I’ve never owned a SIG SAUER pistol, but I’ve shot a crate of them over the last few decades. Whether I had a 220, 226 or 229 pointed downrange, I always knew what to expect from a SIG: expensive, Swiss quality all-metal pistols with absolutely unfailing reliability, bulky grips, very high bore axes and long, stacking DA trigger pulls. The P250 turns most of these stereotypes upside-down. Well, except for reliability and that bore height thing . . .
The P250 is a whole family of semiautomatic pistols in four calibers, all of which share the same interchangeable fire control module containing the trigger, hammer, ejector and slide release. Barrels and slides vary by caliber, and frames are offered in subcompact, compact, and full size configurations. These three frame and slide setups correspond fairly closely to the dimensions of the ‘Baby’ Glock 26, the compact G19, and the service-pistol G17.
SIG earns at least an honorable mention for Most Awkwardly Product Name Of the Year for calling this combination kit a ‘2SUM.’ It does, however, include everything pictured above: two frames, two barrels, two slides and two magazines with a single fire control module to be shared between them. I like the product (a lot; as you’ll see below) but I still can’t stand the name ‘2SUM.’
Despite a certain family resemblance, the P250 has no parts commonality with any other SIG SAUER guns. With a street price below $400 for the P250 itself and about $600 for the ‘2SUM’ combo pack, the P250 may seem like the Camry V6 to the P229’s Lexus ES 350: almost all the performance for a fraction of the money.
It might seem like it, but it’s not. The P250 looks like other SIGs but it operates and handles so differently that it defies comparison to them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it seems a shame that it can’t share magazines with other SIG pistols. P250s are a bargain, but their magazines are scandalously expensive.
Ergonomics
The P250 happily failed to conform to the SIG SAUER handling deficiencies I’ve become used to over the last 20+ years. Chunky double-stack SIG grips usually feel like a finely polished 2×4 in my hands, but the P250 feels like it was made to fit me. Don’t ask me how, but both grip sizes fit my hands quite nicely.
At the petite end of ‘just right’, the subcompact frame and magazine provide me with a 3-finger grip, but just barely: my little finger gets a little sliver of grip to grab, and there are no magazine or floorplate extensions needed. On the chunkier end of the ‘just right’ zone, the full-size frame provides plenty of room for my support hand without feeling like I’m trying to hang onto a Desert Eagle.
Both grip frames feature molded-in texturing that feels like fine-grit skateboard tape and it gives a completely secure grip, even when your hands are wet or almost numb from the cold. The feel and shape of the full-size grips remind me of the H&K P30, but the P250 lacks the pricy H&K’s interchangeable grip panels.
Instead of the P30’s modular grip panels, the P250 instead offers fully modular grip frames. If your compact or full size grip doesn’t fit quite right, you can replace the entire ‘Standard’ grip frame with a ‘Large’ or ‘Small’ variant for about $45. Subcompacts only come in one grip size (that would be, uh, ‘Small’) since concealment is their raison d’être and a ‘Large’ subcompact would be an oxymoron.
The ‘Mr. Potatohead’ Pistol?
The P250’s parts are insanely interchangeable. Any 9mm grip frame can be matched with any 9mm, .357 Sig or .40 S&W magazine and barrel/slide assembly to make a fully-functional gun. The .45 ACP versions utilize the same fire control module as their smaller siblings but their grip frames aren’t cross-compatible: wider .45 ACP mags, as you might expect, need a wider magazine well.
The interchangeability of 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 components, however, allows you to do some really strange things with this ultra-modular gun.
Look carefully. That’s not a Photoshop fake; it’s a full-size slide on a subcompact frame. It looks a bit odd but it does fit together and it functions just fine. Good luck finding a holster for it (not that you’d want one).
The silliness need not end here. As Al Pacino famously growls in Scent of a Woman, I’m just gettin’ started!
For a bold, fashion-forward look (or a knuckle-singeing AOW with a foregrip if you pay your NFA tax) you can also put the subcompact barrel on the full-size frame! The slide doesn’t cover all of the front dust cover, but at least you know you’ll never press the slide out of battery by jamming it against your target. It looks (and is) utterly stupid and the muzzle gasses will scorch the frame, but you can shoot it that way if you want to.
You can also install the Full-Size barrel in the subcompact slide, although it wouldn’t gain you much accuracy or velocity. Our chronograph measurements from the two barrel lengths were ballistically comparable. Our cheapo Tulammo 115-grain FMJ averaged 1165 fps, while the subcompact was only 42 fps slower 1123 fps. This isn’t surprising, since most 9mm ammo is loaded to burn completely in about 4″ of barrel.
This tomfoolery could continue ad nauseum if I also had the compact grip frame and slide/barrel assembly, but I think you get the idea so I’ll get back to business, m’kay?
If the dizzying selection of grip frames and sizes isn’t enough to find you the perfect fit, SIG SAUER can also send you a replacement trigger with a shorter trigger reach. It doesn’t alter the trigger pull length, but it does shorten the length of pull from the backstrap to the trigger face by a fraction of an inch. The best part? You can install it yourself without tools, and it only costs about $30.
Controls
Ergonomic customization options may be almost infinite, but the P250 keeps it simple when it comes to operating controls. All you get is a trigger, a magazine release, a takedown lever and ambidextrous slide releases. The mag release is reversible for left-handed operation using only a paperclip for a tool. (It goes in the notch on the release button in the picture below.)
I know that some shooters consider it a crime against nature to use a pistol’s slide release to actually release the slide, but many of us think otherwise. After all, if God hadn’t intended us to use the slide release lever, why did he give us thumbs?
As an unrepentant slide release lever-flicker, I find the P250’s twin slide releases to be among the best I’ve ever used. Unlike JMB’s 1911 slide release, they don’t have any other function: they’re not the barrel link or the takedown pin, so they can be placed well rearward on the gun. Instead of requiring a long, awkward reach to release, they’re perfectly placed so you can swipe them with your thumb without having to shift your firing grip. Kinda like a 1911 safety, but easier.
They’re so rounded and low-profile they’ll never snag on anything, but SIG still molds a small raised bar into the grip to keep them from accidentally being pushed up and locking the slide back. I guess it works, because it never went into slide-lock until the magazine ran dry.
Despite their tiny size and smooth contours, it takes only minimal effort to release the slide. No matter how much you shoot, it can’t give you the bruised release thumb that Deagle and rough-quality 1911 shooters often suffer. The slide release was 100% reliable in locking the slide back on an empty magazine, but it usually released itself when I vigorously rammed a fresh 17-round magazine into the full-size grip frame.
This never happened when I inserted a magazine with normal effort, never happened for other shooters and never happened with the subcompact grip frame at all, so I’ll leave it to you whether these should be considered ‘malfunctions’ or not. If they are, they’re benign ‘malfunctions’ that I wouldn’t mind seeing as a deliberate design feature in future handguns. (Putting on flame-proof Nomex suit now…)
Many DA/SA automatics combine a slide-mounted manual safety with a decocker. I detest this arrangement because it clutters up the slide, it’s awkward to engage, and it provides me with yet another opportunity for operator error. (Why isn’t my gun firing? I must have left the safety on…oops…)
SIG has historically avoided this by skipping the manual safety (hooray!) and moving the decocker down to the left side of the grip. They always function perfectly, but they add a lot of bulk and girth to the grips and they’ve always made the SIG manual of arms just a little different from other semi-automatics.
The P250’s DAO lockwork makes the manual decocking lever unnecessary. This minimalist control set allows for a thinner grip and a simpler manual of arms – both very good things.
Sights
The P250 features a fixed but allegedly interchangeable rear sight and a drift-adjustable dovetailed front sight. Other SIGs have featured ‘Post and Dot’ sighting arrangements that I’ve never liked, but P250s all wear the robust 3-dot configuration shown here. The ‘Hi-Viz’ white dots shown here are standard, and you can order tritium night sights for a few bucks extra.
Caleb at Gun Nuts Media thought they were too big for his tastes, but I loved them: they’re quick to acquire for snap shooting, but still provide exceptional accuracy for deliberate aimed fire. (More on that later.)
The front sight is drift-adjustable, but SIG recommends using their proprietary sight-adjustment tool if you need to move it. Beware, though: the dovetail is quite shallow, and clumsy Bubba gunsmithing can snap the front sight clean off if you’re not incredibly careful.
The rear sight is lightly dehorned for concealed carry, but its front edge provides enough of a lip that you can still rack the slide one-handed on your belt if you ever need to. This isn’t a training evolution that you want to practice with live ammo (shooting yourself in the leg really sucks, or so I’m told) but give it a try it with snap caps. If one of your arms is ever incapacitated, it’s good to know how to reload or clear a malf one-handed.
