Joined
·
4,133 Posts
As featured at American Cop Magazine:
Aimed In A New Direction
The SIG SAUER P250
Mark Hanten
![]()
SIG's P250 is a new type of pistol and one that’s certain to change the way many view handgun ownership. It brings modular firearm design to a whole new level thus making it the most versatile handgun available.
The P250’s original European introduction in 2004 by SIG’s counterpart there, JP Sauer & Son, was in 9x19mm Parabellum with plans for .357 SIG, .40 S&W and .45 ACP to come later that year. When the process stalled in Europe, SIGARMS’ (the US company) President & CEO sent their lead design engineer, Ethan Lessard, to Germany for collaboration. Eventually, it was decided SIGARMS would complete design work here in the US and production would be done at their Exeter, New Hampshire factory. All four calibers of the P250 should be available before too long. This puts a big exclamation mark on SIG’s long-term commitment to the military and law enforcement. Its features and characteristics make it exceptionally well suited for issuance at the organizational/institutional level — more on this later.
Design modifications necessary to build the P250 in calibers greater than 9mm have delayed the production cycle — but the wait will be worth it. Larger calibers require a heavier, thus larger slide. This requires adjustment to the dimensions of the 9mm slide in order to ensure holster interchangeability between 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W calibers. Other modifications have been ironed out by Lessard and the rest of the SIGARMS design team assuring functionality in its myriad of configurations.
The upshot of this reengineering project resulted in not too many people having any idea what the P250 is. And, after doing a little Internet research, it’s clear, those who think they know about the gun consider it just another plastic framed, DAO semi-auto pistol — how wrong they are.
The Frame
The steel frame for the P250 is kind of like the chassis of a car. It’s the heart of the design and the key to its tremendous flexibility. This chassis-like frame contains the trigger assembly and is the serialized part of the gun. Unlike most other “plastic” guns, the plastic grip/triggerguard/dust cover of the P250 is not part of the frame; rather, it contains the frame. The frame rests inside this grip with the serial number showing through a window on the right side. So, in order to change the dimensions of the grip, you simply insert the frame into an entirely new grip assembly. This simple change is done by hand in well under a minute.
My Way
The range of P250 grips will include full size, compact and sub-compact basic sizes. Each of these basic sizes will be available in either full-width, medium-width, or slim/small. Grips for the 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W will all be interchangeable. Due to the size of the .45 ACP round, the .45 grips will not be interchangeable with the other calibers.
An additional feature for adjusting fit includes two trigger designs. One is a “short” trigger, and is slightly offset rearward in the triggerguard designed for shooters with shorter fingers. With the slim/small grip size and the “short” trigger, this gun can be shot very comfortably by shooters with very small hands. When you add caliber choice, you can start to see the wide range of options available; “I’ll take mine with a medium width compact grip, compact slide in .40 S&W, please.” Or, “I’d like mine with a full-width, full-size grip and slide in .45 ACP, and I’d like an additional full-width, sub-compact grip and slide in 9mm for concealed carry.”
Shooting The P250
This is an excellent shooting pistol — just what you’d expect from SIG. It feels good in your hand and despite the light plastic grip is well balanced, particularly with a full magazine. With no external safety lever or decocking lever, it’s sleek and clean on both sides with only the magazine release, disassembly lever and ambidextrous slide stop protruding. The various grips have a slight beavertail molded in allowing the shooter to snug the pistol down into the web of their hand without risking slide bite.
Sights are a low-profile combat night sight with green tritium inserts designed by SIGLITE specifically for the P250. The hammer is bobbed and snag free. This gun is designed to be a no nonsense workhorse with ease of operation and simplicity foremost. I noted a few folks on the web saying they thought it was ugly. That’s just stupid. It’s about form following function and when this gun gets you through a bad day, you’ll think it’s absolutely gorgeous.
