1911 or P220

[Ben Dover]

I've used the 1911 in Bullseye competition for several decades. I like it.

But if you're looking for a carry gun, DA/SA hands down. IME, the SIG P220 is one of the finest carry .45s available. (Although I could never understand why anyone would choose a .45 for a carry gun)

 

[corneileous]

(Although I could never understand why anyone would choose a .45 for a carry gun)

How come? If you shoot well with it and can handle the recoil for double-tap follow up shots, why not?


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[AK103K]

I can't imagine any semi-auto handgun being easier to maintain than a 1911.

It all depends on the 1911. Built to original spec 1911's are easy enough to field strip, some of the others built to who knows what spec, or have things like FLGR's in them, not so much.

I picked up a Springfield Defender not long ago, that is pretty basic. Its also so tight, you cant take it down without some help from some sort of tool.

Ive owned a number of P220's over the years, and every one of them came apart with a simple flip of a lever.

 

[jmstr]

Removing the slide on the P220 is faster than on the 1911 design for me.

However, I find the 1911 design easy to disassemble/assemble: be it the sloppy fit of a GI-Spec 1911 or the tight tolerances of a $2000+ 1911.

I just find the 1911 design to take longer to disassemble.


I have built a few 1911s from bare frames. I have detail stripped the P220, P225 and P226 Sigs.

The P-series is probably 'easier'- if defined as taking less time or attention.

However, I think of 'easy' as effort-related to strain on muscles. Neither will cause any problems there.




Now- as to if this should be an issue, well... Only the purchaser knows their own abilities, interests, and what they are willing to do.

For me, the accuracy, feel, heritage and reliability of the 1911 design make it worth taking 30 seconds longer to remove the slide and reinstall it, when I do a cleaning.



I always think that the simplest to maintain [normal 'field' cleaning- not detail cleaning] is a Revolver, followed by a Glock. The Sig P220 isn't far off from the Glock. The 1911 does involve a few more steps.

But, to quote my grandfather "Are you going to let a little work scare ya? "

Pick the one you want to operate, for the reasons you want, and then deal with the cleaning. It isn't like you will take 4 minutes or more longer to remove the slide and reinstall it [once experienced].

We all have different priorities. Follow yours and pick what is right for YOU- not us.

 

[Rinspeed]

I have a boatload of rounds through a couple older 220s and even more through several 1911s. Just my opinion but for similar money a Sig 220 will outshoot most 1911s. One reason is probably because the older full size Sigs will shoot close to 2" groups at 25 yards with a wide variety of ammo. Sadly my eyes aren't that good anymore and even when they were it was a good day getting close to 2" groups.

 

[223 shooter]

Owned a 1990s German P220 and it was quite a good shooting pistol - the most accurate DA semi-auto I have owned or ever fired. Although the grip did not fit me nearly as well as the 1911s I have owned.

The P220 was also relatively light which is great for a carried service pistol but couple that with the high bore axis and the pistol had more muzzle flip than my 1911s.

I eventually traded the P220 but may get one again if a good deal comes along. Eight years ago I finally settled on a 1911 Springfield Range Officer for my 45 keeper - fantastic shooting pistol.

 

[coolbreezy]

I've had 3 1911's, including a kimber stainless II. I've put over 10k in rounds through that gun and never had a problem. My current 1911 is a Springfield milspec, which also is ultra reliable. However I'd take my p220 match elite in a heart beat over any 1911. It's the gun I shoot best with, and more accurate than I'll ever be.

 

[Joe_Pike]

1911 for me. I had a P220 and didn't really care for it. Admittedly, my opinion was partially tainted by the fact that Hornady Custom doesn't work in the P220. Apparently this is a well known issue that wasn't known by me and I had lots of Hornady Custom.

 

[44 AMP]

Admittedly, my opinion was partially tainted by the fact that Hornady Custom doesn't work in the P220. Apparently this is a well known issue that wasn't known by me and I had lots of Hornady Custom.

This is news to me, though admittedly I don't use Hornady custom or much other factory ammunition. I do need to ask, do you mean to say Hornady Custom doesn't work in any/all P220s, or that it didn't work in YOUR P220??