On the downside, the rear sight isn’t adjustable at all: it’s recessed (instead of dovetailed) into the slide, and you can’t remove it without detail-stripping the entire slide. I didn’t try and luckily I didn’t need to because both the subcompact and full-size slides shot perfectly to my point of aim with a variety of 115-grain bullets.
If the sights aren’t properly regulated for your favorite load, SIG SAUER advises that higher and lower front and rear sights are available for installation by a gunsmith. I can’t verify this to be true: I’ve found a few aftermarket fiber-optic front sights, but I’ve been unable to locate any replacement rear sights anywhere on the internet. SIG might not offer them for general sale due to the difficulty of installation, although my email to SIG on this question went unanswered.
Fit And Finish
The P250’s polymer frames are nicely molded with no voids or flash visible, but you’ll notice a seam in the photos where the mold halves join. It doesn’t affect handling (because you can’t feel it on your palm) but it gives the gun a small cosmetic demerit.
The slide and barrel show extremely precise machining, with absolutely no play between the slide and bushingless barrel in battery. The slide’s proprietary ‘Nitron’ finish is deep and even. It may look like a manganese phosphate or Parkerized finish, but unlike those finishes, it feels smooth and slightly slippery. It also seems more durable: a few months of daily Kydex/leather holster wear haven’t dulled the subcompact’s finish yet.
The steel stampings in the fire control group are smoothly finished and very easy to wipe clean. There’s a small but perceptible amount of play between the frames and slides of the assembled guns, but it evidently doesn’t impair the P250’s accuracy. (More on that later.)
The Trigger
Just like SIGs in general, I’ve always been indifferent (at best) towards DAO pistols. DA/SA trigger systems might not be perfect, but why keep the crappy DA pull and get rid of the short, crisp SA pull? Prior to the P250, I’d always preferred a cocked-and-locked 1911 to any DAO autoloader.
Not anymore. The P250 shows that DAO triggers don’t have to weigh a ton or stack obnoxiously before they break. On the subcompact, the trigger reach measures 2.7 inches from the web of the backstrap to the middle of the trigger at rest, and the middle of the trigger travels an arc of just over 0.6 inches from resting to backstop. This is long for an SA or striker trigger, but it’s shorter and much lighter than the DA pull of most DA/SA pistols.
It measures a smooth and consistent 7.5 pounds from resting to break, with no grit and no stacking and almost no overtravel. After just a tiny bit of takeup, it pulls perfectly evenly until it breaks. I found it very easy to stage the trigger at almost full-cock for carefully aimed fire, and I used this technique when shooting the P250 for accuracy.
Smooth and light as it may be, the downside to the P250’s trigger (or any DAO trigger) is the long reset. Striker-fired Glocks and XDs allow a well-practiced shooter to ‘ride the reset’ and fire extremely rapid strings, but this simply can’t happen when your trigger finger has so much mileage to cover between shots. This could be a real ball-and-chain for a competition shooter, but it’s an excellent safety feature for a concealed carry gun.
The P250’s trigger pull seems to be consistently good from one gun to the next. Most published reviews express satisfaction with the trigger, and for myself I’ve fired or dry-fired a half-dozen different P250s. Every one of them has the same smooth and consistent pull that piqued my interest in the first place, although at 7.5 pounds my sample seems to have one of the heavier triggers of the breed.
The P250’s trigger shoots like an extremely good DA revolver trigger. Of all the DA revolvers I’ve shot, only a Colt Python (shot many years ago) had a better trigger than the P250, and that’s saying a lot.
Accuracy
My experience with SIG SAUER pistols did not prepare me for the P250. Once Joe Grine and I finally got some decent Northwest weather (e.g., rain instead of snow) for accuracy testing, my first group from the subcompact frame and barrel were tight and well-centered.
And so were my next shots:
These proved to be typical of my results with the subcompact frame, and they were fired offhand using a modified Weaver stance which I’m trying to unlearn. Not bad for a brand-new gun with an unfamiliar trigger. This is outstanding accuracy from a subcompact semi-auto, and solid accuracy for a stock double-action pistol of any size or type.
So the subcompact was highly accurate. What about the Full-Size version?
It’s a tackdriver. This group was fired from an improvised rest (AKA a tree stump) at 7 yards. This is the kind of accuracy you can expect from a P250 once you learn how to work the trigger, and you don’t need to burn $1 per round for ‘Premium” ammo to get it. These groups were all fired with the cheapest factory 9mm ammunition on the market: steel cased Tulammo. You read that correctly.
By my third outing with the P250, I was riddling tin cans with quick shots at 25 yards; this gun is nearly as accurate as my 6″ Browning Buckmark, and I may be a cheap bastard, but that’s my gold standard for pistol accuracy.
Joe Grine’s groups from the same gun were only slightly larger in size than mine, but his shots were centered about 4 inches below the point of aim using the same ammo. He’s not much of a DA revolver shooter, and I suspect his trigger pull is dipping the muzzle as the sear breaks.
Handling and Concealment
I found the P250 extremely comfortable to shoot in either frame configuration. Recoil was mild from the subcompact, and extremely gentle with the full-size frame and slide. These aren’t featherweight guns, and their 30 to 38-ounce loaded weight really tames the 9mm’s recoil and muzzle flip.
My previous carry gun has been a Kel Tec PF-9, a hard-kicking little spitfire which trades away shooting comfort for carrying comfort. The P250 subcompact happily trades some of it back (it weighs nearly twice as much) and the result is a better compromise of concealment, shooting comfort and firepower.
Holster options are limited for any P250. You’re not likely to find any form-fitting P250 holsters at a brick-and-mortar gun store because P250s aren’t shaped like other SIGs. If you won’t settle for a universal Uncle Mike’s nylon holster (and why should you?) you’ll have to go online. The SIG SAUER website sells SERPA-esque polymer retention paddle holsters for about $40. Will Kramer Leather P250 holsters are $125 and up, and Blackhawk SERPA holsters are also available. Crossbreed and Kholster will both custom-fit one of their hybrid IWB holsters for about $50.
The subcompact conceals very comfortably in a modified Kholster Crescent hybrid IWB. For range duty or wear under bulky cover garments, the SIG paddle holsters are a viable and affordable option. They’re adjustable for cant, and they’re offered in standard and compact sizes, the latter of which will also fit (but not actively retain) the subcompact pistol. The gun fits very well once the tension screw is tightened down a little, but the subcompact’s rounded trigger guard is the wrong shape to engage the holster’s active retention lever.
The full-size pistol (along with the Compact model I didn’t test) has a squared-off trigger guard which engages the retention lever when you push it home firmly. SERPA holsters have gotten black marks for safety, because they place the user’s already-tensioned trigger finger dangerously close to the trigger. This has caused several well-publicized ADs and accidental shootings using striker-fired pistols like Glocks and XDs.
I didn’t get to shoot any Action Pistol matches with the SIG holsters, but I don’t think ADs will ever be a problem for those who carry their P250s in them. The holster release pad is placed well well up along the slide (away from the trigger guard) and I believe the P250’s long trigger pull would prevent holster-induced ADs anyway.
The SIG-branded holsters are solidly built and very comfortable for open carry or range wear, but you won’t find yourself concealing anything in them unless you’re a very very big guy. The holsters stands the pistol grip well away from my (non-muffin top) waistline, which is great for my draw grip but terrible for concealment.
If you go for a SIG holster, be sure to tighten the hell out of the cant-adjustment screw: one of my samples’ screws was loose and the gun started to rotate toward a very unconventional (and dangerous) upside-down carry angle.
The full-size P250 is probably too large for me to carry concealed, regardless of which holster I might use.
Reliability
The P250 experienced a single failure to fire at round count 14 with the subcompact frame and slide during a blinding snowstorm which may have contributed to numb-fingered user error. That single failure to fire was the only malfunction encountered, unless you count the self-releasing slide as a malf. It’s easy to get used to a self-releasing slide, but it can corrupt your standard reloading drill and make life difficult when you’re using some other handgun.
The P250 pattern also has a less-than-perfect history. The U.S. Air Marshal’s Service found the P250 to be ‘unsatisfactory’ after extensive testing involving 200 agents of varying shooting ability. And in 2011 the Dutch police canceled a 40,000-unit contract due to quality and reliability issues. I’m not sure whether these problems involved the current ‘New’ design P250 or an incompatible older design, but neither answer completely eliminates the lingering questions about reliability.
The controversy surrounding these contracts could fill an entire (horribly boring) article. The U.S. contract may have been lost due to short-stroking the trigger (or, then again, maybe not) and I could never determine exactly what problems the Dutch identified. All I can say is that my own experience over 500 rounds hasn’t raised any red flags about reliability. With the exception of the single failure to fire at round 14, the P250 has fed, fired and ejected perfectly.
