45acp SIG P220 Magazine Questions

**metalreptile** · July 27, 2012, 19:16

Will soon be adding to my SIG herd with an older P220 in 45acp. Love the older SIG P series pistols! Anyway, as usual, I start buying spare mags before I ever get a weapon home. For my P226, I will buy nothing but the older German manufactured mags with the "dovetail" backs. I had been calling those "zipperbacks", until my quest began for spare P220 mags. For the 45, I also intend to stick solely with the older German mags. The mag that comes with my pistol is of the dovetail variety, and have picked up a couple of those recently. Today I found, but haven't bought it yet, what I now call a zipperback. Totally different seam than the dovetail, more like...well....a zipper. Baseplate was marked the same as my other mags, but the mag body had no markings at all. Questions & concerns.......is the zipperback a SIG manufactured mag? Which is the more "desirable" type? Which was the original type? I do not want the newer US or Italian made magazines, nor do I want added capacity. Just the absolute best 7 round German mags I can own for my 220. Maybe this should be asked in the SIG files or SIG forum, but I usually seem to get the best response here....tons of knowledge here!

**bykerhd** · July 27, 2012, 21:09

I bought a few nice used 220 mags from Top Gun Supply a few years back.

German ?
Heck, I don't know.
Never bothered to look.
Stainless and they work fine.
8 shots, I think.

Mecgar is making most everybody's current mags, I believe.

Ironhandjohn · July 27, 2012, 21:35

Mec/Gars are great mags!!

**metalreptile** · July 27, 2012, 21:47

Thanks guys. While Mec-Gar mags are excellent , I'm just not interested in those at this point. Seeking info on the older SIG mags such as those that came with the pistols in the 80's.

**skeeterbay** · July 28, 2012, 08:52

I don't quite understand what your question is but I have about a dozen old P220 mags. It was my duty weapon for many years. I will dig them out and see what I have. I know my older ones are German mags. Edtited to add I assume they are German made mags as three of them came with the gun at purchase and the rest were bought shortly there after from Sig.

FWIW I have plenty of orginal mags go bad on me over the years. I will admit to being a bit rough on them. Spares being carried in a jacket pocket or bouncing around in a glove box or brief case. I have a couple right now that have been marked on the floor plate with white out so I know they need fixing. My Sig now sits loaded with Novak Act mags and I have yet to have any problems with them. I prefer them to the factory mags by far. Anyway I dig mine out and see what I have and try to figure out what your looking at.

**skeeterbay** · July 28, 2012, 09:16

Ok your term zipper back being used for both types is what confused me. I get confused often

I just checked all my old mags. I know for a fact that three of them were old orginal P220mags. Because they came with my Sig at the time of purchase. I had to have at least three to use it for duty and I requested the three at the time of purchase. My Sig is also a German marked gun.

I don't know if this helps you or not but all of my older mags including the original three have dovetailed backs on them and there is a small proof mark about an inch up from the floor plate on the dovetail back. It appears to be a circle with some sort of symbol in it. My eye sight is not the best.

Edited to add all my old Mags have eight full dovetails on the back of the mag and that proof mark is on the second full dovetail up from the base.

The only ones I have that are different are the Novak Act mags. All others are the same. So I don't know what the zipper ones you are seeing are. Maybe a later factory mag, I don't know?

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

July 27, 2012, 19:16	#1
metalreptile Resident Graybeard Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 26243 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,059	45acp SIG P220 Magazine Questions Will soon be adding to my SIG herd with an older P220 in 45acp. Love the older SIG P series pistols! Anyway, as usual, I start buying spare mags before I ever get a weapon home. For my P226, I will buy nothing but the older German manufactured mags with the "dovetail" backs. I had been calling those "zipperbacks", until my quest began for spare P220 mags. For the 45, I also intend to stick solely with the older German mags. The mag that comes with my pistol is of the dovetail variety, and have picked up a couple of those recently. Today I found, but haven't bought it yet, what I now call a zipperback. Totally different seam than the dovetail, more like...well....a zipper. Baseplate was marked the same as my other mags, but the mag body had no markings at all. Questions & concerns.......is the zipperback a SIG manufactured mag? Which is the more "desirable" type? Which was the original type? I do not want the newer US or Italian made magazines, nor do I want added capacity. Just the absolute best 7 round German mags I can own for my 220. Maybe this should be asked in the SIG files or SIG forum, but I usually seem to get the best response here....tons of knowledge here! __________________ What you possess in the world will be found, at the day of your death, to belong to someone else. What you are, will be yours forever.

July 27, 2012, 21:35	#3
Ironhandjohn Registered FALaholic #: 11561 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: 1187 Hundertwasser Posts: 2,352	Mec/Gars are great mags!! __________________ Stripping motivated people of their dignity and rubbing their noses in it... is a VERY bad idea!!

July 27, 2012, 21:47	#4
metalreptile Resident Graybeard Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 26243 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,059	Thanks guys. While Mec-Gar mags are excellent , I'm just not interested in those at this point. Seeking info on the older SIG mags such as those that came with the pistols in the 80's. __________________ What you possess in the world will be found, at the day of your death, to belong to someone else. What you are, will be yours forever.

July 28, 2012, 08:52	#5
skeeterbay Veteran Member Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 20461 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,773	I don't quite understand what your question is but I have about a dozen old P220 mags. It was my duty weapon for many years. I will dig them out and see what I have. I know my older ones are German mags. Edtited to add I assume they are German made mags as three of them came with the gun at purchase and the rest were bought shortly there after from Sig. FWIW I have plenty of orginal mags go bad on me over the years. I will admit to being a bit rough on them. Spares being carried in a jacket pocket or bouncing around in a glove box or brief case. I have a couple right now that have been marked on the floor plate with white out so I know they need fixing. My Sig now sits loaded with Novak Act mags and I have yet to have any problems with them. I prefer them to the factory mags by far. Anyway I dig mine out and see what I have and try to figure out what your looking at. __________________ 'S Rioghal 'Mo Dhream Ard Choille! Last edited by skeeterbay; July 28, 2012 at 09:18.

July 28, 2012, 09:16	#6
skeeterbay Veteran Member Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 20461 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,773	Ok your term zipper back being used for both types is what confused me. I get confused often I just checked all my old mags. I know for a fact that three of them were old orginal P220mags. Because they came with my Sig at the time of purchase. I had to have at least three to use it for duty and I requested the three at the time of purchase. My Sig is also a German marked gun. I don't know if this helps you or not but all of my older mags including the original three have dovetailed backs on them and there is a small proof mark about an inch up from the floor plate on the dovetail back. It appears to be a circle with some sort of symbol in it. My eye sight is not the best. Edited to add all my old Mags have eight full dovetails on the back of the mag and that proof mark is on the second full dovetail up from the base. The only ones I have that are different are the Novak Act mags. All others are the same. So I don't know what the zipper ones you are seeing are. Maybe a later factory mag, I don't know? Sorry I couldn't be of more help. __________________ 'S Rioghal 'Mo Dhream Ard Choille! Last edited by skeeterbay; July 28, 2012 at 09:22.

July 27, 2012, 21:09	#2
bykerhd Dinosaur Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 2798 Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Burlington Vermont area Posts: 13,262	I bought a few nice used 220 mags from Top Gun Supply a few years back. German ? Heck, I don't know. Never bothered to look. Stainless and they work fine. 8 shots, I think. Mecgar is making most everybody's current mags, I believe.

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