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Question for Sig owners

3K views 41 replies 31 participants last post by  Bunny 
#1 ·
I'm narrowing it down for my 1st firearm. Looking mostly at Sigs, specifically a P-220 carry that the majority of my LEO friends (and CCW ladies) have recommended. Going to test one at the range tomorrow, and a mosquito shortly.

So -- Sig owners...what do you have? How do you like it? Pros? Cons? Would you recommend your model? Why or why not? You know, anything you think is worth letting me know. Any advice to a total noob would be appreciated. Type slowly, I'm new at this :embarassed:

Thanks!

--Bunny
 
#4 ·
I've got some Sigs.

220,225,2 226's,239 and a 230.
That would be .45,9MM,9mm,.357SIG,40 and .380.

I like them. They are very accurate, in fact I dont think I have ever seen one that wasnt. They feel good in my hand. They are solid guns.

The Sig P226 is the best shooting 9mm that I have ever shot. The 225 is a close second. The 226 can hold lots of rounds with aftermarket mags.

THe 225 is more compact and I carry it alot also.

THe 239 is also carried, its a small package for an 8 shot .40, but not too small for my large hands.

The 220 is a big gun to carry concealed, but no bigger than any 226.

I like the .357 Sig, but it is very loud and it has its own distinct sound. When 50 people are shooting at a range, I can pick it out.

The .380 is good, but it's a heavy gun for a .380 and .380's just never did it for me, it lives in the safe and hardly ever gets shot.

I have several 1911's, several Glocks,an HK.USP45, and out of everything else that I've got, the Sigs get shot and toted more than anything else.
 
#5 ·
I personally own and occasionally carry a p228 in 9mm. It carries 13 +1 of my favorite 124 gr Gold Dots. It is approximately the size of the P220 Carry you are mentioning. It is an AWESOME shooter. Very accurate. Very well balanced. Had I not started off with Glock Sig would be my primary choice of EDC. You will not be sorry. Theya are a little bulkier in some ways...but a good holster/belt combo will solve that.
 
#6 ·
I have four "classic" Sigs. I have a P220 in .45, a P225, P226, P228 9mms. Love them all! I generally prefer to carry the biggest pistol I can, but sometimes wardrobe limits that. I think the P220 carry is a fine pistol. Just be warned, Sigs are like Pringles, you can't have just one!

Depending on how recoil sensitive you are the P220 carry might be a little much for you though. My P225 9mm is about the same size, but has been replaced by the P239. Single column so it has a fairly small grip, and less recoil than the .45. If you can handle double column magazines OK, the P228 (replaced by the P229) is regarded by many as one of the finest combat handguns ever made. The P226 is also excellent but is a little larger than what you are looking at.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Double-stack SIGs are a bit of a handful for somebody with smaller hands, so make sure you get to try them out if you are concerned about that.

For P220, although there are occasionally oddball calibers out there, you are basically talking about .45 ACP, a great defensive cartridge and one whose earth-shattering recoil is greatly exaggerated. The P220 Carry is a fantastic gun. Going back to the grip size issue, SIG makes factory short triggers (this is not the same thing as the Short Reset Trigger or SRT) and slim grips that make this a very comfortable pistol for smaller hands. For larger hands, you can get Hogue rubber or any of the wood aftermarket grips to beef it up a bit. The P220 is an absolute top-flight carry gun, in both the Carry and Full Size models. There is also a Compact, but that seems to be a different enough animal that I wouldn't compare it directly to the other P220s.

The P225 (a.k.a., P6 if it's a refurb European model) is a compact single-stack 9mm. Not made new and not a lot of aftermarket options for it, and mags can be hard to find, but a very shootable gun.

The P239 is slightly smaller than the P225 and comes in 9mm, .40S&W, and 357SIG. In 9mm and .40 it is a very nice little pistol, very concealable, but a bit low on capacity. I haven't shot it in 357SIG.

If you try out some double-stack SIGs and know you can shoot them and conceal them, the P229 is a great weapon, in the same calibers as the P239. The grip on the P229 (and the larger barreled P226) can be slimmed down some with aftermarket grips, namely Hogue's Extreme G10 or aluminum, but those are expensive (around $130). Thicker grip means harder to conceal, but you will get much higher capacity in the gun.

