sigarms p220, p245 User Guide

SIG SAUER PISTOL

Owners Manual

Models
P220
P225
P226
P228
P229
P239
P245

WARNING

Please read and understand this owner’s manual
before taking your new SIGARMS pistol out of

the box. It is vital to your safety and to the

safety of others that you accurately follow

th e information contained in this m anual, as

w e l l a s t h e information supplied by the

ammunition manufacturer. If you h av e any

questions, please call or write:

SIGARMS Inc.

18 Industrial Drive, Exeter, NH 03833

[phone]

Contents Page

Introduction 3

Safety Information 4

General Description 4
Safety and Safety Mechanism 5
Principal Features 6
Ammunition 7
Firearms Handling 8
Troubleshooting 9
Troubleshooting Guide 10
Field Stripping 11 & 12
Assembly 13
Care of the Pistol 14
Transportation, Storage and Returns 15
Sight Adjustment s and Options 16
Ordering Parts, Inspection and Maintenance 17
Warranty Statement and Service Policy 18
Specifications:

P220 & P245 19
P225 20
P226 21
P228 22
P229 23

P239 24
Parts Diagram - P220 & P245 26
Parts List - P220 & P245 27
Parts Diagram - P225 28
Parts List - P225 29
Parts Diagram - P228 and P226 (sheet metal slide) 30
Parts List - P228 and P226 (sheet metal slide) 31
Parts Diagram - P229 and P226 (SS Slide) 32
Parts List - P229 and P226 (SS Slide) 33
Parts Diagram - P239 34
Parts List - P239 35

3

Congratulations

You are now the owner of one of the world's finest and most superbly engi­neered firearms. The SIG SAUER

®

Semiautomatic Pistol has been designed
and crafted to meet the stringent requirements of law enforcement agencies
and the military. Used with the proper ammunition and given reasonable
maintenance, it will serve you dependably and well for many years.

To make sure you get the best performance and reliability from your pistol,

please read and follow the procedures outlined in this manual. You'll

notice that we place a heavy emphasis on safe firearms handling. Like any
other mechanical devices, such as automobiles or power tools, high quality
firearms are inherently safe unless they are handled in a careless or irresponsi­ble manner. Always remember that you, the owner, are the ultimate firearms
safety device.

You should become familiar with your pistol and its operation before

using any live ammunition or actual shooting.

Study the instructions carefully and make sure you understand

the pistol’s operating guidelines.

This manual includes information you need to know in order to use your pistol
safely and effectively. If you have any questions or comments about this pistol
and its use and maintenance, or need more information about other SIGARMS
products and accessories, please write or call:

SIGARMS Inc.
Customer Service Department
18 Industrial Drive
Exeter, NH 03833
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

California Proposition 65 Warning

“Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or

handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead and other substances

known to cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious

physical injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times. Wash hands

thoroughly after exposure.”

4

Firearms safety is your responsibility

PISTOLS are classified as FIREARMS and are sold by us with the specific
understanding that we are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for
their safe handling or resale under local laws and regulations. SIGARMS

Inc. shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for malfunctioning of
the firearm, for physical injury or for property damage resulting in whole or in
part from (1) criminal or negligent discharge, (2) improper or careless handling,
(3) unauthorized modifications, (4) defective, improper, hand-loaded, or re­loaded ammunition, (5) corrosion, (6) neglect, or (7) other influences beyond
our direct and immediate control. This limitation applies regardless of whether
liability is asserted on the basis of contract, negligence or strict liability
(including any failure to warn). Under no circumstances shall SIGARMS Inc.
be liable for incidental or consequential damages, such as loss of use of property,
commercial loss and loss of earnings or profits.

Safety Information

Before you take your new SIG SAUER pistol out of the box,

please read the following information.

It is vital to your safety and the safety of others.

General Description

The SIG SAUER Semiautomatic Pistol has been designed specifically to meet
the stringent requirements of military and law enforcement agencies. Manufac­tured by advanced state-of-the-art production processes, the SIG SAUER is a
mechanically locked, short recoil operated pistol featuring an automatic firing
pin safety lock, double-action/single-action trigger, decocking lever and exter­nal slide catch lever. Firing takes place with each pull of the trigger until the
magazine is empty. The slide stays open after you've fired the last shot.

IMPORTANT

THE SAFEST PISTOL IS ONE THAT IS FULLY

UNLOADED.

5

The Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety

1. ALWAYS treat every gun as if it were loaded.

2. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

3. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

4. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

5. ALWAYS be sure the gun is safe to operate and the barrel is clear
of any obstruction.

6. ALWAYS use the proper, factory-made ammunition for your
particular gun.

7. ALWAYS know your target and what is beyond it.

8. ALWAYS wear ear and eye protection when shooting.

9. NEVER use alcohol or drugs before or during handling a gun.

10. ALWAYS store guns and ammunition in separate locked containers,
so they are secure and not accessible to unauthorized persons.

