Posted: 11/17/2004 10:43:25 AM EDT
|
A .45 ACP pistol will be my next addition to the safe. I was looking at an HK USP and Sig 220. The grip and controls of the Sig fit me better, so I'm leaning that way. A friend brought up Glocks, which are less expensive. A local cop told me he considered Glocks the "Jeeps of handguns- there are more accurate pistols, but you can't break a Glock." My gut is saying to go the extra $$$ for the Sig. Anybody care to jump on this one? |
|
I love my Glock .45 (G21) & recommend it, but I've never had a .45 SIG. I have a P226 in 9mm that has been flawless & I've heard nothing but praise for .45 SIGs, so I don't think you could go wrong there either. FWIW, I just bought an inexpensive .45 that, so far, I am very impressed with - a Ruger P345. If you haven't seen/held it yet & think "brick" when you think of Ruger semi-autos, let me assure you this is an entirely different beast. Slender & comfortable grip, 8+1 capacity, traditional DA/SA operation, polymer frame & SS slide, rail on the dust cover, etc. I bought one recently NIB for $400 + tax. You may very well have zero interest, but I thought I'd at least mention it. 
|
|
Because you said the sig fits your hand better, then it's a no brainer that I'd go for that one. I love Hk's, but you can't argue with what fits your hand. That is assuming you're not looking for a 1911. In which case, it's hard to beat a NRM Colt, for the money that it would set you back. Nice and reliable, more accurate than the hand that holds it, and very durable. If you are open to the idea of the 1911, remember that you can change grips and mainspring housings to make it fit your hand perfectly |
|
I like them all...i own two USPfs, two Sig 220s and...well...somewhere around 10-11 1911 style pistols. I own 6 Glocks but none is in .45...currently. The Sig is an excellent handgun. Frankly, however, I see it as a bit...only a bit... less rugged than either the 1911 or the USP for SHTF use. How much less rugged is open to speculation, but I am certain that in a shoot to destruct test the Sig would most likely finish last. Does this stop me from owning and using my 220s? Hell no! I take good care of my guns and do not abuse them, but honestly, if I was going into a SHTF scenario tomorrow the USP or a Glock would be my preference if I had to buy "over the counter" as opposed to using an already proven handgun I own today. (THAT would be one of three 1911s I have owned for years) If you prefer the Sig, you will not go wrong with one for a using gun...they are very nice, extremely accurate pistols and will last you for decades if you take care of them. |
| I'm not a big fan of Sigs or Glocks. Glocks just feel weird in my hands for some reason, and being a lefty the controls on a Sig are just too flat for me to use. The store I work in has a 239 in the cabinet, and I can't drop the slide and can barely operate the mag release. Maybe I'm just retarded though? |
When this man Talks you should listen!!! 
|
|
Of the ones you listed, I would also go with the Sig220. I bought one about a year ago and have been extremely pleased with it, it is quite accurate and very reliable. the HK would also be a good choice, but with me I feel the grips are a bit too wide and blocky, but I have medium sized hands, so YMMV. A friend of mine has a USP in .40 S&W, it's a fine pistol, pretty accurate also. I've never messed with Glocks very much, the grip angle just does not work for me, I do not own one and none of my shooting buddies do either, so my experience with them is limited. The times I have shot Glocks, I have been able to do better with my Sig220 or my 1911's, so I quickly lost interest. Again, go try them all out, different guns work better than others for different shooters.  ETA: tell us what you decide on and post pics! |
+1 |
|
I recently went through the same decision process. I do not plan to use mine for HD, CCW or SHTF. My 9mm's fill those roles perfectly. I love Glocks as work guns but only in 9mm. The 40's have reliability and safety issues IMO and the grip on the .45 Glocks (at least the G21) is too big to be comfortable in my hands. I'm not a fan of the HK's and IMO, they are over priced anyway. That left the 1911's and Sig P220. I have no real issue with the 1911 design and plan to own a couple some day but I really like the Sig. ikor is the only person I've ever heard question the reliability of a Sig or claim that a 1911 is more robust. Sigs are built like German tanks. Every thing I've read and everybody I've talked to lead me to believe if you want a .45 that will be accurate and reliable right out of the box, with no tweaking or parts replacement needed, buy a Sig. So when I came across one of these for $599...well, I had to have it...  The nice thing about the ST model is it has a steel frame. (the other P220 have alloy frames) which will give the gun more heft. This is a good thing for a range\target gun which is what mine will be used for. I'm hoping mine will be in by tomorrow so I can pick it up and take it shooting on Sunday!
