Sig P250 – My ’16 shot revolver’ – 2000 round test – part 1

In an effort to put my money where my mouth is regarding moving to a defensive pistol that is ‘safer’ as a result of a longer trigger, I recently picked up a Sig P250 compact. My friend and the best shooter I know, K.C., recently got one as well, and I admit his purchase pushed me over the edge. Our philosophies on defensive guns are pretty well aligned, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish with the gun.

Author Tamara Keel also did some extensive testing with the .380 model. Article Here.

I was able to find one at Academy Sports for $400 new. By all accounts, I got a pretty good deal on it. The upside to wanting a gun that no one else does is that you can buy them cheaper. It seemingly has everything I was looking for.

  • Smooth, revolver-like double action only trigger
  • Exposed Hammer
  • Glock 19 size envelope, with bonus ability to switch grip frames easily and cheaply
  • Rail with ability to use a Surefire X300U weaponlight for the house gun role
25 yds, 10 shots slowfire
25 yds, 10 shots slowfire

My intention is to keep good range records and do a 2,000 round test, as my friend Todd Louis Green was fond of doing. My training volume is quite low at the moment, and this test could take a while. I’m OK with that. I will be doing range trips, some training, and some competition. I’ll report back as the round count grows. I also will try not to bore you with range trip reports, only when I reach significant round count milestones. I also do daily dry-fire practice, and I estimate the dryfire will in the 10’s of thousands by the time 2,000 real shots happen.

My initial thoughts after Two Range Trips

It really does feel like a revolver trigger, but smoother and a bit lighter. I dig it. Factory sights are serviceable. I blacked out the rear white dots as they were overpowering the front spot during recoil. I’ll probably dab some orange paint to increase front sight visibility a bit more. My shot to shot split times on a piece of paper at 7 yards are about .10 slower than a striker fired gun. .34 seconds or so. I’m not a fast or talented shooter.
I’m willing to trade .10 seconds for the peace of mind that I get from the longer trigger. I also am willing to put in the extra work that a longer DAO trigger demands for proficiency. The daily dryfire of my J-Frame is paying dividends here, though the Sig’s trigger is much smoother and lighter than my snub.
I seem to actually be MORE accurate with a double action trigger. I feel like I pay more attention to the sights during the trigger press and I have been getting a very clear read on my sights during the shot cycle. Claude (The Tactical Professor) told me that he has noticed the same thing.

Drills performed over two long range trips:

  • NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program (qualified Distinguished Expert), the 100% accuracy standard over 220 rounds is what makes this one tricky. I encourage you to try it.
  • Dot Drill (USPSA version)
  • Family Downrange Scenario
  • Presentations from low ready and compressed ready at 7 yds on 6″ circles (I can’t draw from a holster at my indoor range)
  • 10 rounds @ 25 yards on B8 bullseyes
  • Dot Torture  – Got a 38/50 today at 4yds. Lots of room for improvement. Managing the new trigger and having patience on target transitions and after reloads.
  • 3×5 card walkback drills – made it to 16 yards, starting at 4 yds in 2 yd increments.
  • 2 and 4 shot rapid fire strings on full sheet of copy paper at 7 yds to work on tracking the front sight and working the trigger smoothly.

img_1912

So Far:

600 Rounds of 115gn practice ammo

0 stoppages

0 malfunctions

0 parts broken

Away we go…

Mark

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2 thoughts on “Sig P250 – My ’16 shot revolver’ – 2000 round test – part 1”

  1. I purchased a P250 several years ago and until my Glock “conversion” It was my primary bedside pistol. I used it for several IDPA matches (I don’t go to win just get some more realistic practice). I have a couple of different grip frames and a caliber conversion kit to allow me to convert to what was at that time my secondary pistol caliber (.45 ACP).

    Even after my Glock conversion it remained my favorite pistol to shoot for a long time. It currently resides in a “go” bag along with some extra magazines, a light, and first aid kit. I can grab that bag should I need to leave the house to confront a threat and know I have critical items without having to think about what it is I might need and then start getting it all together. I can have the bag in hand and ready to respond to an external threat in seconds.

    The P250 was extremely reliable. I have zero malfunctions for several thousand rounds. Around that point I started having some issues with extraction and feeding problems. I initially put that down to ammo issues but it soon became clear that wasn’t the issue. It turned out to be a worn extractor spring (I’d recommend keeping one on hand). Replacing it solved the problem.

    I transitioned to the Glock for a few reasons. In no particular order:
    -Thinner
    -The G42 and 43 offered a more concealable options but with the same trigger and manual of arms. SIG had nothing comparable
    -Cheaper magazines, parts and more availability

    I still like the P250 and am looking forward to the rest of the posts in this series.

    God Bless

    Reply

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