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so, some opinions on the sig 220

greencobra said:
my bad, i thought the 220 was only in .45. sorry, .45 acp
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99% of them are .45, but there are rare-er iterations in .38 Super, 9mm, and 10mm.

My advice, if you're buying .45 ACP P220 new, cough up the bones for a Legion. If you're going used stick with an old one that has
german proof marks on it.

It is one of the most reliable .45 ACP platforms in existence.

-Mike
 
Mine was German, should have kept it, but I went to all 9mm when Hillary was running, I had too many calibers. I simplified my handguns and ammo just in case.
Either way, I loved it.
Also... I have a bunch of holsters, all leather, various styles and brands. Anybody interested? I think it's 3 or 4 of them. I may keep one just in case, but I have no use for all of them.
Free. Ship or meet in Lowell area. I can send/post a pic. PM me. First come, first get. I think, but not sure, not a Sig expert, that a 226 may also fit in these.
And an extra set of factory grip panels. Not sure how much they have changed, but mine was a 90's build.



Holsters gone. Enjoy @Mountain
 
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Excellent pistol. I have around 5k rounds through mine without issues, and have intermittently carried it for a while. I see no reason to drop the coin on a legion that has questionable finish when a used nitron P220 can be had for under $600. As usual the P22x series are reliable but employ some weird springs such as the trigger bar and sear springs, so if really running the gun one has to stay on top of spring replacements.
 
It's a marvelous pistol. Heavy for a .45, enough that I'd rather have a 1911. But the P220 in 10mm may be the best solution known for enjoyable shooting in that cartridge.
 
enbloc said:
Legions are sweet...
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I have a P226 SAO legion my only thing I am remiss about is I cannot obtain the illustrious anodized aluminum Legion cigar ashtray that they used to sell... I think @Canndo managed to snag one, though. Those things were great. [sad2] I think I got my gun like a month after they stopped selling the ashtray. The joke was that "if you bought the gun you got a $1200 cigar ashtray" (it was like 60 bucks or something I think. ).

-Mike
 
I have a Legion 220 in .45ACP. Good, solid gun. Not like my Colt Competition Stainless, but still very tight and runs like a champ. I got mine in a trade with a fellow NESer.

I would love one in 10mm. No way it can be as simple as a barrel swap though.
 
I have had mine .45 for several years now. I have the 226 and fired it a lot, the 220 slept in the safe until last year and I took it out to the range and it handled as sweet as the 226. I thought it would kick harder but the frame absorbs the shock and it is sweet!
 
drgrant said:
99% of them are .45, but there are rare-er iterations in .38 Super, 9mm, and 10mm.

My advice, if you're buying .45 ACP P220 new, cough up the bones for a Legion. If you're going used stick with an old one that has
german proof marks on it.

It is one of the most reliable .45 ACP platforms in existence.

-Mike
Click to expand...
True dat. Until a short while ago I had a 220 in 38 super, that I'd had for years. Still have a magazine for it. Try to find one of those in .38 super. lol. After I discovered 9mm, 127 gr. +p+, Winchester Ranger T ammo, the 38 super didn't make as much sense anymore, so I sold it. Probably should have kept that one.
 
Mine goes bang every time. It is very accurate, low recoil (for a 45), and easy to maintain.

Mine is actually a police trade in made in NH that has lots of holster wear, but runs like a champ.

Buy one, you will not regret it.
 
I have a legion in .45 that has 500 rounds through it and currently has about a 1.5% failure on going into battery, ie when it happens the slide is like 1/16 inch from closing.

Had gone back to Sig once for it, said excess lube was removed, polished some surfaces, and it functioned flawlessly 100 rounds.. that did get the failure down from what was probably 5% prior. Talked about break-in, which I guess I have noted a little with other guns but nothing failing this often, especially with basic good brass case fmj hardball.

Now I might be noticing more of a trend of this problem with the 10 round mags, where prior it was the 10s and 8s equally.. though when it went back I sent them a sample of each so I question if they used my provided mags..

Anyway it is a very nice pistol, solid feel, great trigger, and others report great reliability, but mine likely is headed back to Sig again - one item I am watching first is whether now its just a problem isolated to 10 round mags, which I will still have them iron out but I want to give an accurate report.

My suspicion is something in my gun is a little tight and anything that makes it harder for it to chamber then can hold the slide up, ie 10 round mags are not the root cause just they trigger the problem to surface.

I have a 226 and 229, neither ever malfunctions... considered a 220 in 10mm, which I'm sure is sweet but unfortunately Sig only offers 8 rounds for this massive pistol (could easily hold 11 in a single stack), so I went for a Glock 20 instead.
 
teamRR said:
I have a legion in .45 that has 500 rounds through it and currently has about a 1.5% failure on going into battery, ie when it happens the slide is like 1/16 inch from closing.

Had gone back to Sig once for it, said excess lube was removed, polished some surfaces, and it functioned flawlessly 100 rounds.. that did get the failure down from what was probably 5% prior. Talked about break-in, which I guess I have noted a little with other guns but nothing failing this often, especially with basic good brass case fmj hardball.

Now I might be noticing more of a trend of this problem with the 10 round mags, where prior it was the 10s and 8s equally.. though when it went back I sent them a sample of each so I question if they used my provided mags..

