Anyone else not particularly accurate with the P220?

[Unleaded]

As a longtime Sig fan, I have a number of them.  Lately, I've become so enamored with my CZ's, I shoot virtually nothing else.  To the point I've even considered selling off some of my other pistols...but that's another story.

My question is in the thread title.  For some reason, I just have never been able to get the accuracy out of my full-size P220 that I get from my other pistols - including Sigs.  I have a 220 compact, a 1911, an X5 Allround, a P229, and a 938 at the moment, and I can shoot all pretty accurately.  I have thin aluminum grips on the 220, I've polished the internals, and spent countless hours dry-firing it over the years.  I can hit steel with it - its not that it's wildly inaccurate in my hands.  But when I punch paper with it, it's no 10-holer.  Easy solution: sell it and stop thinking about it.   That's too logical for me.  I love the feel of it, the look of it, and I hate having something get the best of me.  Anyone else ever struggle with that particular gun?

[Wahoo1 again]

I've had 2 P220s in over the last 20 years or so, gave up shooting well with them. They've been traded off for 1911s, I shoot much faster and more accurately with a steel framed 45ACP 1911 than with any P220 variant.

[Joe L]

I am very sensitive to the ergonomics of various pistols.  I have three P-226's right now, one SS Elite, one X-5, and one standard alloy frame P-226, all in 9mm.  I could shoot them well, but I shot a plastic P-09 as well right out of the box, and better after I changed the grip thickness and trigger reach on the P-09.  I just move the gun less when pulling the trigger on the P-09, short reach and all.  I struggle with many 1911's and a Ruger GP-100 revolver.  Never had any problems with a 75B with the rubber grips, and that is my favorite gun, ergonomically. 

But, different pistols for different people.  I have long, thin hands and fingers and can easily handle a 97B even with the rubber grips.  But a compact like a Kahr PM-40, I struggle with.  My bet is that there isn't anything wrong with your 220.  It may just not be a good match for your hands. 

Joe

[jwc007]

I owned and operated a SigArms P220, plus similar Pistols ( Astra A80 .45, Taurus PT945 ) and while I shot them well, I could never do as well as I do with my .45 Witnesses.  All became Safe Queens at one point and in order to fund other gun projects, all were traded off or sold.

My P220 was an early P220A that was woefully undersprung.  Original Recoil Spring was a paltry 13 lbs, and the current recoil springs are in the 18 to 20 lb range.  I had to adapt a Colt Commander 16 lb Recoil Spring to mine to get it to behave properly.  Out of the box, new, it had trouble even feeding hardball and had to be sent in for repair.  After that it became reasonably reliable and I had no trouble shooting it accurately, but recoil, due to the high bore axis was magnified. My .45 Witnesses were so much easier to shoot and shoot well that I finally, after 20 years of ownership, sold it to a local Police Shooting Instructor.  It's a good handgun.  Just not for me.


Early SigArms P220A with Hogue Grips


From Left to Right
EAA Witness .45 (1992)
EAA Witness .45 (2004)
SAR K2-45 (2013)

BTW, I find my new SAR K2-45 to be a good bit more ergonomic than my old SigArms P220A, but sill not as ergonomic as my .45 Witnesses

[Unleaded]

I've had 2 P220s in over the last 20 years or so, gave up shooting well with them. They've been traded off for 1911s, I shoot much faster and more accurately with a steel framed 45ACP 1911 than with any P220 variant.

Thank you, and that's my experience as well.  In fact, my 75B and P01 are the only two handguns I've ever owned - or fired, for that matter - that were instantly as accurate for me as a 1911.  I have a 97BD on the way from David at CGW that I'm hoping will follow the same pattern.

My bet is that there isn't anything wrong with your 220.  It may just not be a good match for your hands. 

I very much appreciate your thoughts, Joe - and I couldn't agree more; I believe 100% of the issue lies with my ability to shoot the gun.  In fact my P220 has never had any real modifications.  Just a SS guide rod, and I added a short reset trigger kit, simply because my other DA/SA Sigs have had it, and wanted the same feel.  I've just never had the feeling it needed anything,  The gun shoots wonderfully.  I just can't hit anything with it.

My P220 was an early P220A that was woefully undersprung.  Original Recoil Spring was a paltry 13 lbs, and the current recoil springs are in the 18 to 20 lb range.  I had to adapt a Colt Commander 16 lb Recoil Spring to mine to get it to behave properly.  Out of the box, new, it had trouble even feeding hardball and had to be sent in for repair.  After that it became reasonably reliable and I had no trouble shooting it accurately, but recoil, due to the high bore axis was magnified. My .45 Witnesses were so much easier to shoot and shoot well that I finally, after 20 years of ownership, sold it to a local Police Shooting Instructor.  It's a good handgun.  Just not for me.

Your thoughts are much appreciated, and candidly gave me some hope that I'm not crazy...at least not in a way pertaining to Sig firearms.  About your pictures:  To my eye, that is one beautiful set of pistols.  I'm sure they shoot even better than they look.  While I've no idea if you did it intentionally, I personally have an affinity - bordering on OCD-esque behavior - about pistols with contrasting triggers (i.e. Black pistols SHOULD have silver triggers, and vice-versa).   I know many think exactly the opposite, but on a couple of occasions I've gone to great lengths to accomplish that very thing.

[7Left]

I rented a P220 at the local range to try out before I bought one, and i thought everything went fine. Oddly, when i finally got my money together to buy a used one in good condition, I wasn't very pleased. That's not to say the pistol was bad; I just shot it totally different. It didnt feel the same. As much as I tried, I just couldn't shoot my P220 well. I ended up selling the P220 pretty quick. That's a shame because I had a P226 that I enjoyed shooting and thought the P220 would fit right in. It just wasnt for me.

[Chris B]

I had a '95 for a few years as a carry gun.  It never really grew on me, and once I started competing in IDPA, I knew right away it wasn't going to work with the single stack, high bore axis, fiddly controls and hard DA first shot.

[berts]

I've got a P225 that I shoot better than anything just about anything  else. I find the 226 and 228/229 have to big of grips.

[bang bang]

You're talking apples vs oranges.


Sigs are Sigs, Glocks are Glocks, CZs are CZs and Colts are Colts and so on.  Some are more accurate than others and some aren't.  Some guns within that batch maybe more accurate than the gun next to them too. Some shooters are more accurate than others and some aren't.   

You maybe able to drop 10x the $$ you spent on a Sig to make it more accurate, but do you want to?  doubt it.  There are some Sigs that are suppose to be more accurate, but do you want to drop that $$ on them?

i dont care if one brand is more accurate compared to another brand.  Its a game they want you to play.  some people only want accuracy some want reliability and some want both and is always looking for the holy grail and will swap guns when they think they find it.   i buy/collect guns since i like to.  If accuracy is one of your criteria for guns/collection/shooting, then you can do a lot more homework up front to minimize your choice and purchases. 

who knows, maybe you will p/u a hi-point and try one and find out its more accurate than both.

[berts]

Accuracy  is more the shooter than the gun. All decent guns are going to shoot more accurately than 99% of the shooters can shoot them.  It's all about what you are comfortable with.

[bang bang]

Accuracy  is more the shooter than the gun. All decent guns are going to shoot more accurately than 99% of the shooters can shoot them.  It's all about what you are comfortable with.

that is true, but you can find variability between same guns too.

then there is the ammo factor that some people choose to ignore.