Glock 21 vs Sig P220?
 

I am looking to get a .45 acp and am considering the Glock 21 (or 30) and Sig P220. Anyone have either of these? What are your thoughts? I still need to see how each fits my hand as to which fits better.

Any insight appreciated.

ive shot the SIG and it is a very nice gun. It fit nice as well. I know a lot of guys that like glocks. personally I don't. They don't fit as comfortable in my hand as the sig or berettas do. But for the price and since those are the 2 your lookin at getting I would say go with the SIG. .45 is a great cal. and SIG made it work pretty good in that model the P220. I don't know what your budget is but if you can shop around local dealers near you and find a beretta px4, GET IT! that is hands down my fav pistol to date.

do you have long skinny hands or fat fingered hands? stupid question but Im only asking caus I don't have fat hands but my dad does and my friend who has the SIG does and compared to the Glocks that we tried out both of our hands fit better around the SIG.

Good question. I can give you a few things to consider based on my experiences.

SIG P220--I carried a SIG P220 as a main duty pistol for several years in the 90's. It looks good and just plain feels good in your hand. If you've been spoiled by a Colt Government, you'll like how this gun feels in your hand. It's a single stack magazine (thinner) which makes the magazine well and grip thinner in width. It shoots very well but the double action pull on the first shot is a little heavy and long. The single shot trigger after the first shot is awesome. It has a 7-round magazine unless you buy/change to extended mags.

My SIG was blued so it sucked keeping the finish dry when it rained (cops do have to get out in the rain). I carried it in a duty holster on my duty belt and in a gun bag off-duty. Like any blued gun, the bluing can get a little worn and you want to take care of it. I've worn it in a belt holster while hunting which was similar to my duty holster. SIGs cost a little more and have that long double action trigger on the first shot but they are a great gun.

Glock 30 & 21--I've carried a Glock 30SF on duty in a belt holster (usually concealed by a Cabelas 3-season jacket or fishing vest) for 3 years now in a plainclothes assignment. This is smaller than the full size Glock 40 (Model 22) I carried on a duty belt for years and it sometimes feels like it's not even there.

Like all Glocks, it has that single action (Glock calls it a safe action) trigger pull for the first through the last shot. Glock barrels ride lower to the grip and your hand/wrist so you don't get quite as much muzzle climb (something that's not a big deal for me but it is for some). Glocks have an ugly but extremely weather resistant finish. I once saw a guy demonstrating shooting a Glock pistol underwater in a Las Vegas hotel swimming pool at the Soldier of Fortune Convention (it had the underwater firing pin and cup designed for that). I never had to worry about the finish on my Glock getting ruined in the rain. :s4:

The Glock 30 is what most people would refer to as a compact pistol as opposed to a full-size (normal duty weapon). The compacts are designed to be a little smaller and easier to conceal. Essentially, a compact is a little over an inch shorter.

I've shot Glock 21's several times at the range (it's the full size Glock .45 pistol) and used to carry a Glock 22 (full size .40 caliber Glock pistol) as a duty pistol for years. I even carried a Glock 27 (.40 caliber) subcompact) as a hidden backup weapon for years.

This Glock (30SF) stands for a "Slim Frame" model where they flatten the backstrap (somewhat like a Colt Gov or SIG) and thus reduce the grip circumference. The new generation 4 Glock pistols allow you to switch out backstrap parts so you can better match the grip to your hand (it used to cost you an aftermarket pistol-smith job to do this).

I've shot all of these pistols and find each of them shoots very well. I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them. My advice to you would be to ask your gun store sales person to let you handle each pistol and see if he/she will let you try the different backstraps on a generation 4 Glock to see if one fits best. If you have friends who own each gun, ask if you can shoot each one. That will give you a good idea on what feels better and what you can shoot better.

Last, but not least, consider what you plan to use the gun for. Hunting? Open carry? Concealed carry? See if you can try putting the various guns in your type of holster, gun bag, etc. That may give you another aspect to consider. This is a little long but hopefully this information gives you a little help in making your decision. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I'll take Glock every day of the week and twice on Sundays. A Glock is a handful of reliable. Sigs are prone to malfunction when dirty or when the shooter isn't doing his part and locking it in just right.

My wife and I are both retired LEOs and she is a Sig fan so this subject has come up in our house once or twice. I've done plenty of shooting with both and I stick to my guns (no pun) on my opinion about which is the better.

Thanks all for the comments. Calhunter, thank you so much for taking the time to write your experience with both firearms! It is much appreciated.

Haven't shot a SIG yet that I wouldn't describe as "elegant". I don't have a standard 220, but have a 220match (single action), 238, and have been through a couple 226's (X-5 right now, amazing weapon).

Glock, obviously, is a workhorse, but they don't tickle my fancy. I have them, use them, recommend them, but can't say that any Glock excites me. As a CC weapon, it's great, point and click.

Personally, I'd favor the Sig for most uses except duty, which since I'm not a cop, I don't have to worry about. For CC, I don't mind the DA pull, I just want it to go bang when I point at something that needs 'banged'.

Neither are a 'wrong choice'. Get them in hand, put a few rounds down range, then if the grip and function doesn't make the decision for you, then you just have to assess which controls you want for your use.

If you have small / fat hands then anything with SF in it is a good way to go. Slim frame designs are great. Even if you have long fingers or big hands the more you can grab the better control you will have. Ill give it to ya as far as the reliability goes with glocks. I have heard a lot of good reviews on the reliability of them. But as far as fit and recoil and all the other stuff I would say the SIG is the way to go. Both are good guns though. Check out the beretta!

what are the prices in your area for the SIG and the Glock?

Personally I'm not that big of a fan of either. I had to carry the 220 for quite a while at the last place I worked. It shot fine. Of coarse the first shot on double action was a long stroke and then it went to light short strokes in single action. I just wasn't happy with the capacity and the first trigger pull. They do point and very shoot good though.

With the 21 I carried a gen 2 without the finger grooves, so the newer ones might have a different feel. It wasn't anything special, just a big hunk of gun in your hand. Didn't shoot good or bad for me, just adequate. I have big hands and for what ever reason the big grip just left a whole lot to be desired. I normally can shoot 100's with a pretty tight group for qualification. With the 21 it would be basketball size, so just adequate. The big grip was the culprit because I carry a 23 now and it has tight groups.

If you are hunting a 45 the springfield xdm is a pretty good one. They feel pretty good in the hand for a double stack mag and are really accurate. I don't carry one for work but have one at home for bowling pen matches. You may also want to look into the 40 cal options, not knowing what your plan for it is? Jou can get a lot slimmer pistols without sacrificing capacity while still maintaining adequate power. I like the 22 personally for carry but they issue a 23 and 27 at work and they do pretty decent even with the reduced sight radius.