Last word---all of these come in tradition DA/SA (double-action first shot, single-action follow-ups with no manual safety) and DAK (which is SIGs proprietary double-action only trigger; well liked by a lot of people who have shot it and want a DAO pistol; also no safety). The P220 also has a cokced-and-locked single-action only (SAO) version; I just got one of those (Carry sized) and I love it, but it's a competition gun for IDPA and I will most likely stick with DA/SA for a carry gun.

ETA: Oh, yeah, if you like 9mm or .40S&W, don't rule out the sigPro guns. They can be had for a steal, and you rarely hear from an unhappy sigPro owner. Modular backstraps allow some degree of custom fitting to the shooter's hand. I have not shot one but would really like to try one out.
 
#9 ·
I carry everyday either my primary P220, or on odd days the P226. Im a small guy with small hands, and I havent had a single problem with either. Never had a single weapon caused malfunction, and it will shoot anything I put in a Magazine. I have carried IWB OWB, shoulder harness. Its one of the most "bullet proof" guns that just goes bang everytime Ive ever fired. Both weapons are as old as me, yet never had a single problem.
Now here is the one thing I do not....shockly enough.... like about sigs. Magazines are expensive, because I wouldnt trust anything but a Mecgar after market, or factory mags in mine. Ive tried several makers, they either dont function right out of the box or fail to work after a few years. Meanwhile the sig factory mags from 26 years ago still function flawlessly. So if you do get a sig, plan to spend about 50 bucks after taxes and shipping on each new mag, unless you go Gunshow shopping, and then you might find some for 40.
 
#27 ·
Now here is the one thing I do not....shockly enough.... like about sigs. Magazines are expensive, because I wouldnt trust anything but a Mecgar after market, or factory mags in mine. Ive tried several makers, they either dont function right out of the box or fail to work after a few years. Meanwhile the sig factory mags from 26 years ago still function flawlessly. So if you do get a sig, plan to spend about 50 bucks after taxes and shipping on each new mag, unless you go Gunshow shopping, and then you might find some for 40.
Just to be clear, Mec-gar is the current vendor for SIG magazines, so a Mec-gar-branded mag, while probably significantly less expensive than a SIG mag, should function exactly the same.

Moreover, mercy, don't pay fifty bucks for a factory SIG magazine! They can be had for thirty-ish bucks, in SIG packaging. Some SIG mags will command a higher price, such as the extra-capacity SCT mags; I paid fifty for a P229 SCT mag recently, but that same source has the standard P229 mags listed at thirty, and various versions of the P220 mags for 30 to 40.
 
#13 ·
I own a 239 in 40 cal. It is accurate and 100% reliable, but, given its size, weight, and capacity, I find that my Glocks are a much more disirable and useful carry. In fact, I am thinking of replacing the Sig with a Glock 23. Higher capacity, and less weight, with equal reliability and accuracy.
 
#14 ·
I'm pretty attached to my 239 .40 cal. Nice and small so it conceals pretty good. I carry two spare mags to make up for the single stack.
 
#15 ·
I carry two different Sigs, kind of a winter and summer setup...
For winter time its a 229R 40. I like the feel and handling of the 229R, very similar to a 228 but, with the extra horse power of the 40S&W round.

For summer its a P239 in 40. The compact nature of the pistol and single stack magazine makes concealing it much easier when wearing shorts and a T-shirt in the summer.

Both pistols along with other Sigs, this is direct from other Sig specific forum, seem to be ideal for carry as long as you find the right holster and belt.

For both of my carry pistols its Milt Sparks Versa Max II IWB holster... Most comfortable and very good retention holster...

Hope this helps!
 
#16 ·
I have a 239 9mm. It is one of the best guns I have ever shot. The trigger is excellent, the feel is good, I love the DA/SA. It has never malfunctioned in any way. The recoil is not bad at all, including +p. I dont carry yet (not 21) but when practicing around the house it conceals with no problem. If I got another sig I would get the 220- carry
 
#17 ·
Bunny,

Try a SIG P-220 Carry (.45), I think you'll be surprised how well you can shoot it! :image035:
 
#19 ·
So -- Sig owners...what do you have? How do you like it? Pros? Cons? Would you recommend your model? Why or why not? You know, anything you think is worth letting me know.
I have a P220 SAO Carry. I like it a lot and just ordered a TT Gunleather OWB holster for it today. Pros are its very well built gun, has a crisp trigger, is accurate, reliable, durable, is thinner in the grip than a typical double stack 9mm, looks way cool, has a good warranty and is just plain fun to shoot. Cons are it is not a small gun and easy to conceal - its best role is as a duty sized gun, not a compact. Don't know enough about you and how you plan to carry to say if you should get one...it's good that you are going to try one out first.

