SIGforum
Magazine Help Please: P220 9mm

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/6890084074

May 22, 2020, 08:52 PM
Brass Catcher
Magazine Help Please: P220 9mm
Hi --

I used to come here in the early 2000's when my dad (wilddogs) and I would shoot. He passed in 2007 and my shooting has been meh since then. I'm getting back into it and I don't ask me how this happened, but I can't find the magazine to my P220. It's a 9mm...not a .45.

So I figured I'd hop online and buy a new one. Wow, talk about a dumb girl moment. I gather I have to buy a used one or new old stock if I can find it, but the problem I am having is I have no clue how to know if what I'm looking at is the right one. This is a regular, button-push magazine release pistol but many listings I'm looking at say the magazines are for the heel release European model.

So my questions are: what do I have to look for to know a magazine will work in my P220?

I am searching high and low but now my concern isn't so much "where is my magazine?" but "will I ever shoot this thing again?"

Any help is much appreciated!


________
"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." -- Benjamin Rush, 1773
May 22, 2020, 09:40 PM
hrcjon
Going to be painful on this. What you want is normally labeled an american release 9mm P220 mag in ads. They are not very common and expensive. Good luck. Maybe some of the more experienced here can show you a path to convert something, but I have no expertise in that.


“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
May 22, 2020, 09:48 PM
colt_saa
You have to look at the photos of those magazines that are advertised for the European release P220.

Many folks advertising do not realize that just because they used it in a European release P220 does not necessarily mean they do not have the cut-outs to work in an American release P220. This magazine will work in either pistol. Look for the mag release cut outs a little over 1.25" from the top of the mag




This next style magazine will only work in the European release P220. Notice the cut outs are not there





Now there are other ways to get you shooting again.

You could locate a 38SUPER magazine. The top one is actually one of my 38SUPER mags because I could not locate my 9MM P220 quickly. The difference between the two magazines is that the 9MM has a spacer tack welded into the back of the mag to keep the cartridges forward and the 38SUPER magazine does not . . . . but it will work

Secondly, if you are handy or have a friend with a machine shop, you can convert a European release magazine to work in both style firearms.

My original 45ACP P220s were European release and in my family we had 21 magazines. So once the first American release P220 was purchased, we built a jig to hold the mag properly and I converted all 21 in under and hour . . . . . It is wonderful what you can do if you have access to a Bridgeport Smile


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May 22, 2020, 10:11 PM
Brass Catcher
Thank you both so much.

I appreciate the clarity of both your responses.

I'll do some more looking and also talk to my mom because it's possible he had a few extras.

Thanks again.


________
"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." -- Benjamin Rush, 1773
May 23, 2020, 08:09 AM
.38supersig
Other than what has already been mentioned, the good news is that the 9mm P220 magazines are still in production in Germany. The bad news is, they are still in Germany.

If you look on eBay right now, there is a guy manufacturing the side release magazines and they are selling at $48 each.




May 23, 2020, 10:32 AM
Watergoat
I assume you aren't going to carry this pistol for self defense, you just want to shoot it. If so, get an old style 45 mag with the flat steel bottom plate, and go to the range! I have 3 of the 220-9s, and I have done this with all of them. NO problems. You would not think it would work, but it does. Kind of a ragged looking cartridge stack, but they feed fine. I mostly shoot Blazer, Winchester white box, etc. No point in using stiffer loads for clanging steel plates at 25-30 yards.
May 23, 2020, 12:18 PM
220-9er
I would contact this guy. He wants to sell them with the gun but maybe he'd sell some at some point or point you to someone else since he was looking.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/9660085954


___________________________
Avoid buying ChiCom/CCP products whenever possible.
May 23, 2020, 12:57 PM
mcs1564
You can order new factory mags from B&H Waffenhandle:

http://bh-waffenhandel.de/maga...-sauer-p220-magazine

B&H works with MMB Imports out of Maryland (https://mmbimports.com). I've bought mags from them and both companies are good to go.

IIRC, the last time I purchased some they ran about $98/ea shipped. A bit pricey, but, that is less than what I’ve seen people try to sell them for on the usual auction sites.


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SP2022 - 9mm
May 23, 2020, 02:44 PM
hrcjon
When this post first started I glanced at ebay (who I normally don't use) and there were two ads reasonably priced that showed american release in the photo. Assuming the photo was the actual product which you need to make sure to take advantage of this.