Magazines
Just like everything else about the P250, the magazines come in many calibers and capacities. The 9mm P250 magazines come in 12, 15 and 17 rounds sizes, and they’re all upwards-compatible. The subcompact can use any magazine size, the compact can use 15 and 17 rounders, and the full-size can only use the 17 rounder.
P250 magazines are not interchangeable with any other SIG magazines, however, and their availability is limited. Bigger brick-and-mortar dealers might stock a few 9mm compact magazines because that’s the most popular version, but if you’re looking for subcompact or full-size magazines (or anything in .357, .40 or .45) you’ll have to order them online along with your holster.
The 2SUM kit includes one subcompact and one full-size magazine, and I procured an extra one of each. Two of the magazines (one of each size) are really hard to top off with the last round, and I was disappointed that my ‘universal’ 9mm magazine loader wasn’t big enough to fit around them. On the bright side, all four mags have fed perfectly. They’d better work perfectly, since the damned things cost me a few cents shy of $50 each after shipping and taxes.
Conclusion
The P250 shoots better (for me) than any of the dozen-plus SIG SAUERs I’ve shot over the years. I never thought I would shoot a DAO pistol this accurately, and I never thought I’d enjoy shooting it as much as I have. When I factor this in with a competitive price and solid reliability, the P250 becomes a very attractive pistol.
You’ll notice that there are a lot of I’s in this conclusion so far. The reliability and accuracy of my test guns speak for themselves, and their good fit and finish are evident to anyone who picks them up because these are objective factors which let you compare apples to apples.
But whether you will like the P250 and shoot it well depends on one completely subjective factor: if you like its double-action-only trigger you’ll probably love the gun. If you don’t, you’ll probably shoot it poorly and it is definitely not the gun for you. If you’re in the market, do yourself a favor and give a P250 a dry-fire or twenty. You’ll know your answer right away.
Specifications:
Action type: Locked-breech short-recoil semiautomatic, DAO trigger
Caliber: 9mm Luger (tested), .357 SIG, .40 S&W and .45 ACP
Capacity (9mm): 12+1 subcompact, 15+1 compact (not tested), 17+1 full size
Barrel length: 3.6″ subcompact, 3.9″ compact (not tested), 4.7″ full size
Overall length: 6.7″ subcompact, 7.0″ compact (not tested), 8.0″ full size
Width: 1.1″ subcompact, 1.3″ compact (not tested), 1.4″ full size
Height: 4.7″ subcompact, 5.16″ compact (not tested), 5.5″ full size
Grips: Interchangeable polymer frames in assorted grip sizes and colors
Weight: 24.9 oz subcompact, 26.9 oz compact, 29.4 oz full size
Sights: Drift-adjustable front, interchangeable fixed rear, three-dot high contrast (three-dot SIGLITE® night sights optional)
Slide Finish: Black Nitron®
Street Price: $600-$700 (2SUM combination kit), $400 or less (single gun)
Ratings (out of five)
Accuracy * * * *
Once you get used to its trigger, this is one of the most accurate 9mms you’ll ever shoot. This is surprising for a DAO.
Styling * *1/2 (Subcompact) * * * (Compact/Full Size)
If you like SIG SAUER, you’ll be fine with its looks. FWIW, I think the subcompact looks like a Bulldog puppy with a huge head and a tiny body. The compact and full-size models are a bit more handsome, but steel and black plastic don’t give you much to love in the looks department.
Ergonomics * * * * 1/2
Good sights, smooth ambidextrous controls, and infinitely customizable grip/trigger configurations can make this a comfortable gun for just about anyone – if they like the trigger.
Reliability * * * *
A less-than-stellar past history didn’t translate into any problems for our test gun.
Customize This * * * *
User-replaceable grip frames, barrels, slides, sizes and triggers allow almost infinite customization; hell, you can even switch calibers. This should earn five stars, but (and this is a big but) there’s essentially zero aftermarket accessories, holsters or parts, and you’re stuck with the factory rear sights.
Overall * * * *
A reliable, insanely accurate and amazingly affordable SIG SAUER with a DAO trigger that might not be for everybody. If you like the trigger you’ll love the gun, and if you don’t you won’t.
Remember that rail mounted bayonet ? That accessory attached to the absurd short-slide on full-size frame setup would equate to one interesting close-quarters weapon . Got a bad guy charging you with a knife under 21 feet?No problem. Enter the Sig Modular Bayonet Pistol…..
LOL!
Amen, this gun sucks. Even if you were lucky enough to get it to fire, you could hit a flippin’ thing with it. Maybe you could throw the P250 at the bad guy and hope to knock him out.
I can’t understand the haters out there. This is a good reliable weapon.
The people that don’t like this gun probably had the early model which did have some real problems with the ejector and hammer. Those have been fixed with the newer generation.
i like shooting the gun (my sons) most dont like it becuase of the dao trigger and are spoiled i’m thinking about getting one for myself
I really like my P250 compact in 9mm. I have had no failures to feed or jams. The DA trigger takes getting used to but its’ fine. I can put a quarter on top of the slide, pull the trigger and dry fire, and that quarter stays put just were I set it. That’s a pretty smooth trigger! For me,it’s a great gun.
The Sig P250 compact in 40 S&W was the first handgun I bought last year. Mine has had problems since I bought it with failures to extract, failures to fire, locking up and jamming with every magazine. I can’t shoot 15 rounds without several different problems. I called Sig and spoke to them but the rep was a little rude to me as if these malfunctions were my fault. I haven’t had any problems with my shooting or ammo in my M&Ps, CZ-75, or Ruger. They were supposed to send me a shipping label to send it back but I never received it. I actually forgot about the gun until this review and I stuck it in the back of the closet to collect dust.
I’ll call Sig back and see what they can do. I really want to like the gun, but it’s hard when you can’t even empty one mag without problems.
You should suggest that they just swap out your grip, magazines and slide/barrel. These parts are not ‘firearms’ and they can ship them directly to to you by UPS. This would be cheaper for them and quicker for you.
I have put a thousand or so rounds down range in 3 different configurations, .40 cal SC, 9mm FS, and .45 cal FS, with not one failure.
part of the reason that i transitioned to “classic” sig models (226,220,229) was the trigger. coupled with the very, very cool SRT option in the more high end models, classic sigs are great. i have literally not seen one of these in peron, and my local gun shot stocks a crap load of sig options. i asked the owner and he said that in his experience there is very low demand of these pistols, i’d like to handle one just to check it out, but i am not a big DAO fan myself.
Outstanding review. It nailed the classic SIG characteristics, though I disagree somewhat with the severity of the stacking trigger, esp after the gun is wrung out 1000-2000 rds.
A few points –
I have over 75K rds in p228, 229, 239, 220 in 20 years, including carrying and instructing SIG. Shooters unintentionally stroking down the slide release were common, forcing the slide to close on a spent magazine, which hampered emergency reloads, so that p250 mod hopefully will mitigate that somewhat.
Second, when SIG came out with their DAK trigger several yrs ago, even then it was the best DAO in combat pistols.
Third, the p250 was about to be adopted by a major unnamed federal agency over 2 yrs ago, in .357sig, then was dropped because it had too many problems turning its innovative designs into practical no-nonsense reliability. It looks like this newer p250 aimed to correct those problems.
Fourth, the idea of a functional modular kit for a combat handgun could very well be the Next Big Idea in duty pistols, not unlike the PRACTICAL polymer gun introduced by Glock almost 30 yrs ago. Why buy a big carry pistol, plus a small carry pistol, when one kit will do both? And if in either .40 or 357sig, you have two calibers as well.
History shows that it’s usually the second version, not the first version, of an innovation that takes off, so this p250 will probably not explode on the market, but it will inspire something else which will.
Not to resurrect a zombie thread, but you are a prophet, koolaidguzzler–only it took the striker-fired version of the P250, the P320, to fulfill the prophecy.
Great review, Chris! The DAO trigger on the SIG 250 is amazing!
So, why exactly is the loooong trigger reset, “an excellent safety feature for a concealed carry gun?”
The long pull (not specifically the long reset) makes ADs much less likely than with a Glock or XD trigger. Sorry if I was vague about that.
That is for sure as I took my nefew out shooting at a range and gave him one of my walther ppq’s with only 3 rounds and told him about the quick trigger and he shot ok first time. Second time hit off about 8 in just a couple seconds because is .1 inch reset trigger. But I was prepared, not him as this is what a ppq can do. Any how I own several sigs and the longer action will help prevent that, but it seems to me that the gun will never fire because of the long travel. Once it does fire I can hit a group of 10 out of 14 in 5 inch pattern 20 yards away, I am just a novice shooter still, first time shooting a sig and second time out finally getting to shoot my handguns. Now I am just going to get the 1911 for the short trigger pull
Ordered my first Sig last week. I opted for the P226 Classic in 22LR. I was able to order it through a local dealer for under $550. It of course come with discount coupon for a center fire barrel and slide assembly.
