An old SIG-Sauer P220

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Binks

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Hi everybody

I'm about to join my county sheriff's office as a deputy, and I need to select my own firearm (preferably one in .45 ACP).

Meanwhile, a relative of mine died recently, and left behind many firearms, most of which were rarely used (he was more of a collector). They were mostly revolvers and Colt 1911 clones, but he also left behind a .45 SIG-Sauer P220, made in the late 70s/early 80s.

I am very satisfied with the P220 and would like to carry it while on duty. It shoots well, it has a good reputation, it isn't too heavy, and its FREE. My question is this: is an old, rarely fired P220 just as good as a new one? Can it last for two or three decades with a couple hundred thousand rounds fired, with regular maintenance?

I greatly appreciate any advice
 
I'm no Sig expert, but I do own and shoot a Sig Pro 9mm alot and from my experience & the comments of many other Sig shooters both here and on the Sig Forum, you should be in great shape with that old, but little used P220.

And best of all, it's FREE.

Clean it good & put a few hundred rds through it and you should be good to go.
 
That sig will be fine

Binks, a little used older Sig should work just fine. Consider installing a fresh recoil spring, just in case the current one has compressed. Over time and use, older Sig recoil springs would compress, increasing the battering on the dustcover. I've been carrying a Sig P220 for 20 years now and couldn't be happier.
 
I too have an older spur hammer p220, relace the recoil and hammer springs, test fire a couple hundered and you are good to go. I have worn the barrel out on mine somewhere around 80k rounds (not counting the ones the prev owner put through it prior to 96) replaced it with a bar sto, and it keeps on trucking, I have only had maybe 2 or 3 jams or FTF in that whole time.
 
I have a .45 P220 made in the early 80s, and the only problem I ever had with it was with the original magazines. Apparently, SIG made a number of mag followers at that time that caused the last round to nosedive into the feed ramp and jam tight. The problem was corrected and a change to newer mags will take care of it. The P220 is and was a world-class pistol.
 
Trust it

...

It's a Sig..

The P220, clean, taken care of, will last a lifetime, and deliver every-time..

You're good to go..


LS
 
Its a west german, it should be good to go for at least 30 000 rds. By that time you have other pistols in your own collection, besides you get department discounts if you buy one.
 
Simple thought ...

You're considering placing a relatively older model pistol into service as a primary service weapon.

Have it inspected by a certified SIGARMS pistol armorer. Or, if you don't have one available at your new agency, call and arrange to have it inspected by SIGARMS.
 
Thanks for the advice guys

I am most comfortable with the SIG 220, so I think I'll use it. Furthermore, I like .45 ACP, because it's basically the most powerful round you can have in a pistol without massive recoil (even though everyone seems to like .40 S&W nowadays)

If I didn't have any guns, I might buy a new SIG; but I don't see why I should spend several hundred dollars on a pistol that is just as reliable and happens to be 10-15 years younger.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have my SIG inspected anyway
 
I absolutely love and trust my SIG P220 which is a SIG refurbished West German made gun. There is one thing I'd like to mention. With the two 7 round mags it came with I discovered that the top round in the magazine got pushed forward when the gun was first loaded. If you removed the magazine at this point, the top most round would inevitably fall out. I ordered SIG made 8 round stainless steel magazines and they fixed the problem entirely. The 8 rounders are literally 1/4" longer than the 7 rounders so it's a no brainer as far as I'm concerned. Please note that the gun ran 100% with the original 7 rounders but it wouldn't tac load without dropping a round.
 
By all means have it checked, but after it passes inspection you'll have a fine weapon. My older P220 is about to go out to Tennessee for refinishing and Ashley night sights, but it's still going strong. Great gun.
 
Sig 220 & .45 ACP: Hummm. It would be HARD indeed to find a better combo to bet your life on! (Although, I hope you never have to use in a 'serious' situation.)
 
It's most likely good to go. 50k rounds is considered the "break in" period for a Sig. :) Multi 100K? Just make sure you've actually still got some rifling in the bore. ;)
 
is an old, rarely fired P220 just as good as a new one?

IMHO, better. I agree with the spring replacement, general checkover, etc. If you ever have the opportunity, compare the craftsmanship between your 220 and a new one. The old West German 220 is a piece of art. The new ones are a rougher machined German/American hybrid with much less attention paid to detail. Again, JMHO.
 
I have a 14 year old 220 bought used. Put about 700 rounds through it so far, not one (one!) single jam. Nada. It's my favorite winter carry gun, and I use it at any classes I take.

Plus it puts a nice big fat hole in those 1# propane tanks.:D

I will say one thing however, and this is really stretching things. The last class I took, I noticed myself hitting the decocker a few times instead of the slide release. Takes some getting used to.
 
I have an older (West German) SIG-SAUER .45 caliber P220A that I bought
NIB in March of '95; so that makes it a little over 12 years old now. Carried
in on duty (as I did another one), and it never let me down. Most likely its
the finest DA/SA .45 caliber auto currently on the U.S. market~! ;):D
 
Does your agency have any caliber restrictons? Do they supply ammunition for qualification, or do you have to buy your own? 45acp ammo has gone up in price recently.
 
If you dry fire often, purchase several hammer return springs. These tend to break and they're a $2 part. Newer SIGs don't have this problem because they changed the spring. While you're at it, get a few recoil springs. Replace when it's "short" by two coils (~5,000 rounds-ish).
 
That SIG is going to blow up at any minute.... please... for your safety and the safety of others ... send it to me... I will make sure it is use.... I mean disposed of properly.:neener:
 
The older W.German P220s are one of the finest guns ever made.
It would be worth sending to Sig to have the SSP service done to it. It includes new night sights, springs, complete tear down and going over, cleaning, and a blue plastic Sig box. The service costs $129.00 plus shipping. They promise a ten working day turn around time. I've sent a total of 5 of my Sigs (including my W.German P220) for the SSP service. New night sights alone cost around $100.00 so IMHO its well worth the $129.00 having a certified Sig gunsmith work on your gun, especially if you are going to stake your life on it.
All 5 of my Sigs were returned to me in ten working days.
Heres a link to there website.http://www.sigarms.com/CustomerService/SSP.aspx
Good luck
 
If you want to know when it was manufactured, check the underside of the frame for a two letter proof mark. The letters correspond to numbers, with A being 0, B being 1, through K = 9. The marking on the underside of mine is KE, which becomes 94. Mine was manufactured in 1994.
 
Also, if it is the old spur hammer, make sure you use the decock lever to lower the hammer, not the trigger (actually you should use the decock on any gun that has one). Lowering by trigger causes some safety issues that led to the new SIG design with the more roundy hammer.
 
I would take an old german made 220 over a new one any day of the week.

If its been fired very little and is in excellent shape, I would oil ,clean, testfire with duty ammo, and you are good to go. I'm not sure I would trust the current SIGarms crew in NewHampshire to inspect and "update" the gun, given my issues with them with my now year old P220ST. If you need night sights installed, get to a local SIG armorer and have them do it. Make sure the sights are the same number (little number on side of sights that denotes front and rear sight height) as the current ones on the gun if it hits to POA with the duty ammo you are issued.

SIGS are fine firearms, accurate and durrable.
 
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