A few years ago SIG brought back the SIG P210, a legendary 9mm pistol of epic statue. The P210A features important improvements over the original. Lockup is now the standard SIG type locking the barrel hood into the slide. The controls are Americanized with a Browning type magazine release and an extended safety in the proper location. The original SIG P210 safety is located in front of the trigger guard. The new pistol is stainless steel with a modern corrosion resistant coating. The SIG P210 is a single column magazine 9mm caliber handgun. Magazine capacity is eight rounds. The pistol is a good handling and shooting pistol. Reliability isn’t a question and you will have to look far and wide to locate a 9mm pistol as accurate as the P210A. And if you do chances are it will be a SIG. The P210A is a target type pistol by most definitions. How does it translate to a concealed carry handgun? Very well. The P210 Carry is a first class concealed carry handgun.
P210 Carry Pistol Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm
- Overall Length: 7.75 inches
- Overall Height: 5.63 inches
- Overall Width: 1.44 inches
- Barrel Length: 4.1 inches
- Sight Radius: 5.6 inches
- Weight (w/magazine): 29 oz.
The P210C is a compact version of the SIGP210A. The primary difference is that the pistol is built with an aluminum frame and a shorter slide. The pistol features SIG X Ray three dot night sights and a low key black finish. The grips are G10 types with a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. The front strap is nicely checkered and even the front of the trigger guard is checkered. The trigger action breaks cleanly at a crisp 4.0 pounds even in my example. The pistol features a low bore axis setting low in the hand. This is largely due to the Petter inspired slide design. The slide is reversed from the usual format and rides inside the frame. The controls are positive in operation. Disassembly is simple enough and the pistol should be easy to maintain. It is predicable the pistol will be as reliable and long lived in service as the full size P210A. Let’s look at the P210C’s performance.
As of this date I have fired the pistol with 620 mixed rounds including lead bullet handloads, full metal jacketed ammunition, jacketed hollow points, all copper sharp nose bullets, and +P loads. All have fed, chambered, fired and ejected normally. The pistol is smooth in operation but also tight very tight in slide to frame fit. The pistol has a natural point and heft I find refreshing. I carry a 1911 Commander .45 most of the time. I have the greatest respect for the CZ 75 and the Browning High Power. It is natural I use these handguns as a frame of reference. The P210C handles more quickly and more accurately than 9mm 1911 handguns I have tested. It seems to have an advantage that is less pronounced over the Springfield SA 35 while the High Power type pistol carries more ammunition. The CZ 75 D on hand for comparison isn’t as sure to a first shot hit due to its double action first shot trigger. In slow fire, however, the CZ 75 is very accurate- closer to the P210C than most handguns. The bottom line is that nothing in my gun safe or experience shoots as well as the P210C in overall accuracy in combat type shooting or absolute accuracy. Some are close but none quite equal the SIG.
In firing off hand the SIG P210 C is a joy to fire. Recoil is straight to the rear and the low bore axis results in little muzzle flip. The pistol is among the easiest of 9mm handguns to keep on target during a firing string. Most of the shooting with the pistol has been in off hand combat fire and bracing on different barricades, a truck bed, and from kneeling position. The pistol has never failed to deliver good combat accuracy. In firing from a solid braced firing position the pistol demonstrates excellent accuracy. I was able to secure several 2.0 inch groups at a long 25 yards with quality ammunition. On occasion when all went well with sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger press, I fired a 1.5 inch 25 yard group. This doesn’t have much to do with combat shooting but it demonstrates the fitting and quality of manufacture of the pistol. So we have a brilliantly accurate and easily controlled 9mm, light enough for constant carry, but without a high capacity magazine or light rail. That limits the audience and potential buyers. Just the same the P210C is as accurate a handgun as may be purchased over the counter and it offers steadfast reliability.
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