Looking for actual owner experiences with the P220

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.45Guy

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I'm looking for actual owners first hand experiences, whether positive or negative. I just picked up a used 220 after having owned a Taurus 945 for the past 3.5 years. It seemed like a logical choice given the almost exact duplication Taurus managed with the 945. I haven't had a chance to hit the range with the Sig yet, but I'd like to hear of others experiences.
 
I have had my W.G. P220 since Oct. I think it is one of the best .45's I have ever shot. IMHO lower recoil than my Kimber, very accurate, reliable and will eat anything I've put through it. In short it is a Sig. As with the other 3 Sig's(W.G. P230, W.G. P228 & P225) I have they all have been flawless.
 
Great gun. Rock solid and should serve you well. I personally like the 1911 platform better but that is more of a personal preference then anything else. The P220 is very reliable and will out last you as long as you take care of it.

Sigs like to run wet IMHO.
 
I have three, great guns. The only downside to them is, they are SIG's and VERY addictive! :)
 
My bud bought one not too long ago, and it jammed every few rounds. It seems like Sig is taking care of it though. They paid for shipping, and it should be back in two weeks or so.
 
First handgun I owned, still one of my favorites. I picked up an older one - Interarms import pre-SIGArms with the european style heel release. It was already heavily used but not abused when I got it.

It has always been very accurate for me. It has a great DA-SA trigger - even better than newer SIGs that have had the "factory" action enhancement trigger job. I think this must just be what happens when a SIG trigger is very thoroughly broken in.

I had one malfunction, once, with lacquer-coated Wolf ammo and an old magazine with a worn out spring. Never did malfunction with normal ammo, and even with the Wolf it worked fine with fresh mags or fresh mag springs.

Most SIGs are set up for a sight picture where you "cover" the target with the front sight dot. Folks who are used to the "lollipop" or six o'clock sight picture will usually wind up shooting low with SIGs.

If you are not used to the DA-SA trigger, a good drill is to shoot DA-SA pairs. What I do is holster the gun or hold it at low ready, bring it up and get a sight picture, shoot a DA shot, shoot a follow up SA shot, and then decock and repeat. This helps you get used to the DA first shot and transition to a different trigger pull for the second shot. It is also good to get in the habit of decocking before holstering if you are ever going to carry this gun. I am so used to the SIG trigger, I find myself reaching for the nonexistent decocker on guns that don't have them. But if you are going to carry a DA-SA SIG, you need to develop this habit.
 
Carried one for eight years in law enforcement. Never broke and never let me down. Can't ask for more than that.

Jeff
 
I have one that I put together from parts (long story).

I like my Kimber Target better but the 220 is a really nice gun. I'm sure you will like it more than the Taurus.
 
I owned a P220 for less than a year. In that time, it spent 10 weeks back w/ the factory and still was not right. I sold it & put the $$ into another 45 that I've been totally happy with
 
I'm not crazy about most Sigs, but the P220 I love. I've had mine for years and it's been a fantastic gun.

It's one of the guns in my collection I can't ever see getting rid of.

Great purchase on your part!

Have fun,
DFW1911
 
I have had only good experiences with my 220. I traded for a used pistol in great condition. I've got an early railed model with the folded steel slide. It is accurate, reliable, easy to clear, and fun to shoot. No problems at all.
 
I own two P220's (blued and two-tone)......great guns. No problems or issues. Excellent accuracy, feeds and shoots anything I put in it.
 
My how time do fly. I just replaced the trijicon lamps on the 220 that I bought new in 96.

I have only fired about 2,000 rounds through it. It hits where I am looking with 230 Hydrashoks. It is light and easy to carry and requires little maintenance. The only negative is that MY particular 220 will not reliably feel 200 gr. SWCs. Others will.

You can't go wrong with one.
 
The P220 is a fantastic weapon. My most "fun" pistol to shoot.

All of mine have performed flawlessly and their reputation for superior accuracy OOTB is well deserved. I doubt that you'll be disappointed. Just make sure that your P220 is clean and well lubricated. SIGs prefer to run a bit on the "wet" side.
 
