• Caliber: .45ACP
• Action: DA/SA
• No manual safety but has decocker
• Capacity: 8 round magazines included; 10 round available
• Front Sight: Tritium front dot with TruGlo fiber optic
• Rear Sight: 2 Tritium dots
• Barrel Length: 4.40 Inch
• MRSP: $1143 (Actual cost new ~$900)

The .45ACP was designed for use in John Moses Browning's model 1911 handgun in the early 20th century. 1911-style pistols are available today from many producers in both mass-produced and custom variations. A new, stock model can be found for about $450 and custom models are not difficult to find in the $2000-3000 range. If you hold and shoot a 1911 pistol it's not hard to see why they are popular. They are ergonomic, can be very accurate and pack a punch.

I have fired several 1911 models from names that include Colt, Wilson Combat, Springfield and Kimber. I've owned both a Kimber and Springfield 1911 though the Kimber was chambered in 9mm/.38 Super. I'll post reviews of those pistols soon but in short I was unimpressed with both for different reasons.

I ended up trading the Kimber Tactical Pro II for my P220 Equinox and never looked back. In my experience I think you'll get more bang for your buck out of a P220 than you will a similarly priced 1911. That is if the Equinox model is any indication of the others.

Every Sig gun I've owned (P230, 232, 239, 220) has been excellent in terms of finish, reliability, ergonomics and accuracy/precision. My primary carry gun is a P239/9mm.

I've fired about 600 rounds through this gun so far with no malfunctions and experienced great accuracy/precision.

The DA trigger pull is heavy. If I go a while without shooting this gun DA shots go far to the right on the target. If I do a series of DAO shots I can get the the group in the center-of-mass of the target. I would like to have the DA pull lightened a little.

The SA is a totally different beast; it's light and crisp. I get both precise and accurate groups with it.

The stock grips with the Equinox are, for me, good looking but not very functional. I immediately replaced them with the Hogue rubber grips. With the replacement I saw more consistent groups instantly. The gun didn't move around as much in my hand. For the P220 these grips are available as just side panels or as a one-piece with wrap-around finger grooves. I always prefer the finger grooves. They also come in American and European variations. American P220's have the push-button magazine release while European models have the claw-style at the bottom of the frame.

The sights on Equinox pistols are very functional. I like them a lot with one reservation. Front and rear sights have tritium inserts and the front sight also has a fiber optic piece. The sights are mounted in dovetails to the slide. The front sight extends about an inch back from the dovetail to accomadate the fiber optic. There is a gap between the bottom of this extension and the top of the slide that screams "SNAG". I have found that anything can snag when pulling a handgun will do so at the worst time. For me this makes the P220 Equinox a better home defense gun that one for concealed carry. Though it would be a simple procedure to have the front sight replaced with a standard front ramp with tritium insert by Sig or a gunsmith.

I am very excited about the P220 overall. I like the Equinox model but ususally prefer something more subdued. For this reason I will be trying to get a P220 Elite in SAO (if they are made) to replace this one. But I doubt anyone who likes the P220 will be disappointed with this guy. It's a nice looking gun with the reliability and accuracy I've grown to expect from a Sig.

The targets in the photos were shot with original grips. The groups I get with Hogue rubber grips are noticeably tighter. It was my first time shooting this gun.

I think the P220's look bigger and heavier than they acctually feel in the hand or even an IWB holster.

I'm sorry but these are not avaiable for sale. I traded this pistol and the grips for my S&W Model 41. I only added this because I've had several inquiries; thanks for your interest. These are the original grips supplied with Equinox pistols. They are really nice looking in my opinion. I love the color of the wood and the detailing with both stippling and checkering (may be hard to see in this photo). They just fit my hand terribly. They were too wide in both the sides and back which gave me difficulty in getting a good purchase on the gun. The added width on the back side also required me to reach too much for the trigger. Obviously these are subjective issues and the stock grips my fit your hands fine. For me I needed only to add a set of my beloved Hogue rubber grips and this pistol became the bees knees.

This target was shot with a Weaver-style stance at 21 feet using 2 magazines with 5 rounds a piece. I fired at this target with DA for the first shot and SA for the next four with each magazine. This is how the gun would most likely be used in self defense. The hole at the lower right of the target is from the two DA shots. You can see that I pull hard right and down with DA on this gun. Though not accurate those two DA shots are precise (consistent) with the holes touching. I was pleased with SA performance.

This target was shot with a Weaver-style stance at 30 feet using 3 magazines with 5 rounds a piece. All rounds were fired in SA. Aside from that lone flyer at the bottom I was pleased with the results.

This target was shot using a Weaver-style stance at 30 feet. 3 magazines with 5 rounds a piece were used. All shots were fired in DA. I used the decocker after each shot. The results atest to the precision of DA in this gun for me but a lack of accuracy. The first shots ended up low and to the right. However, I was able to compensate for the heavy pull and end up with a group in the center of the target. Though it ended up being accurate I had to compensate significantly to get there. If it were not a precise weapon I would not have been able to do this.