I have come across what appears to be a lovingly molested Italian market P220. The modifications seem to be for enhancing the target shooting ability. It has presented a lot of clues. Some of which are hard to answer. The serial # is G 100 839. The front of the grip is marked with the serial over “CAT 1065” all in the white. The CAT number would indicate it was imported into Italy as a 7.65mm pistol. It had been converted to 9X19mm with a J Peters after market barrel. Barrel is 9 cm long and is in the white. Stock barrel would have been 7.5 cm. The Peters barrel may have needed additional fitting. The action was very tight with it in place. I have temporally replaced it with a stock 9mm barrel, while hoping to find a 7.65 barrel. (Hey a fella can always hope.)
The rear sight has been replaced with an IPA Italian made target sight. The front sight remains stock. It was proofed in 1980 and the chin bottom is stamped “JA”. There are no import marks on the pistol. Magazine is unmarked large dove tail.
I have always wondered about the background of these pistols. Is any part of them left over from the very early days of commercial P220 production? The slide is a pinch nose folded slide with type 2 side milling but the top is not milled. I have seen this style slide on other weapons I the 1978-1980 time frame, so it fits with the 1980 proof date. The markings on the front of the frame grip are all in the white indicating that they were stamped after the finish was applied. Not having the original barrel, I can’t know its time origin.
All of the above leads me to believe that the only thing left over from 1976 was the serial # itself. This is total a guess. I welcome all thoughts and evidence.
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Can you please post a photo of the entire pistol?

My ring light just blew up so I had to improvise.
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Very nice looking pistol! Rare breed with the transitional slide contours.

Both my 220 and 229 Sig Sport models had the LPA adjustable sight from the factory. So even if customer installed, they are found on other P220s.

Haven't seen the LPA sights before.

One of mine (a 45 Auto from '85) has Bo-Mar adjustable sights. The slide is milled and the rear sight is mounted directly to the breech block.

The front sight is made onto the slide like a regular sight, but it is about 1/4 inch high. Looks like it came that way.

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Originally posted by p220cop:
Very nice looking pistol! Rare breed with the transitional slide contours.

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The 7.65
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A 1978 pistol

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Originally posted by .38supersig:
Haven't seen the LPA sights before.

One of mine (a 45 Auto from '85) has Bo-Mar adjustable sights. The slide is milled and the rear sight is mounted directly to the breech block.

The front sight is made onto the slide like a regular sight, but it is about 1/4 inch high. Looks like it came that way.

You've seen LPAs here often, over the years. I believe all Sport models used them and I think the X series guns sights were made by LPA. They offer a Bomar style sight for 1911. A near copy.

Bar-Sto used to make barrels for the 226 in .30 Luger. Not a cataloged item but you can call and inquire. I was able to acquire one and had Greys guns fit it to a 220 9MM for me. Luck.

Thanks for the lead. I will check into it.

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Originally posted by Citadel:
Bar-Sto used to make barrels for the 226 in .30 Luger. Not a cataloged item but you can call and inquire. I was able to acquire one and had Greys guns fit it to a 220 9MM for me. Luck.

Were you able to use the same locking block for the .30Luger barrel in your 9mm P220?

I have a .38Super P220 and a P226 9mm barrel. Just wondering if a .30Luger conversion was as simple as just a barrel, or if I needed locking block and magazines as well.

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Originally posted by bczrx:

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Originally posted by Citadel:
Bar-Sto used to make barrels for the 226 in .30 Luger. Not a cataloged item but you can call and inquire. I was able to acquire one and had Greys guns fit it to a 220 9MM for me. Luck.

Were you able to use the same locking block for the .30Luger barrel in your 9mm P220?

I have a .38Super P220 and a P226 9mm barrel. Just wondering if a .30Luger conversion was as simple as just a barrel, or if I needed locking block and magazines as well.

.

Full disclosure, I used a P220 9MM as the host. The .30 (7.65 Luger) Luger was the basis for the 9MM Parbellum cartridge. I have 9 MM 220 mags and the .30 Luger fits fine in them. Bar-sto lists the .30 barrel for the 226 but it will fit the 9MM 220. I sent the whole package to Greys Guns for fitting as recommended by Bar-sto. Shoot me an email and I will send you the pics of the set up. Anyone else interested for pics I’ll send them to you as well. JF