Mechanics
In all its possible variations, the P250's modular frame/fire control assembly contains the trigger mechanism, hammer, ambidextrous slide catch levers, takedown lever, and a steel shaft on which the barrel articulates to unlock from the slide. The slide does not bear upon the grip module at all. Instead it rides on four steel rails that are integral with the frame/fire control assembly.
P250 pistols come standard with a double-action-only (DAO) trigger with a pull of approximately six pounds. This not only allows the same, consistent trigger pull for each shot, but provides the traditional simplicity and safety features of the double action revolver.
I am a big fan of this type of trigger mechanism as I believe simplicity of operation is a major benefit when it comes to training and is of the utmost importance on any handgun intended for police service or defensive purposes. Unlike DAO triggers on some pistols, the P250's allows multiple strikes upon a recalcitrant primer in case of a misfire. As an added bonus, all P250 grip modules come with an integral accessory rail for mounting lights, laser sights, and other types of tactical accessories.
The P250's slide and barrel are locked together by means of the barrel hood moving up into, and bearing against, the front edge of the ejection port. As the slide assembly moves rearward during recoil, the barrel is cammed down, allowing the slide to continue to the rear, extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge case. A captive recoil spring unit, located under the barrel, then pulls the slide forward, picking up a cartridge from the magazine and chambering it. As the slide/barrel assembly go into battery, the barrel is cammed upward, locking the two parts together again.
Range Testing
I asked my friend Paul Brinkman, a former range master with the Riverside County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department, to help me run the SIG through its paces at my gun club. We performed accuracy testing from an MTM Predator pistol rest at 50 feet with four different brands of premium 9mm ammunition. The pistol I evaluated for POLICE had a Compact grip module and a medium width grip fitted with a 9mm Subcompact slide assembly. I experienced a single failure to extract in the first 20 rounds fired, but after that, the P250 proved completely reliable.
Brinkman then ran the SIG through a series of offhand drills at 10 and 15 yards, firing the pistol both supported and unsupported. As had been our experience during the earlier testing, the P250 showed itself to be one of the more accurate out-of-the-box pistols either of us had fired for some time.
Even with the compact grip, recoil control was above average and the SIGLITE sites provided a sharp, clear site image, allowing fast target acquisition and transitioning. The DAO trigger was smooth and consistent with no staging. The results of this expenditure of ammunition were a pair of targets perforated in a manner that I don't believe anyone could complain about.
Can I find anything negative to say about the new SIG? Well, to be honest, no. It functioned as one would wish a service pistol to, it provided above-average accuracy, good ergonomics, and proved 100-percent reliable. What else could you ask for…or need?
Paul Scarlata has served as an auxiliary police officer. He is a widely published North Carolina-based gun writer and a frequent contributor to POLICE Magazine.