My first experience with SIG pistols was back in the late 1970s. I was perusing the gun section of Uncle Lee’s Discount Store in Paris, Tennessee, as I tended to do when in that part of the state, when I spotted three brand new Browning BDA pistols on the top shelf of the glass handgun case. Uncle Lee’s had a huge firearms section in the store, and they usually had a lot of unusual but useful stuff. Things that many gun stores did not stock, like left-handed bolt action rifles, reloading tools, and anything new and exotic, like these Browning pistols. They had one each on display chambered for the 45 ACP, 38 Super, and 9mm Luger cartridges. Made for Browning by SIG-Sauer in Germany, the BDA was identical to the SIG P220 of which we have become familiar over the past few decades. Like most things Browning at that time, there was no way that I could afford to buy one of those beautiful BDA pistols, being young and terminally broke, but I read every word printed in the gun magazines about them that I could find. It would be several years before I would get to finally shoot one. By that time, they were being imported as the SIG P220, and the 45 ACP pistol that I fired lived up to my expectations.

Later, the P220 was modified a bit to better suit the preferences of American shooters by moving the magazine release to the rear of the trigger guard on the left side, in the spot to which we have become accustomed. I have no problem with the European heel-type mag latch, but in the US, the familiar push button is greatly preferred by most shooters. The P220 was and still is a fine pistol, weighing about the same as a lightweight Colt Commander, but in a modern double action design that usually displays exceptional accuracy. My only complaint with the 220 is that it is decidedly a right-handed pistol. While it can certainly be used by a left-handed shooter, the hammer drop is hard to manipulate for a lefthander, and the slide release is nearly impossible to reach with a shooting grip on the weapon.

SIG has recently introduced their model P250, and thankfully, it has fully ambidextrous controls. A double action only trigger mechanism means that the trigger pull is the same for every shot, and no longer is the hammer drop lever needed. SIG puts a slide release on both sides of the pistol, for easy reach by the thumb of the shooting hand, no matter from which hand you shoot. The magazine release is easily reversible, but being a left-hander, I prefer to leave it as is, releasing with my trigger finger. The P250 is offered in several variations to fit the hand and intended use of any shooter, but the weapon featured here is the new P250 2SUM, which gives the owner two pistols in one package.

The heart of the P250 system is its modular design. The internal frame, which houses the fire control mechanism, is the serial-numbered part of the weapon; essentially, it is the legal firearm. The other parts of the weapon can be changed at will to suit the needs of the owner. One can even change calibers from 45 ACP to 9mm, 40 S&W, or 357 SIG, all using the same internal frame/fire control housing. The test gun shown here is chambered for the 9mm Luger cartridge. With the 2SUM package, the buyer gets one serial-numbered internal frame, and two complete pistols, less the internal frame and disassembly lever. The kit includes one full sized P250 and one sub-compact P250, including the barrels, slides, springs, and magazines, and one internal frame to use with either pistol. The entire system can be easily assembled in a short time, without the need for any tools. The process can be better seen in the video can I can explain in words, but it is very easy to do. Everything is pretty snug, but it takes only a minute or so to complete the switch over from the full-sized pistol to the compact, after a little practice. The package deal makes sense for those who are limited as to the number of weapons they may own for whatever reason, but it also makes good financial sense. The 2SUM package costs a lot less money than it does to buy two complete pistols. Since it is highly unlikely that the owner would desire to carry both at once, the savings in cost would buy a lot of practice ammo, and still give the owner the option of a full-sized weapon for duty or home defense, and a sub-compact version for concealed carry.

The P250 has a double action only trigger mechanism, and on my sample weapon, had a very smooth trigger action with a pull weight measuring an average of six and one-quarter pounds. Such a trigger pull is about ideal for such a weapon, and is very easy to control under all conditions, even when wearing gloves. The hammer-fired design does not need to be pre-cocked as on many striker-fired designs, and pulling the trigger repeatedly is all that is needed to keep the hammer dropping on a reluctant cartridge, in the event that it does not fire on the first pull. This may or may not be important, as if a cartridge does not fire on the first pull, I prefer to get it out of the chamber immediately. The full sized P250 weighed in at 29.2 ounces with empty magazine in place on my scale. The sub-compact version weighed only 24.4 ounces. Both versions have the optional Nitron finish and wear the optional SIGlite tritium night sights. I never carry a defensive weapon that does not have either night sights or a Crimson Trace Lasergrip, and it is good to see that the SIGlite sights are available on the P250. The magazine capacity of the full size is seventeen rounds of 9mm ammunition, with twelve rounds in the sub-compact. The differences on paper are not that great, but the size and feel of the two weapons is very different in the hand; yet by using the same trigger mechanism, the trigger pulls are identical, making the transition from the full size weapon to the sub-compact very easy. The chart below lists the critical specifications. Sizes are listed in inches. Weight is listed in ounces. Weights are listed with an empty magazine in place. Trigger pull is listed in pounds of pressure.