compact" was back in the original P Series line.

Top to bottom, WG 220, US 220 "Carry", WG 245

 

[Slamfire]

[QUOTE="trackskippy, post: 12453751, member: 131204"
Top to bottom, WG 220, US 220 "Carry", WG 245
View attachment 1112869[/QUOTE]

Quite the Collection!

 

[trackskippy]

Thanks, It was.

SIG wise, Im down to a P226, P228, and a P230 these days. The P220's are great guns though.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I carried a SIG 220 as a duty gun for a while and used a brace of SIG 220STs when I used to travel to teach.

For practice I shot just about any 230gr FMJ ammo.

For defensive purposes, I loaded with Winchester Ranger 230gr JHP...mostly because my department provided it. Purchasing for personal used, I'd lean toward the Speer 230 Gold Dot as both reliable and accurate.

The only JHP that any of my SIG 220s ever had issues with were the Remington Golden Sabre

 

[crestoncowboy]

At least Certain sig 220 mags won't even accept some hp ammo with a wide meplat. It simply won't fit, it hits the front of the mag. The latest 220 i bought in .45 came with those mags. If i were guessing I would date it to 2013 or so. I can't remember really. The older guns did fine and I have several mags that accept anything I've found. But the 3 newest mags I have won't. Kind of pissed me off when I tried to load them and noticed. Why change specs on a gun that's been fine for 35 years.

I have carried gold dots and sigs own ammo in that particular gun.

Golden saber and the cheaper Remington jhp (green box, used to be sold at Walmart) were two that didn't fit. There were more but I don't remember which. I never found a ball ammo that didn't fit but I have heard of some

 

[Riomouse911]

I use the 230 gr Ranger SXT in my .45’s (1911’s and a CZ 97). I also have a few boxes of the Remington +P 185 gr Golden Saber loads as SHTF backup ammo.

Stay safe.