Picked up a used Sig P220-question.

[Retro]

So I was window shopping at the local gunshop, and I saw a used Sig Sauer P220 for sale for $500. I haggled a bit and paid $525 total for it. It is matte black without railmount. It has tritium night-sight. It has some holster wear at the front of the slide but everything else was excellent, and the bore was excellent. It has the serial number G319-xxx on it, and I was wondering, approximately around what year was this sig produced, and does it have DAK trigger? (I didn't see any marking for DAK, but the DA trigger pull is a lot lighter than the USP .45 I have).

So I ran 60 rounds of Wolf FMJ through it, and compared it side-by-side with my USP .45.

Overall:

Sig: No jam, feels like a classic 1911 with hogue grip and better trigger pull.
USP: No jam, feels like a space gun with laser shooting out of it.

USP is better looking than Sig though.

Recoil:

The sig had a lot more recoil than USP, but sig felt more natural in the hand than USP.

Group:

Sig: 3 inch at 25 yards
USP: 5 inch at 25 yards

Capacity:

Sig: 7 + 1 round was inadaquate
USP: 12+1 felt just right.

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's Sir-

Congratulations on your purchase of a SIG P220A. As to a date code,
all West German "proofed" SIG's have a two letter date code right
underneath the barrel, just forward of the dust cover. It should read
something like "KA" or "KF" . If memory serves me correctly, K= 9, and
A=0 indicating my 9m/m West German SIG-SAUER P228 was birthed
in 1990. Likewise, my .45 caliber West German SIG-SAUER P220A
has the date code of "KF", making its birth year 1995.

I'm sure there is also a way to check by serial; but I don't know how
that is done? My P228 is B-111xxx, and my P220A is G-235xxx. I hope
this information helps a bit?

 

[Retro]

Thanks Ala Dan, but I checked my P220 and I could not find any markings such as "AF", and the slide says "made in Germany", in fact I could not find any marking except for "45" stamped inside the frame. I looked inside the side, on the barrel, and inside the frame (I even looked inside the barrel). Could you point me to a more specific location. Thanks.

Edit: while looking for the stamped letters, I found traces of some green stuff on the recoil spring. I thought it was fungus/algea, and tried to scrub it off with a brush but it won't budge. I looked under a microscope, and I realized that it was residual green paint. Does anyone know the significance of this green traces of paint on the recoil spring? Thanx.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. It is my understanding that the green paint on the spring indicates a heavier recoil spring for use with warmer loads.

Best.

 

[Ala Dan]

My friend Mr. Camp is absolutely correct, as the "green spring" does
indicate the weapon can be used with warmer loads; even +P ammo.

You might remove the grip panels for further examination, and see
if you find a date code inside. It might have something that looks
like a clock, with an arrow pointing to a particular number; and
having a two digit number in the middle. If so, the number that
the arrow points too is the month the weapon was made; and
the two digit number in the middle would be the year. I'm not
so sure the folks at SIG-SAUER ever did this; as I've only dealt
with West German proofed guns, and a few from the plant in
Exeter, New Hampshire~! Hope this helps?

 

[Vex]

Call Sigarms customer service: 603-772-2302. Give them the serial number, and they can tell you what month and year it was made, proofed, distributed, and whether or not it's been into the Sigarms shop for any service. They also have records of what it should be equipped with... sights, DAK, SA, DA/DA, etc....

Also, AFAIK, the DAK for P220's just came out in the last 6 months, and all DAKs have the rail on the dust cover. I'm thinking yours is probably just a SA.

 

[Richard.Howe]

USP is better looking than Sig though

Milled aluminum and steel takes an aesthetic back seat to plastic? Heck, even the exposed HK hammer is plastic...but I gotta respect your courage for coming out.

Sig: 7 + 1 round was inadequate

While I would certainly pick up my G21 (is 14 rounds more adequate than the HK's 13?) over my P220 in the event of war or impending zombie attack, there are precious few other scenarios where 8 rounds or 45acp might be considered "inadequate..."

...especially when recalling to mind the fact that all those poor WWII schleps were armed with "merely" 8 rounds of 45 as well (in their 1911s).

 

[bluto]

Excellent purchase. I think the P220 in .45 is Sig's finest pistol.

As you've already discovered, it's very accurate. Wait until you've put a few thousand rounds through it and I think you'll appreciate its quality even more.

Although the recoil never bothered me, I've put Hogue fingergroove grips on mine for a better fit to my hands and it's more comfortable to shoot than my heavier 1911's.

 

[Retro]

Thanks guys for the input.

So I called up SigArms about my used gun. And G 319-XXX was manufactured in February 2001, and the slide and frame was made in Germany, and all parts were assembled in New Hamp.- USA. The gun did not come with original Tritium sights, and no records of any fixes for this gun.

Sigarms custom service was awesome.

Thanks again.

 

[Shipwreck]

Congrats on the "new to U" gun

 

[MadMercS55]

Can't ever go wrong with the P220, one of the best .45's out there IMO.
As for the 7+1 capacity being inadequate? What exactly is it inadequate for??

 

[FJC]

SIG does sell 8 round mags for the P220's, in fact I believe that's all they ship with now.

These are true 8 rounders - not the old 7-round-with-a-new-follower-allowing-8-rounds that were considered not very reliable. The newer 8-rounders stick out slightly from the grip, much like Wilson Combat 47D 1911 8-round mags.