Okay, okay. I will admit I am a bit of a Sig Sauer fan boy. But to be fair, the P220 was not my first choice for a 10mm Auto hand cannon. When I first got the 10mm fever, I wanted a Colt Delta Elite and looked for one for about a year. Honestly, I hadn’t given up the search until I saw the Sig Sauer P220 Legion in 10mm Auto sitting in the display case at the gun store and decided to purchase it as I experienced a moment of weakness.
I know some people think the Legion series from Sig Sauer are a bit over priced for the upgrades offered and there maybe some truth to that sentiment. But, I really like the Legion series. I dig the X-ray sights, the grey finish, and the G10 grips feel fantastic. There is about a $400 difference between the P220 Hunter and the P220 Legion both offering the G10 grips. While I would have preferred the Kryptek Highlander camo finish of the Hunter model, I didn’t want the single action only (SAO) operation. I am just more familiar with the double action / single action (DA/SA) operation found on other Sigs that I own (the P226 and P229).
I’ve taken this gun out to the range one time so far and put fifty (50) rounds of Sig Sauer’s 180 grain Elite Ball ammo through it. Why that ammo? Well, because it was on sale at the same store I picked up the gun. I will say, having never fired 10mm Auto before, the round packs a punch. Definitely more recoil than .45 ACP in a full size 1911 but not quite as punishing as .357 Magnum in a full size revolver.
Overall, the gun was fun to shoot. I think the heft in the P220 tames the recoil of the 10mm Auto quite well. I didn’t shoot it as well as I shoot 9mm, but that is expected as there is quite a bit more of recoil management. I did find myself anticipating recoil quite a bit – so I will have to work on that.
Personally, I plan on using this gun for target shooting and as a back up side arm when I go hunting. In fact, I plan on using this gun as my back up side arm on an upcoming hog hunt loaded with some Underwood Ammo 10mm Auto 140 Grain Xtreme Penetrator ammo. I suspect this gun will also at the center of some conversations with friends.
I’m hesitant to consider this gun for home defense as I worry about over penetration. Now that I’ve had a chance to research some ammunition options, I am aware there are some “lighter loads” that may reduce my over penetration worries. However, a “lighter load” doesn’t necessarily alleviate the capacity deficit over a full size double stack 9mm or my ability to shoot a 9mm better. I may reconsider using this for home defense if I improve my shooting ability with this gun over time.
I’m also not considering this gun for every day carry at this time for all the same reasons I hesitate to consider it for home defense. On top of that, this guns larger height and length dimensions will probably make it harder to conceal. Frankly, I’m sticking to my 9mm P229 for this purpose.
Overall, my first impressions of the P220 Legion in 10mm Auto are very positive. While I wouldn’t recommend it to a first time shooter or as an only gun due to recoil and 10mm Auto ammunition prices and availability, I do think it would be a great choice for somebody looking to add a 10mm Auto pistol to a collection or for somebody looking to do some handgun hunting.