Sig 220

[Lead Fred]

Dang thing followed me home the other day.

Can any of you tell me what molds you use?

Kinda wanted to go with a SWC, but worried about feed ramp issues.

Its ramp is short and steep.

[Rick Hodges]

I have owned two Sig p220's. Both of them digested everything I put through them without a whimper. Including the CCI Lawman 200gr. "flying ashtrays" and Speer 185 and 200gr. swaged swc's. They also ran fine with Lee 228rn and 190swc (old design) boolits. Enjoy it. I am sorry I didn't keep at least one of mine.

[MtGun44]

Read my post under "Recommended mold for SIG 45" thread. Exact same
words apply here, although the Sig 220 is not a 1911, pretty much the same
issues.

Bill

[xr650]

This is my only problem child with my 220.
Feeds well. Extracts poorly

http://www.fototime.com/144DC6DBC096F8F/standard.jpg

Lee TL-230-2R 231 5.5 grs. Primer: CCI 300 COL: 1.260”
Note: This round shot well. The extracted case hangs on the shoulder of the bullet in the mag. This bullet does not work in SIG P220.

[Scharfschuetze]

Don't own one now, but I've used several including the pre 220, the Browning BDA of the mid 1970s. All of them fed and shot without modification (and often more accurately) anything that my Colt 1911s shot.

Hope yours shoots as well.

[MtGun44]

Try adding some more TC.

Bill

[Iron Mike Golf]

I use both HG #68 and Lyman 452460 in my P220. I seat both with a thumbnail's thickness of the shoulder forward of the case mouth (about 1/32 of an inch). I crimp as a separate step and shoot for .468.

[engineer401]

I used to have 220. It managed everything I ran through it. You cannot find a more reliable firearm.

[MtGun44]

+1 on Iron Mike.

Bill

[Cadillo]

This is my only problem child with my 220.
Feeds well. Extracts poorly

http://www.fototime.com/144DC6DBC096F8F/standard.jpg

Lee TL-230-2R 231 5.5 grs. Primer: CCI 300 COL: 1.260”
Note: This round shot well. The extracted case hangs on the shoulder of the bullet in the mag. This bullet does not work in SIG P220.

Before you give up, try seating the bullet out a few thousandths further. I shoot a lot of cast bullets in my P220's and they do the same thing unless I seat the bullet out so that the leading bearing surface is slightly extended beyond the case mouth to help the extracted cartridge rim slide past the case mouth of the loaded round that is next up.

The longer OAL solved this problem for me completely using Lyman 452630 and 452460.

[Cadillo]

My P220's function very well with Lyman 452460 and 452630, provided I seat then out just a little further than recommended by Lyman. See my post above. The feed ramp should not be a problem. Too short OAL for P220 results in what you see in the above photo posted by xr650. OAL is critical for clean extraction without snagging on next loaded round. Once you find your guns OAL sweet spot, it's smooth sailing with even SWC's like the 452460, which is nearly a full wadcutter.

[Cadillo]

I use both HG #68 and Lyman 452460 in my P220. I seat both with a thumbnail's thickness of the shoulder forward of the case mouth (about 1/32 of an inch). I crimp as a separate step and shoot for .468.

Sage advice Iron Mike. This will prevent the issue depicted in the photo of the round with torn case mouth.

[silverjay]

I run the rcbs 220 swc and the mihec 220's through mine. No issues and both are very accurate.

[xr650]

Before you give up, try seating the bullet out a few thousandths further. I shoot a lot of cast bullets in my P220's and they do the same thing unless I seat the bullet out so that the leading bearing surface is slightly extended beyond the case mouth to help the extracted cartridge rim slide past the case mouth of the loaded round that is next up.

The longer OAL solved this problem for me completely using Lyman 452630 and 452460.

I agree that this will probably help.
I have plenty of other moulds to use and prefer standard lube grooves.
I appreciate the input.

[cainttype]

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, but MtGun44 sees the same possibilty in the image of a lack of crimp... Double-check your taper crimp adjustment just to be safe.

[MtGun44]

More TC, about .468-.465 would be good.

Bill

[Cadillo]

The extra crimping won't hurt, but as shown in the photo, the P220 drags the extracted case head/rim into the bullet's shoulder cutting it such that it will get behind the case mouth even if tightly crimped. Having the shoulder extended farther forward from the case mouth solves the issues, at least in my P220's.

[krag35]

Get yourself a BD-45-230 mold and don't bother looking back. Best 45 ACP boolit, or bullet ever made IMO. I have 2 of the Lee 6 banger group buy molds, one unused because I might out live the first mold.

[catboat]

This is my only problem child with my 220.
Feeds well. Extracts poorly

http://www.fototime.com/144DC6DBC096F8F/standard.jpg

Lee TL-230-2R 231 5.5 grs. Primer: CCI 300 COL: 1.260”
Note: This round shot well. The extracted case hangs on the shoulder of the bullet in the mag. This bullet does not work in SIG P220.

I've had three P220s. One a standard mid 1990's version (with beefed up frame), the other two were stainless "ST" models with second generation rail. I ran the Lee 230 grain truncated mold through all of them without a hiccup. O FTF and O FTE.

There was a post years ago on sigforum.com in the reloading section about the very same bullet (lee round nose) and the "hang up" issue from the ledge on the bullet.

The solution was to use the round nose design that did not have the large "step" or "shoulder". I can't remember if it was the 2R having the ledge, and the 1R that that fed fine w/o the ledge or versa visa. Maybe you can dig it up. It had pictures too. Good thread.

The Lee 230 grain truncated nose worked exceptionally well in the Sigs. One of my 220st pistols (all 45 acp) was scary accurate with that mold. Like 1" groups at 25 yards over a healthy dose of Bullseye (~ 5.0 grains?). Lighter power dosages didn't cycle the slide. It was a lack of energy issue, not a bullet feed/design issue. Once I got the powder dosage increased, it was a shooting machine

[xr650]

There was a post years ago on sigforum.com in the reloading section about the very same bullet


Yup. Very same boolit. Very same pic. :mrgreen: