Sig 220 or 1911 10mm?

[mcseal2]

I like the 10mm enough I'm thinking of trading one of my other handguns in on a second 10mm.  I have always liked to have 2 ways to fire any ammo I have around so I end up with 2 of everything.  I recently got a Glock 20 as my first 10mm.  I'm in the process of getting it set up to shoot heavy bullets to carry while hunting in bear country.

For a second one I'm leaning toward a single action only I can carry on safety with the hammer cocked for a similar purpose.  I've always liked 1911's very much and am considering going that route.  That said any 10mm I buy will likely get carried hunting and fishing in some nasty conditions.  I fish a river that is all mud and sandbars from a jon boat with a surface drive motor.  Everything I take on that river gets muddy and/or sandblasted by the time I get home, sometimes before I get home.  I've moose hunted Alaska in a swamp that was awful on everything too, and plan to go to similar areas in the future.  A 1911 is not nearly as easy to field strip as the Sig 226 I have.  I'd hate to have a 1911 send something flying while I was reassembling it in adverse conditions 100 miles from town.  The Sig does not have the grip safety which is one less place for stuff to get inside and screw something up, but is also one less safety carrying a gun cocked and locked.

I already have the Glock to use for the nasty stuff, but a second 10mm will get used much the same way.  If I think there is a chance I might end up hunting with the 10mm I'd definitely take the single action over the Glock.  Really anytime weight isn't a huge issue I'll take the single action over the Glock.  I grew up on revolvers with worked over triggers, shoot 2lb triggers on my rifles, I love good triggers. 

I'll probably shoot some mid level (1200-1250fps) 180gr ammo around home, and 200 or 220gr Underwood hardcast ammo when in bear country.  I want something that can handle both without a lot of switching parts.  I will never use anything lighter than the Fiocchi 180gr ammo which shows 1250fps on the box more than likely.

Whatever I choose will need to have night sights and a rail.  I like to have a TLR-1 light on my handgun on the river at night, plus hiking to a spot or packing meat out after dark when hunting.

What would you choose and why? 

Thanks to everyone for their help.     

[Hudson]

I'd look at the Sig Tacops 1911 or the new Dan Wesson Kodiak 6 inch 1911.Both have rails but I'd go with the 6 inch.More velocity,longer sight radius and heavier

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[mcseal2]

The sig tacops would likely be my choice if i go 1911. I have several sigs that have all been great. Not finicky accurate, and reliable.  It was the one i was looking at on gunbroker

[Kenk]

If you can get by without the rail and you want to save a few dollars, the RIA Ultra FS HC is an awesome weapon. Granted, it's a tank, however my RIA has proven itself totally reliable; and then there's that 17rd factor

Ken

[Univibe]

Ditch the Glock;  get Springfield XDM 10mm.    Fully supported chamber for bear loads.

[tommy.duncan]

I would go with the P220 Elite SAO.

This is a really good shooting pistol. The barrel is fully supported for the spicy 10mm.
The disassembly is the same as your P226.

If you decide on the 1911,

I would pick the Ruger SR1911 in 10mm. This is also a good shooter with a fully supported barrel.

I have had no problem out of either of these pistols, Good Luck.

[mt10mm]

I have the G20 and the Sig Tac ops. My sig has been 100% reliable with all ammo. I have shot all UM hard cast offered and DT 200gr HC. It is slim and packs real nice in my chest holster while out in the back country here in Montana. There is a price difference in the 220 and Tac ops to consider as well.

[mcseal2]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far.  I truly do appreciate everyone's input.  When all the choices are good ones, it makes picking the right fit for me a bit tougher.

Right now I'm leaning toward the 220 SAO.  Not the hunter Kryptek camo one, but the Elite.  It doesn't feel quite as good as a 1911 but is similar in price and has the features I want.  Still feels pretty darn good to me also.

If I was hunting in the areas of Colorado and Wyoming I've hunted muleys and elk in in the past I'd go 1911 without even thinking about it.  The air is generally fairly dry even if you do get snow.  It's sure possible to fall down, the ground can turn to grease with a small rain, but it's less likely.  Snow with dry air is not a big factor on gun performance with a little care once you get home. 

My thinking right or wrong, is based on this.  My 10mm will be in river bottoms and swamps where it will get way dirtier than I'd like.  I took my Ruger SR1911 and my Sig 226 both down to a field stripped level and re-assembled them 3x today at my computer desk thinking this decision over.  Once I screwed up swiveling the barrel bushing into place on my 1911 and spent 10 minutes getting the pieces that launched re-located.  I'll admit that the area behind my computer desk where the bushing ended up is a mess that needs entered with caution, but it still demonstrated an issue that can happen with a 1911 that a 220 won't have.

Anyone think there is a safety issue carrying a 220 cocked and locked?  I have no experience with that platform, but lots with a 1911 and 226 DA/SA.

Thanks once again for your help. 

[sep]

I think this all really boils down to personal preference and your familiarity with different platforms. I live in Alaska and sometimes I carry a 44 magnum revolver, other times its one of my 10mms. I have an STI Perfect 10, Glock G40 and Dan Wesson Bruin. I have rendered a super redhawk completely inoperable on a brown bear hunt by stuffing it inside a zippered duffel and tossing the duffel to the side to make room for the tent. Shipped it back to Ruger they said it was beyond repair.

1911s (and Beretta 92s) have seen some downright nasty conditions in military service and still functioned. Of course, those weren't tightly hand fitted 1911s. Shake em and you hear em rattle. My point is any revolver or handgun you bring can become damaged and or rendered inop. If you exercise reasonable care when you are out and about in the field, you should be okay.

If I'm packin meat or big game hunting, I'm always carrying a rifle. I rarely carry both a rifle and a handgun. So, when I do carry only a handgun, I am mindful of it. Those occasions are usually fishing or dipnetting salmon. I'm comfortable with my revolvers and pistols and I am well aware they can all malfunction for a variety of reasons. Just like me and my rifles. 



   
       

           

[tommac919]

sort of what is the best car to buy...sort of depends fully on needs , wants.

But, I'll throw in my 2cents, have this one in SA/DA.

[mcseal2]

Good advice from everyone.  I agree there isn't a wrong choice.  Thanks to you all for your advice. 

[sqlbullet]

This statement:

A 1911 is not nearly as easy to field strip as the Sig 226 I have.

I totally agree with that.  But when I consider dunking a handgun in proper muck when out in the field, a simple field strip often is not a deep enough level of clean, which brings me to the thought that statement evoked in my mind:

A Sig P-22X series is not nearly as easy to detail strip as a 1911.

Now, I will admit, I speak from a position of ignorance, as I have never detail stripped my P229, nor do I recall watching a video about doing so.  Non-the less, a 1911 built with the need to perform deep cleans in mind can be detail stripped in the field using only the rim of a shell casing.  And pretty quickly too, I might add.

You aren't going to go wrong with a good 1911, or a P220.  Both are solid guns.  I second the vote for a RIA, as I am fond of mine as well.  I would also suggest you not give the EAA offerings like the Match, Stock, or Hunter the cold shoulder either.  The Witness design is rugged and accurate, and the elite shop guns are very well made.

[mcseal2]

I had not looked at the Witness before, I'll check it out too.  Thanks. 

[Ten2six]

I have one of each, my 1911 is the spartan and the 220 is the Emperor Scorpion.  My personal favorite is easily the 220.

[Graybeard]

I'd have to agree about the possible need to detail strip in the field. 1911s are pretty easy and don't require anything in regard to tools that you wouldn't have with you. The floorplate of a standard magazine gets the slide off and any pointy object gets pins started out. A leatherman type tool would make it very easy.