I've had my non-rail frame P220 for less than a year and have put ~2-3k in rounds through it. With typical ball ammo I've had next to no problems except for a couple FTE's from some crappy Wolf ammo. I love my P220 and it shoots great, however it seems to have a noticeable amount more recoil than my friend's Kimber Custom II. Maybe the PO of my P220 put in a stiffer recoil spring or something? The one major thing to remember is the dot on the front sight is the POI with Sigs (at least any Sig I know of w/ stock sights). I drove myself crazy trying to figure out why my gun kept shooting low until I came upon that little morsel of knowledge. ;)

Also, just FYI, I put a Sprinco recoil reducer in both my P220 and P225 and ultimately found that the recoil reducer is NOT compatible with open nose JHP's on at least these 2 guns (both guns malfunctioned pretty much identical). The reason being I would constantly get failures to feed with the JHP's typically going nose down into the feed ramp or nose up into the barrel hood. After examining the function of the Sprinco units, I think the decreased slide velocity at the last portion of it's travel (due to the 2nd spring) is not allowing it to put enough forward force into feeding the JHP's. That's just my speculation anyways. Ultimately, after trying a wide variety of JHP's (Hydrashoks, various Gold Dots, Glaser's, RBCD's....) I had pretty much the same issues with any type of HP ammo. Strangely enough, it never really seemed to be an issue with typical ball rounds (the RBCD's and Glasers are round nose but still experienced the same issues for some reason), and I could notice a bit of recoil reduction. Overall, I would say just don't use a recoil reducer of any type on at least a P220 or P225 being used for self defense. I'm not sure if any other Sig's would have the same issues. I did test back to back and tried most of the same JHP brands after replacing the stock spring/guide rod, so I know for a fact the Sprinco was causing it. Anyways just thought I should mention as I was keeping my P220 as a home defense gun and hadn't even considered the possibility that the recoil reducer might affect reliability; luckily I found out before it might have been too late.
 
I had one from 1996-2003. (Needed money bad and fast. :() Ironically, it was the gun I traded in a lemon Taurus PT945 on. ;) It functioned perfectly out of the box, and the only time it ever malfunctioned was when I let it run dry. :eek: Unlike a Glock which will function even completely degreased, SIGs need more lube on the slide rails, preferably a light grease like TW25B.
 
IMO the P220's the best pistol I've got.

I've had one since 1984, the first year they were offered in the US if my calculations are correct. It's so old it's got the old euro-style heel mag release.

Accurate, solid, beautifully made. SA trigger is perfection. Never malfunctioned once in all those years, even when it got dry and dirty. Well, OK, once it failed-to-feed, but the brass was out-of-round so I don't count that one. Who knows how many thousands of shots it's got in those 23 years, and the only sign of wear is that the blue is a little worn. No rust even then. Zero repairs, still works perfectly with the original springs.

I don't think you'll regret that you got the P220.
 
Mine is my CCW, it has never failed to feed or eject. It is also superbly accurate.

I once shot a flying clay pigeon in the side and split it into two halves with it. Of course that may have been pure luck....or was it?

Easy to shoot in DA and a dream in SA.

And I bought it used, and certified from SiG the slide has a different (older) SN than the frame but they work together fine.

It didn't seem to be as accurate with Hornady's TAP than with other rounds for some reason. Don't know why.

Overall it gets a big thumb up from me.
 
I dont have a Sig 220, though a friend of mine has one. It really is a sweet shooter and I enjoy shooting it very much. It is a fantastic gun and little felt recoil is a nice touch.

I have a Sig 228 and that happens to be my favorite Sig. I cannot recommend it enough if your looking for a compact 9mm.
 
I've owned mine since 1996 and it is the most accurate autoloader I own. It has a tight chamber and reloads have to be tailored for it. It doesn't like anything but round nose and they have to be loaded under maximum length. I own a number of different .45s and it is my favorite.
It is also the only one of my .45s that my girl friend likes to shoot and if I don't bring it when we go to the range, she is unhappy.
It is the gun I had in my hand when 2 men came through the front door of her house, so it also has a sentimental attachment for her.
The only problem I had was that a primer came out of a fired case and fell back into the works and messed up the innards, but the factory put it back together, tho at my cost.
I've put thousands of rounds through this gun and expect to put thousands more through it. If I didn't have one, I'd have to go buy one.
 
I have a P220. Good solid pistol. Can't get excited about the Sigs, but they are a first rate weapon. Rarely shoot my Sigs, but when I do they work!
str1
 
Never really cared for the P220 I owned...then...SiG introduced the P220 Carry. I now own two of those - a DAK, and a Stainless Elite with SRT. Uber accurate, well made and well worth the coin versus some of the cheaper options.

If the membership cost is an issue, look to a used stainless steeel 3rd generation S&W .45, like the DA/SA 4506, or my personal favorite, the DAO 4586...
 
For the money it's one of the best pistols out there IMHO. The barrel is great and I have had no failures. I prefer a 1911 because of the thumb safety. The P220 doesn't have one.
 
I love my Sig P220. Like others here, I have had nothing but positive experiences with mine. It is extremely reliable, extremely accurate, and very well balanced.

I also have to admit that I much prefer single stack designed firearms to the more thicker double stack design. But, when it comes to defensive firearms, I also prefer DA/SA and DAO pistols to SAO pistols. I have found the Sig P220 to be the perfect match of the above preferences.

Here is my P220

2001316215808675251_rs.jpg
 
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