The Sig 250 pistol - better than you think

I've read some comments from some people who were disappointed in the new modular Sig P250 pistol. They thought it not well enough made to be a Sig and had other criticisms.


Frankly, I don't see it. I examined one of the new .40 caliber P250s (only available in 9mm prior to this) today at Gilbert's Guns and found it to be a pretty fine basic pistol.

It's a typical Sig in plan, with the same slightly-too-high bore line that people learn to live with in exchange for the high reliability and durability of the Sig guns. And it has a NICE trigger!

The double action only (DAO) trigger has virtually no detectable stacking. It remains smooth with the same effort required to pull it throughout the stroke, and it's light. It's easily one of the best of the type that I've every handled. It's better than the S&W M&P, which is heavier and has a distinct stack to the let-off point. I like the M&P trigger, but the Sig is better. It's beats any H&K trigger that I've tried in the last year all to hell, and that's a fact.

And - AND! - the Sig trigger will keep hitting the primer as often as you pull it, without having to reset the slide as most other pistols require. If you drop the hammer on the round once and it's a no-go, pull the trigger and hit it again before you start the tap-rack-bang malfunction drill. That's quicker than the immediate action drill, and in many cases a bum primer will fire when it's struck a second time.

It appears to be robustly made, with heavy frame rails supporting the slide, and all the other controls and bits looking like those in all the other Sig pistols. I don't see where it gives up a great deal to any previous Sig models in any meaningful way. I somewhat doubt that the same people at Sig who made the P226 and P220 have completely lost their minds and turned out a turnip. The guys at Colt, maybe. But not Sig.

I think that Sig screwed the pooch by not having all the bits in place to enable users to swap the calibers and grip frame sizes around, which were its' big selling points. Had they had those components on the market when they brought it out I believe that they'd have already sold a boatload of these things. But to most people, on casual examination it was just another 9mm double-stack, more expensive than a Glock and not quite a Sig when it hit the shelves. It would have had all kinds of marketing mojo if you could have bought it in 9mm AND bought the other grip frames and slides and bits to make it into a .40 or .45 from day one. Sig didn't play it up enough, didn't do the demos and the advertising to get folks excited and looking at it.

Sig blew that chance to slam the market, but the concept is sound and the execution of this pistol is more than adequate. At $639 it's not horribly expensive, just a bit higher that it should be. It's still a Sig, and they make good guns. When you get the bits in hand, it'll be more than just one gun, too. You can tailor it to fit your hand and your caliber preferences.

If you do nothing else, go to the gun store, pick one up and try the trigger. Then imagine swapping out the parts to make it into a 10 or 12 round .45 ACP with that trigger, and see if it don't make you grin.