I've had a Browning BDA 45 (P220) since 1980 and it has run well on everything I've ever fed it. It also runs on rounds too light to cycle the slide of my Govt Model and rounds that are just a tad too hot for that same Govt model.

Of course, an example of one proves nothing about the general design. I may have gotten the best one they ever built and you got a lemon. Not likely, but not impossible.

Never heard anything like that about Hornady Custom ammo. I have heard, from two different owners, about 3 different models of Walther they owned that choked on Cor-Bon ammo, and only Cor-Bon ammo, running normally with everything else.

 

[shurshot]

I own and enjoy both the 1911A1 and 220 in .45. Good, solid guns, as far as semiautomatics go. Not as trustworthy as a well built cylinder equipped Hogleg, but still pretty damn good.

 

[dgludwig]

Admittedly, my opinion was partially tainted by the fact that Hornady Custom doesn't work in the P220. Apparently this is a well known issue that wasn't known by me and I had lots of Hornady Custom.

I am curious as to what your source(s) for this "well-known" issue is/are (other than your own experience). My SIG models 220 and 227 run reliably with everything I've shot through them-which, admittedly, does not include Hornady Custom.

 

[44 AMP]

Just spoke with a friend who works part time at a local gunshop, which specializes in tactical and self defense stuff. He'd never heard of P220s choking on Hornady Custom (or anything else for that matter) but will ask around tomorrow to see if any of the other guys/customers/friends have heard of it being "a well known thing", because apparently, in my neck of the woods, it isn't a well known thing, its an unheard of thing.

 

[Joe_Pike]

This is news to me, though admittedly I don't use Hornady custom or much other factory ammunition. I do need to ask, do you mean to say Hornady Custom doesn't work in any/all P220s, or that it didn't work in YOUR P220??

The ammo wouldn't fit into the magazine...at all. Apparently the bullet profile was something that didn't mesh with the P220 magazines, and I tried more than one cartridge and different magazines. The ammo works fine in my Colt 1911.

 

[Bongo Boy]

Just one guy's opinions...nothing more.

I've owned both and while lots of folks have no problem carrying a 1911, there is no way on earth I would be able to tolerate carrying the P220. I never intended it for carry, but I did shoot it with great success in IDPA. With a smoothed and lightened trigger, it was a fantastic gun.

I specifically selected the Elite because I wanted a big heavy 45. I sold it a few years later because I had no use at all for a big heavy, single stack 45. It just didn't serve any purpose for me, even as a range toy.

Between the two choices, I think I'd go with a 1911--although maybe the SAO variety of P220 in 10mm might be an option if I was okay with single-stacking 10mm, which I am not. I say the 1911 because for me it's a simpler, more-straightforward platform for choked-capacity 45 Auto, and for me, again, a gun with far more attractive options. I don't find the P220 very attractive, and it seems a bit top heavy in appearance. DA/SA isn't as big a deal as some folks make it out to be, I think my experience with it in IDPA proved it's something of a non-issue--but it solves a problem I don't have, and is a bit klutzy, IMO.

For carry, specifically, it's gotta be the gun you've actually found you can get into action quickly and shoot fast and accurately. For me, that gun is the M&P 45c, which I would choose over any other 45 I've ever fired. For carry, again, the P220 was not even remotely in the running--I think I bought 3 different holsters convinced I'd find a setup that would allow me to carry it, and no setup was a reasonable option. But that's me, not you. I think a 1911 in the 'CCO' config would be a carryable option for more folks.

Enjoy the quest--that's what counts.

 

[Cowboyfromhell]

UPDATE....so I ended up getting a S.A. RO ELITE OPERATOR .45 over a p220 for my only .45 in the stable. I love sigs and used to own a p226 but I felt if I was only going to own one .45 it better be a 1911. This is my 3rd 1911 I ever bought and also my most expensive gun to date.
Field stripped and lubed and headed to range with over 250 rds of various ammo including h.p. the gun ran 100% which made me super happy because I intended for this to be an edc gun. I then hopped on-line and ordered up some nice leather for her...later the same day I was fondling her and my heart sank! The ambi- safety was not operating smoothly and actually locked-up the gun rendering it completely useless!!
Sent her back to the mother ship for warranty repairs....I really wanted to like this gun and hope she comes back to me all fixed up. I will keep everyone posted to what transpires. Thanx for reading.