^^^
92fstech,
The problem I had with my pair of all stainless P220's was not with hollow point self defense ammo.
I had purchased a 1000 round case of Federal 230 grain full metal jacket ball ammo.
That's why it concerned me so much. 230 grain factory ball ammo should run through ANY firearm chambered in .45ACP, like corn through a goose.
When i measured that suspect ammo, all dimensions were well within SAAMI specifications.

I have to go with the SIG P220 because it's the only SA/DA 45 I own!
The CZ97 always seemed like a great choice but I never bought one unfortunately. If CZ reintroduced this model, I'd grab one. A stainless steel version of it would be very cool.

quote:

That's why it concerned me so much. 230 grain factory ball ammo should run through ANY firearm chambered in .45ACP, like corn through a goose.

Agreed. And I know there's plenty of 230gr ball out there that does work just fine in factory P220 mags. I also agree about the wide ogives causing the problem. I've even had problems with certain wide ogive bullets in my .45 ACP Blackhawk cylinder because the bullet contacts the ring cut in the chamber before the case mouth, so the rounds won't seat fully into the cylinder. I'm not sure if something changed in the past 20-30 years where wider bullet profiles have become more common, but I've never had any of those issues in either gun with older milsurp 230gr ball.

Because of those experiences, though, I now primarily cast and load a 230gr truncated cone bullet rather than a round nose for my .45 practice loads. They feed great, fit in the P220 mags with plenty of room to spare, and drop right into the Blackhawk Cylinder.

I have the FNX in .40, and it's pretty good.
But I would lean towards the HK45. Parts availability down the road may be better. If I checked the correct pages, the HK may be about $60 less sticker cost too.

Not on your list, but you might consider the S&W M&P Shield 2.0 45.

I just got one, it shoots great, no problems of any kind and the felt recoil seems less than many other 45 pistols, though it is lighter than many. Light weight is important to me for carry.

In a Vedder Light Tuck it just disappears, has a bright front night sight and the sole downside I see is the 7 round mags. But I got a bunch of 'em.

Mine does not have an optics cut which is fine with me. I don't know if they offer one with the 3.3 inch barrel and optics cut or not.

I dropped S&W years ago, but the 380 2.0 Bodyguard made me look at other Smiths and I liked this one a lot.

Good luck in your search.

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightshooter1, April 14, 2025 08:16 PM

I would not consider the P227 for the reason mentioned above.

I'm very impressed with the FNX-45, particularly the Tactical as a suppressor host.

Slide cut for optic if that is your preference.

Of the three listed I’d go with the HK45, but I like the USP 45 better. More capacity, more trigger options, and IMO better looking, though it is harder to mount a light.

Beretta PX4 in 45. Picked one up about 1 year ago and just got to shooting it last week. Shot it better than my P220.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
CZ 97B. If you can find one. The 227 would work too!

I wouldn't consider a CZ97B for a SHTF DA/SA pistol. For a fun range gun sure.

-- It has no decocker so has to be manually decocked, no thanks.

-- It has a reputation of being a bit finicky with ammo.

-- While a very reliable pistol from what I read it's not top tier like some of the others on this list and again could be related to being a bit finicky with ammo.

-- Finding parts for it is could be a problem down the road including magazines.

-- Thin slide can be difficult to manipulate, especially with wet hands even from just sweat.

-- Not the easiest to field strip or work on.

All my P220 examples were spot on. Great shooters, but didn’t offer much over 1911s.

Neither would be my choice. If I had to choose now, I would choose the HK 45 with a straight trigger, are the CZ in SA.

My opinion is this a mk24
But I also have these mk23 and usp45T.

quote:

Originally posted by whisky22:
Beretta PX4 in 45. Picked one up about 1 year ago and just got to shooting it last week. Shot it better than my P220.

Bingo!