Excellent review Chris! I bought my P250 Compact 9mm last fall and have put about 500 rounds through it without a failure. It is very accurate, although it took some practice to get used to the long trigger pull. Like Joe, I was consistently low at first. Dry fire practice fixed that.
My slide release also releases if you slam the mag in. Figured that out during my CCW class performing a combat reload. Slammed the mag in and the slide released, but I didn’t actually realize what happened until after I grabbed the slide and pulled it back ejecting a round.
N82 Tactical makes an IWB holster for the P250 ($40) that I purchased after reading the reviews here on TTAG.
Excellent review! I was so excited to see thus review pop up in my email today because I bought my first ccw pistol 2 weeks ago – a p250 compact. I have shot about 250 rds so far without a single malfunction! So far it has been a GREAT gun, the trigger didn’t bother me because this is my first handgun so I wasn’t used to another type of trigger, but I can keep pretty good groups at 10 yds so I am happy with it. I use a simple leather holster that I got off amazon for less than $30 and it works very well so far, goes on my belt and I think it is a “pancake” type holster.
All in all I really love this gun and from the sounds of it I got it at the right time (the new version with the flat rail)!
Chris, would you buy the kit?
I think it’s fabulous being able to swap between a subcompact CCW gun and a super-accurate service pistol in less than a minute. For an extra $250 you basically get another SIG, and that’s a hard deal to turn down. If you’ve already got a big SIG, however, this might not be as enticing.
I like big SIGs and I cannot lie . . .
Robert, you’re scaring me.
Now I want a .45 Compact model, so I’ll have a whole set. Or a 2022…
I do not personally own any Sigs, probably the only German firearm brand I do not own.
I know plenty of people who love them, but I could never get over the “Mile High Bore Axis” design that seems to be a staple with Sig Sauer pistols.
I have looked closely at these very models, and seems to me they would be very prone to getting sand or other debris inside the firing control unit much too easily, with the hole in the frame to read the SN and all.
Still gonna pass.
LOVE me some HK’s, Glocks, Steyrs, and Mausers though!
Just to pitch my two cents in, at the range I work at, we have a couple different SIG P250s for rent.
They’ve been sent back for warranty service many, many, many times.
A rental gun will take a lot more abuse than your typical personally owned firearm, but some handguns handle that just fine.
The SIG P250 series is not one of them.
As a new Sig owner what kinds of things are you refering to? So that I can be on the look out for them!
Thanks in advance
I don’t handle the warranty stuff, but it mostly seemed like problems with the trigger unit. The trigger refused to move forwards after being pulled to the rear one one, and AFTER we got it back from the factory, it decided that it didn’t want to cock the hammer back anymore 500 or so rounds later.
The dissassembeley lever basically worked itself out on one of them, and one had serious failure to feed/failure to extract problems. That one may or may not have been a lemon.
They run really well when they’re clean, but let them get a little dirty, and you start to see their true character.
I am very disappointed with my P250 Compact. I purchased the weapon, burned 50 rounds at the range prior to taking it to a CCW class. About 100 rounds into live fire exam, the trigger started stopping short after fire. The range master inspected the weapon and came to the same determination that you had to actually push the trigger forward after each round. I had to borrowed a Glock to finish the session.
Warranty or not, I will not trust my life to this weapon.
1st or 2nd Generation?
THIS is what I want to know. The Gen 1’s had some kinks to work out. From experience and reviews, the Gen2 is excellent.
I haven’t yet, but I will be picking up the 2Sum. The reports of some issues don’t worry me, nor do they surprise me. Sig doesn’t make cheap guns, so it is expected that their first attempt to do so will have some issues. I’m still in for one, at least. Like you said this is a Camry not a Lexus, it’s like a Sig Lite, if you want the rock solid dependability of the other Sigs then pony up the cash, if not this is a good entrance. If they where smarter, the mags would interchange just to make buyers even more likely to move up to the main line Sigs.
FWIW, I cannot speak about the US contract, but reliable sources on the Dutch deal have said that the two issues where that Sig could not guarantee the quantity ordered in time, and the politics involved with some wanting the guns that lost out to the Sig.
I purchased a 2sum (.40) in January. I have about 500rds through each size (sub and full), no feed or extraction failures. I can count the failures to fire on one hand, all from the same box of (presumably) bad ammo.
I live in WI, and we recently passed our concealed carry law. The law has generated a lot of interest in shooting, and I am using that buzz to try and get some friends involved in the shooting sports. A friend will inevitably ask, “What gun should I get?” Then I or someone else will respond, “Well what do you want to do with it, carry it comfortably, or go to a range and have lots of fun with it?” The words “comfortably” and “lots of fun” are used with the understanding that you can carry a full size gun, and you can have fun at a range with a sub-compact, but certain guns do things better than others. I think the 2SUM pack fills the role of carry/range/entry-level competition gun PERFECTLY.
The sub compact can be pocket carried, and I am only a minute worth of work away from changing to a full size gun for the range or competition.
It isn’t the perfect competition gun. The trigger is very smooth, but a DAO gun is naturally harder to rattle off quick accurate shots with than a striker or SA gun. As Chris showed, it is certainly accurate, and speed will come with practice.
The 2SUM gives you the option to use the full size gun to practice with the EXACT same trigger/action that will be in your carry gun. So, “What can you do with this gun?” Everything, reasonably well.
(For what it’s worth: I carry my subcompact in the DeSantis Nemesis designed for the baby Glocks 26 27 33. I also have a CrossBreed Super Tuck for the full size. I don’t think the website says the new subcompact will fit in the Super Tuck, but I haven’t had any problems.)
EXCELLENT REVIEW!!! I purchased 2 second generation P250s 9mm compact and have taught my wife how to shoot with them. I really like the DAO trigger on these guns, my wife has tiny hands and she practices double taps! The Double Action on this gun is a whole new genre of action. I do a lot of electrical work in banks and credit unions and have missed armed robberies by minutes thats why never leave my house without my P250 with the extended magazine in my tool bag whenever I go to work. By the way I have shot over 1000 rounds through this gun easily and it has not had a single misfire or ANY malfuntion.
this post was exactly what i was looking for. my girlfriend told me about a month ago that she wanted me to take her to the range and eventually get her a something for when im gone. we went to the gun show today and she kept gravitating toward the p250. didnt know much about it, but her problem is that she has very small hands. everything was too big. this gun being for her, i was kind of worried about the DOA. she’s not a skilled shooter and my p226 is obviously way too big for her, grip wise.
I got an IWB holster from Grandfather Oak (http://www.grandfatheroak.com/ — no financial interest, just a satisfied customer) that fits my P250 Subcompact beautifully. It’s actually molded for another gun (Bersa 9mm, maybe) — the guy (this was their booth at a gun show) just tried my gun in EVERYTHING he had under the table until he found a good fit. Very comfortable, and has displaced my Commander as my usual carry weapon, and shifted my P-64 from my “suit gun” to my “pocket gun”. Very comfortable, VERY concealable.
Reliability? I’m shipping my gun back for the third time for warranty work. The rear night sites key burning out after firing. I’ve put less then 500 rounds through my P250 40 cal compact; very disappointed. I expected more from Sig Sauer. As soon as its repaired, I’m selling it.
do you still have it? i might be interested in buying it
is that a 1st or 2nd generation p250?
I have the new 2nd gen p250 and have close to 500 rounds through it without one problem…
It does shoot about 2″ low, my dad and I both are 2″ low with it, possibly just a figuring out the gun/trigger but if that is the ONLY problem… I am more than pleased!
That was supposed to be in reply to Caligula
Second G. I bought it just over a year ago. Bought the 9mm subcompact kit a couple of months ago and have had no problems. I really want to like th P250, but the chronic problem with the rear night sights burning out after shooting less than 100 rounds pisses me off.
yeah I bet… seems weird that it does that, doesn’t make sense?
I am about 4 years late in responding to a comment about the sights. Many folks are confused by SIG sights. The “default” sights are basically like the markers on a watch, they glow in the dark FOR A WHILE. They are NOT true night sights. Some have complained that the sights were failing, under the impression they were true night sights.
My 40 cal compact also shoots low. It’s probably me simply nose diving the pistol because of the long trigger pull. Most of my other pistols are DA/SA.
This is my first handgun so it isn’t that I am used to a SA but prob just getting used to a pistol?
