Sig Sauer P250?

I currently have a Walther P22, it is my first handgun and I got it with the express purpose of lots and lots of training and real use if absolutely necessary.

I'm putting thought into what the characteristics of my next firearm should be, though. I'm a poor, under-funded grad student so the price point on the pistol has to be in the low end (350 to 450). It needs to be affordable AND reliable. I'd also prefer that the caliber I use to be ubiquitous and low enough in price that I can afford to practice some with it as well. Finally, I would vastly prefer that the magazine hold at least 15 rounds.

That's why I'm thinking of the Sig Sauer P250 Full Size, in 9mm. Anyone know if this would be a bad idea? Any other similar handguns on the market that also meet that criteria?

Hi!

Based on your criteria, sounds like an excellent idea.

Sig-Sauer pistols have a reputation for shooting straight and working pretty much every time; they're a favourite with LEOs. They're also not usually overpriced and I saw quite a few available secondhand and in good condition when I was over at giftmas.

Ubiquitous in the USA (and useful as a step up from .22 LR) really means 9 mm Parabellum or .45 ACP. You probably cannot go wrong with either although 9 mm will likely be an easier transition, has a huge range of variably priced ammunition in a lot of different loads. I have to say that in pure ballistic performance for self-defence, the .45 ACP is probably better but shot placement matters much more and you should easily become accurate with 9 mm and some practice. If you're looking for flexible purpose gun that you can shoot at the range and realistically hope to defend yourself with as well and not break the bank, I think you've settled on a good choice.

The p250 in 9mm or 40SW would be an excellent choice. The price of 9mm vs 40SWin my area isn't much and the 40SW is a popular law enforcement round so used guns are abundant. I personally have no experience with the p250 series, but Sig make quality firearms, so I see no reason the p250 wouldn't be.

Other options in your price range might be a used glock or springfield XD maybe a used CZ 75 or one of it's many variants, lots of good used choices for about $400. About 4 years ago a friend of mine bought a police trade in sig p226 for $350 and it is still a quality gun and has had no issues whatsoever. Keep you eyes open and you'll find a good weapon in your price range.

irish52084 said:

The price of 9mm vs 40SW in my area isn't much

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Oh aye? Sounds like it's improved (for .40 people anyway) quite a bit then but I confess I don't care for it, since I shoot 10 mm Auto ("Real Ten!") and might just have not noticed the price and availability improving.

Gaidheal said:

Ubiquitous in the USA (and useful as a step up from .22 LR) really means 9 mm Parabellum or .45 ACP.

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That's pretty much my thought process. I wouldn't mind .45 except for my personal preference for having more rounds available. And it definitely needs to be a step up, at least above .380 because the only thing I can do right now (as one of my friend's put it) is empty the clip into them and then run like hell!

irish52084 said:

Other options in your price range might be a used glock or springfield XD maybe a used CZ 75 or one of it's many variants, lots of good used choices for about $400. About 4 years ago a friend of mine bought a police trade in sig p226 for $350 and it is still a quality gun and has had no issues whatsoever. Keep you eyes open and you'll find a good weapon in your price range.

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I'll keep my eyes out for those, I've shot both a glock and a XD and they're both excellent firearms. Though to be honest, I think I'd rather by something new so that if it does break I have some time to send it to the manufacturer to be fixed.

TrailRunner said:

at least above .380 because the only thing I can do right now (as one of my friend's put it) is empty the clip into them and then run like hell!

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You'd probably be surprised how many police 'one shot stops' and kills are achieved with a .380 ACP (often compact) pistol. Remember that typically you shoot at very close range (stats say 20 feet is likely) and if you are accurate (and lucky) it only matters that the round penetrate, which 380 will at close range, even from a short barrel. Bear in mind that the wound channel's width is identical to any other 9 mm calibre.

All that said, usually what has happened is the officer resorted to a backup gun (probably concealed) for whatever reason. I mention it only to point out that your friend is underestimating the ease with which a human can be fatally killed by any firearm, even your 'plinker'. Realistically, for the reasons you already outlined, your needs are probably best served by a 9 mm Parabellum pistol (wins on cost of ammunition and variety of loads, even compared to .40 S&W because there are some really cheap but serviceable rounds in this calibre - I checked!) or taking the plunge to .45 ACP (wins on effective ballistics but will be more expensive).

