P220- any love!?? (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 8/23/2025 5:10:22 PM EDT
| So it’s not talked about much anymore. But is the P220 still loved? Still carried? Are they as accurate and just as good as a factory 1911? |
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I have a few P220s, including a couple in 10mm. I never carried one, but I used to carry a commander-size 1911 for many years. About 2 years ago, I switched to a P229 LEGION RXP. In my opinion, given the size of a P220 .45, I would think that if one is okay with the weight, it would not be a bad pistol to carry. They are great shooting pistols. Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
"A bad day shooting beats a great day working!"
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Originally Posted By DOG556: So it’s not talked about much anymore. But is the P220 still loved? Still carried? Are they as accurate and just as good as a factory 1911? Had one a duty gun for a few years in the 90s. Accurate and reliable but not durable or pleasant to shoot higher round counts, especially with hardball. P220 more equivalent to a light weight commander than a steel frame 1911 - meant to be carried a lot, shot little. P220s in .45 have durability issues / short service lives if shot much. Particularly compared to P226s /P229s. Early folded slide P226/228s should go 60,000 rounds or more with proper maintenance. Later one piece slide 226/229s will go 100,000 rounds or more with proper maintenance. Even in .40/357. Where are you are looking at 20,000 to 30,000 round service life with a 220 in .45. Steel frame 220s are more pleasant to shoot but have their own issues, particularly with extraction. Enough issues that Gray Guns used to offer aftermarket extractors to address the issue. |
I'm happy with mine. It came with wooden stocks that started falling apart when I shot it a few times. To get the plastic stocks on it, though, I had to replace more parts than I would have thought. The hammer spring was different, that needed a different strut, then hammer... And a couple of other parts. |
Vintage Ain't Retro.
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Very happy with mine. Attached File |
America is at that awkward stage, it’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards....Claire Wolfe
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I've always wanted one. And l lust after a buddy's. The one marked "Made on West Germany". It has the sweetest trigger you'll find on any P220. It's even better than the one on his "Made in Germany" P220. He bought this one because he found it in an out of the way shop for $500! Despite already having one he couldn't leave without it. Some people have all the luck. 
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Drugs kicked in now, need sleep, radiation tastes funny at 7 am every day... a bit like victory. - Ginger
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Had a 90’s stainless years back Never fit my hands well,,little to big for proper double action trigger pull,,,,for me im average size guy or what used to be average,5’8” 170lbs I always went to 1911 in 45acp glock in 10mm so i gave it to a son in law whos got catcher mitt hands and its been his only pistol for long time now Soild reliable good shooting guns and if ya run out of ammo it makes great blunt force trauma weapon 😎 |
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| I had a P220ST almost 20 years ago that I got rid of and wish to God that I hadn't. It also happened to be the first handgun I ever used to defend myself and family from a robbery incident. I'm now down to only 4 Sig firearms in my collection, but might add a P220ST back to it one day unless I can find a P220ST Ernest Langdon edition |
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I frequently find solid deals on them and have amassed two German, one West German, and this beautiful SSE. Attached File Superb suppressor host, too. Attached File |
"Whisky for the gentlemen that like it. And for the gentlemen that don't like it - Whisky!" -Alec Guinness as MAJ (acting Colonel) Jock Sinclair, D.S.O., M.M. "Tunes of Glory"
Approved by Crockett, though his was probably a "Browning BDA" with the heel release. Old timers in my department were still carrying those from a big group buy in the 1980s. Lots of guys opted for the P220 when our list opened back up to Sigs and .45s. A few heads were put to bed with them. |
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Originally Posted By RedBread: Had a 90’s stainless years back Never fit my hands well,,little to big for proper double action trigger pull,,,,for me im average size guy or what used to be average,5’8” 170lbs I always went to 1911 in 45acp glock in 10mm so i gave it to a son in law whos got catcher mitt hands and its been his only pistol for long time now Soild reliable good shooting guns and if ya run out of ammo it makes great blunt force trauma weapon 😎 5'8" was the average in the 1800s lol. I love my 10mm Scorpion. It shoots easily and is very accurate to boot. Probably my most accurate P-series gun. It's got some weight to it, though. |
