SIG P220 recoil spring question ... when did SIG adopt the new green 20lb spring?

[MCMXI]

My '92 SIG P220 with a stamped slide has a black 15lb recoil spring that is multi-strand and about 1/2" shorter than the new 20lb green recoil spring. I bought a supposedly like NIB P220 recently with a G354 serial # (2004) and a stamped slide but it has a green spring. My understanding is that the 20lb springs were introduced for the milled stainless slides due to the extra weight. Did SIG issue green springs for the folded steel slides? I ask because I'm wondering if the green spring is the one that originally came with the pistol or whether the seller changed the spring. There's some odd wear on top of the raised "lugs" on the frame near the muzzle. My '92 P220 with tens of thousands of rounds through it has considerably less wear on those lugs. This "new" pistol supposedly only had 16 rounds fired through it. The condition of the barrel and mag well are consistent with very low use but the wear on the frame looks like it came from someone racking the slide about 10,000 times!!!

Thanks.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I'm thinking you are talking about the frame rails the the slide rails ride on. Some pictures might give us a clearer picture.

One possibility might be that the former owner ran it without grease on the rails, but it still sounds excessive. If it were a milled slide, there was a time when Sig put a very abrasive version of Nitron on them which caused accelerated wear on the rails. here is a rule of thumb guide

1. Dull Black – No wear, perfect finish.
2. Shiny Black – Slight wearing in of the pigment in the anodizing, this is normal after around 200 rounds.
3. Dark Gold/Orange – The pigment in the anodizing is starting to wear, this is perfectly normal and not a problem, the metal is still protected and your frame is still perfectly viable. Most guns reach this phase between 2,000 and 4,000 rounds.
4. Bright Gold – The pigment in the anodizing is wearing in. Your frame is still protected and your gun is still perfectly viable. Most guns reach this phase and remain static from here on out as long as proper lubrication is used.
5. Light Gold – The pigment in your anodizing is wearing through, your frame is still protected, but you should keep an eye on it.
6. Shiny Silver – This is where you need to start to worry. The pigment in the anodizing is worn through, your frame is still protected, but you need to monitor your frame rails very closely and make sure they remain greased thoroughly for the rest of your gun’s life.
7. Dull Silver – You’re . Your anodizing has worn completely through in the areas you see dull anodizing. From here on your frame is unprotected and it’s time to buy a new gun. It may still shoot and function perfectly, but your frame rails will continue to wear at a much accelerated rate.

http://grayguns.com/category/articles-news/page/2/

 

[MCMXI]

The seller claimed that he only shot 16 rounds (2 mags) through the pistol. Bare in mind that I shot just over 100 rounds yesterday during an IPSC match and took these photos this morning. The wear is on top of the rails and it can be seen clearly in the first photo. My older P220 also has wear in the same location but significantly less of it. In all of the photos, my '92 P220 (or parts) with thousands of rounds through it is shown above the "new" P220. Both pistols have folded steel slides. The lack of wear on the feedramp and magazine well make me believe that the pistol wasn't fired much and maybe only 16 rounds as claimed. However, the wear on the outside of the barrel and on the frame lead me to believe that the seller racked the slide many, many times. The main focus of my question though is about the spring shown in the last photo. This pistol came with a longer, green spring but the slide is folded steel. Did SIG ship folded steel slides with green springs? The reason I ask is that the slide feels like it's galling the frame with the green spring but feels a lot smoother with the shorter, 15lb spring. So it makes me wonder if the original owner installed a green spring and racked the slide a lot with a dry pistol thereby galling the frame. Or did he simply wear out the original spring and decide to install a new green spring before selling the pistol. He hasn't been of much help and is sticking to his story that he shot two magazines, then put it in the safe for six years.

 

[9mmepiphany]

that wear looks pretty normal...there is a lot of slide flex with the folded slides and it has different wear patterns. The smilies on the barrel do look like it's been cycled a bi more than 16 times

I'm a little concerned that it appears that you have a locking insert for the 220 Compact model on the new gun...with the 4 dots

I have a folded slide 220 (serial #G273xxx) which came with the green spring from the factory

 

[MCMXI]

I'm a little concerned that it appears that you have a locking insert for the 220 Compact model on the new gun...with the 4 dots

I just checked my P220 Carry and Combat and they have 8 dots and 10 dots on the locking inserts respectively. Thanks for the confirmation on the green spring with a folded steel slide. I still haven't been able to determine when or why SIG changed the recoil spring from 15lb to 20lb. It seems that there are numerous versions of P220s floating around out there with all manner of parts in them.

 

[springwalk]

Honestly I trust no one. Who knows what the skunk did. Its the benefit of buying new as you dont have to wonder. Just shoot it and determine satisfacory, otherwise pass it on.

 

[rodinal220]

My first SIG P220 was purchased new in 1995.SIG was using the green 20lbs springs in that time frame.Replace them every 3k and your SIG will last a long time.