P220

[scarinjo]

Going to purchase a 45, got good advice from members on this site, today I looked at some S&W 1911's, an AO Govt 1911 and a Sig P220, and I have to say the P220 felt the best in my hand and I am leaning that way. Anyone have some thoughts on the P220, it will be a carry as well as a range pistol.

 

[Admin]

The 220 is a good gun, there may be better options for .45 carry should you want something a bit smaller in the future.

 

[Martlet]

Going to purchase a 45, got good advice from members on this site, today I looked at some S&W 1911's, an AO Govt 1911 and a Sig P220, and I have to say the P220 felt the best in my hand and I am leaning that way. Anyone have some thoughts on the P220, it will be a carry as well as a range pistol.

I'm primarily a .45 guy for carry. I love my P220. You won't be disappointed. It's one of my 3 regular carry pieces.

 

[why do we live here?]

Go with the 220. i have an older one and it serves great as a carry and range pistol. Despite what a lot of people say, its not hard to conceal at all. I'm an average Joe with a little extra on the sides and use a supertuck and it works amazingly. Just buy it and be happy, or better yet buy them all and take the next few years to decide which one you like better

 

[TheRoland]

Look, at this point I've spent some time concealing Sig firearms, and while I trust them just fine, there are options that are way easier to hide. My switching to all-steel 1911s was primary driven by the annoyance hiding a P229.

It's a great gun, but don't be surprised if you eventually get tired of carrying it.

 

[whatluck]

Have a look at the P245 too.

 

[andrew]

I have an original P220ST with the useless rail. It is a really nice gun. Kinda heavy for CCW, that's for sure. I have some nice Nils grips on it, it is my open-carry-with-a-tux gun.

 

[jasons]

Anyone have some thoughts on the P220, it will be a carry as well as a range pistol.

I would (and in fact did) find an older German model with the stamped slide and internal extractor before I bought a brand new one. If you look around you can find some really good deals - I paid $425 for mine, detail stripped it, replaced some springs, added an SRT trigger and now I have a p220 that beats the pants off of anything out of Exeter AND cost me way less money.

If you want to carry concealed, check out the P220 carry model or better yet a p245. They're a bit smaller and easier / more comfortable to conceal.

 

[drgrant]

Look, at this point I've spent some time concealing Sig firearms, and while I trust them just fine, there are options that are way easier to hide. My switching to all-steel 1911s was primary driven by the annoyance hiding a P229.

It's a great gun, but don't be surprised if you eventually get tired of carrying it.

Hiding a P220 is a lot easier than hiding a P229, mainly due to the fatness of the ass of the gun. A P220, with the right holster and grips, doesn't carry much differently than a lightweight Commander sized 1911 does... and weighs about the same too.

The other option for the OP is to find a P245.... there are still some halfway decent ones floating around.

-Mike

 

[garandman]

Going to purchase a 45, got good advice from members on this site, today I looked at some S&W 1911's, an AO Govt 1911 and a Sig P220, and I have to say the P220 felt the best in my hand and I am leaning that way. Anyone have some thoughts on the P220, it will be a carry as well as a range pistol.

While my heart may go with the M1911,

my head goes with the P220.

If you are a good sized human, you shouldn't have any problem and there are many holster options. I like high Noon because they have good inventory, ship fast an have an excellent return policy.

 

[FPrice]

There is nothing wrong with the P220. It is a great pistol and has served many people very well. I prefer the M1911A1 myself, but then I won't be carrying it - you will. Buy what fits you and learn to carry it.

Good luck.

 

[TheRoland]

Hiding a P220 is a lot easier than hiding a P229....

-Mike

Granted, but the 220 is still wider in the grip for the same capacity and similar form factor, and without a SA trigger.

We could go round and round on this. The P220 is a great gun, just not my choice.

OP: Find and shoot one from a holster. If you like it, great.

 

[scarinjo]

I went to Holliston Firearms and handled a P220 and a S&W 1911 Scandium and really liked both of them but the P220 just felt like it was part of my hand. I think I would like to try both at a range to feel the difference. My shooting experience has only been with a Glock 17, 40 cal and S&W 38 cal revolver.

 

[Rob]

I firmly believe you can never go wrong with a Sig, the 556 being a notable exception.

I’m biased though. I have every ‘classic ’model and love them all in their own special way. 1911’s are nice, but my heart yearns for German made steel pressing into my side.

 

[pdm]

I'm also a fan of the P6/P225. Single stack like the P220, but in 9mm.

 

[enbloc]

.

 

[garandman]

that's good advice. In addition, if you take a course at Sig Sauer Academy, you can try pretty much anything they make. Shooting a P225 almost convinced me to dump my beloved S&W 3913.

 

[Serapis]

So the grip on a 220 is thinner than a 229?

 

[jasons]

So the grip on a 220 is thinner than a 229?

The frame itself is a bit narrower in the grip area.

Approximate frame width under grip panels:
German p220: 0.790"
German p226: 1.060"

I don't have a p229, but I think it's the same as the p226. Personally I don't think the .27" makes a lot of difference when carrying, but everyone is different. Both guns are big and neither is particularly comfortable to conceal IMHO.

(EDIT: If you feel that the p226 / p229 grip is too wide, check out the Houge G-10 grips. Very thin and very nice - I have them on both of my p226's.)

 

[jasons]

that's good advice. In addition, if you take a course at Sig Sauer Academy, you can try pretty much anything they make. Shooting a P225 almost convinced me to dump my beloved S&W 3913.

Sadly the p225 has been discontinued for a while now, but I agree. I have a P6 (German police version of the p225) and I love it. If you look you can find them VERY cheap. The triggers are very heavy on the P6, but if you swap in a stock p225 mainspring they're manageable.

 

[pdm]

Sadly the p225 has been discontinued for a while now, but I agree. I have a P6 (German police version of the p225) and I love it. If you look you can find them VERY cheap. The triggers are very heavy on the P6, but if you swap in a stock p225 mainspring they're manageable.

Really? Huh, I ought to do that. Does it change the SA trigger?

 

[jasons]

Really? Huh, I ought to do that. Does it change the SA trigger?

Yeah, supposedly the German powers that be wanted their police sidearms to be "lawyer proof" so they had Sig put a crazy mainspring in. Something like 28 pounds as I recall. When I first got mine the DA pull was literally off the chart on my scale - more than 14 lbs. I swapped in a stock 225 mainspring (actually an old 226 mainspring, but it's the same part) and it went down to about 10 lbs. You could probably go even lower with a Wolf light spring, but if you go too light you'll affect reliability.

The mainspring doesn't effect SA, at least not significantly. I guess in theory a heavier mainspring would put some more tension on the hammer / sear mating surface which could make SA a tad heavier, but we'd probably be talking fractions of an ounce. I've never measured it so I can't be sure.

You can put an SRT trigger in a P6 for that short reset goodness, although it's probably not really worth doing on a P6.

 

[pdm]

Nice. Learn something new every day. Thanks.