let me ask another question, please, sig magazines this time

[greencobra]

ok, i'm not that sharpest tool in this shed, so go easy. what's up with those "zipper" or "zig zag" sig magazines? what makes them so valuable? I'll explain...i bought a made in germany sig p220, new, in or around 1991. this was at 4s before carl owned it. there was a deal at the time, buy the gun and sig gave you 2 boxes of .45 acp ammo. ok, sweet, but the guy who sold me the gun offered me 2 additional .45 mags for the gun in a swap for the 2 boxes of .45 acp ammo. i agreed. well over time (i still own the pistol) i bought a bunch more 220 magazines at shows, anywhere i came across them, including from a member here, several 8 round sig mags for it. none were these zipper mags. i used those mags when i shot and the 4 that came with the gun sat unused in the sig box. so the point, i looked at those original magazines today to learn they are the zipper back magazines. over the last few weeks i've been seeing ads for vintage sigs and if the buyer wanted the zipper magazines, he had to pay a premium.

so guys, what's going on with these zipper back sig mags? mine are 7 round mags, just tossin' it out. is there really a market for them beyond the regular straight line welded ones? if i decide to let these go down the road, i won't, but never say never, can i ask a premium because of what weld was used? i have 3 that were never in the gun. and one that was in the gun when i bought it and had been dropped out once or twice. you can see a faint drag line on it's tenifer like finish. none have held ammo since i've owned it, maybe the one that was in the gun held test ammo when the sight were adjusted at the factory? i dunno...so, do i have a small gold mine with these 4 mags or a wet pipe dream.

let me add, in case it matters, my gun was assembled in new hampshire with parts made in germany. ok, tell me some good news, like i hit lotto or something. i know we have a few resident sig sauer experts here.

 

[Asaltweapon]

Your post had me open my range bag to take a look at a handful of 220 mags
The stainless mag on top is obviously a fully drawn design made in Italy.
The middle is a factory mag with a tight square edge zipper.
The bottom is also a factory mag with a large dovetail zipper.

All 3 styles of mags work flawlessly in my W. German 220. It is by far my favorite semi auto pistol. I never bothered to research its age.
I’ve got no idea of the value so now I’m interested in the details. I ain’t selling or buying.
What zipper design do you have?

 

[Amputee Marksman]

The Zipper and Dovetail mags were manufactured in W. Germany. They quit making them there in late 80s, early 90s. After that I believe everything was made in Italy by Mec-Gar.

For pistols such as the 226 these mags are desirable in states where you are limited to 10 round mags. There is no question the Zipper/Dovetail mags are "pre-ban". I have several of the 20 round Dovetail mags for my P226. I got them when I bought a P226 in the late 80s. Two of them are still in the original packaging. That 226 is long gone but I saved all the mags because the guy I sold it to didn't want to pay extra for them. Good thing I did because I got another 226 and now I have the mags to use with it.

 

[wcorey]

Since they're 7rd there's no extra value in being specifically pre ban but may have a small premium in collector value to someone wanting 'original' mags to match an older gun.
On an aside, I've seen a couple wide zipper 226 mags with a '96 and '97 marked date wheel on the floorplate, coulda been swapped out I guess...

 

[rebut]

let me add, in case it matters, my gun was assembled in new hampshire with parts made in germany. ok, tell me some good news, like i hit lotto or something. i know we have a few resident sig sauer experts here.

All 3 styles of mags work flawlessly in my W. German 220. It is by far my favorite semi auto pistol. I never bothered to research its age.
I’ve got no idea of the value so now I’m interested in the details. I ain’t selling or buying.
What zipper design do you have?

First, I am not an expert on SIgs.
Second, @wcorey is right, the dovetail 7 rd P220 mags will not bring a "large" premium like a dovetail P226 will due to capacity but there is some value there to some people.

Correction: While looking up SN info I found '90&'91 P220s that are Exeter NH pistols. My bad, though they're rare.
greencobra, it is unlikely that a '91 P220 is "German" made and assembled in NH. A '91 would more likely be "West German made and assembled. The "W" was removed (peened over in early pistols) in late '95 when German law "sunsetted" the rule allowing it 2 or 3 years after reunification.

At any rate a "91 P220 serial number would be somewhere between G1768xx and G1860xx roughly speaking. It would also be stamped Made in W. Germany (some spelled out West) and have matching serial numbers on the slide, frame and barrel. If there are proof marks on those parts, it was assembled and tested in West Germany. No proof marks would indicate that it was assembled in the US.

If it is stamped made in Germany, and not proof marked, it was assembled here. The serial number would likely be something near or after G2570xx.

More specific (but still rough) born on dating is available. PM me with the "G" and the first 3 or 4 digits of the SN and I'll look into it.

Asaltweapon...feel free to send your SN as well.

 

[Amputee Marksman]

Since they're 7rd there's no extra value in being specifically pre ban but may have a small premium in collector value to someone wanting 'original' mags to match an older gun.
On an aside, I've seen a couple wide zipper 226 mags with a '96 and '97 marked date wheel on the floorplate, coulda been swapped out I guess...

The only markings I have heard about on the baseplate of zipper/dovetail magazines is some of the early P226 Dovetail magazines had P226 stamped on them.

Here is a link with more info on these mags: Vintage P-Series "Zipperback" v. "Dovetail" Magazines - Topic

 

[Asaltweapon]

First, I am not an expert on SIgs.
Second, @wcorey is right, the dovetail 7 rd P220 mags will not bring a "large" premium like a dovetail P226 will due to capacity but there is some value there to some people.

greencobra, it is unlikely that a '91 P220 is "German" made and assembled in NH. A '91 would more likely be "West German made and assembled. The "W" was removed (peened over in early pistols) in late '95 when German law "sunsetted" the rule allowing it 2 or 3 years after reunification.

At any rate a "91 P220 serial number would be somewhere between G1768xx and G1860xx roughly speaking. It would also be stamped Made in W. Germany (some spelled out West) and have matching serial numbers on the slide, frame and barrel. If there are proof marks on those parts, it was assembled and tested in West Germany. No proof marks would indicate that it was assembled in the US.

If it is stamped made in Germany, and not proof marked, it was assembled here. The serial number would likely be something near or after G2570xx.

More specific (but still rough) born on dating is available. PM me with the "G" and the first 3 or 4 digits of the SN and I'll look into it.

Asaltweapon...feel free to send your SN as well.

Damn straight I will. Thank you for the offer.
So it’s my 226 mags that get a premium.

I just like the older stuff more than today’s offerings. Eye sight is a whole other topic.

 

[rebut]

I made a correction to my previous post, sorry greencobra, although I did say "unlikely" not impossible.