This gun shoots more accurately than most shooters I know. It certainly shoots better than I can. I had the pleasure of watching Ethan shoot a 9mm version on the test range. At 15 yards, he made one ragged hole in five shots with his favorite load, the Federal 124 grain HydraShok. I don’t think anything else needs to be said about accuracy. Any combat handgun that can shoot one-hole groups at 15 yards is more than accurate enough for the field.
DAO
The trigger definitely deserves special mention. I’m generally not a big fan of double action only (DAO) trigger designs and I used to think of them as somewhat of an “entry level” gun for unskilled or marginally skilled shooters. I guess that’s because DAO guns are thought of as somewhat safer for shooters who might “milk” the trigger, and the longer distance and added pressure of most DAO triggers makes an accidental discharge less likely. Well, I’ve reevaluated this line of thinking after shooting this pistol.
This DAO trigger is significantly shorter, lighter and smoother than any of the other DAO triggers I have shot. It’s about 25 percent shorter than the double action of the conventional double/single. The factory set 5.5 to 6 lbs trigger is smooth throughout the pull with no stacking at the end of the stroke. It’s a great balance between a bench shooter’s light trigger, and a heavy trigger mandated by some police departments as “safer.” While I think training techniques and professional expectations have significantly helped shooters keep their fingers off the trigger until they’re ready to fire, I’d still say there’s a margin of safety afforded by this trigger over most single actions because it definitely requires deliberate action.
Choice Of Departments
I’ve never been a fan of departments selecting one pistol for their entire organization. In fact, departments that force their officers to carry the exact same gun are doing a huge disservice to their cops and the citizens they’re trying to protect. Strong words? Maybe, but after years of watching people shoot, I feel strongly that after the smoke clears from preliminary training, the most important factor in a person’s shooting effectiveness is confidence. Cops who shoot guns that don’t fit their hand, or they can’t control due to recoil aren’t going to shoot with confidence. They won’t like shooting so they won’t practice. They’ll become less confident to the point they can barely qualify. Size matters when it comes to handgun grips.
However, I can see why an organization would want only one model gun for all their people. If you’re responsible for maintaining and servicing numerous guns, it only makes sense to minimize the headaches and confusion of having numerous different manufacturers’ parts and training. Even having several models from one manufacturer for different size officers or different assignments can be a major burden. Parts and maintenance issues are different between models.
This is why the P250 is revolutionary and an excellent solution to the dilemma of which gun to issue to the troops. By issuing the P250 chassis like frame to each member of the organization and outfitting that frame with the appropriate grip configuration and barrel/slide configuration, the organization can minimize the hassles and grief associated with issuing umpteen different models of guns. Or, even worse, issuing one gun to everyone, knowing many shooters are severely compromised by size. With the P250, if some of the shooters’ needs change due to assignment or preference they can come to the armory for a swap or purchase different components on their own — everyone wins.
To Hell And Back Reliability
The best part about this gun is it’s a SIG. I had the good fortune of touring the factory in New Hampshire recently and it’s an absolute beehive of high tech firearms manufacturing. They have rows and rows of the latest high tech CNC machines spitting out precision parts like crazy.
Quality control is a huge part of the SIGARMS’ manufacturing process. They have extremely high standards for all of their parts. There’s a great deal of pride among the employees. It shows in their work and in their attitude. Everyone was working with a purpose and focusing on the details of their step in the process. The stacks of trays containing rows of flawless guns at the test firing range were an awesome sight and testimony to diligent workers. Each pistol is a work of art and a modern masterpiece of engineering — built right here in the good old US of A.
The article with many high res pics can be found at; http://www.americancopmagazine.com/articles/SIG/SIG.htm
- Janq
Note: I've heard much about this gun through the past 6 months but this report is the first I've read that completely explains the product in a way that to me finally makes sense. Up to now as based on reports on the web including a long thread at SigForum I'd written this off as just another SigPro like plastic gun. Now after reading this article I'm like whoa, it could be the perfect solution to questions we've all had even if we didn't think to ask.