What you should know about all safety mechanisms

NEVER completely trust any safety mechanism. Your pistol is equipped

with an effective, well designed safety mechanism.

NO SAFETY MECHANISM, HOWEVER, IS A SUBSTITUTE
FOR PROPER GUN HANDLING. Any safety mechanism can break
down or malfunction. YOU, AND YOU ALONE, ARE THE
ULTIMATE SAFETY MECHANISM.

Remember, there is no such thing as a "childproof” safety or one
which can completely prevent accidental discharge from careless or
irresponsible use. The best safety is proper and applied training in
safe gun handling.

BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR PISTOL, UNDERSTAND THE

INSTRUCTIONS FULLY BEFORE USING IT.

6

Principal Features

We've designed the automatic firing pin lock to provide additional safety with
the hammer in either the cocked or decocked position. You can fire the pistol
only by pulling the trigger. The double-action feature and the absence of man­ual safeties make it easier for you to get off a quick first shot. A decocking
lever* allows you to lower the cocked hammer safely into the safety intercept
notch without your touching the trigger. While you're doing this, the firing pin
remains automatically locked. High-contrast sights help you line up on the tar­get rapidly, even under poor light conditions. Ergonomically designed grip
plates, ideal grip angle and comfortable grip dimensions facilitate rapid and
accurate shooting. The closed design helps keep dirt, sand and other debris out
of the action.

* does not apply to the Double Action Only pistols. See page 7 of this manual.

What you should know about the decocking lever

The decocking lever on the SIG SAUER pistol is designed for the express pur­pose of decocking the firearm. The reason it is there is because it is not safe
practice to decock a pistol by pulling the trigger and attempting to ease the
hammer forward manually. To decock your pistol, push down the decocking
lever (keep your finger OFF the trigger while you do this).

WARNING

Always use the decocking lever to decock your SIG SAUER pistol. This is
the only way to safely lower the hammer from the cocked position and pre­vent an accidental discharge. This warning applies to all pistols with
decocking levers.

The positive way to safely lower the hammer is by use of the decocking
lever. Never lower the hammer by pulling the trigger and attempting to ease
the hammer forward manually. Manually lowering the hammer is danger­ous and prevents full application of the pistol's safety features.

The decocking lever is the only proper means of lowering the hammer and
assuring that the hammer rests in the intercept notch.

Again, DO NOT THUMB THE HAMMER DOWN: the consequence can
be serious injury or death - only and ALWAYS use the decocking lever!

7

Ammunition

Your SIG SAUER pistol will function effectively and safely with a wide variety
of commercial and military-standard ammunition. Here are some suggestions
that will help you keep your pistol free from ammunition-related problems:

WARNING

Always know your target, and the maximum range of

the ammunition that you are using.

IMPORTANT:

Read this if you own a SIG SAUER DAO Pistol

(Double-Action Only):

The DAO differs from the standard pistol in several ways.
FIRST, there's no single-action position for the hammer. It returns to a

decocked position after each trigger pull, so it can be fired only in double­action mode. SECOND, because it's double-action only, there's only one
trigger pull to learn. THIRD, because the hammer returns to a decocked
position after each shot, there's no need for a decocking lever. In all other
respects, the DAO is identical in design and function. In this manual,
whenever there's an instruction or information that doesn't apply to the
DAO, we'll note it.

WARNING

Using the wrong ammunition could result in serious

injury or death. Catastrophic damage could occur.

1. Use only ammunition of the caliber for which your pistol is chambered. The
right caliber is permanently engraved on your pistol.

2. Use only clean, dry, undamaged new factory-manufactured ammunition.
Always use ammunition that complies with the performance standards established
by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc. of the United
States (SAAMI).

3. Always inspect your ammunition before use to be certain all cartridges are the
correct caliber.

READ ANY WARNINGS OR INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH

YOUR AMMUNITION.

4. Keep your cartridges free of oil. Wipe the chamber clean of any oil or
preservative before you shoot. Oil in the chamber creates dangerous stresses.

8

Firearms Handling

You have the pistol and the ammo, and you've read and understood all the safety
instructions. You know about decocking the pistol by using the decocking lever
(which doesn't apply if you have the DAO). Now, you're ready to use the pistol.

Removing the magazine

Remove the magazine by pressing the magazine catch.

Retracting the slide

Draw back the slide, and engage it by pushing up the slide catch lever.