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I carried one for a few years 2011 to 2017 when I worked for one agency. I changed agencies but was able to buy mine when I left. We had the P220 with the SRT. I wish it had an elite frame. It was a good shooter and it was very reliable. One in 10mm is on my list. Mike |
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Originally Posted By Jetpig: Firm believer the Elite Stainless versions are some of the most beautiful pistols ever made. Almost too pretty to carry. |
"Whisky for the gentlemen that like it. And for the gentlemen that don't like it - Whisky!" -Alec Guinness as MAJ (acting Colonel) Jock Sinclair, D.S.O., M.M. "Tunes of Glory"
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Originally Posted By raygixxer89: 5'8" was the average in the 1800s lol. I love my 10mm Scorpion. It shoots easily and is very accurate to boot. Probably my most accurate P-series gun. It's got some weight to it, though. Originally Posted By raygixxer89: Originally Posted By RedBread: Had a 90’s stainless years back Never fit my hands well,,little to big for proper double action trigger pull,,,,for me im average size guy or what used to be average,5’8” 170lbs I always went to 1911 in 45acp glock in 10mm so i gave it to a son in law whos got catcher mitt hands and its been his only pistol for long time now. Solid reliable good shooting guns and if ya run out of ammo it makes great blunt force trauma weapon 😎 5'8" was the average in the 1800s lol. I love my 10mm Scorpion. It shoots easily and is very accurate to boot. Probably my most accurate P-series gun. It's got some weight to it, though. Mine's the two-tone Match Elite in Best Meter. This was the DA/SA model in Sig's first run of P220 10mms. They offered like, 3-4 SAO camo 10mm models for hunting or targets.  The only upgrade I did was to swap in GrayGuns SRT and reduced-power hammer spring to slick up the DA pull and subsequent transition to SA. That really shrunk the groups as the factory DA pull was way too heavy and long. Reliability has always been 100%. |
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Originally Posted By Nick_Adams: Mine's the two-tone Match Elite in Best Meter. This was the DA/SA model in Sig's first run of P220 10mms. They offered like, 3-4 SAO camo 10mm models for hunting or targets. https://i.imgur.com/dAkXKdN.jpeg The only upgrade I did was to swap in GrayGuns SRT and reduced-power hammer spring to slick up the DA pull and subsequent transition to SA. That really shrunk the groups as the factory DA pull was way too heavy and long. Reliability has always been 100%. Wow, that's a nice piece. I was thinking of changing springs in mine because like you said, tye transition from DA to SA took a little getting used to. But then I realized that this would be my hiking defense gun and didn't want to mess with the reliability of it. |
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Originally Posted By raygixxer89: Wow, that's a nice piece. I was thinking of changing springs in mine because like you said, tye transition from DA to SA took a little getting used to. But then I realized that this would be my hiking defense gun and didn't want to mess with the reliability of it. Originally Posted By raygixxer89: Originally Posted By Nick_Adams: Mine's the two-tone Match Elite in Best Meter. This was the DA/SA model in Sig's first run of P220 10mms. They offered like, 3-4 SAO camo 10mm models for hunting or targets. https://i.imgur.com/dAkXKdN.jpeg The only upgrade I did was to swap in GrayGuns SRT and reduced-power hammer spring to slick up the DA pull and subsequent transition to SA. That really shrunk the groups as the factory DA pull was way too heavy and long. Reliability has always been 100%. Wow, that's a nice piece. I was thinking of changing springs in mine because like you said, tye transition from DA to SA took a little getting used to. But then I realized that this would be my hiking defense gun and didn't want to mess with the reliability of it. No reliability issues at all. The GG SRT, sear, and strut units are tool steel, not MIM, and GG also has a steel replacement hammer for P-series guns. I kept my stock hammer to keep to the original look. The SRT, in combination with the GG reduced-power hammer spring, eliminates that long pull before reset. On the improved DA/SA pull with the reduced-power HS, I can tell you that after about 800-rds fired (factory & hot reloads), there’ve been NO light primer strikes. If this thing didn’t weigh 52-oz fully loaded (8+1), I’d definitely carry it. That’s why my 10mm EDC is a S&W 1066. |