If you do take the 45 option, consider that should you not like it, you can probably sell your gun quite easily; there is no shortage of buyers for pistols chambered in .45 ACP, especially if they are effectively brand new or in very good condition. Obviously you'd take some loss. On the other hand, if you do like it, you'll probably never look back and will certainly have a capable self-defence tool that you like to practice with.

For full disclosure, in case you think I am promoting my favourites; I wouldn't shoot less than 10 mm Auto, if at all possible, at a bad guy. Thereafter, there's a couple of new cartridges that I'd give serious thought to but the standby is definitely .45 ACP because it's the largest calibre auto round in common use (thus the widest wound channel).

I don't care much for the Sig P250.

When I was picking out my current EDC gun I shot most of the popular 40s on the market, including the Sig P250. At first glance I really liked the gun. It had good ergonomics, good looks, and it was a Sig. However, unlike most Sigs, the 250s use a long DAO trigger. During slow firing exercises the long hammer (a piece of stamped and rolled plate steel) creeps back slowly toward you without any real indication of when the gun is going to fire. It was actually a little unsettling because the extra long trigger pull made it difficult to predict when the gun was going to go bang. I also didn't care for the exposed stainless rails that were visible from the back of an otherwise all black gun. It just felt like a much cheaper alternative to a 229, which - I suppose - is basically what it is.

For me, the DAO trigger was an absolute deal breaker. Had the P250 had a standard DA/SA trigger like the 229, I probably would have one instead of my XD.

I think that the P250's trigger is something that anybody looking at the gun needs to consider.

Gaidheal said:

Oh aye? Sounds like it's improved (for .40 people anyway) quite a bit then but I confess I don't care for it, since I shoot 10 mm Auto ("Real Ten!") and might just have not noticed the price and availability improving.

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2 weeks ago I bought 500 rounds of 9mm for $94 before tax and if I remember correctly equivalent ammo in 40SW was $102 before tax, or about a $1/box. A while back it was more like $2-$3 more per box.
If 10mm was in the same price range as 9mm and 40SW, I'd love to have one. My friend has a glock 20 and it's a really accurate. Generally I've found glock's to be average int he accuracy department, but that 20 was really fantastic.

Sigs aren't especially cheap...

...so, if cost is a big factor, a 9mm XD or Glock would be cheaper and reliable. I'm an XD fan. Others go for Glocks. Either is a great alternative. You mentioned a full-size model. Are you looking for a range gun, home defense gun, carry gun?

NMBill said:

...so, if cost is a big factor, a 9mm XD or Glock would be cheaper and reliable. I'm an XD fan. Others go for Glocks. Either is a great alternative. You mentioned a full-size model. Are you looking for a range gun, home defense gun, carry gun?

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The p250 in full size is about $350 here in NC. It's basically their entry level gun, so it's not as expensive. New Glocks are just out of my price range, though if I had to I could break the bank a little (not a lot, though). The answer to your question is a qualified yes to all.. I will take it to the range to practice, and I will carry it at home (I'm armed unless I'm a place that doesn't allow it), but realistically I would defend my house with my Remington 870 12 gauge.

I'm more or less looking for a full sized pistol with a large capacity to be my EDC firearm.

cbpeck said:

I think that the P250's trigger is something that anybody looking at the gun needs to consider.

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I haven't shot one yet, which is on my to-do list next time I go to Calibers. When I do, I'll make sure to pay attention to the trigger setting. Though, you *can* get a p250 with a shorter trigger pull than the normal DAO. I'm not sure how hard it is to find one, though.

My wife has the P250 in 9mm. I hate it.
If you come down to charlotte, or you want to meet in greensboro I will let you try it out. You can also try a variety of glocks if you want as well.

The trigger is 8+ lbs of pull, 3/4'' length of pull, and has no feel to it.
The shorter trigger that is an option does not reduce the pull weight at all, just shortens it to about 3/8''.

If you really like the Sig ergonomics over the glock or xd, then look at the M&P. They are about $400 and significantly better IMO.


(I'm a recent Grad grad from NCSU)

JDriver1.8t said:

(I'm a recent Grad grad from NCSU)

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Well, I'll try not to hold that against you.

JDriver1.8t said:

My wife has the P250 in 9mm. I hate it.
If you come down to charlotte, or you want to meet in greensboro I will let you try it out. You can also try a variety of glocks if you want as well.