Aimed In A New Direction
The SIG SAUER P250
Mark Hanten
SIG's P250 is a new type of pistol and one that’s certain to change the way many view handgun ownership. It brings modular firearm design to a whole new level thus making it the most versatile handgun available.
The P250’s original European introduction in 2004 by SIG’s counterpart there, JP Sauer & Son, was in 9x19mm Parabellum with plans for .357 SIG, .40 S&W and .45 ACP to come later that year. When the process stalled in Europe, SIGARMS’ (the US company) President & CEO sent their lead design engineer, Ethan Lessard, to Germany for collaboration. Eventually, it was decided SIGARMS would complete design work here in the US and production would be done at their Exeter, New Hampshire factory. All four calibers of the P250 should be available before too long. This puts a big exclamation mark on SIG’s long-term commitment to the military and law enforcement. Its features and characteristics make it exceptionally well suited for issuance at the organizational/institutional level — more on this later.
Design modifications necessary to build the P250 in calibers greater than 9mm have delayed the production cycle — but the wait will be worth it. Larger calibers require a heavier, thus larger slide. This requires adjustment to the dimensions of the 9mm slide in order to ensure holster interchangeability between 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W calibers. Other modifications have been ironed out by Lessard and the rest of the SIGARMS design team assuring functionality in its myriad of configurations.
The upshot of this reengineering project resulted in not too many people having any idea what the P250 is. And, after doing a little Internet research, it’s clear, those who think they know about the gun consider it just another plastic framed, DAO semi-auto pistol — how wrong they are.
The Frame
The steel frame for the P250 is kind of like the chassis of a car. It’s the heart of the design and the key to its tremendous flexibility. This chassis-like frame contains the trigger assembly and is the serialized part of the gun. Unlike most other “plastic” guns, the plastic grip/triggerguard/dust cover of the P250 is not part of the frame; rather, it contains the frame. The frame rests inside this grip with the serial number showing through a window on the right side. So, in order to change the dimensions of the grip, you simply insert the frame into an entirely new grip assembly. This simple change is done by hand in well under a minute.
My Way
The range of P250 grips will include full size, compact and sub-compact basic sizes. Each of these basic sizes will be available in either full-width, medium-width, or slim/small. Grips for the 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W will all be interchangeable. Due to the size of the .45 ACP round, the .45 grips will not be interchangeable with the other calibers.
An additional feature for adjusting fit includes two trigger designs. One is a “short” trigger, and is slightly offset rearward in the triggerguard designed for shooters with shorter fingers. With the slim/small grip size and the “short” trigger, this gun can be shot very comfortably by shooters with very small hands. When you add caliber choice, you can start to see the wide range of options available; “I’ll take mine with a medium width compact grip, compact slide in .40 S&W, please.” Or, “I’d like mine with a full-width, full-size grip and slide in .45 ACP, and I’d like an additional full-width, sub-compact grip and slide in 9mm for concealed carry.”
Shooting The P250
This is an excellent shooting pistol — just what you’d expect from SIG. It feels good in your hand and despite the light plastic grip is well balanced, particularly with a full magazine. With no external safety lever or decocking lever, it’s sleek and clean on both sides with only the magazine release, disassembly lever and ambidextrous slide stop protruding. The various grips have a slight beavertail molded in allowing the shooter to snug the pistol down into the web of their hand without risking slide bite.
Sights are a low-profile combat night sight with green tritium inserts designed by SIGLITE specifically for the P250. The hammer is bobbed and snag free. This gun is designed to be a no nonsense workhorse with ease of operation and simplicity foremost. I noted a few folks on the web saying they thought it was ugly. That’s just stupid. It’s about form following function and when this gun gets you through a bad day, you’ll think it’s absolutely gorgeous.
