SIG Sauer P250

History

The P250 chambered in 9mm reached the North American market on November 7, 2007. A .45 ACP compact model followed in February 2008 at the SHOT Show, and the last model was introduced in late 2009.

In early 2014, the striker-fired SIG P320 appeared as the P250's descendant, sharing magazines and grip frames. By the 2017 Sig Sauer catalog, the P250 was listed under rimfire category with .22 LR available, and caliber exchange kits could convert it to 9×19mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. As of January 2018, the P250 was no longer on the Sig Sauer website.

Design details

The hammer-fired P250 can be chambered in .22 Long Rifle, .380 ACP, 9×19mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. It lacks manual external safeties; a firing pin block helps prevent accidental discharge. The trigger is a self-decocking DAO system with a spurless and recessed hammer, having a pull weight of about 45 N (4.6 kgf, 10.1 lbf).

Finishes include a dark Nitron slide surface, a two-tone finish with an untreated stainless steel slide, and a diamond-plated finish. The grip module on the Compact was changed in 2009, making original and new style grip modules use different magazines; old magazines do not fit new grip modules, and the accessory rail changed from curved to Picatinny. Factory holsters for original grip modules do not fit newer ones with Picatinny rails, but the modular design allows inexpensive swapping.

Variants

Variants include Full Size, Carry, Compact, and Subcompact. In 2012, SIG Sauer introduced a medium width version of the subcompact grip module with a Picatinny rail; the small width versions lack this rail. Exchange kits for .380 ACP and .45 ACP subcompact versions were also introduced.

The SIG Sauer PPNL was a custom P250 variant intended for Dutch law enforcement. In March 2011, the Dutch government informed parliament that Heckler & Koch and Walther had sought a preliminary injunction against the intended order for PPNL pistols. The Volkskrant newspaper reported that the choice of SIG-Sauer evoked surprise among arms industry and police union representatives, and that during police tests there was a strong preference for a Heckler & Koch pistol.

A court verdict on 28 March 2011 found no manipulations in the public tender process, and the order was finalized. On 8 November 2011, the Dutch Minister of Security and Justice declared SIG Sauer in default and dissolved the order after the fourth negative production sample test of PPNL pistols firing Dutch police issue RUAG Action 4 NP ammunition by Beschussamt Ulm. Minister Ivo Opstelten stated he no longer found it responsible to continue with the pistol, citing lack of confidence in its quality and the manufacturer's capacity to improve it, and delegated a legal review to examine reaching an agreement with another tested supplier.