Sig P-220 issues

[CoalTrain49]

I purchased a used Sig P-220 LE trade in from an online dealer for cheap. I've been shooting it off and on and never had anything but disappointing results. Yesterday I took a few friends to the range to get their opinion regarding my suspicions that it had some issues. Both of these guys are better than average shooters. At 7 yards none of us could get a paper plate sized group at 7 yards. Needless to say they confirmed that it needed some help.

We started looking at the barrel and slide wear and it was substantial to put it mildly. Pretty strange as the gun has no holster wear and was otherwise in VG condition. I looked up the date code and established it was only 6 years old. My dealer said it looked almost unused but he didn't strip it.

I don't know much about Sigs other than my last P-220 (90's German mfg.) was very accurate. I called Sig yesterday and they told me it was likely a worn barrel. Now I don't have a problem with that but what about the slide? I'm hoping that most of the wear is on the barrel. Looking at the slide it seems to be worn on opposite edges top and bottom near the muzzle. The center looks unworn.

Do the slides wear much on these guns? Sig says no. That must mean the steel in the barrel is softer than the slide.

Any opinions on this. I sure as heck don't want to replace a slide and there is no removable barrel bushing to replace. I can afford a barrel but not a slide. Sig will have the gun in a few days so will find out, but I would like some opinions from you folks.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Wouldn't be able to even start to speculate without pictures of the wear

 

[Steve C]

Make sure your sights are still firmly attached and are not moving under recoil. Make sure there's no frame cracks.

Clean your barrel of all copper and lead fouling. This will most easily and best be done with a "Foul Out" or take it to a gunsmith for cleaning if you don't want to buy one or unwilling to take a couple hours to get it clean. I've know a couple of people who have complained about poor accuracy that was cured with a good clean barrel. Barrels are seldom shot out, esp by a LEO, but they often neglect cleaning.

It is possible that the barrel is bad, bulged or otherwise damaged or even a manufacturing defective. If so, replace it.

There's really nothing else that would cause exceptionally poor accuracy.

Then go out and shoot good ammo, not the cheapest you can find.

 

[giggitygiggity]

There is definitely something amiss. SIG P220s are nail drivers and are on-par with most out-of-the-box 1911s with regards to accuracy. I would give SIG a call and see if they could take a look at it and get it running.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Am I mistaken?

I thought then OP already determined that the barrel was worn and SIG was going to address it.

I thought the question in the OP was about slide wear

 

[hamp sandwich]

Slide wear? That sounds odd. Could it be that someone had tried to "polish" the contact points? Maybe that's where your wear occurred?

 

[9mmepiphany]

That is what isn't clear and why I asked for pictures.

My suspicion is that it is related to barrel lockup and a worn/wrong recoil spring

 

[CoalTrain49]

Well I didn't think to take any photos. Sorry, 20-20 hindsight. I can tell you this much, the barrel was worn a lot on the top about midway where the top of the slide would contact it when it was fully retracted. It also had considerable wear on the bottom. Sig guy said the slides seldom wear enough to cause accuracy problems. I didn't look at the rails so don't know if that could be an issue. Bore was clean and in good condition when I got it. I clean my bores after every range session without fail. Frame was German if that matters.

We'll see what Sig does to it. I told them to do a complete service and regulate the sights.

I should get my old barrel back so I'll post up some pictures when I do.

This is very interesting for me anyway. Never had a gun shoot that poorly.

Thanks.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The wear on the top and bottom of the barrel, near the muzzle are normal and are called smilies. The hole through the front of the slide is drilled at an angle (that is why the barrel looks like it is off-center in that hole...that is what locks up the muzzle of the barrel when the slide is in battery.

The other interface between the barrel and the slide that shows wear is where the rear of the barrel (the chamber) locks into the slide...both the front and rear of the chamber will wear.

Usually when SIG refers to a "wore barrel", they are talking about the bore or the feet