This gun shoots more accurately than most shooters I know. It certainly shoots better than I can. I had the pleasure of watching Ethan shoot a 9mm version on the test range. At 15 yards, he made one ragged hole in five shots with his favorite load, the Federal 124 grain HydraShok. I don’t think anything else needs to be said about accuracy. Any combat handgun that can shoot one-hole groups at 15 yards is more than accurate enough for the field.
DAO
The trigger definitely deserves special mention. I’m generally not a big fan of double action only (DAO) trigger designs and I used to think of them as somewhat of an “entry level” gun for unskilled or marginally skilled shooters. I guess that’s because DAO guns are thought of as somewhat safer for shooters who might “milk” the trigger, and the longer distance and added pressure of most DAO triggers makes an accidental discharge less likely. Well, I’ve reevaluated this line of thinking after shooting this pistol.
This DAO trigger is significantly shorter, lighter and smoother than any of the other DAO triggers I have shot. It’s about 25 percent shorter than the double action of the conventional double/single. The factory set 5.5 to 6 lbs trigger is smooth throughout the pull with no stacking at the end of the stroke. It’s a great balance between a bench shooter’s light trigger, and a heavy trigger mandated by some police departments as “safer.” While I think training techniques and professional expectations have significantly helped shooters keep their fingers off the trigger until they’re ready to fire, I’d still say there’s a margin of safety afforded by this trigger over most single actions because it definitely requires deliberate action.
Choice Of Departments
I’ve never been a fan of departments selecting one pistol for their entire organization. In fact, departments that force their officers to carry the exact same gun are doing a huge disservice to their cops and the citizens they’re trying to protect. Strong words? Maybe, but after years of watching people shoot, I feel strongly that after the smoke clears from preliminary training, the most important factor in a person’s shooting effectiveness is confidence. Cops who shoot guns that don’t fit their hand, or they can’t control due to recoil aren’t going to shoot with confidence. They won’t like shooting so they won’t practice. They’ll become less confident to the point they can barely qualify. Size matters when it comes to handgun grips.
However, I can see why an organization would want only one model gun for all their people. If you’re responsible for maintaining and servicing numerous guns, it only makes sense to minimize the headaches and confusion of having numerous different manufacturers’ parts and training. Even having several models from one manufacturer for different size officers or different assignments can be a major burden. Parts and maintenance issues are different between models.
This is why the P250 is revolutionary and an excellent solution to the dilemma of which gun to issue to the troops. By issuing the P250 chassis like frame to each member of the organization and outfitting that frame with the appropriate grip configuration and barrel/slide configuration, the organization can minimize the hassles and grief associated with issuing umpteen different models of guns. Or, even worse, issuing one gun to everyone, knowing many shooters are severely compromised by size. With the P250, if some of the shooters’ needs change due to assignment or preference they can come to the armory for a swap or purchase different components on their own — everyone wins.
To Hell And Back Reliability
The best part about this gun is it’s a SIG. I had the good fortune of touring the factory in New Hampshire recently and it’s an absolute beehive of high tech firearms manufacturing. They have rows and rows of the latest high tech CNC machines spitting out precision parts like crazy.
Quality control is a huge part of the SIGARMS’ manufacturing process. They have extremely high standards for all of their parts. There’s a great deal of pride among the employees. It shows in their work and in their attitude. Everyone was working with a purpose and focusing on the details of their step in the process. The stacks of trays containing rows of flawless guns at the test firing range were an awesome sight and testimony to diligent workers. Each pistol is a work of art and a modern masterpiece of engineering — built right here in the good old US of A.
The article with many high res pics can be found at; http://www.americancopmagazine.com/articles/SIG/SIG.htm
- Janq
Note: I've heard much about this gun through the past 6 months but this report is the first I've read that completely explains the product in a way that to me finally makes sense. Up to now as based on reports on the web including a long thread at SigForum I'd written this off as just another SigPro like plastic gun. Now after reading this article I'm like whoa, it could be the perfect solution to questions we've all had even if we didn't think to ask.
