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Thread: Sig P220 Compacts. Thoughts?

  1. #1
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    Sig P220 Compacts. Thoughts?

    I've had two Sig P245s. I loved the way they shot. I loved the way they felt. I loved the way the printed effortless groups at 10 yards. Yet... I can't say I was "100% convinced" in terms of reliability.

    They were pretty much jammomatics with the stock mags (esp. the 2nd one I had). Apparently there was a design change with P220 series mags that included a "dimple" (to stabilize yet-to-feed rounds) and that solved the issue... for the most part. Sold my first P245 in a pinch. Bought another one... and had an FTF with a NEWER mag (which I had just paid $$$ for). Pissed me off. Sold it.

    As much as I liked the guns, I've been a little hesitant to jump back into the pint-sized P220 club. Now I'm thinking the actual P220 compact (newer version of the P245) might be a better bet.

    So, for those of you who have had experience with the Sig P220 compacts (or the Carry, since it's the same upper), what are your thoughts? Especially in terms of reliability?

    Thanks in advance.
    Last edited by MattyD380; 02-16-2017 at 08:07 PM.

  2. #2
    The P220 and P245 series are kinda like a 1911........they need TLC to run well. I used to run a P220 and P245 for many years with no problems, but I am a skilled armorer and I was religious about doing a detail strip and parts change every 3k rounds.

    Generally the P245 is a pretty solid design which uses more evolved design characteristics than the P220. I wonder if all it needed were a detail strip and spring change to help with its reliability.....

    The P220 compacts use the more traditional P220 design for the sake of making production easier. Personally, I think the P245 is a much better design. Design-wise, the P245 might actually be a little more reliable than the P220 compact.

    Curious why you favor the P220 with all the other options now days. I find it hard to justify the P220/P245 series when there are so much better modern .45s now days.

  3. #3
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    For me, the question is...Why favor the SIG 220 when you have the option of the 1911

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flintsky View Post
    The P220 and P245 series are kinda like a 1911........they need TLC to run well. I used to run a P220 and P245 for many years with no problems, but I am a skilled armorer and I was religious about doing a detail strip and parts change every 3k rounds.

    Generally the P245 is a pretty solid design which uses more evolved design characteristics than the P220. I wonder if all it needed were a detail strip and spring change to help with its reliability.....

    The P220 compacts use the more traditional P220 design for the sake of making production easier. Personally, I think the P245 is a much better design. Design-wise, the P245 might actually be a little more reliable than the P220 compact.

    Curious why you favor the P220 with all the other options now days. I find it hard to justify the P220/P245 series when there are so much better modern .45s now days.
    Great insight. Thanks for the reply. Interesting to hear your take on the differences with the P245 vs the P220c. I would have thought it would be other way around, merely given the fact that the 220c is the "later" model.

    To answer your question on why the Sig...

    I like DA/SA guns and I prefer a size that's more conducive to carry. I actually own an HK45c. I really do like it. I shoot it well. It's been 100% reliable. Yet, I just kinda preferred the feel of the P245. The grip, the trigger, the heft... just seemed more "intuitive."

    Haven't tried the USP45c. I hear some prefer the feel of that over the 45c. And--this may come as a surprise--but another one that's on my radar is the Bersa Ultra Compact .45. Now, I'll pay for quality when it comes to handguns. But, on paper, that one seems to have a lot going for it. I dunno. Never even touched a Bersa. I hear some people love them.

    Anyway, thanks again.
    Last edited by MattyD380; 02-16-2017 at 10:39 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by 45dotACP View Post
    For me, the question is...Why favor the SIG 220 when you have the option of the 1911

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
    Yeah, I could give the 1911 another shot. I've only had one 1911--it was a Colt Wiley Clapp CCO. It was nice. Very accurate. I just couldn't help thinking... it didn't 'feel' like an $1100 gun. In terms of fit and finish. I realize that's a subjective evaluation of one example and not representative of 1911s as a whole... but... I'm comfortable with DA/SA so I've just kinda stayed in that ballpark.

    I do like the STIs though. Smiths seem nice too.
    Last edited by MattyD380; 02-16-2017 at 10:47 PM.

  6. #6
    .45 is a good, effective, caliber. But for a concealed weapon my favorite SIG is a 239 in 9mm, which works extremely well and is--in my hands--more controllable.

    That probably is just a personal preference thing, but for a small SIG the 239 is pretty hard to beat.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeep View Post
    .45 is a good, effective, caliber. But for a concealed weapon my favorite SIG is a 239 in 9mm, which works extremely well and is--in my hands--more controllable.

    That probably is just a personal preference thing, but for a small SIG the 239 is pretty hard to beat.
    Ha. P239's what I usually carry--also in 9mm. Love the gun. Have some Nill grips on it. Also just got the PX4 cc, so that's getting some carry time now too.

    I just enjoy shooting .45 now and then... so it's nice to have something I can carry, if I feel the need--which still has the DA/SA setup. No real practical reason. Just enjoy the caliber.
    Last edited by MattyD380; 02-16-2017 at 11:57 PM.

  8. #8
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    Had a p220c sao. Obviously different trigger group. But I really liked it, carried very well and was 100% reliable. Accuracy was just as good as my 1911s. Recoil was also tame for the weight, I think the shorter slide helped. I had the aluminum grips and it had great traction yet nice and thin. I only had mec gar mags with mine. Felt very comfortable carrying it over a officers 1911.
    Last edited by Trukinjp13; 02-17-2017 at 08:38 AM. Reason: Need to read better.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by MattyD380 View Post
    Ha. P239's what I usually carry--also in 9mm. Love the gun. Have some Nill grips on it. Also just got the PX4 cc, so that's getting some carry time now too.

    I just enjoy shooting .45 now and then... so it's nice to have something I can carry, if I feel the need--which still has the DA/SA setup. No real practical reason. Just enjoy the caliber.
    I carry a P226 9mm on duty, and a P239 9mm off duty. The big reason in my mind for having higher capacity, and lower recoil is skilled operation when you aren't at your best. When I was running a P220 .45 on duty and a P245 off duty, I got a bad shoulder injury that kept me out for about 6 months. When I picked up the gun again to train, it was more difficult to do single hand work with the P220 in terms of marksmanship, and of course having to take time for twice the number of reloads vs 9mm. There are a number of other situations that I have encountered over the years that have kept me from being my best, and on a bad day my ability to shoot a P220 was much more negatively influenced versus a high capacity 9mm like the P226. The reality is that if you ever get in a deadly force situation, you will likely not be at your best mentally or physically based on FBI OIS statistics, so prepare accordingly.

    That being said, I do love the .45acp. I have seen a number of shootings myself, and it does work......provided that you shoot it well, and you don't run out of ammo before you connect to a rapidly moving target who might be shooting projectiles at you with a high capacity pistol that may not need to be reloading even half as often as yours.

  10. #10
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    I've owned a couple of P220's, always accurate and reliable. But I didn't like the recoil characteristics and general cost of .45 ammo. I carry a 9mm P225 daily, quite a bit of it seated and AWIB. I also prefer a DA/SA action with hammer for this kind of duty. 8 + 1 rounds plus extra mag of 9mm seems to carry well. I carry the extra mag in a horizontal mag pouch by Wilderness Tactical.

    Best,
    1986s4

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