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Originally Posted By Nick_Adams: No reliability issues at all. The GG SRT, sear, and strut units are tool steel, not MIM, and GG also has a steel replacement hammer for P-series guns. I kept my stock hammer to keep to the original look. The SRT, in combination with the GG reduced-power hammer spring, eliminates that long pull before reset. On the improved DA/SA pull with the reduced-power HS, I can tell you that after about 800-rds fired (factory & hot reloads), there’ve been NO light primer strikes. If this thing didn’t weigh 52-oz fully loaded (8+1), I’d definitely carry it. That’s why my 10mm EDC is a S&W 1066. Oh, mine came with the SRT. I was actually looking for it earlier today but it's deep in my safe inside a case, lol. Good to know about the HS setup. The stock trigger isn't too bad once you get used to it but I could see how lightening it up would make it much better. I've been looking for a 1066 for a while. |
| my buddy was shooting my p220 combat with an octane 45 on it and asked where his rounds were going as he only saw one hole in the bullseye, a range master came over and said its because the rounds are going through the same hole and pulled it and showed use the ragged hole |
I wish I was half the man my dog thinks I am.
RIP SSG Marc Anthony Scialdo KIA 3-11-2013 Kandahar
RIP SSG Marc Anthony Scialdo KIA 3-11-2013 Kandahar
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Attached File Attached File I have an Equinox and an old stamped steel version. Both have SRT's and are great shooters. |
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Have owned a couple over the years. Still have one, a West German. It's been a love/hate relationship. They're accurate, reliable, fit my smallish hands well. They are not a particularly pleasant gun to shoot. I got rid of my first one because I just couldn't get a handle on the thing. Several years later a friend offered me his and I decided to try again. This one had Hogue grips and that made a major difference. It still not a gun I'm going to run a hundred rounds through is a range session but it's at least manageable now. Honestly don't shoot it much, probably should take it out more. |
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If a 147 grn 9mm at 1000 FPS is the hammer of Thor then a 165 grn. 40 at 1200 fps must a lightening bolt from Zeus!
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Superb pistols. I have been shooting them since they came out. Attached File Attached File |
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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 Great pistols. Mine is very accurate and about as reliable as a pistol gets. It’s been a glove box gun but I have never carried it as I have lots of things that conceal better. |
When your state is shaped like a huge, droopy penis, you have to expect there to be some huge nuts as well.
Mech 2007
Mech 2007
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Originally Posted By scottzilla: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/303147/PXL_20221127_183127434_jpg-3614126.JPGhttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/303147/20140923_182959_jpg-3614128.JPG I have an Equinox and an old stamped steel version. Both have SRT's and are great shooters. Was that first pic taken at the Medford range? |
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I was once issued an old West German P220 with the horrible crunchy trigger and the front sight that was part of the slide. Hated that gun, but we had to carry them. Didn't help that our rangemaster was an idiot who insisted that we lube the guns with RIG, which made them not run well at all. We killed some slides by not replacing recoil springs often enough. The welded on front of the folded slide would start to crack and separate from the rest of it. Everyone celebrated when we went to Glock 21s. Years later I bought myself a 220 Elite, which is a totally different gun to shoot. Love that thing. Almost a totally different gun. I had a couple of feeding issues in the beginning when I was using grease to lube it, but I switched to oil and they went away. The grease was noticeably slowing down the pistol's function. Now all I use is Lucas oil and it runs perfect. |
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Love mine. Legion Carry SAO Attached File |
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Revelations 19:11
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I've had a few; currently a P220 Compact (think officer-sized 1911, CDNN was blowing them out a few years ago when Sig dropped them), an older Heat-era P220, and a later all-steel (frame and all) P220 - Sig didn't make too many of these. They're ok but like mentioned...not huge round count guns - they like to break parts. Even the steel framed gun flips a bit more than a 1911; not super comfortable to shoot for more than 150 or so rounds at a stretch. Because the frame doesn't have as much "give" as the alloy ones, it's been known to break different parts than the standard P220s at higher counts, too. For carry and occasional use...just like a lightweight 1911 Commander - great to carry, not so fun to shoot a whole lot. Reliable though in general. None of mine have had issues feeding or