Every gun company has their flagship model—the gun that paved the path for them into the industry and cemented their reputation as a quality firearms manufacturer. It’s not necessarily their first firearm that becomes the flagship model, but the one that best stands the test of time. For Colt it’s the timeless 1911, for Glock it’s the reliable model 17, and for Sig Sauer it’s the classic P220.

Released in 1975, the P220 was a successor to the Swiss military’s P210. If you want to talk about a gun with a twist then look no further than the P210. Bearing resemblance to a Star Wars blaster and a BB gun, yet being extremely expensive and punching pinpoint precision onto targets, is the characteristically Swiss charm of the P210. Although it looked weird, the P210 was no joke, and militaries around the world wanted to get their hands on it. The P210 is now dubbed “The Legend,” and original models can be found in safes and the hands of serious target shooters.

The problem with the P210 was that it was too expensive for general use. SIG’s solution to this was to design a new gun that would maintain quality at a fair price-point, and so birthed the P220. The P210 was eventually phased out and the P220 replaced it as the Swiss military’s standard sidearm. That decision soon reverberated throughout the free world, and people quickly started taking notice.

Due to Switzerland’s strict export laws, Sig linked up with German gun maker Sauer and Sons to manufacture the handguns, thus giving birth to what we now know as Sig Sauer. The P220 was manufactured in Germany from the 1970’s until the late 1990’s, when Sig Sauer completely switched to the American Exeter facility. Sig P series handguns continued to be made in the German factory for several years after the Exeter facility opened, albeit in smaller numbers.

Sig Sauer still makes some handguns for the American market in the German facility, such as the P210, the X-Five, and even until this year the P226 German was listed on Sig’s website. But the word on the street is that the company plans on closing the legendary facility completely due to Germany’s strict laws. If closed, the Swiss facility (SAN) and the American facility will be the two remaining Sig Sauer factories.

The passing of production from the German facility to the American Exeter facility in the 1990’s created a split amongst Sig shooters. Most were fine with the new American-made handguns but some die hard Sig shooters swore by the original German handguns upon which Sig’s reputation was forged. Is there a difference? Yes and no. There is one key difference between the two—the use of a stamped carbon steel slide on the German models and a milled steel slide on the American models—but as far as quality and function goes the debate still rages on.

I first handled a P220 some years ago. The way it sat in my hand with its slim profile and balance reminded me of a 1911 with a twist. And isn’t that true for all things European? Here’s a watch, but its $10,000. Here’s a car that’s made completely by hand with wood. Here’s a blonde dime without 500k Instagram followers and she’ll clean your house. Here’s a handgun with a magazine release on the trigger guard. Cheeky Europeans are always putting a spin on something that otherwise didn’t need it, but whatever the spin is it always works…and it works well. I suppose that’s why we’re suckers for imported European goods here in the States.

Recently, I got my hands on a friend’s West German P220 from 1992 with less than 300 rounds through it. The gun was in near mint condition with no wear on the rails whatsoever; and the original box, manual and factory test target were in equally incredible condition. So what was the first thing I had in mind for this fine firearm? A review, of course. Whether or not the quality is any better on the German models is up for heavy debate, but the fact remains that German models are more sought after than their American counterparts.

Handling the P220 German is a different experience than the American version. While they both inspire confidence there are a few key differences:

The grips: When first handling the German P220 I noticed how different the grips felt than its American counterpart. The old school German grips aren’t bad, but they definitely don’t have the ergonomics or good looks of the newer models. Does this change the entire experience of the handgun? Not at all. However, having the modern Sig grips would be ideal.

The slide: The second thing you will feel on the German P220 is its lighter weight. This is due to the lighter stamped carbon steel slide (which Sig Sauer completely abandoned around 2011—when the last of the stamped P226’s rolled out of the factory). The American Sigs all use milled steel slides, which increases their overall longevity but also increases their chance of FTE’s, aka jams. The reason the American Sigs are more likely to jam is due to this heavier slide, which was originally developed in lieu of the .40 and .357 Sig calibers being introduced to the platform. A standard 9mm round is more likely to have trouble cycling than would a hotter round. While the carbon steel slides in theory are going to cycle better due to their lighter weight, the downside is that they cannot handle prolonged use of +P rounds.