So far I love it, though I don’t have anything to compare it to 🙂
Went looking for a nice .22, but they had the P250 9mm short grip frame / long slide on sale for 399.00. Stroked the trigger a few times and had to take it home. First mag out of it was dead on (maybe 1″ high over front post) at 15 yards, and you could cover the group wth a skoal can. Been shooting mostly .40 caliber lately, and the 9mm recoil was refreshing. Figured that if I HAD to have it in .40, I could get the parts. A really cool point about that long DAO stroke…most of you guys probably have a snubbie .38 that you tote around too, nice to have a common trigger stroke between guns, not have to remember short resets, DA/SA blips, all that stuff. Another thing i really like is, being somewhat of a butcher – my buddy swears he’s gong to take my grinder away – you can stipple, sand, fool around some and if you really screw something up, you can get a new grip frame and start over. Ijust had to grind the rail off. Got no use for a flashlight hanging off a carry gun. KISS.
It is a little heavy for carry, but that’s ok. For what ever reason, I can really hit with this thing. I have a .40 226 e2 SRT in the bedroom, but that little chunker is too heavy to tote around. TIP FOR HOLSTERS, especially for any other lefties out there…..all you have to do is soak any reasonably close in size leather holster in water for a few hours, put your roscoe in a heavy duty zip lock bag, shove it in there and let the leather reshape/dry/shrink fit to the different gun. I just did this for the 250 using a Don Hume IWB originally fit for an M&P .45. This holster was reshaped for an XD .45, then a long slide G35, and now the Sig 250 with the pic rail ground off. This works on old loose holsters too. Tape a small dowel rod along the slide top for front sight groove if you want, and use clamps if you have to. I’ve reformed G-26 holsters for snubbies to the point where they ‘pop’ in and out…custom fit. Good option for rare guns or if you’re a leftie…when they only have glock and 1911 available…
So far I’m smitten with this P250….yeah, the bore axix is way up there, but I use a weaver stance by nature so it’s no big deal. My only bitch at this time is I wish they would have darkened/blued the back side of the fre control unit. Purely cosmetic, but i might be able to do something about that.
There is no need to outlaw semi-auto firearms thanks to the 3 new Sig Sauer firearms in this video. see- http://youtu.be/Ky1wDP1Xq4I
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=sig+sauer+gun+control&oq=sig+sauer+gun+control
Correction here is the link for Sig Sauer’s new innovation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Y-ueArCk8
I carried the 250SC in a High Noon Split Decision. I am a lefty and I enjoyed carrying the 250. I recently purchased a Shield for my EDC. I preferred the DAO trigger on the 250 for carrying.
Wally I think your using crappy ammo or the gun needs cleaning because their covered in protective oil or grease. I’m M&P Sport did the same thing there was grease covering the BCG and thick grease in the gas tube.
The P250 is such a piece of crap or I would like use the other 4 letter word. It is Sig’s new poor man’s gun. Anyone who thinks this is a good gun doesn’t know much about firearms–period. I bought one a month ago and I admit it is good looking and the ergonomics are great. As far as shooting, it sucks–big time. I had MANY failure to feed with some .40 cal. ammo variants. This is not typical of Sig Sauer quality. In particular I couldn’t feed Cor-Bon 135gr. HP defence ammo or Hornandy 155gr. HP either. Unheard of for a high end firearms company like Sig Sauer. The only ammo it feeds is regular 180gr. FMJ–which is a pathetic wimpy round. I have a Sig p229 and a P2022–both of which are nothing short of excellent. I don’t think I’ve ever had a failure of any sort with these two Sigs. Furthermore, the trigger pull om the P250 is unusually long which is incredibly annoying. Also the recoil spring was too long and difficult to insert over recoil guide rod correctly. To sum it up, I traded my P250 and a Kel-Tec PF-9 (another cheap crappy gun) for a Glock 19, and I’m SO gald I did! Do yourself a favor and spend the extra 200 dollars for a Glock or higher end Sig; it’s not worth loosing your life over to save a few bucks.
Lol. Here comes another Glock lover bashing another great gun. This works great just like my SIG 229R. It replaced my XD9 Compact as my carry piece.
The trigger is smooth and yes its long but don’t be sissy man about how far you have to pull it.
Okay maybe I just got a bad one, but mine was a serious P.O.S. I love Sig Sauer and I have 229R and a 2022 and they are awesome. If yours works well I’m happy for you. But, the P250 I had sucked. When I called Sig Sauer they just said, “I need to break it in.” No way, Sigs should be working 100% right out of the box. The fact that there are any bad reviews (about 25% negative) about a Sig pistol is unacceptable from a company like Sig. I’m not trusting my life to a pistol like the P250. It’s a good range gun–that’s all. I do love Glocks too, by the way, just like the other 99.9% of gun owners in the U.S.
If you maybe got a First Gen? There were problems with them. However Sig fixed the problem.
Remember most manufacturs are bound to have an issue with gun sometime. Glock Gen4 ring bell? I don’t own a Glock 19 anymore but that’s only because I hate the grip angle.
Here is the list of recalls and I don’t see Sig Sauer on the list
Firearms Recalled – updated 7/04/2012
http://130.94.182.159/recalls.htm
Berreta, Tikka, Sako ALL * NEOS
Blaser R9
BSA Imports Model 200
Bushmaster ACR Rifle
Century International Arms Galil and/or Golani Semi-Auto Sporter rifles
Colt Light Rifle * Pistols (several models)
Connecticut Valley Arms rifles made 1995-96
European American Armory (EAA) Witness
Galil or Golani – see Century International Arms
Glock several pistols * Gen4 * Gen4
Heckler & Koch USC/UMP
Howa 1500, 1550 and 1700LS
Kel-Tec PMR-30
Knight Rifles Revolution/Revolution II
Marvel Precision 1911 .22LR Conversions
Mossberg 695
Norinco NDM86 .308 Dragunov
Remington Model 700 and others * 710 * 597 in .17HMR * VersaMax
Saka – see Berreta
Seecamp .32ACP pistol
Smith & Wesson SW 1911 * 460XVR * T/C Venture * 22A * i-Bolt
Sturm, Ruger & Co. P85 * M-77 * Bearcat Convertible * LCP * SR9
Tanfoglio EAA Witness
Thompson/Center (T/C) – see Smith & Wesson
Tikka – see Berreta
Vektor CP 1/CP 1N
Walther PPK and PPK/S (by S&W)
Only problem with Gen 4 Glock was the recoil guide rod was the wrong size. Again, I’m not a Glock fan only, and I love Sig Sauer pistols too. I did get the new P250 version too. I wanted to like the P250 because it’s a pretty gun and very concealable. I understand I may have gotten a lemon, but mine was horrible–did not feed any hollow point ammo. I have a lot of experience with pistols and this one I did not feel comfortable with me personally. All I can do is give my opinion on the piece of crap one I bought. There was a reason Sig dropped the P250 price from $550 to $375. A European police agency did ballistics testing and found the P250 unreliable see: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P250). On the other hand, the Federal Air Marshals are, or will be, using the P250, so that’s a plus for you. Recall or not, however, all three Glocks I own are 100% reliable. But, if you got a good pistol then what are you worried about. Give your good review of it and just enjoy your pistol.
Put 300 rounds through it one bad shell and every thing else was great at 15 plus yards I could still hit a black target when I could barely see it in a dank dark range. This gun was flawless. At 30 feet 3 inch group squeezing off fast shots. I have yet to shoot a gun or bow that didn’t go where I aimed it. Its not rocket science. The only time I shot poorly or thought I did was when some cheap moron under loaded 38 rounds. I could see it fly through the air and they bounced off or stopped in the paper target 5-10 feet away. It not just being cheap its stupid and dangerous.
Sig P250: Hall of Fame Combat Pistol by Nutnfancy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnCxJbxlikw
See Wikipedia article last paragraph: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P250
It says nothing about a US law enforcement agency doing accuracy tests–which would be meaningless anyway. It was a reputable independent German company doing ballistics testing. Why would the Germans bash their fellow German company unless this gun had some serious issues. I also called Sig to have them work on the pistol, but the worthless customer service rep told me to “break it in first.” LOL!! Yeah right. The P250 is a really great gun with potential, and I would like to purchase another P250, but Sig needs to do some work on this thing before I’ll buy another.
