SIG Sauer P220 - NRA Limited Edition Law Enforcement

SIG Sauer Model P220 - Now Available in Three Flavors

Model P220 Perspective - The Original SIG Sauer

The SIG Sauer P220 is the Classic SIG pistol that all "P Series" pistols are based on.  Designed in the early 70's as a joint project between SIG in Switzerland and J.P. Sauer in Germany.  The companies joined forces to allow the Swiss designed arms to be exported on the world market and to legally circumvent the very strict Swiss arms export laws.  A few years later the American company SIG Arms was formed in Virginia to assemble and market SIG Sauer firearms in the North American market.

Noted as the first semi-automatic pistol with out the need for an external safety and for it's light weight aluminum alloy frame.  The SIG Sauer P220 was a history making firearm, who's then state of the art and modern features have found there way into many modern semi-automatic pistols.  Even when compared to the latest model pistols manufactured today, the SIG Sauer P220 still holds it own and is superior to most of the competitors.  

Also of historical significance are the other "Classic P Series" SIG Sauer handguns that are based on the original P220.  These include all the P Series SIG's (P225, P226, P228, P229, P245) which collectively make up a very large percentage of the sporting, personal defense, military and law enforcement side arms in the world market.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt to those "people" who do not carry a SIG.  I assume they just don't know any better.  Of course the bad guys will not offer them the same benefit and that is one of the many reasons I carry a SIG.

The SIG Sauer P220 is composed of a steel slide, a steel breech block, a steel feed ramp, a solid guide rod, a woven recoil spring, a target grade steel barrel and an aluminum alloy frame. The slide is manufactured from high strength alloy steel and is rolled and pined from three separate pieces.  All early SIGs from the P220 to the P228 had slides formed by stamping heavy sheet steel on a mandrel and then welding on a front and back section.  The breechblock which contains the firing pin, is a separate steel piece that is secured to the slide with a roll pin.  Later models including the newest P226, P229, P239 and SIG Pro have CNC milled slides that are made from a single piece of stainless steel.  The stamped slides are still used on the P220 and P245 and are strong enough for the .45ACP and 9mm chamberings.  SIGArms went to the one-piece milled slide when they adopted the high chamber pressure caliber .40 Liberty and caliber .357 SIG cartridges. 

The Classic P220 SIG Sauer .45 ACP Pistol

The aluminum frame has a heavy steel cross bar that the barrel cams against to move
up and down for locking and unlocking.  There is a steel insert in the frame that makes up the feed ramp, so unlike many aluminum-framed pistols, rounds do not slam into aluminum during the feed cycle.  The only wear the aluminum frame experiences is the slide moving back and forth.  Because the lock up and accuracy are not dependant on a very tight slide to frame fit, the frame gets very little wear after the initial break in.  This means SIG Sauer pistols are very strong and long-lived despite the aluminum frame construction.  The aluminum alloy frame makes the classic P Series SIG's lighter than many of their similarly sized, all-steel competitors. 

The P220 incorporated SIG Sauer's unique patented 4-point safety system with an Automatic Firing-pin Lock, a frame mounted Decocking Lever, a Safety Intercept Notch and a Trigger Bar Disconnector.  The pistol is designed to be carried hammer down with a round in the chamber and to be decocked with the decocking lever after firing.  When the SIG Sauer pistol is decocked the hammer does not drop to full rest position against the firing pin but instead falls to a safe, intermediate position.  The other integral safety features prevent a negligent or accidental discharge should the pistol be dropped, even when cocked.  To fire the pistol the trigger must fully engaged.

The original P220's had a heel mounted magazine release and were chambered in 9mm Luger and 7.65mm Luger.  The .45 ACP came later and quickly won over the American market.  Later some P220's were also chambered in .38 Super. For many years the P220 was the most popular SIG Sauer pistol in America, only being replaced by the high capacity 3 caliber P226 in recent years.  The P220 is still the most popular SIG Sauer in Law Enforcement circles, largely due to it's great ergonomics, length of time in service and it's very powerful .45 ACP cartridge. 

Upgrades over the years include a new hammer return spring, a rebounding hammer, and improved safety disconnect, lateral "American style" magazine release, new grip panels, improved lanyard ring, the Two-Tone model, a stiffer recoil spring, a solid guide rod, the short trigger option, an 8 round magazine, an improved alloy frame, changeable magazine release and the new Illaflon moly coated finish.  95% of the parts in an original P220 are interchangeable with the current models.  However, P220's with serial numbers below 219166 use "short" hammer springs and "old style" grip panels.

Today some 25 years after it's introduction, the SIG Sauer P220 is still one of the finest "out of the box" big bore pistols made.  I still have my original P220's purchased in Germany in the early 80's and after almost 20 years and tens of thousands of rounds, I can still depend on them for sport and the personal protection of my loved ones and myself.  Currently, as well as the "standard" P220, a Sport model, the P220 S and an all new heavy duty "all-stainless" P220 ST are available.  Specific technical information on the 3 different P220 models is listed below.

P220 "American"

P220 American P220 ST P220 Sport

This Full Frame, Full Firepower sidearm sets the standard against which all others are measured.  The revolutionary SIG-Sauer Model P220 with its unique decocking lever and patented automatic firing pin lock, allows the hammer to be safely lowered with a round in the chamber, eliminating the need for an external safety.  The P220 seems to "fit" most people and its dependability and accuracy are unmatched in a "stock" .45.

SIG's Engineered Reliability, Simplicity of Operation, Instant Readiness and the Full-Size and chambering for .45 ACP have made the SIG P220 one of the most successful big bore combat pistols ever produced.  The P220 is noted by most as being the "most accurate big-bore pistol right out of the box".  In fact, unlike most "kit gun" .45's, with the exception of adding grips or night sights, there is not much that can be done to improve a "stock" P220.

The P220 comes with High Contrast Bar Dot low profile combat sights, Combat 3 Dot Sights or with the optional SIG SIGHT "Tritium" Night Sights, Black Plastic Stippled Stocks; Standard SIG Blue Finish, with optional Two Tone, and K-Kote Finishes available. SIGARMS categorizes this handgun as "Full Sized" and It is one of the best handling big bore Pistols ever made.

Big Bore .45 SIG P220
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The Ultimate .45 Auto
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SIG P220 .45 ACP
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P220 American P220 ST P220 Sport P220 Graphics