ejecting ball, Fed HST, or Remington Golden Sabres (all 230gr) - YMMV with +Ps though. I'd trust any of mine for carry duty though. I had a P227 Equinox for a brief while - I really liked that to be honest, but I couldn't get over the 10 round mag cap - it should have been able to throw 12-13 in there, but Sig never made them that way. FWIW, they did make 14 round extended mags for them...but they are apparently unreliable pieces of shit. Funnily enough, P320s in 45ACP use the same mags...or at least, same bodies; they fit in both. I think I've still got one or two laying around. The P220 Compact actually shoots really well for it's size - recoil is on par with a full size IMO, I think it's sprung a little better. I should dig it out and hit the range with it again. FWIW while the 45acp P220 is a "don't shoot so much" gun IMO, the 10mm 5" P220 I've got (same as the above, the two tone DA/SA version) is a pussycat with "standard" 10mm loads; 180@1200fps. I mean yeah you can still tell it's a 10mm but it's way nicer to shoot than a 1911 in 10mm, for comparison. Probably not as nice as a Glock 20 of all things, maybe the grip width helps distribute the push on that - but still really good for a single stack. Finding decent holsters for a 5" Sig P220 though...good luck 
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"Oh, bother," said Pooh, as he pulled the pin on another grenade...
| I've got a P220 .45 that I bought a few years ago, CT state police trade in gun. Solid shooter, accurate. I never carry it, but I wouldn't have any reservations using it as a house gun. A 10MM P220 is on my list of wants, as well as a P245 but the prices on them are too rich for my blood for a toy gun. |
I have two brothers that carried a P220. One as a concealed carry citizen when he was alive and the other as LE. Upon retirement after 35 years he kept it. So it is on my list to add to my P226 and P229, both in .40. I only have one .45 and that's not enough. 
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"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14 KJV
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 KJV
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 KJV
| Shot one to qualify for my Concealed Handgun License as soon as Gov. Bush made them available. Shot a perfect score but soon transitioned to carrying a 1911, which I carried for years. |
"I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me."
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
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The 220 is the pentacle of late 20th century pistol design. I have several, including a pair of classic folded-slide versions. They fit my hand very well and are very accurate. I got "Top Shooter" in my Academy class using my personally owned P220. The high bore axis and light weight make them slower to shoot than other guns, especially an all-steel 1911. I am contemplating buying another 220 Elite... |
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Does anyone have any spare parts for the 220? I took mine apart to change the trigger and lost the trigger bar and the decocker bearing piece the spring goes in and holds it from the inside. For a double single action made in Germany model. Thanks. I can send a money order or some payment for the right deal. |
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I picked-up this 1995 made a few weeks ago & have been carrying it. I've had several come and go over the years. Just replaced the mainspring to lighten the DA pull. It's the old style. What a PIA. The grips and screws I already had from my last 220. Not sure why it has a few nickeled parts? Attached File |
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Always room for love the P220. Attached File |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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Originally Posted By dump1567: I picked-up this 1995 made a few weeks ago & have been carrying it. I've had several come and go over the years. Just replaced the mainspring to lighten the DA pull. It's the old style. What a PIA. The grips and screws I already had from my last 220. Not sure why it has a few nickeled parts? https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/19737/IMG_2099_jpg-3627856.JPG Verified reliability with my new lighter mainspring. First round DA at 9-10 yards the gun hit exactly at the ink dot on the target I was aiming out. These guns shoot better than I can. And I seem to shoot them better than 1911's (I had the same results with the last one I owned). Now that I know it works with the lighter spring, it's back on my hip. As I bought it. Attached File |
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I couldn't resist and bought a new P220R Elite, optics ready. Looks great like a Classic SIG should. The trigger is NOT as good as the old 90's models but it is functional. Accuracy and reliability were 100% with the 100 rounds fired so far. NOTHING fits my hand better or points more naturally than a P220. |