I purchased a P250 compact about 9 months ago in .45ACP. The purpose was as a 45 EDC as it compared favorably in size, cost, and firepower to other45 options. I would prefer to carry my trusty super smooth and highly accurate S&W 1911 but it is almost a pound heavier and just wears you down. I also really liked the option of a relatively inexpensive subcompact quick change. On the P250, the trigger is really good, sights were OK, and I shot this gun well from the get go. Unfortunately, I do not trust this gun for EDC or home defense. I have put at least 1000 rounds through this gun and have had several recurring issues. The magazine does not always seat properly even though it feels/looks like it did. I have three mags, all Sig, individually marked and have had it happen on each one. You don’t know that there is a problem as the first round chambers & fires OK and then the second round jams. I have gotten into the habit of giving the mag a combat load feed before releasing the slide which seems to cure the problem. The second issue is that it does stovepipe even with decent ammo, and in one case with my home defense/carry Hornady load. That was the end for me. We shoot it at the range for fun but that’s it. Thinking about going M&P 9C or Shield 9mm for my EDC now….
Yeah, that was exactly the same problem I was having with my P250 chambered for .40SW. I could only fire FMJ ammo, and would constantly have jams on the second round with HP ammo or anything but 180 grain FMJ. This is very “un-Sig-Sauer,” in my opinion. I would HIGHLY recommend against carrying the P250 (any caliber) for concealed carry or home defence. I personally would only recommend this gun for plinking. As a Sig Sauer lover I am not bashing the company, they are great. The P250, however, has some major problems. There are just WAY too many negative reviews on this gun. I have a lot of experience with firearms (not bragging) and my opinion is to spend the 100 bucks more and get a well functioning weapon. Some P250 “competitors” I recommend after much research are S&W M&P/any Glock/FN/SpringfieldXD/Sig Sauer P2022. These are all extremely reliable in my opinion. Just do your research before buying. Usually most firearm reviews are correct.
all you have to do is load 15 rounds in a 9mm mag and chamber the first one making it 14 + 1 instead of 15 + 1 like it is advertised.
it is too tight to have a full mag
No, I tried that to no avail. This is a gun I’m glad I got rid of. Spend the extra bucks and get a real Sig, HK, or Glock. Stop trying to justify your cheapo junk gun.
Too many closed Minded Glocksuckers out there. All of your failures were with the Gen 1 250. I shot over 2000 rods without any failure. It’s not a Poor mans Sig. Anyone who can afford $400 for a gun can afford $600
I have a Sig P250c in .357 sig and it is a Gen II. I have shot maybe 300 rounds(4 or 5 diff. wights and types as well as manufacturers) through it and initially there were some problems but they have cleared up since. Fit and feel are great with a natural draw and accuracy that is spot on once you have settled down to the trigger. Night sights make it an excellent home defense gun(no need to reveal your cover when you know the threat is real) while affording carry-ability. All things considered the potential for this pistol to become a reliable, go-to weapon are there.
I have had the P250 for almost two years now.
Yes, it is a Tupperware gun, and it will never replace my 1911 or my BHP in my heart or holster.
That being said. I initially got it in the 45 Compact version. First trip to the range I got about a 40% double feed rate with ball ammo. It would feed pretty much fine with normal street carry HP and EFMJ loads. I was disgusted.
I had heard rumors of extractor problems, and indeed when I tested it on the slide, the extractor barely engaged the case rim in battery. It was skipping past the rim on extraction when the retreating case hit the top bullet ogive in the magazine and could not drop more to allow extractor engagement. Thus, the extracted case would be 1/4″ out of the chamber and the top round in the mag would then try to feed as the slide continued rearward and picked up the fresh round. A trip to SIG eliminated this problem with a new and chunkier extractor.
When the X-change kits were on sale last year, I got a 40SC kit. Never had a problem with this one.
One nice thing about the grip modules is their price. If you screw one up, you just buy another one. I ground off the tacticool rails and rounded off the trigger guard on my compact grip. Now the 250 Compact will fit any holster that fits my 229DAO.
So now I have the following carry combos:
1) 45 compact slide on a modified compact grip,
2) 45 compact slide on a subcompact grip, and
3) 40 subcompact.
No, it’s not fancy, but I have no complaints about it. It is what it’s supposed to be.
A variant of the Sig Sauer P250 DCc gun was initially chosen as the new gun for the Dutch police. It was an order for a total of 42,000 pistols. But it was cancelled because Sig Sauer had to proof they could produce the guns with the same standard of quality. During the trials they failed in meeting these standards so the purchase was cancelled.
Makes me wonder about the reliabilty and build quality of this gun..
i have many of these p250s and they all suck compared to my walther PPQ, all of which are in 40 cal except 2 sets of 2 sums, am not willing to take the time to change out the handles, slides, mags, and can get confusing in a hot situation as to which mag goes with which caliber pistol i am shooting, not a good time to find out you have a 9 mm mag in your 40 since they all fit the different pistols, this is why i originally got about 16 of these pistols, (by the way i would like to sell about 15 of these as i would keep one just to throw in the tool box as i would not care what happened to it cosmetically, i can run a straight line of shots connecting in a four inch group at 25 yards with my walther, tarus pt 100, glock 22, 23, 27, i am not going to list all of my weapons as is no ons business but mine, practicing on making smiley faces with the holes from the shots, and the trigger is crisp, the sig is toooooo long of a pull on the trigger. this long trigger pull is refereed to a LEM trigger (law enforcement mechanism), the short pull triggers are for those of us who know how to shoot and know when we want to shoot. i could get shot before i reached fire position with the sig, the walther has just .1 inch, yes just .1 inch reset for the trigger and is styled like the glocks in the trigger aspect, yes i do own some glocks but all in the 40 cal, if i wanted a through and through shot i would just carry my tokarevs, but when i do i use hollow points so i avoid the through and through as they can pierce 1/4 inch stainless steel, and of course kevlar too, if not using a hollow point to stop them again i own every sig model p250 made, and i would love to get rid of them as they are a hazard in a shoot out in my opinion. the walther i can empty a 12 round mag before i have a chance to reach for a replacement mag to to stuff it in the pistol. i have the sub compact, compact, and the full size sig p250. IMO they just they are not meant for combat or tactical purposes, just a novelty and THE BARRELS AND SLIDES DO NOT CARRY SERIAL NUMBERS ON THEM SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GUN NOT MARKED, SIG JUST MADE IT AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT IT TO BE TRACED BACK TO THEIR POSSESSION, IN MY OPINION, the author of this article needs to do better research on his story, or contact me so i can show him/her how much of a lousy weapon they are and ask any qualified gunshop and they will tell you to stay away from the sig p250. there are many pistols much better than them and if you are still stuck on getting a sig p 250 i will sell you any of mine…….except for my walther ppq, even the norinco 9 mm, for those who can not handle a 40 cal, that i found to be much better than the sig p250, even with the bad write-ups on the norincos. again this is just my opinion and experience with some of the many different handguns i own. In short i would stay away from the sig p250 unless you are in a state that limits your gun ownership and the 2sums are considered to be just one firearm. i admit the full size fits the hand well, but that does not compare to some the of the other pistols available, especially with the many manufacturers thaty are including adjustable back straps. one last thing, i paid 400 or less for some of my 2 sums, but they do make a great paper weights. as much as i am not a glock fan BUT i would take a glock over a sig any day. if you want one get one, but make sure you get another better model/brand for a carry weapon. one writer mentioned they have “potential”, what good is potential when you need it now??????
Your and Idiot if you think this gun sucks. I’ve no problems with this gun in a 9mm and 45.
Why you be changing calibers in heat of a gun fight.
This is my CC weapon.
As far as the trigger pull its just as smooth as my S&W 625
which is the reason I love this Sig. No safeties to worry about or catching on clothes. The stiff trigger pull isn’t an issue either to me its a safety.
However the only problem I’ve had with the 9mm was the guide was plastic and broke. Call Sig replaced it with metal and with not only one but 2 different kids for free.
you did mean KINDS and not KIDS right?
Idiot here,
how many different brands and types of hand guns do you shoot? I will not disclose how many i have but i am sure is more than you shot in your lifetime and these are just my opinions but i thank you for your comments and i do not switch up during a battle, i just use different weapons for different situations, seasons, types of target(s), locations also make a difference as some states do not allow some of my handguns as to the size or capacity
another thing is when i clean them i tend to do all the ones i shot that day, which can be extremely time consuming and i do them at the same time, so when parts start looking the same and no markings to keep them apart is the problem i was talking about mostly, and if you put them back without checking to make sure parts are correct, meaning matching to that particular weapon, is the problem in point
these are just my opinions and i respect yours, but i do not care for the name calling as this shows lack of respect and responsible gun owners show respect. So lets keep the comments about the weapons when talking about them and the comments about what you may think of others to yourself if you can not respect their opinions and start calling everyone an idiot if they do not agree with your thoughts. I am sure i can think of many words to leave for you, but i am respectful of your opinion and will not call you names like 2nd graders do. Respect is the first thing a responsible gun owner should show, ……
Yes I meant Kinds.
