What is it? What's it worth???

[1BLINDREF]

I'm looking for information on a gun that I saw in a local gun shop. I believe it's an early Browning/Sig import.
It's a P220 sized .45acp. The right side of the slide has : Sig-Sauer System and Made in W.Germany stamped on it. The serial # is 395RR1323. The left side of the slide has: Browning Arms Co. Morgan,Utah Montreal P.Q. stamped on it. It has a HH date code stamped on the bottom front of the slide. The grips are black plastic checkered. The right grip says Browning on it. The left grip doesn't have anything but checkering on it. The front sight has a red dot on it, the rear sight has a white line. The gun has what looks like a dull stainless steel finish on both the slide and the frame. It has the European style magazine release. The gun is in about 95-98% condition. It only has one magazine and no box or papers.
I'd like to know if these came from the factory with a stainless finish and whether or not it would be worth buying. It's being sold on consignment.
Any help with identifying what it is and what its worth would be very much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Jim Watson]

Browning sold the P220 here early on as the BDA.

I never heard of one in a white finish. You might ask at Sigforum.com

 

[3rdpig]

I bought a Browning BDA .45 when they were first imported. It's a West German Sig with the folded sheet metal slide and bottom mag release. I sold it after many years of ownership about a month ago. It was my carry gun for years when I lived in a cold climate but it's been a safe queen for the 14 years I've lived in Arizona. It was incredibly reliable and quite accurate. It's only drawback is the bottom mag release and the fact that grips for the P220 American (button mag release) will not fit and can't be easily modified to fit, thus you're stuck with the cheap plastic grips that come on it, wood replacements that are hard to find and expensive, or something custom made.

Also, I've heard that standard P220 American magazines won't fit in it. Someone else told me they could be modified to fit, but since I had 4 of the original mags I never bothered trying.

As far as the finish was concerned, to the best of my knowledge they all had a black finish, probably painted on the slide, the aluminum frame was anodized. The paint on the slide wore off mine quite easily from holster and handling wear and I refinished it with gunkote. I never saw one with any other finish than the black. The anodized frame stayed black and didn't come off from wear.

The original sights were a 2 dot system, a round white dot on the front and a square white dot on the back. Sounds like someone repainted the dots. Not unusual, I repainted mine after I refinished the slide, but I stuck with white.

In good condition they normally go for about $400, which is what I got for mine with 1 mag. I sold the other 3 mags seperately since the buyer didn't want them. I certainly wouldn't pay more than $350 for the one you're talking about unless it was something I really wanted. From what Sig people told me they've got no collector value. They are however, a fine shooter.

 

[1BLINDREF]

3rdpig-
Thanks for the detailed info. I posted the same question on the Sig forum and got the same response you posted.
The seller of this gun wants $685.00 firm!!!!
He's not willing to move and I'm not willing to buy

 

[Ala Dan]

Any "tried and true" SIG-A-HOLIC" needs one of these Browning BDA's
in their collection. With that said, I'm still look'in for one in LNIB type
condition~!

 

[1BLINDREF]

Ala Dan -
I'm with you, but not this one at $685.00
It's a nice gun, but with the aftermarket finish, no box, and 1 mag, it's only worth about $400.00 tops.

 

[old4x4]

1BLINDREF, From the 2007 Gun Digest book of Guns and Prices 2nd edition.
Made between 1977 and 1980 for Browning by Sig, as 3rdpig said.

NIB 525
exc 425
good 375
fair 300
poor 235

The guy's trying to rip you off...

 

[1BLINDREF]

The guy's trying to rip you off...

The gun shop is selling it on consignment. The owner of the shop even said it was high. I asked if the owner of the gun would take less and he said the owner of the gun was standing firm on that $685. Thats why the gun has been sitting in the shop for over 7 years!!!

 

[don95sml]

Seven YEARS? You'd think that by this time he'd have gotten a hint that the price was out of line. What a dreamer!

 

[270Win]

Some people are incredibly hard-headed. There has a been a generic SxS shotgun on consignment at a local gun shop near here for at least five years... Beat to hell, "May not fire" written on the tag (!), rusty... $500.

Yeah, that'll be there a while.