|
|
Honestly any of these guns are fine and are more accurate than any normal person I know can shoot. 45 Glocks are pretty accurate, probably more than a 220 or USP; shooting for real standing up I doubt for most people there's a noticeable difference. The Sig 220 is okay, I don't have one but have shot several. They're thinner than a Glock, but you're stuck with DA/SA. I don't know, I don't get as excited about the 220 as some people. The finish on the slides on sigs used to suck, but I think they have might have addresssed that problem. See if you like how they feel, the Glock's grip is pretty thick, the 220 is much better in that regard. HKs-blah $ 300 more than a glock, da/sa trigger, higher bore over grip and more likely to choke on off brand ammo. I guess they look cooler. And now I shall briefly leave the internet before the fireworks start-heh heh. |
| I do agree with Aimless on the DA\SA issue if you plan on using this for any kind of defensive purpose. Sig does have a new "DAK" trigger that is suppose to be a 6.5 pound double-action only trigger but it is not available yet on the P220 models. I haven't shot one of the P226's with that trigger so I can't say how good they are? |
My HK Tac as yet to hiccup on any of the 800 rounds I have put thru it. This includes 230gr winchester WB, federal 230 gr hard ball, federal 230gr JHP, 200gr gold dot, federal 200gr SWC, and 185gr remington +p. |
+1 on this. My Tac and my Mark 23 have feed everything without a hitch. Heck, my Mark 23 will cycle just fine with Winchester 230gr Rangers WITH my AAC suppressor on...... |
|
If the full sized USP is a bit too large, I would suggest trying the USP Compact in .45. If at all possible you should shoot your final two choices before purchasing. I have a full sized USP but plan on buying a compact .45 some time next year. I tried the Sig P220 but preferred the USP’s feel I dislike the Glock’s trigger and grip. I don’t think you can wrong with either the Sig or the HK. The Sig offers a 1 year warranty and the HK is lifetime. A lot of folks (I have no experience with either) say that Sig Sauer’s customer service is more responsive than HK’s But again, shoot both of them and then make your call. Good luck and happy shooting. The Bald Monk  Semper Gumby! |
| I have a P220 I carry at work, bought it new and it runs great. My previous 220 was an unreliable POS. I dont carry the Glock for many reasons, one being it's so big. I dont have huge hands and it feels big as a 2x4. On that note even the Sig has a bit of a trigger reach but is still very shootable. I much prefer a fullsize M1911. I carry a government model and if I could carry it at work the Sig would be sold or traded. I also have a Colt commander, I dont shoot it nearly as well as my SA govt model, it's less accurate and harder to shoot. Currently I'd direct you towards an internal extractor model Kimber. |
I'm spoiled when it comes to shooting 45's. I grew up from age 13 (almost 30 now) shooting a Colt Series 70 Gov, inherited from my father, that I customized with a beautiful trigger. I've tried just about every fulsize big 3 (Glock, HK, Sig) type of 45. I started with a Glock 21 and still have it today. I have owned but have traded off a USP fullsize 45 and a Sig 220. I got a deal on a barely used Sig220, blued alumium frame blackened stainless slide with 6 sts 8rd mags. It was one year old (I sold it to a guy at the shop and bought it back a year later) got it for $450!! I'm a lefty too and could get around not using the slide release. I didn't find the trigger to be all that great. Definately not a 1911 in single action. Accuracy was ok though. The gun felt jumpy to me, I think that all stainless 220 would be more fun to shoot but I can't see lugging that weight around all day. I wound up selling it to a friend for what I paid for it because it like to eject EVERY SINGLE SHELL CASING into my FOREHEAD!!!! If I had the money I'd buy a Sig Sport in a heart beat. I tried a fulsize USP45, again trigger not a 1911, huge in the hand, even bigger than the GK21! Reliability was ok but not Glock. I had a few FTF's with it, probably fault of the ammo. Problem was I couln't even get it on the paper! I think the sights were way too tall and the grip too wide. I know of others that love the USP's. I didn't care for it but don't mean to say it wont work for others. I also didn't care for the mag release. I like a high hand hold and felt that I was pushing the mag release against my middle finger all the time. I traded it off. The Glock 21 was the 1st DA 45 I ever bought. It's big in the hand but smaller than the USP IMHO. It works every time. I have 9000+ rounds through it with no problems ever. I even shot a couple thousand rds of lead round nose reloads before I knew that was bad to do. 2 fridays ago I was shooting better with it than my Kimber. Which ever gun you pick follow this advice. Go rent one at a range and shoot before you buy! I could have saved some serious money by doing that. |
