Brand New P220?

[74c5]

Picked up a brand new P220. Did not strip when it showed up nor at pickup but, I've never done that with a new gun. Got it home, 2.5 hrs away, and stripped it down to find quite a bit of wear for a brand new gun that should only be proof shot. I owned one of these 25 years ago and it didn't show wear like this for a couple hundred rounds. Bolt face was pretty dirty when stripped....not four or five rounds dirty, more like 50+. Barrel wear isn't major but the slide and bolt face tell a story.
Sig says this is a brand new gun when records were checked.
Is this how effective modern wear & oxidation coatings are? Or, did this get sent on an undocumented range run for a bunch of folks and then passed over the wall to me? Thoughts? Sig has offered warranty replacement. They should probably pay the DROS too if I do that. If this is an example of softer metal and crappy coatings, why waste my time?

Photos of slide roof and sidewall, bolt face and upper edge, barrel and frame (not bad).

[gsparesa]

Both of my sig's never showed barrel smiles when they were new. I see your suspicions.

[Marquand]

I'm the proud papa of two SIG P229s and my guns bear similar wear in those locations...but only after a few hundred rounds. I'm having a hard time accepting that level of wear could exist on a NIB pistol unless it was test fired multiple times at the factory after a number of adjustments were made during the assembly process.

Here's the good news. Your pistol was going to wear in those places anyway and SIGs are reliable and durable firearms that last for years. Consider it a partial breaking in from the factory and shoot away. If the wear really bothers you, take SIG up on their offer to replace it. Either way, you paid a premium price for a premium handgun and you should be happy with your purchase.

Whatever your decision, enjoy your P220!

[IVth Horseman]

You're correct in you suspicion, that looks like more than "a round or two" was test fired. But as stated above, there could have been adjustments or repairs made during the testing process. It looks like 20 or so rounds fired with no lube!

I understand a new gun should be new, but unless its going to be a safe queen, don't sweat it. And Sig won't pay your dros unless you can prove that they caused the wear. Grease it up and start racking up those smileys.

[QXSOUP]

Totally normal. The wearyou see is from the way that the barrel locks up in the slide. Smear some grease on the inside of the slide and it will lessen the wear.

[CAGLS]

Those wear marks are normal with use. Grease the rails to prevent galling on the aluminum rails on the frame as recommended by Bruce Grey. Then go to the range and shoot a couple hundred rds for reliability check. Mine has run perfect. I had ccrefinishing do their semi matte finish on the barrel, no smilies or wear showing on the barrel hood.

[jb octane]

I would take the replacement. If I buy a gun brand new I want it to look brand new and make the wear from my own use.

[Sig Marine]

As others have said, everything you are seeing is absolutely normal. Guns vary in their tolerances and each will show wear a little differently. The wear areas you are seeing are at the points of lock-up as mentioned by a previous poster. Besides the rails, every place you are seeing where there's a shinny area (the end of the barrel, the chamber portion of the barrel, the muzzle opening of the slide, the chamber area of the barrel in the slide) should get a little grease to help with lock-up and minimize wear. Also, don't forget to apply a little grease on the locking lug (underside of the feed ramp) of the barrel.

Semper Fi...Sig Marine (Certified Sig Armorer)

[jcwatchdog]

Picked up a brand new P220. Did not strip when it showed up nor at pickup but, I've never done that with a new gun. Got it home, 2.5 hrs away, and stripped it down to find quite a bit of wear for a brand new gun that should only be proof shot. I owned one of these 25 years ago and it didn't show wear like this for a couple hundred rounds. Bolt face was pretty dirty when stripped....not four or five rounds dirty, more like 50+. Barrel wear isn't major but the slide and bolt face tell a story.
Sig says this is a brand new gun when records were checked.
Is this how effective modern wear & oxidation coatings are? Or, did this get sent on an undocumented range run for a bunch of folks and then passed over the wall to me? Thoughts? Sig has offered warranty replacement. They should probably pay the DROS too if I do that. If this is an example of softer metal and crappy coatings, why waste my time?

Photos of slide roof and sidewall, bolt face and upper edge, barrel and frame (not bad).

It's fine. I had 3 P229s, a P220 combat, and a P226. On one of the P229, I shot only 30 rounds just to test it when I picked it up (since I had to go to work). When I got home and cleaned it, it showed those barrel marks and the marks under the hood of the slide. The finish Sig puts on their barrels especially don't hold up well. It doesn't hold up nearly we well as HK finishes, or even glocks. It's probably from factory test firing. It's like being upset that a new car has 300 miles on it

[axhoaxho]

Like folks say, it looks normal to me as well.

Head to the range; and if it shoots & works okay, then no sweat and enjoy it.

[74c5]

Thanks for the feedback. Not my first rodeo but, like I said, haven't seen this much wear before. That is why I also included the frame shot that shows not much of interest from the lug.
Not surprised if it is just a materials thing, possibly combined with some rework cycles to get headspace down or whatever. Looks like there were some stovepipes from the mark on top of the slide.

Might play hookey this week and see how it runs and then evaluate.

[18sam2011]

My brand new tac ops had the same wear patterns. The pistols shoots and runs great. No big deal. Just grease it up and shoot it!

[Beelzy]

Well that wear is normal like others have said....for a gun that has had 1k of ammo run
through it!
I've got a 220 European with over a thousand rounds through it, and it still looks almost new.
If that wear is really normal for the American Sigs, they can keep them.

[huckberry668]

I may be the lighting. The breech face from your photo seems almost hand 'polished'. Especially the bottom edges. Top edge from 4th photo looks polished as well. My 1990s p220 breech face with over 1000 rounds thru still looks blackened and edges sharp. The wear from the other photos look fine.

When in doubt, take the replacement.

[Dutch Henry]

Cosmetics. Take it out and shoot it. If it puts them where you point it then it's a keeper. If it doesn't then send it back for the promised replacement. I've owned several P220's over the years and every one shot like a target pistol. My only heartburn was the failures of some of the welded magazines and the cost to replace them.