The trigger is 8+ lbs of pull, 3/4'' length of pull, and has no feel to it.
The shorter trigger that is an option does not reduce the pull weight at all, just shortens it to about 3/8''.

If you really like the Sig ergonomics over the glock or xd, then look at the M&P. They are about $400 and significantly better IMO.

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I've been giving the trigger pull problem serious thought. I don't particularly like the DA trigger pull on my Walther P22, at just a hair above half an inch, but it is manageable and it's only the first shot. So, I'm not confident I'll like a trigger that is substantially longer than that on every shot. I'd really prefer to have a DA/SA trigger system similar to my P22, if nothing else so muscle memory isn't screwed.

I'll have to give more thought to the characteristics I want, since I clearly haven't given this complete consideration.

TrailRunner said:

I'll have to give more thought to the characteristics I want, since I clearly haven't given this complete consideration.

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As I stated earlier, I went through the tedious and expensive - though enjoyable - process of shooting many of the .40 caliber handguns on the market. I really liked the HK P30, but it was a little larger than I liked and just outside of my price range. For an affordable EDC gun it's really hard to beat an XD or a Glock (I hate Glocks, but try to give respect where it is due).

Lately they have begun making XDs with manual safeties in addition to the grip safety & trigger do-dad. I'm not sure if the additional safety measure appeals to you, but they're pretty readily available these days. And I think you'd agree that the standard XD trigger is far better than the P250's.

cbpeck said:

As I stated earlier, I went through the tedious and expensive - though enjoyable - process of shooting many of the .40 caliber handguns on the market. I really liked the HK P30, but it was a little larger than I liked and just outside of my price range. For an affordable EDC gun it's really hard to beat an XD or a Glock (I hate Glocks, but try to give respect where it is due).

Lately they have begun making XDs with manual safeties in addition to the grip safety & trigger do-dad. I'm not sure if the additional safety measure appeals to you, but they're pretty readily available these days. And I think you'd agree that the standard XD trigger is be far better than the P250's.

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The Glock 19 I fired was okay, it shot well but it didn't fit well in my hands. The XD-9 I fired felt better in my hands and seemed like a really good pistol. The trigger pull on it was very crisp. I still have other contenders in the back of my head that I'd like to try though, like an EAA Witness or a Ruger P95.

TrailRunner said:

The Glock 19 I fired was okay, it shot well but it didn't fit well in my hands. The XD-9 I fired felt better in my hands and seemed like a really good pistol. The trigger pull on it was very crisp. I still have other contenders in the back of my head that I'd like to try though, like an EAA Witness or a Ruger P95.

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You had the same experience with the Glocks that I've had. They're good guns, but they're not for me.

I've never fired an EAA Witness, but I've met a few people who owned them and seemed to like them. The IWI Jericho is very similar and can often be found in the $425-500 range. It is marketed in the US by Magnum Research as the Baby Desert Eagle Pistol. It comes in both polymer and steel framed versions chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. If you'd like more info go here:

http://www.magnumresearch.com/products.asp

and here:

http://www.israel-weapon.com/default.asp?catid={B02C725C-6706-4A24-AEA5-B442E64EA4BE}

You want a full-sized, high capacity Sig at an affordable price? A used P226 in 9mm is what you are looking for.

http://www.sigsauer.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=7&productid=90

I've been going through a lot of reviews and talking to people, and I'm starting to lean really heavily towards an EAA Witness, though I haven't completely made the decision between 9mm or .45 yet. I'd actually like to get some trigger time in with a .45 and perhaps even a 10mm before I make a final decision, but I've got some trigger time lined up with some friend's firearms in the near future to help with that.

My wife shoots the Sig 250 in 9mm. The attached target is 50 center of mass, 50 head shots mostly controled pairs at 10 yards.

She doesn't whine about the trigger either.


Truth be known, she shoots a 1911 better.

Steve

The P250 has the advantage of being easily converted from 9 mm to .40 S & W to .357 SIG to .45 ACP. Grips can be easily changed from full size to intermediate to compact. I've never shot one, but it sounds like a great system.

A used P229 would also be a great way to go. Get one in .40 S & W so you can later drop in 9 mm or .357 SIG barrels (can't convert a 9 mm P229 in this manner).

The Springfield XD's are also great handguns.