Loading the magazine

1. Press down on the magazine follower with the cartridge case rim.

2. Push the cartridge to the rear and under the magazine lips.

3. Continue until the magazine holds the desired number of cartridges.

Loading the pistol

1. Insert a loaded magazine and make sure it has engaged the magazine catch.

2. Push down the slide catch lever with your thumb, or draw back the slide as far
as it will go and allow it to snap forward into battery. This cocks the hammer (on
the DAO, the hammer will be in the down position) and chambers a round.

3. Push down the decocking lever with your thumb. The pistol is now loaded,
safe and ready to fire in double-action mode. Keep your finger off the trigger

while you do this.

Reloading during shooting

When the magazine is empty, the slide catch lever holds the slide open. Press the
magazine catch to remove the empty magazine and insert a loaded one. Push
down the slide catch lever with the thumb of the shooting hand, or draw back the
slide and allow it to snap forward. The pistol is again loaded and ready to fire in
the single-action mode*.

Unloading the pistol

Pointing the pistol in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger and remove
the magazine. Pull back the slide and lock it with the slide catch lever. Make sure
the last round in the chamber has been extracted and ejected. Visually and physical­ly check the chamber and the magazine well to make sure pistol has been unloaded.
Now release the slide on an empty chamber. Depress the decocking lever*.
The pistol is now unloaded, decocked and safe.

* Not valid for the DAO. See page 7 of this manual.

9

Troubleshooting

Firearms work reliably if properly maintained. If there is a malfunction during
firing, here's what to do:

1. Keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction with your finger off the trigger.

2. Remove and secure the magazine.

3. Move the slide rearward and forward to clear any cartridge case in or near
the chamber.

4. If you suspect that a bullet is lodged in the bore, field strip your pistol and
check to see if the barrel is blocked. If there is a bullet lodged in the bore,
return the pistol to SIGARMS Inc. See instructions on page 15.

Follow the above procedures if:

● You notice that a cartridge is difficult to chamber, or

● A cartridge does not go off, or

● The mechanism fails to extract a fired cartridge case, or

● You discover unburned grains of propellant powder spilled in the mechanism

● A shot sounds or feels weak or abnormal.

WARNING

IF A BULLET IS IN THE BORE, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHOOT IT

OUT BY USING ANOTHER CARTRIDGE, OR BY BLOWING IT OUT

WITH A BLANK OR A CARTRIDGE FROM WHICH THE BULLET

HAS BEEN REMOVED. THIS CAN GENERATE EXCESSIVE PRES-

SURE, DAMAGE THE FIREARM AND CAUSE SERIOUS

PERSONAL INJURY.

10

Malfunction

Feed:
No round fed into the
chamber

Slide does not close
easily or completely

Extraction/Ejection:
After firing, the case
stays in the chamber or
is jammed in the ejec­tion port

Ignition:
Hammer drops but

round does not fire

Cause

Magazine not properly
inserted or magazine is
deformed or dirty

Pistol or cartridge is
fouled (dirty) or pistol
is too heavily lubricated

Pistol requires service

Insufficient recoil due
to dirt

Light hold or limp wrist

Low powered ammuni­tion

Pistol requires service

Firing pin obstructed

Faulty ammunition

Pistol requires service

Troubleshooting Guide

Correction

Insert magazine proper­ly or change magazine

Clean and lubricate pis­tol and /or replace the
ammunition

Return to SIGARMS

Clean and lubricate the
pistol

Solid grip, rigid hold

Change ammunition

Return to SIGARMS

Inspect, clean and lubri­cate the pistol

Manually cycle in next
round

Return to SIGARMS

11

Field Stripping

Before you take the pistol apart, make sure it's unloaded. This is essential
for your safety and the safety of others.

Field strip the pistol as follows:

Figure A

● Press the magazine catch (43). Remove the magazine (51).

4

16

18

43

51

Figure B

● Pull back the slide (4) as far as it will go and hold it in the open

position by pushing up the slide catch lever (18) with your thumb.

● Check carefully to ensure that the chamber is empty and the magazine well

is clear.

● Turn the take-down lever (16) to a vertical (6 o'clock) position.

12

Figure C

● Pull back the slide (4) slightly to disengage the slide catch lever (18). Hold

the slide firmly and allow it to glide forward gently. Now slip the complete
assembly, comprising slide (4), barrel (1), recoil spring and guide, forward
and off the frame (15).

Figure D

● Remove the recoil spring (3) and guide (2), taking care to control the release

of spring tension while pointing the assembly away from your body and in a
safe direction.

Figure E

● Remove the barrel (1) from the slide (4).

● The field stripped pistol is shown in Figure F. Field stripping is quite

sufficient to allow cleaning after shooting. Further dismantling is a job for
qualified gunsmiths and armorers only.

1841

15

2 & 3

4

1