Anyway it is a very nice pistol, solid feel, great trigger, and others report great reliability, but mine likely is headed back to Sig again - one item I am watching first is whether now its just a problem isolated to 10 round mags, which I will still have them iron out but I want to give an accurate report.

My suspicion is something in my gun is a little tight and anything that makes it harder for it to chamber then can hold the slide up, ie 10 round mags are not the root cause just they trigger the problem to surface.

I have a 226 and 229, neither ever malfunctions... considered a 220 in 10mm, which I'm sure is sweet but unfortunately Sig only offers 8 rounds for this massive pistol (could easily hold 11 in a single stack), so I went for a Glock 20 instead.
Click to expand...
Try switching to different ammo. Sometimes that's all the problem is.
 
teamRR said:
I have a legion in .45 that has 500 rounds through it and currently has about a 1.5% failure on going into battery, ie when it happens the slide is like 1/16 inch from closing.

Had gone back to Sig once for it, said excess lube was removed, polished some surfaces, and it functioned flawlessly 100 rounds.. that did get the failure down from what was probably 5% prior. Talked about break-in, which I guess I have noted a little with other guns but nothing failing this often, especially with basic good brass case fmj hardball.

Now I might be noticing more of a trend of this problem with the 10 round mags, where prior it was the 10s and 8s equally.. though when it went back I sent them a sample of each so I question if they used my provided mags..

Anyway it is a very nice pistol, solid feel, great trigger, and others report great reliability, but mine likely is headed back to Sig again - one item I am watching first is whether now its just a problem isolated to 10 round mags, which I will still have them iron out but I want to give an accurate report.
Click to expand...

That is weird that it's that bad..... shouldn't be a difference, back when I had my folded slide P220 that thing ran with really old 7's, some 8s, and the one 10 I had... and it would eat anything.

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
That is weird that it's that bad..... shouldn't be a difference, back when I had my folded slide P220 that thing ran with really old 7's, some 8s, and the one 10 I had... and it would eat anything.

-Mike
Click to expand...
I had my folded, nickeled, 220, .45acp for 30 years. Like yours, with 7 or 8 round magazines and no matter the ammo, It never malfunctioned . Not even one time.
 
M60 said:
Try switching to different ammo. Sometimes that's all the problem is.
Click to expand...

Speer, Remington, Blazer, ssdd.

I start any pistol I own with Remington FMJ. Usually figure if it won't run that then it's bad, gave this one other options since it seemed so wrong, but I think it's just got a problem.
 
teamRR said:
I have a legion in .45 that has 500 rounds through it and currently has about a 1.5% failure on going into battery, ie when it happens the slide is like 1/16 inch from closing.

Had gone back to Sig once for it, said excess lube was removed, polished some surfaces, and it functioned flawlessly 100 rounds.. that did get the failure down from what was probably 5% prior. Talked about break-in, which I guess I have noted a little with other guns but nothing failing this often, especially with basic good brass case fmj hardball.

Now I might be noticing more of a trend of this problem with the 10 round mags, where prior it was the 10s and 8s equally.. though when it went back I sent them a sample of each so I question if they used my provided mags..

Anyway it is a very nice pistol, solid feel, great trigger, and others report great reliability, but mine likely is headed back to Sig again - one item I am watching first is whether now its just a problem isolated to 10 round mags, which I will still have them iron out but I want to give an accurate report.

My suspicion is something in my gun is a little tight and anything that makes it harder for it to chamber then can hold the slide up, ie 10 round mags are not the root cause just they trigger the problem to surface.

I have a 226 and 229, neither ever malfunctions... considered a 220 in 10mm, which I'm sure is sweet but unfortunately Sig only offers 8 rounds for this massive pistol (could easily hold 11 in a single stack), so I went for a Glock 20 instead.
Click to expand...
Send it back with the suspect mag and make a note of your concern. You may get a new, properly functioning mag back with it...
 
enbloc said:
Send it back with the suspect mag and make a note of your concern. You may get a new, properly functioning mag back with it...
Click to expand...

2 mags - but yes, I will. Last time I gave them an 8 and a 10, I suspect they tested with the 8 or their own mags and not mine.

Testing is kinda my profession so I tend to try to clearly define what's wrong and how to reproduce - not an "its broked" sort of customer :)..

Going to take it to the range with 4 mags, 2x 8, 2x 10, put 50 rounds through each, maybe spilt across 2 brands, document results, and hopefully this time it gets ironed out.
 
I have had a few of them over the years but always had at least one in the stable at all times, currently got a 45 with the rail which has always functioned flawlessly for me. The 10mm is a brick, but an awesome brick, I have one and its a beast. I sold a folded slide Virginia 220 a year or two ago...kind kick myself for that.
 
i was just curious and threw the question out there for fun. we talked about these before probably a couple of years ago. mike gave me some info on various slide configurations and the breech block. seems like the general consensus is the same across the board. positive.

i do own a p220 i got at four seasons in 1995 BC. or before carl, lol. i don't believe mine is german made, has no proof marks. it has a separate pinned breech face/block, made in germany on the right side of the slide and sigarms, inc, exeter, nh on the left. i'd guess the parts made in germany and the gun assembled in nh. somebody, am i right?

i share the positive thoughts on the gun. i absolutely think it's a gem. i have the sales slip somewhere, i'm curious as to what i paid back then. i'll dig it out.
 

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