Sig P220 as a duty gun?

[DerGlock]

I'd like to get some feedback on carrying the p220 as a duty gun. Two concerns that comes to mind would be the weight and the mag capacity.

For those who carry it, would you still pick it today if your choice of 45s included the Glock and S&W MP?

[alex00]

I don't carry the P220, but my partner does. He swears by it, but then again we can't carry Glock or S&W as primary duty guns. He carries four mags on his belt. With practice and efficiency, magazine changes shouldn't be too big of a concern. I don't have statistics on hand for OISs but I think I recall 5 or 6 shots fired per officer as an average. (Don't quote me on that.)

As far as weight is concerned, I don't think it will be a problem. I think all my junk weighs in between 20 and 30 pounds including vest and boots. a few ounces here and there on your belt won't make a difference. I've changed flashlights, handcuffs and other stuff on my belt over the years and never noticed a difference in weight throughout a shift.

Carry what you shoot well, are comfortable with, and your department allows. My department issued my gun, but if I had to buy my own I would go with a .45 and most likely buy a P220. I've carried a Sig for 13 years, and have never had an issue where I wasn't the cause.

[9mmepiphany]

i carried a Sig 220 as a duty gun for years and was very happy with it.

the biggest decision is if you want to carry 2 double mag pouches or a quad pouch. if you go with 2 pouches, i'd slide one around toward the rear...you won't need it often and it saves room for more often used items. i went with a quad pouch and 4 ACT-Mag 8rd mags up front.

after years of wear and tear, i finally had mine refinished:

[556fmj]

At one point in time, I considered carrying a Sig P220 for work. I went as far as purchasing one and practicing with it but I went back to my gun that I felt the most comfortable with and it was the P229 in .40 cal

I still carry it although a recent purchase has me wondering if I should switch to a S&W M and P model .40 But it is not on the approved list...

[retired]

i carried a Sig 220 as a duty gun for years and was very happy with it.

the biggest decision is if you want to carry 2 double mag pouches or a quad pouch. if you go with 2 pouches, i'd slide one around toward the rear...you won't need it often and it saves room for more often used items. i went with a quad pouch and 4 ACT-Mag 8rd mags up front.

after years of wear and tear, i finally had mine refinished:

Just a fyi: If you mean by that on your side, but toward the rear, that would be ok, but as a multiple back surgery patient, I would recommend you do not put it in a position where it presses against your back. Just my 2 cents.

[18sam2011]

I switched to a p220r with Surefire x300 from a p226 and I couldn't be happier. I use an AE Nelson quad magazine pouch up front horizontally and will be getting another one of their double mag pouches to wear at the 10 o'clock position. This will be a total of six 8 round magazines.

Practice your magazine changes, and you will be good to go.

As far as weight goes, I didn't notice much of a difference between my p226 gear and my p220 gear. Well, not enough to make a difference anyways.

[9mmepiphany]

Just a fyi: If you mean by that on your side, but toward the rear, that would be ok, but as a multiple back surgery patient, I would recommend you do not put it in a position where it presses against your back. Just my 2 cents.

i totally agree and hope i wasn't mis-understood. i was lucky that i was able to address my back issues without surgery

[J_B]

I still carry it although a recent purchase has me wondering if I should switch to a S&W M and P model .40 But it is not on the approved list...

Good luck and wishfull thinking. Everytime we go to the range and at our last division training days, I love to ask everychance I get, when we'll go to Glocks.

[Jwood562]

I carry a 220r with a surefire x300 and als holster. I chose the Sig because that is what I shot well with. We have a very open firearms policy and almost anything goes. I carry a 10rd mag in the gun and 4 8rd mags in a tex-shumaker pouch for a grand total of 43rds on my person.

I just had to get used to the als holster with the light becasue it was so much larger and always got stuck on the seat belt.

I just ordered some new trijicon night sights and srpings for a tune up rebuild cuz after thounsands of rounds I think its due for a tune up

[Twist18]

Just FYI, my older, folded slide 220 weighs less than my 229.

[yzErnie]

I carried a P220 for many years and was very happy with it. I had a 10rd mag in the gun and 4-8rd mags on my belt. The only reason I switched from my P220 to my P226 9mm was because we quit issuing the good 45+P ammo and went back to the standard velocity 45 ammo. We are having much better results with the 9mm ammo we now issue as it is exiting the barrel at 357mag velocities. For me, I'll gladly give up my P220 for my P226 knowing the performance of the issue 9mm ammo is so much better.

[18sam2011]

Which ammo are you issued?

I have a hard time beleiving a 9mm round would perform better than most modern day hollow point 45 acp ammo.

Like the Speer gold dot or federal hsT. Even in a standard pressure 45 round, they perform extremely well.

[foolthomas]

My suggestion is just go with what is most comfortable and accurate for you bottom line.

Everyone talks about mag capacity and all this nonsense but the funny thing is no one ever says: "I actually encountered a real life problem in the field with mag capacity on my single stack 45." That's cause it is rarely an issue. In fact I heard about a cal pd officer that smoked 5 guys with his 1911 because he was trained well. I know of another guy who did the same with his 1911 (not to get into specifics). That is really what will make the difference..if ammo is an issue you should have an active shooter bag anyway.

I think the q"s you should be asking yourself when going to the p220 are..do you like a da then sa trigger system or do you prefer the same pull every time (ie glock etc.) Do you like the reset on the sig or new srt sig triggers. And finally do you like off duty options compatible with the 220 (ie a 220 compact or p239 in a diff caliber).

I am personally switching to the g21 sf/rtf. The main reason is I really like the concept of the same pull each shot. I believe the first shot is what will really count in any given scenario and the glock trigger's 5.5 pounds allows you to safely break leather and keep it low ready in any scenario as well as squeeze off a first accurate shot. Good luck and be safe.

[9mmepiphany]

I think the q"s you should be asking yourself when going to the p220 are..do you like a da then sa trigger system or do you prefer the same pull every time (ie glock etc.) Do you like the reset on the sig or new srt sig triggers. And finally do you like off duty options compatible with the 220 (ie a 220 compact or p239 in a diff caliber).

I am personally switching to the g21 sf/rtf. The main reason is I really like the concept of the same pull each shot. I believe the first shot is what will really count in any given scenario and the glock trigger's 5.5 pounds allows you to safely break leather and keep it low ready in any scenario as well as squeeze off a first accurate shot. Good luck and be safe.

i stayed with the Sig 220 SA/DA for the same reason foolthomas went with the G21. i liked the extra travel in that first shot, without giving up any speed or accuracy when i needed it. there has been more than one occasion when i've started rolling the trigger back on that first shot and had the prep suddenly come to his senses...plus the DA doesn't bother me, since i started back in the days of revolvers.

the main reason i stuck with the 220 was the feel in my hand...the arch of the Glocks backstrap just never felt right in my hand. for off-duty carry, i'd usually switch to a Sig 228

[yzErnie]

Which ammo are you issued?

I have a hard time beleiving a 9mm round would perform better than most modern day hollow point 45 acp ammo.

Like the Speer gold dot or federal hsT. Even in a standard pressure 45 round, they perform extremely well.

Since I'm an anally retentive kind of guy I went to someone I trust on our OIS team and that is where I got the info. I went to them because they see the results first hand.

We issue the Ranger SXT 127gr+P+ and it exits (crono'd) the barrel of my P226 at a 20 shot run average of 1286fps. The Ranger 45 standard velocity exits a Glock 21 barrel at 875fps. The lighter and faster bullet provides better ballistic performance.