If you really like Sigs and the P220 is not for you , then I would suggest you gravitate toward a P239 DAK in 9mm. It too is a single stack like the P220.
 
#20 ·
Wow, thanks all for the great info and advice! Tomorrow is CCW class & Qualifying at the range, and then Sunday is the gun show if I can make it there between Church and a rescue event, so I'm trying to cram in what I can. I'm definitely gravitating towards Sig, and found a range near here that will rent out almost every one listed, so I can spend some time "getting to know" which one feels right for me.

Other option I am considering is H&K, possibly? Have a few of those available to play with at the range as well.

Thanks again! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow :)

Bunny
 
#21 ·
Other option I am considering is H&K, possibly? Have a few of those available to play with at the range as well.
H&K's are very soft shooters - my main squeeze is a USP Compact 40 LEM. If you can, try a CZ 75 Compact and/or a CZ 75 PCR too. These are double stacks and are thinner in the grip area and have a lower bore axis than Sigs. The CZ's have extremely good ergonomics.
 
#22 ·
Might look at the P220 Compact, they seem to be much smaller, or maybe a nice p245 can still be found. I agree with warmon, the new cz stuff looks very promising. HK I would suggest the P2000sk with the LEM, in 9mm. But if 45 is your thing maybe the HK45C. But havent handled one of those.
 
#23 ·
Even though I just bought a kahr pm45, I would trust my life with my p220. I love my sig. If I were forced to abandon all my handguns and only keep one, that would be it. I've never had a failure in it. Recoil? It seems my hi-power I had had more recoil. Smooth, reliable, I can't say enough. If the place I just bought my other 45 had a p220 compact, i may have chosen it. In fact, I'm still thinking about it. Buy it, you wont regret it.
 
#25 ·
I have 3 Sigs, 220, 226, and Pro. I have never had an issue with any of them. The 226 is the one I shoot the most, range and competition. It has over 10,000 rounds and "2" problems with my handloads (no powder) otherwise perfect. They are reliable as a rock and as accurate as you are. I use a VMII for the 220 and 226 with a Don Hume for the Pro. On holsters the VMII is great but if I had it to do over I would have T&T Gunleather do them.

If I was starting fresh again the P229 is for me as accurate as the slightly larger P226 and easier to carry. Also the 229 was designed with the .40 in mind and an additional barrel for .357 Sig is always fun to have.

As reliable and accurate as my Sigs are they are matched by H&K with a big nod to the .40 P2000sk which shoots soft and amazingly accurate for such a small gun.

The only negative I would have is my Sig 220 Equinox. A great gun and looks fantastic but the lack of stipling of any kind on the backstrap makes shooting it competitively more difficult. So for that I switch out for rubber Hogue's, but I hate to remove those pretty Equinox grips.
 
#26 ·
The folks at SIGforum might have offered a very different opinion of the particular P220 which has been recommended to you, as certain variants tended to have issues. I am not sure which, as the P229 fits my hands far better than the P220, and I must use .40 duty ammo, with the P229 being one of the authorized choices I have for primary duty pistols, so I have little to no interest in P220s, except for the full-sized match and target variants.

"The" quintessential SIG seems to be the P226 in 9mm, probably due to its being designed for the pistol trials of what became the U.S. military's M9 pistol. Of course, Beretta "won" that contract, but the SEALs, with greater freedom to choose weapons, went with the P226 for their own use. The British SAS also adopted the P226.
 
#28 ·
bunny, we have had several sigs, you will love them, here is my input, we have had very good luck with the LEO trade ins. my 229 in 357 sig is one of my favorites. we also fixed up a 225, it is very nice to shot, but a big gun with low capacity. but the one sig we had the trouble with was the mosquito. i even contacted TJ's about it and his advice was trade it off. so we did. i have had the best luck with sig mags, they are higher but worth it. we have also found that the wolf spring kits are easy to install and really make the trigger pull sweet. good luck.
 
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