I will be graduating college 3 weeks from tomorrow, and am pursuing a career in law enforcement. I have decided to "reward" myself with a graduation present, being a new pistol. I currently have a Glock 19 and Glock 23, but have had a P226 before and love Sig pistols. I want something "nice" which will mainly be used at the range, and kept at home.

Anyways, since I have a 9mm and .40S&W, I have decided I want a .45ACP. I've been looking at the P220s and they really seem like a great choice.

Since the P220 Carry Elite will have the benefit of being more compact, how much of a trade-off will there be in how it shoots? Should I just go with the standard 220 Elite?

BTW, I MUST have two-tone with the wooden grips....it looks SO nice!

Any input is appreciated.

My 08' Carry SAO is more accurate than a friends P220ST. The recoil spring is a little heavier than I like. I like to run 17lbs recoil springs in my full size P220's that i've had but I don't think I will mess with the spring weight in this gun. But it seems to shoot just as nice as a full size P220. It weighs a little less but since I carry mine that's only a good thing for me. I love my 220 Carry.

A few thoughts: I've found that choosing a gun in how it looks is the wrong way to look at buying a gun. Amazing function can make even an ugly gun beautiful, and you'll end up shooting more than polishing. If you have the chance, go hold the different 220's. The beavertail will cause a higher bore axis due to a lower grip, which will equal a bit more muzzle flip. Unless you have crazy webbed thumbs, there's no good purpose for a beavertail on a 220. Does it look cool? Sure. But without it, you can grip the gun quite higher, making it more controllable. A more controllable gun is better than a neat looking gun. The wood grips are also quite a hot debate, some love them, some hate them. Personally, and I have big hands, they're just too wide and slippery. IMO, the absolute best grip around for a 220 are the CTC grips. They are amazing (even without the laser). In terms of the Carry vs. Full size debate, the carry will shoot better. My 220 Carry Elite shot better than my W.German 220. It's got less muzzle flip but a bit lower bullet velocity (nothing that will really effect anything, but lower bullet velocity means less muzzle flip in handguns which usually overcomes less slide weight in terms of recoil reduction). If you do go with a 220 Carry, do not get one unless it has an external extractor. You wouldn't buy a car if the seat belt may or may stop working, would you? So get the external extractor. In my personal experience, my 220 Carry Elite was replaced by a much 'lessor' XD45c which functionally does as good a job as a 220 with even less recoil due to a lower bore axis. Although after handling and shooting an HK45 recently I've been completely converted to HK. They make the best .45 under $2k, and that's been a universal praise from almost anyone who has one. Better shooting an handling than many 1911's with a DA/SA or LEM trigger. So while you're not looking for other recommendations, if I were to buy a 220, I'd either get the Standard Carry with external extractor with CTC grips, or a the full size External Extractor Combat, again, with CTC grips. Also make sure you get a takedown lever that has a bullseye shape on the right side. SIG made a large amount of these that can break and make your gun lock up. They didn't recall the part, of course. I don't think I'll be looking at any more SIGs after the HK conversion (this is after owning 3 220's, mind you).

I also have a 2008 P220 R Carry SAO and it's an excellent shooter. It's all up to you and what you want and like. If you have a Sig dealer near you and you can go hold and look at both that might help you decide.

On the beavertail subject (it actually amazed Bruce Gray)

I can't own a P220 unless it has a beavertail. I get such a high grip on the gun that when the slide cycles the hammer will actaully pinch the web of my hand between the frame and hammer causing instant bleeding. I did 3 days of a BG class in June bloodied to hell and back. That November we did another BG class and I had to switch to a 1911 because mid 2nd day I was re-opening scar tissue.

Evern after Mr. Gray bobbed the hammer slightly on my P220ST it still made me bleed forcing me to sell the gun (because Sig hadn't made an Elite yet).

I can get a higher grip on a beavertail P-seies gun that I can a non-beavertail gun.

I've got a P220R Carry in '08 production and absolutely love it. Carry it more than my 1911's. Goes bang every time.

The beauty of this situation is I don't think you can really go wrong. Both the carry and the "regular" are quite nice IMO. They are also however somewhat expensive, and it would suck to drop that much coin on something only to have to turn around and sell it (possibly taking a hit). If possible, I'd recommend shooting both and see what you like better. For me, I spent a little time at a range w/a friend who had both (lucky guy!) and ended up favoring the carry...I didn't find that it shot much different (mind you I didn't put more than maybe 50 rounds through each), but just liked the size better, and the thought that I could carry it if I wanted (for me the full size is a bit too big to conceal very well) - but as you noted, for now mine is a safe queen that comes out to play when I've got some spare cash to buy .45ACP ammo (which is every chance I get as I love shooting my 220)...

Beavertail or no ? Personal choice - it's good to listen to others opinions, but at the end of the day no matter how much someone else pontificates its up to you...

Internal / External extractor - Mine is internal and has no trouble at all, but Sig did switch to an external recently - if it worries you much look for an external, but if you find a sweet deal on one w/an internal (which is what happened to me while I was looking for an external version) chances are it'll be fine, and if not Sig will fix it, or you can replace it yourself, or soon Gray Guns will have another option...since you noted it's not expected to be your EDC even if it goes down your not left unprotected..

The P220 Carry is no easier to conceal than the standard P220 as the grip length is the same. If you want a more compact .45, look at the P220 Compact. That said, I prefer the P220 Carry over the standard P220 because for me it just balances better and shoots just as well. YMMV. Good luck whatever you decide and post back your decision with a picture.

A recent article on 45 ACP's in The American Rifleman compared the performance of several pistols including the P220 Carry and a considerably more expensive 1911.The P220 outshot them all with several different loads and functioned flawlessly.

That said,there have been issues with a failure to feed the last round especially with the Carry model.These were rare but an automobile with this rate of malfunction would have been recalled.Sig "fixed" most of these guns and went to an external extractor.

My Carry was one of the FTF guns but has been flawless since the "fix".It is as accurate as 2 Wilson 1911's that I own.It has a rail for HD accessories.I feel comfortable using it as my CCW.It is easy to control and has less recoil/muzzleflip than a fullsized P220 and my 1911's.IMO,there is no "trade off" in the Carry model.I have the Elite Carry which I prefer for the beavertail (see above).It has walnut grips and looks cool,but I agree that buying a firearm based on looks is not sound.

If you can, shoot P220's,HK's,Glocks,M&P's,etc. and 1911's if you can,then decide. I think you'll find the P220 Carry Elite to be among your top picks.

I have a 220 Carry SAO with beavertail and a 220ST. The 220ST seems to shoot a little "softer" because of the added weight. The Carry model is by far my favorite to shoot. It shoots just as well as my 220ST and the balance seems better for me. The trigger is AWESOME! Also, the SAO Carry model with the beavertail can be purchased at a great price. As far as the Elite's, my first Sig was a 226 Elite. I sold the wood grips right away, they made grip too thick for my hands. There are alot of guys looking for these grips which may help you off set the price of the gun.

I would get the Standard P220 Elite. You need all the barrel length you can get to get that baby moving at full speed. Plus if it's gonna be on a duty rig, I don't see the need for the Carry model.