I work for a Private LGS and range so I shoot lots of guns weekly so I don’t know why or care how many guns you have shot. I’ve been shooting for at least 3 decades since you want to go there.
I didn’t mean for the disrespect. I just don’t believe you would buy “Many of the P250s if they suck?”. Not saying you didn’t just why would you?
Usually I buy one gun model and if it sucks I get rid of it I don’t buy more!
thank you
i got them as a “lot” deal, so i bought the lot, figured i would keep them. But not to my liking, just as some people do not like chevy, or ford, or whatever…… and now that i fired one of them i found the trigger pull too long for me, if i pull it i want it to fire then not and inch and half later. Again personal preference, as some of my fellow friends agree, but that is what they are issued. Not the p250 but one with a long trigger pull still.
LEM is a double action trigger system attributed to HK not SIG
DAK is a SIG moniker for some double action triggers but not for the P250
The modularity of this has to do with innovation rather then “criminal intent”, if you infer that then also accuse other manufacturers with lesser known modular guns–ie Beretta Nano/Pico and Kel-Tec P11 just to name a few others.
My biggest issue with P250 is the rear sights—they are proprietory on the centerfire models–yet on the rimfire model –it has “normal” rear sights
It is primarily designed as a law enforcement gun—-so that means it doesnt have to be small–as its open carried/owb in holster, its mostly going to be drawn and shot from holster—so just pull and shoot–hence no active safety, and its used by mostly non gun law enforcement types –taking gun in and out of holster as a threatening tool to get on the bracelets– more then shooting it—so the long DAO acts as a default safety.
It is a pull and shoot gun for a gun fight.
Think of it as a square revolver and youll feel better about shooting it.
I’m interested in some of your SIGs..
they are available still, just back in the country and will be home in ohio soon, if you are from ohio no prob, can show, if out of state need an ffl. sorry about the delay in response
also they are not fired and are matching as i took pics of them as sets so not to get them mixed up as they still have the factory seal/tags on them. I may sell one of the 9 mm sets, not sure yet about the 9 mm, but definitely will sell a couple of the 40 cal sets. If you are not able to own a gun do not try to buy from me, thank you for understanding.
I recently bought a Sig Sauer P250 Compact 9mm as my first firearm. I decided it’s time and necessary to protect my home and family in these troubled and dangerous times.
it was cheaper than most of the other handguns on display, @ $399.99. but it was one of the best looking one. I didn’t know much about handguns and firearms myself, but I remember that Sig was a good brand.
I was happy with my purchase and only when I search online did I realize the potential and great possibilities this gun have. Your reviews is really accurate, it’s everything you said it is.
I’m now in search of the 2Sum kit to go along with my compact, as well as a caliber x-change kit. only problem is that only one store (Gander Mtn) have them in stock, and it’s more expensive than most. @ 849.99, I could’ve bought both the full and subcompact size with working frame each.
Ganders got the 2Sum on sale online for 699 in 9mm
Not a bad deal if they aren’t all gone!
how do u find out if its a 2and gen or 1st
Topgunsupply.com has a chart to show 1st and second gen on the magazines so you can by the right one…but the new gen has flat front rail, sig logo on upper part of handle, the 1st has logo in the middle of the grip…
2nd gens are by far the better of the two, most issues have been solved …many guns and owners of a DAILY gun have jam or misdeed from limp wristing or junk ammo….most of the problems I hear are in 40, 45 cal…and not the 9 ….with sig guns they do suggest a break in run of so many rounds and yes its a pain in the ass…bashing this gin you can do, but with any gun all have issues and people can hate it…guns are not. Made the same each time the assembly line is ran…I’ve had guns never jam on me, and allow a friend to shoot it and jam instantly ….ammo, user, and keeping a gun clean are always factors …im no expert so please dont ask who I work for or say what makes me qualified to write this….just a enthusiast with a hobby …
Topgunsupply.com has a chart to show 1st and second gen on the magazines so you can by the right one…but the new gen has flat front rail, sig logo on upper part of handle, the 1st has logo in the middle of the grip…
2nd gens are by far the better of the two, most issues have been solved …many guns and owners of a DAILY gun have jam or misdeed from limp wristing or junk ammo….most of the problems I hear are in 40, 45 cal…and not the 9 ….with sig guns they do suggest a break in run of so many rounds and yes its a pain in the assets…bashing this gin you can do, but with any gun all have issues and people can hate it…guns are not. Made the same each time the assembly line is ran…I’ve had guns never jam on me, and allow a friend to shoot it and jam instantly ….ammo, user, and keeping a gun clean are always factors …im no expert so please dont ask who I work for or say what makes me qualified to write this….just a enthusiast with a hobby …
I just picked up a 2Sum. Traded in a Sig Pro 2340 that I owned for twelve years. Decided I wanted a 9mm. Trust I don’t have the issues with my P250 that is mentioned in some of the above messages. I also own a Sig P238 which is my EDC. I like how the P250. Sub Comoact hods more then 12 rounds.
LONG-TERM TEST UPDATE:
The P250 is now nearing its 1 year anniversary, and to date its only malfunction was the aforementioned failure to fire at round 14. I lost track of the round count after I broke open the *second* 1,000-round case of 9mm, but the P250 is still as tight and accurate as ever in both configurations. And it’s maybe a little bit smoother.
The subcompact frame is my EDC gun, and the full-size frame still demonstrates insane accuracy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeS82CUvp7U
If I were reviewing it again, I’d upgrade the ‘Reliability’ rating to a perfect five stars.
I’ve Owned my sig 250c in 9mm for a year. No failures ever, and Tight groups always. Everyone has their right to an opinion, but don’t call this gun a pos just because you dont have the steady hand and discipline to shoot a double action trigger. It forces you to focus on the fundamentals of shooting, Sight picture, trigger control, grip, and breathing. If you can’t hit tight groups with this weapon maybe you shouldn’t be operating a fire arm. And for those of you saying that any gun shop will steer you away from a 250, who cares? Gun shops in my experience are just like any record shop, comic store, computer store or any other specialty shops, they are filled with people who believe they are the most knowledgeable people on their product, which is usually false. They are biased just like anyone else. I enjoy going to the range and letting the clerk tell me how bad my 250 is, then I shoot 3 to 4 inch groups at every standard distance right in front of them. The bottom line is the gun is Rock solid, and any comptitent shooter can be accurate with it.
Well Said Matt. Everyone has an opinion. I happen to think yours is right.
I hate reading these because I get paranoid and can’t decide if I want a 250 or go elsewhere! lol! I can say this though. I got my first pistol almost 20 years ago, a Taurus PT58 .380. I saw it, held it and bought it. There were no reviews or internet forums to read back then. THAT GUN NEVER HAD ANY HICCUPS OF ANY KIND, EVER. But if I walked into a shop or my gun club and someone (who apparently knows more than I do) heard I had a “Taurus” they couldn’t wait to tell me how big of a pile of crap I had. I just sold that gun recently and even though the grip was a little fat for me I knew how reliable it was and kinda miss it. So was that Taurus really that good or was I just too dumb to know any better? I have learned a few things about firearms over the years. 1. There is ALOT of strong opinions/bias. 2. I have never shot anything I can say is crap. 3. If I do dislike something it’s because it doesn’t feel right for me. I live close to Sig in New Hampshire and got to handle the P250c and it felt like it was made for me. Other guns I checked out like the S&W M&P compact was tight and the SR9C Ruger felt “cheap” and the texture of the grip was sharp to me. I live in Mass. where we have crazy gun laws that limit what’s available. I think after all the reviews good or bad I still want a P250. Maybe I’ll get lucky like I apparently did with the Taurus. Or maybe I’ll be too dumb to know any better.
Bill, youll be fine with the P250. Everyone has an opinion. Its a safe gun and with the right ammo, very reliable.
I owned a 1st generation P250. I shot close to 500 rounds(.40 S&W) without a problem. I shot some reloads and the extractor blew off. I called Sig and talked to one of the gunsmiths and explained what had happened. He very graciously allowed me to buy the replacement kit with new frame at a very reasonable price. I have since shot over 1000 rounds without a failure to feed or eject. I have stuck with factory ammo and am very satisfied with the P250 compact. It is a very accurate pistol. I’m an old revolver guy and I instantly fell in love with the trigger pull. I will most assuredly buy the 9mm kit and possibly the .357 Sig kit.
