Calling all SIGophiles - Is this normal?

[Ichiban]

I picked up a '94 P220 this weekend and didn't even notice these "features" on the slide until I got it home - Doh!.  The other side looks just the same.  These grooves are about 1/4" long.  Has "Bubba" been working on it or is this standard Germany quality of that era?  I haven't seen/noticed this on other Sigs but I haven't looked at that many older P220s.

Otherwise this gun is in outstanding condition for 18 year old gun.  It doesn't appear to have been shot much.  When I took the breach block out of the slide there wasn't much power residue at all on the extractor and the firing pin channel was pretty clean.  Great trigger (10 lb DA, 3 lb - 8oz SA) and is a tack driver.

I'm not concerned about them affecting functionality but resale value if/when it goes into the trade/sale column.

Thanks.

[tombogan03884]

If I'm looking in the right place it is a tooling mark where the end mill "skipped".
Or else the program start and stop points were not properly set.
Either way, they should not have made it past Quality control but it is a purely cosmetic issue.

[fightingquaker13]

I'd sympathize, but I run Glocks, they're all ugly. If it hits to POA and always goes bang, no one who matters will care. If you want pretty buy a Kimber rust bucket. Otherwise, pretty is as pretty does.
FQ13

[Ichiban]

If I'm looking in the right place it is a tooling mark where the end mill "skipped".
Or else the program start and stop points were not properly set.
Either way, they should not have made it past Quality control but it is a purely cosmetic issue.

That was my initial take on it as well.

Then I found this photo of a 1995 era two-tone P220 where it looks like it has a similar feature.


Now I'm kind of confused.

And, no, it is not the same gun.

[tombogan03884]

That's definitely a machining mark that should not have been allowed .
I guarantee that no gun left Thompson Center with that kind of crap .

[Sponsor]

[kmitch200]

My 220 has them, newer model without the proof stamps on the dust cover.
My 226 has them, older german model.
My 225 doesn't have any at all, another older german model.

Just cosmetic.

[GASPASSERDELUXE]

My 226 and 229 don't have any machine marks like those. they are both about 5 years old. I had a 220 which was about 15 years old but I traded it off last year and i don't remember if there were any marks like yours on it.

[jstm]

My p220 ST does not have them.