The markings: The Germans sure know how to mark their products with pride. This particular P220 has some sort of dragon or eagle stamped on it along with the uber cool “MADE IN W. GERMANY” marking that all the cool kids want. When someone in the future asks their dad where West Germany is he can tell them that it was a mythical place where men of iron forged guns in a black forest. The German P220’s American counterpart lacks any real stamps to set it apart except for the standard Sig Sauer marking. Another cool thing to note on the German models is that you can tell what year they were made by two letters marked on the bottom of the slide. This particular one was made in 1992.

Other than the actual gun itself, the German P220 comes with a test target straight from the factory that is hand signed. While the Exeter facility only tests for function, the German facility tests for accuracy and function. And let me tell you, this gun is accurate.

The German P220 was known for being the most accurate .45 straight out of the box. Does it still hold that title today? Well, the accuracy is comparable to a Springfield TRP, and there are other factory .45’s that are more accurate than the TRP so it would most likely not hold that title anymore. When I got to the range I was eager to test these claims and see what all the hype was about.

Standing on the range I made ready to shoot the P220 for the first time. The gun was well balanced and felt lighter than my M11-A1, at least in my momentary lapse of reason as the blood rushed out of my head. As I raised the single-stack handgun it sliced through the air—unlike its cousin the P227, which is bulkier and blockier. I almost want to call the P220 aerodynamic, and as funny as that sounds it may be the correct term to describe it. (Those who have shot high quality 1911’s know exactly what I’m talking about. There is no play between the parts, and because they are single-stack they feel incredibly balanced in your hand.) As my vision focused on the simple front sight I was transported to the times of Teutonic simplicity, where the only thing that mattered at night was the skill of the shooter and the Maglite flashlight in his other hand. I started to squeeze the trigger and it moved ever so fluidly without any creak or hesitation.

The round thud of the .45 was music to the ears. It’s a utilitarian round that personally reminds me of the type of men who fought in World War II and then quietly returned home to work. The .45 is your grandfather’s round. It doesn’t need to prove anything because it already has. It gets the job done, and it gets it done well when no one else will. You’ll only need seven rounds because the P220 is so dang accurate. And if you’re walking around carrying a full-size P220, you know what you’re doing with that eightball in the chamber and you don’t need someone telling you how you should have 15 rounds.

The first round hit dead center. I smiled and slowly looked at my friend. “This gun is accurate.” The German P220 put the round exactly where the tip of my front sight was, and I immediately understood what all the hype was about. When a gun places the round exactly where you want it to be with minimal effort there’s no going back. The P220 punched an awesome group and my friend commented on how good my shooting was. I reassured him that it was the gun doing the work.

When the ammo ran out I went to the rangemaster’s counter and bought another 50 because I was hooked. The P220 is one of those guns that you just want to shoot all day. The recoil of the .45 is often mischaracterized by many. It’s a bigger round, but it’s not a big, mean recoil that becomes bothersome like the .40 or .44 Magnum. The .45 ACP’s recoil is round and smooth, and most of the energy seems to be directed towards muzzle flip, not into the palm of your hand. It has more recoil than a 9mm, but it’s not any more violent.

So what else played a part in my accuracy other than the finely tuned German barrel and internals? The balance and ergonomics.

Saying I liked the ergonomics of a gun that has grips similar to those on Russian surplus handguns may raise a chuckle, but I’m being serious. The German P220’s ergos aren’t that bad at all. Granted, they are the soft sort of prickly which can get annoying, but for a single shooting session it isn’t bad. And going back to the topic of changing out the grips: You have two options to start out with. You can get Hogue grips (which I personally don’t like on handguns), or you can get custom wood grips such as Nill. Installing the new standard Sig grips requires an extra step, and although it’s not a difficult extra step most people opt out of it for whatever reason.

The German P220 left a strong impression on me. It’s a man’s gun—simple, effective, accurate, and does what it’s supposed to. It hearkens back to a simpler era when guns didn’t need to be tacticool to sell. An era where guns were simply built to last and didn’t require any additional accoutrements to make the shooter better. Some say that a rail would make a nice addition but I say screw that, just pull out your Maglite.

The West German P220 is a shooter’s gun that’s ready to go right to work. It handles well and it’s made like a hand-fitted pistol. If you can find one for a good price go for it. And let’s be honest, as much as the Sig purists think their German guns are museum pieces a used German model should never be $800 or up unless it’s a mint Browning-imported version from the 70’s. So be sure you try out the American version as well, you might like it just as much and save yourself the headache of searching for a good condition German model.