“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
May 23, 2020, 03:26 PM
mcs1564
quote:
Originally posted by hrcjon:
When this post first started I glanced at ebay (who I normally don't use) and there were two ads reasonably priced that showed american release in the photo. Assuming the photo was the actual product which you need to make sure to take advantage of this.


I saw those mentioned on another forum. They’re made by Triple K. According to the individual who posted about them, he had a FTF of the last round in each the first time around, but no subsequent issues with them.

He also noted that the baseplates don’t appear to be removable.


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SP2022 - 9mm
May 25, 2020, 11:46 AM
Brass Catcher
I FOUND MY MAGAZINES.

The night I posted this I was up till the wee hours learning so much about this 220. It's got the KE so it's a 1994 import to Redmond, WA with the W. Germany parts. As I was resigning myself to wait on emailing someone about importing magazines from Germany and just go to bed, I turned my chair and thought to look in the filing cabinet by my desk and there they were.

There are reasons I put them there originally rather than with the pistol itself. Reasons that sound dumb now when I think about them.

A lot of this search was fraught with very much missing my dad and thinking how pissed he'd be at me for misplacing them like this, then finding out they're hard to find/replace on top of it. So to find them is not only a relief to my mind but also to my heart.

THANK YOU ALL for your help. We just rejoined our local range right before the pandemic but they reopened the outdoor ranges so I hope to get out and shoot this week.


________
"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." -- Benjamin Rush, 1773
May 25, 2020, 11:49 AM
Brass Catcher
quote:
Originally posted by mcs1564:
You can order new factory mags from B&H Waffenhandle:

http://bh-waffenhandel.de/maga...-sauer-p220-magazine

B&H works with MMB Imports out of Maryland (https://mmbimports.com). I've bought mags from them and both companies are good to go.

IIRC, the last time I purchased some they ran about $98/ea shipped. A bit pricey, but, that is less than what I’ve seen people try to sell them for on the usual auction sites.


This is who I was looking at on both sides - Germany & USA...so I'm glad to hear that you've successfully ordered and received stuff. I saw a post about these places on another page from my Googling so maybe it was probably you who posted this info there, too. Can't remember where I saw it. Glad to know there is a way to get them if they do become needed. I was curious about import taxes or duties but $98/shipped isn't the worst so that's good to know.


________
"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." -- Benjamin Rush, 1773
May 25, 2020, 11:55 AM
.38supersig
Cool!

Let us know how your visit to the range goes.




June 20, 2020, 09:58 AM
colt_saa
quote:
Originally posted by mcs1564:
quote:
Originally posted by hrcjon:
When this post first started I glanced at ebay (who I normally don't use) and there were two ads reasonably priced that showed american release in the photo. Assuming the photo was the actual product which you need to make sure to take advantage of this.


I saw those mentioned on another forum. They’re made by Triple K. According to the individual who posted about them, he had a FTF of the last round in each the first time around, but no subsequent issues with them.

He also noted that the baseplates don’t appear to be removable.

I did not realize Triple K was making magazines for the P220 9MM.

I gave them a call and I have three of these in my hand as of last night. Now I just need to figure out where I put my P220 9MM Frown

I really hate moving. It takes years to get things back into their proper place


Back to the magazines:
The base plates are not removable, they are welded on. Otherwise the mags look pretty good. I will get some photos shot tomorrow

I will pop back into this thread in a few weeks after I have used the magazines.

MSRP on the 9MM magazines is $48.00


***
As an additional note, I suggested that they remove the spacer and make a new follower so that 38 SUPER magazines can also be made available to the US Market. I think we will see 38 SUPERs available before the next SHOT Show
***


------------------------------------------------------------------
NRA Benefactor . . . Certified Instructor . . . Certified RSO
SWCA

356TSW.com
45talk.com
RacingPlanetUSA.Com
June 20, 2020, 12:00 PM
Il Cattivo
^^^ Huh! I'm looking forward to seeing what you find with the Triple Ks. Their products tend to be something I consign to the category of "don't bother, someone else makes the same thing better", but your experience is bound to be worth more than my biases.
June 21, 2020, 10:06 AM
captain127
Triple k is hit and miss. Some products ( beretta 71 .22 cal magazines for example) run great, others not so much.