The PX4 is criminally underrated

While I have/had a couple HK pistols, I am not a fan of their da/sa triggers. They are kind of heavy but they are smooth. My HK MK23 is a neat gun but I don't care for the trigger. It's a gun I have wanted for a long time and an oddity of sorts and is why I like/have it. I have never owned a HK45 but have a had a couple P30 pistols and wanted to like them but the trigger pull is what drew me away. I have heard that the LEM version is very nice though. On a side note, I will say the Hk P30 and Vp9 pistols have the best frame/grip you can get on a pistol.

The 227 like others have said, would not even be a consideration due to what has already been discussed.

The FN is a nice gun and has had issues early on but is a fine gun. It is robust and built like a tank.

I agree the Beretta PX4 or the Cougar .45-(although they don't make the Cougar anymore), but are nice guns and should also be considered.They are probably the least expensive of them all but that takes nothing away from the quality of what you get.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:
While I have/had a couple HK pistols, I am not a fan of their da/sa triggers. They are kind of heavy but they are smooth. My HK MK23 is a neat gun but I don't care for the trigger. It's a gun I have wanted for a long time and an oddity of sorts and is why I like/have it. I have never owned a HK45 but have a had a couple P30 pistols and wanted to like them but the trigger pull is what drew me away. I have heard that the LEM version is very nice though. On a side note, I will say the Hk P30 and Vp9 pistols have the best frame/grip you can get on a pistol.

The 227 like others have said, would not even be a consideration due to what has already been discussed.

The FN is a nice gun and has had issues early on but is a fine gun. It is robust and built like a tank.

I agree the Beretta PX4 or the Cougar .45-(although they don't make the Cougar anymore), but are nice guns and should also be considered.They are probably the least expensive of them all but that takes nothing away from the quality of what you get.

My experience with H&Ks matches yours exactly. Well made guns with comfortable grips, but as soon as I pull the trigger I just think "yuck". The goofy controls (paddle mag release and weird decocker at the rear of the slide) are the nail in the coffin for me, as I'm not interested in re-training myself to use a manual of arms that differs from pretty much every other handgun in the world. There's a reason that people say H&K's motto is "you suck and we hate you"...they're going to do things their way and they really don't care how it affects you or what you think about it. In some ways I kinda respect that, but it's impractical for me in my current situation. I have heard that the LEM triggers are better, and it also eliminates the need to deal with their weird decocker, but I've never had the opportunity to shoot one to see for myself.

Several in this thread have written off the P227 due to it's being discontinued and a perceived lack of parts. I don't think that's as big of a deal as some seem to think, as most of the small parts are going to interchange with any other P22X Sig. Magazines might be a problem, though.

I can't believe I forgot about the PX4 in my initial post. That is definitely a good one, and honestly maybe the best option I can think of for the given scenario. They're great shooting, reliable guns and pretty inexpensive if you can find them.

Try the light LEM on the HK45 as it really is a good trigger on an amazing pistol.

While I love my P220’s, if I could only pick one for a SHTF or bug out choice, I’d have to go with the unlisted Glock 21 for its robust design, hi-cap mags, relatively low cost, etc

quote:

Originally posted by Ironmike57:
My choice. I also have a P220,M&P full size, and a 1911 full size to choose from.

this was my first thought!! or glock. although niether is da/sa

This is da/sa! The others listed are not.
Btw, this gun has been flawless after the first 2 or 3 magazines. I had a few ftf early on. Those issues have disappeared.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin101:

quote:

Originally posted by Ironmike57:
My choice. I also have a P220,M&P full size, and a 1911 full size to choose from.

this was my first thought!! or glock. although niether is da/sa

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Several in this thread have written off the P227 due to it's being discontinued and a perceived lack of parts. I don't think that's as big of a deal as some seem to think, as most of the small parts are going to interchange with any other P22X Sig. Magazines might be a problem, though.

If history is any guide, now would be the time to get them from your supplier of preference. CDNN keeps putting them in their "now on sale" emails, and that's where product lines seem to go to die.