I took the plunge and got a 250c a few weeks ago. I LOVE THIS GUN ! It shoots and feels fantastic for me. I read alot of reviews about the trigger and took the advice of the authors. My first magazine with some ammo I’ve never heard of, shot a 1-2″ group. Smooth , steady and long pull of the trigger. Get used to that and you’re all set. For me, it felt very comfortable and balanced. I shot 50rds of that ammo slowly and rapid with no problems. I have to say that I’m glad I sold my Taurus to get the Sig and I don’t miss it at all. As far as finding a holster I got a DiSantis leather one. I managed to find a used one totally by accident. It was like new, $20 AND left handed! Perfect. It says 31L on the back if anyone is looking for one. This is my first leather holster and I was not fully prepared for what it took to break it in. Even though it was used I don’t think it was used much at all. So anyway, check out the P250. I’m very happy I did.
loking for a holster for the sig 250? try White Hat Holsters
Great review and spot on. I dont like comments that are negative with nothing to back them up. Anybody can say somthing negative. As for me I am an officer with 20 plus years in law enforcement. I am also a forearms instructor, so I know my side arms pretty well. The P-250 is my choice for concealed because after allot of research I found that it was the right fit for me. I have had plenty of fail to eject problems with my P-250. Folks it’s not the gun. I found that my problem was the ammo. The P-250 is a Sig and Sig is built to very precise standards. This gun just dosnt like some rounds. Experiment and find what it likes and that will solve the problem.
I own a gen2 sig p250 and have never had a problem until today. Now before anyone gets persuader from buying a gen2 p250 I will say this; I fired over 10,000 rounds of 40s&w out of the gun and about 600 rounds of .357 sig which is a hot round. the failure is the trigger rod that actuates the hammer, it had a small peace shear off, but 10,600 rounds down range an i might shear off a peace too!!! all in all it’s a great gun and the trigger requires a little self training, ohh and did i mention sig is sending me a new trigger actuator for free!
My wife gave me a SIG 250C in 9mm for Christmas. I have been to the range several three times firing one hundred rounds each time. The gun is working flawlessly, no failures to feed and no failures to eject. Having spent most of my life shooting revolvers, the long trigger pull and reset were not difficult to get used to. It is very similar to the trigger pull on my Ruger GP100. Accuracy has improved with each visit to the range. The secret is practice. Dry firing the weapon at home and spending a lot of time at the range getting the feel of the trigger. Like the Ruger GP100 you can stage the trigger on the P250. As you pull the trigger there is a a pause just before the trigger breaks. It is almost like a single action trigger pull. The SIG P250C is much more accurate than I I am, but I will keep on practicing to see if I can realize this guns true potential.
800 rounds and no malfunctions, haven’t even cleaned it once. I just got done with a 4 day handun training, shot 600 rounds and got the highest accuracy score in the class of 30. I fell in love with how simple it is. You just pull the triger and shoot, no decocking levers, safeties to forget about, etc. Very handy in a stressful situation.
Don’t usually post but this site was very useful and I thought I would contribute to the dialogue on the P250. I purchased my P250F in 9mm, used, for $400. My s/n prefix EAK = Generation 2 firearm.
I have several handguns and rifles and wasn’t looking for another gun but the feel of this pistol in my hand, the wonderful trigger, and the fact that it was super easy for me to rack the slide caused me to buy it on the spot. I’ve traded G17s, G21s and 1911s because as I’ve grown older my hands have gotten weaker and the actions have become harder for me to rack. This gun is easy to rack. And I never thought I’d find a double action only auto pistol that had anywhere near the DA pull on my S&W revolvers that have trigger jobs. This gun does.
But some of the above reviews had me concerned so I called SIG. Good customer service. Decided to spend another $358.60 with SIG to get the X-Change full size 45ACP package with three factory magazines.
I’m liking this gun more and more.
I just bought a P250 9mm compact as my 1st gun. Shot 50 rounds without any problems… all in target !!! And that was, as I said, my 1st time gun & shooting. This was at 25 yards.
The thing is that this gun, as Chris said, fitted my hand like a glove, it felt like an extension of my hand. unlike many others I tested (S&W, Glocks, to mention a couple). This was specially made for me… like a Tailored Suit !!, great feeling.
Really like this gun.
I fired mine for the first time today. 200 rounds and not a single problem. The trigger is different and takes time to get used to. Comfortable in my hand and easy trigger pull. Not my favorite weapon but not bad. Some more range time and I should be very comfortable using this weapon. Mine is the compact 9 mm.
If anyone needs a holster for the compact or full size, I got a Galco iwb holster for a XD that fits perfectly. So if you can’t find a holster, try some XD stuff.
When the first few DAO Brownings came out, I swore I would never own DAO. The salesman st the gun store was so convinced that I would buy it, that he got a new one out, gave me 10 rounds and a target. I made one ragged hole in the paper, went back into the shop, asked for the 4473 and handed him my credit card. It’s a good gun. It’s properly executed. I’m convert. I now own 2 and I’m looking for a third. (Not xchange kits. I like having the whole gun)
I have a Sig Sauer 32 that is an older pistol that has a great trigger pull so I deciede to buy a P250 and I was disappointed, when you can count to 4 thousand before the hammer goes down sucks. the old 32 has a great tigger pull. Do you have anything to correct this trigger pull, and adjustment that can be made to the P250. I have good groups,but I hand load my own shells. Can anyone help with this problem.
how would you know when is the first gen and when is the second gen?
was second gen made in 2009?
I just bought a used newer model, compact size P250 at my local gun store last week. It was very lightly used, and came with total of 6 x15 round magazines for $314. I was really torn on getting it. I have several other Sigs including a couple of 1911’s. I thought it was really ugly compared to most other guns, but the ergos are amazing compared to my 6 Glocks. I would put this in the same category as my HK VP’s, P30’s and HK 45’s. So I took it to the range and shot it compared to a few of my other pistols including a couple 9mm Glocks, and my Sig P226, and 229 9mm’s. Strangely enough the P250 shot really well and was very soft. I love chambering a round as the slide is like butter compared to most other pistols. So I wasn’t sure what to think when I bought it, but it’s actually turning out to be a pretty nice gun. My ONLY gripe is trying to find a holster for it. Non of my other Sig holsters fit it. Unbelievably what surprised me the most is that it’s too wide to fit in my FN FNX 45 tactical kydex holster and the FNX is a beast.
Alien Gear makes some very nice holsters for the Sig P250.
I have an IWB and OWB belt slide that carry my full size .45 P250 like a champ all day.
I actually own a Alien gear 3 holster for the P250 compact and it is very comfortable but loses all its credit with that heavy duty leather skin on the inside. The firearm grabs onto that leather very hard and you struggle to draw the firearm with ease and speed. I have even loosen all the screws and put in the biggest rubber cushions but nothing helps.
In my opinion they have failed completely with this holster, i manged to replace it with a good quality kydex holster, the wearing is extremely uncomfortable but draw on this holster is second to none and in my case very important for concealed readiness carry.
I have a SIG P250 9mm SubCompact version.
On the FTE issue. I had a few issues with Cheap brass at first. So thinking the ramp needing polishing I figured what better way to polish my slide was to , well shoot TUL Ammo. And OH BABY after 200 rounds of that Cheap steal polishing cartridges my Ramp was glassy smooth. More like Brazilian wax job smooth. Not another FTE ..
On DAO – It takes me 2 mags to get used to the damn pull every time. It is HEAVY if your used to Stirker fired guns we.. just dont.. We dont need to hear about your blisters and on your dishpan hands. Please. just dont.
Consistency. Yup.. everything. in the freezing cold , works, in the hot humid south east , works. It works. you really need a brain as you have to keep your finger off the damn trigger (as my buddy learned sending an errant round down field). But its very consistent.
Its not heavy like 1911 or full steel frame gun. Its Cheap to shot in 9mm. Its fun to just pull and draw and in panic situations it would not let you down. AND, because of low demand they are a steal right now.
Hello! We’re sorry to hear that you had this trouble with our holster. However, we do want to let you know we offer more than leather holsters. We offer the IWB Cloak Tuck 3.5 and the IWB ShapeShift 4.0. You can check these out on our website at aliengearholsters.com.
If you have further questions please reach out to our customer service department at 208-215-2046. You can also send us a message at [email protected].
My wife shot the P250 last night for the first time. She shot a six round group in the bullseye that was about the size of a silver dollar at 7 yards. So to you guys that say this gun is not accurate I would say that you aren’t very good at shooting.
Sienna Miller, a stunning and lovely actress, is well-known among fans for her great design sense. Further, this time, we launched Anatomy Of A Scandal Sienna Miller Poncho, as part of our ongoing effort to present her with creative collections. Furthermore, In the Anatomy of a Scandal series, Sienna wears this outfit. So what are you waiting for Grab this Amazing Outfit for yourself with an Exclusive Discount Only At Slim Fit Leather Jackets!
love my p250 I use it as my duty weapon I usually score 235 or 240 out of 250 on the target when I qualify for my license.
Comments are closed.