1911 vs P220?

[coldfusion]

I love my G21SF but I want a second 45ACP, and I'm torn between a 1911 - most likely a Colt XSE stainless or perhaps a Dan Wesson if I can find one - or a Sig P220. I'm a big fan of the 1911 grip and trigger, but I'm concerned about overall reliability. Reliability trumps all in my book. But then again I've read mixed things about the P220. Perhaps there's another .45 I should be considering? I'd look at HK but I've already got a USPc in .40 and want something new. Suggestions appreciated.

[davbog44]

I have owned a couple of P220s, a full size and a P220 Carry. I have also owned (and currently own) a few different 1911s.

I think between the two, it has to come down to personal preference. I have gone back to the 1911 platform, but the SIG P220 will always have a place in my heart. Both of them I owned were 100 percent, rock solid reliable with just about any ammo I fed them.

With the 1911 platform, IMO not all 1911s are created equally, and there's a pretty wide gulf from low to high on how much you'll spend on one.

I know for me, the natural pointability, ergo fit and SA trigger of the 1911 are just better for me. But that's just me. You can't go wrong either way really.

[Nshaver127]

lol I have a colt 1911 and I just picked up a 21sf yesterday. Cant go wrong with a Colt or the Sig. Sigs have the best decockers I think. If you already have a glock then id go with something classy like a 1911. why do you need 2 tactical pistols?

[phase1]

Get a EAA sar k2

[coldfusion]

Get a EAA sar k2

That like a CZ clone?

[tbc]

1911 vs P220?

Personally I would go for a SA 1911 or a Sig 1911. If reliability is your primary criteria then I suggest HK45. The HK45 and the USP are completely different in the grips.


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[Artema]

I think I would carry a P220. I probably wont myself because I am not a large person. I am considering a S&W small frame 357 revolver since I don't want to lose power, just reduce size. When it gets cold I might use my aliengear IWB for my P220, however. I haven't shot one of the officer sized 1911s for comparison, but I wouldn't carry a government sized. I'd LOVE to, but would be impractical for me.

[The Mad Mule]

The P220 was okay for me, until I shot it. Something about the hump in the back of the grip dug into my hand. A P227 is on its way, and since its ergos are basically an E2 P226, I expect it to be a perfect fit.

[Snapping Twig]

I bought my P220 in 1987 from the first shipment of the American magazine release models.

It has never malfunctioned, no matter what I fed it from mild to wild or any bullet weight or type. As a caster/reloader, it has tasted pretty much everything.

That said, I also have a couple 1911's which I shoot more accurately.

The P220 is a bobtail design believe it or not. Look at the grip frame.
One of my 1911's is a bobtail and that's my preference.

I also have a standard grip 1911 with a flat MSH and while it is not unpleasant, it's not optimum. Shoots straight and feels pretty good just the same.

So my advice is this - the 1911 is an excellent system, but it's a system. The P220 is an off the shelf thing anybody that understands the 4 Rules and wants to shoot can use day one.

You need to learn to keep your thumb on TOP of the thumb safety with a 1911. Don't at your own peril of snapping it off in a 'time of peril' and taking yourself out of the fray with an inoperable pistol which you don't know why isn't firing.

Also, the P220 has a decocking lever, DA first shot, SA thereafter. Some can't wrap their minds around the different trigger feel. I have no issue with this, but some do.

1911 is made to be kept condition 1 - cocked and locked. This is the chamber loaded, hammer back, thumb safety on. Not quite the same as decocking a P220 with a round in the chamber. Many prefer the relative safety of the P220 here.

I am not one of them, but it's a personal decision.

The P220 is much easier to field strip, but that's not saying the 1911 is hard, just different.

So, there's the high notes.

Good luck with your decision.

[Standard]

lol I have a colt 1911 and I just picked up a 21sf yesterday. Cant go wrong with a Colt or the Sig. Sigs have the best decockers I think. If you already have a glock then id go with something classy like a 1911. why do you need 2 tactical pistols?

Agreed on the Sig decocker.
Can you explain what is more "tactical" about a Glock than a 1911?

[aca72]

1911- The BEST SA .45 ACP semi-auto EVER!
P220- The BEST "out of the box" DA/SA .45 ACP semi-auto EVER!

[M. D. Van Norman]

[Artema]

1911- The BEST SA .45 ACP semi-auto EVER!
P220- The BEST "out of the box" DA/SA .45 ACP semi-auto EVER!

Agreed. So just pick if you want a manual safety/SA or DA/SA.

[huckberry668]

P220 is the best all around 45ACP pistol in my experience and opinion. Reliability, match grade accuracy, DA/SA, easy stripping, longevity and thin profile. It's my SHIF gun, full stainless version is even better.

[GunWhore75]

The question I would ask you is... What are you going to do with it? Target, Carry, SHTF? Answering that question helps a lot.