P220 Finally Followed Me Home

I carried one for years. The extractor finally broke (about three decades old and thousands of rounds through it) and had to be replaced.
 
Congratulations on the "new" gun; it's an iconic gun IMO. And you got it at a good price. I have a 220 Compact in SAO---good shooter and absolutely reliable.

Now all you have to do is mortgage the house and buy some ammo. :)
 
If I ain't mistaken, the P220's slide is machined from forged steel; translation: it'll last a lot longer than its owner.
 
Sanch said:
If I ain't mistaken, the P220's slide is machined from forged steel; translation: it'll last a lot longer than its owner.
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Newer ones are machined from stainless steel yea. The older ones were carbon steel that was folded and then welded. Judging by the pictures the OP’s is an older one. Should last a very long time anyway.


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welded?

Stamped/folded yes, but I don't think there is any welding. The breech block and corresponding hardware are secured in the slide by dual pins (actually, 4) . Said pins can be driven out, and the internals of the breech block can be accessed for detailed cleaning and maintenance. When reassembled, new pins are to be used.

I think the folded/pinned guns are a bit lighter, significant on a duty belt full of other gear. The .45 acp is a low pressure round, durability on a P220 will not be an issue. The milled/stainless P-series surfaced with the higher pressure .40 S&W round and eventually became standard for all P-series later in produciton (I think).
 
clarify

Roll pins, one within another, inner and outer. There would be 4 involved in a detail strip...the old pair driven out, and the new pair driven in.
 
bamaranger said:
Stamped/folded yes, but I don't think there is any welding. The breech block and corresponding hardware are secured in the slide by dual pins (actually, 4) . Said pins can be driven out, and the internals of the breech block can be accessed for detailed cleaning and maintenance. When reassembled, new pins are to be used.

I think the folded/pinned guns are a bit lighter, significant on a duty belt full of other gear. The .45 acp is a low pressure round, durability on a P220 will not be an issue. The milled/stainless P-series surfaced with the higher pressure .40 S&W round and eventually became standard for all P-series later in produciton (I think).
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The front part of the slide through which the barrel protrudes is welded onto the portion that is folded to make the main body of the slide. Generally the blending of the two pieces is well done and it’s not overly obvious, but sometimes you can notice it. Years ago I watched a video of it but I can’t find it anymore.

Edit: if you Google it you can find a few descriptions of the process

https://www.sigtalk.com/threads/please-educate-me-on-the-folded-slide.212609/

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Hi Tunnel,

Newer ones are machined from stainless steel yea. The older ones were carbon steel that was folded and then welded. Judging by the pictures the OP’s is an older one. Should last a very long time anyway.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. The older P226 had a stamped slide. Years ago, I read an article that after 40k rounds, some showed show very tiny cracks yet were 100% operable. Who the heck is gonna put 40k rounds through a P226? If tiny cracks are not suitable, I'm sure Sig would have replace them with a new, machined slide.

My son has a P220, green spring, machined that has been 100% reliable. Green sping indicated that it was +P manufactured. I paid $500 bucks for it brand new. I bought it from a large chain So Cal outdoor sporting goods store. My guess were they were law enforcement overruns.

My Sig P229 .40 S&W was the best duty handgun I've ever carried to include S&W revolvers. The P229 was introduced with a machined slide with, I believe, forged steel. It began as a .40 S&W, hence the P229 was constructed to withstand .40 S&W pressure and recoil.

If the OP were to call Sig, its customer service will tell him whether his gun has a stamped slide. If it is stamped, I'm guessing her could replace it with a machined slide.
 
Hi rickyrick,

I believe I hear your radar beeping.

You will not be disappointed with a Sig P220.

They're probably impossible to find now due the incredible spike in demand for handguns. If you were to find one, it would probably command a scarcity premium.

I'm almost positive that when I bought my son's brand new Sig P220 .45 ACP at a So Cal chain sporting goods store, they were law enforcement production overruns; hence, the incredibly low price.

Another option is to check stores that sell used law enforcement guns. I have a fiend who looked through dozens of used law enforcement guns before he found one in near pristine condition. He paid about 25% of the cost of a new copy and received what appeared to have been an unfired copy.
 
welded

OK......welded. Makes sense that the forward portion of slide is welded.
Never thought about it,......and I was wrong.
 
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