Sig P210 "real use" experiences

[P210]

SteyrAUG "Flashback 1955 - Which Of These 9mm Pistols Will Be Adopted By NATO Army.." thread in General Discussion sparked me to give some feedback of using P210 in target shooting, competition and in harsh environment.

First a word of caution. Swiss guns are a very expensive and contagious disease.

I did not have a plan to like it, just bought P210-2 because of the reputation/history/pedigree and it happened to be in the store with a reasonable price sticker. Reason behind the relatively low price was some cosmetic defects due to neglect of previous owner. And no one seemed to want some awkward weird looking single stack nine. Got to have Glocks, CZ 75 Shadows and STI's they said... Less than perfect looks were fine for me as long as mechanics are OK.

First thing you notice is the fantastic built quality. When slide is in battery there is no movement. Nothing at all. Flat surfaces are flat, edges are straight without being sharp. Nothing really compares. Besides Korth revolvers which are way above anything I've ever handled.

Shooting is easy. Gun points well, two stage trigger is good, accuracy is fantastic - full mag, freehand on a man size target at 100 yards is almost trivial.

Negatives are the heel mag release, low mag capacity, hammer bite and difficult to operate safety. Why then would anyone consider using P210 as a "go to" pistol?

Weapon is very thin and carries well, reliability is great and it effortlessly puts bullets where you think. Heel mag release can be learned with a practice. Nill beavertail fixes hammer bite. Some file work on wood grips is enough to make safety workable. Low mag capacity is major drawback against double stacks in competition.

Experiences after 5 years and approx. as many thousands of rounds,

No malfunctions. Exception, I once fed it full with fine sand by crawling without mag in place. Do not ask why. Field strip did not get all the sand out. Normally tight tolerances keep dirt, water and snow out. Exposed hammer could potentially be slowed down by foreign particles. Though have not experienced that.

Rust resistance. Frame and slide are blued. Barrel, slide stop, trigger and hammer are bare. Only frame will rust somewhat easily. This happened after couple of days in almost constant rain and no maintenance. Suggest daily wipe down in wet environment. This gun has newer type CNC machined frame made out of bar stock. No experience about earlier type forged frames.


All in all, P210 gives warm and fuzzy feeling of having a gun that is easy to carry, reliable, durable and what makes you look better shooter. Nine for sure.

[Circle_10]

Interesting. In my younger years when I was all about hi capacity, polymer, black etc etc.. I had zero interest in owning a low capacity relic like the P210. Nowadays I find myself gravitating more toward the classics and have been reading up on the P210 more. I still don't think I'd carry one, but I wouldn't mind having one to shoot.

[Nra-Life-Member]

Have always had an interest in the P210 - Had my chance to purchase one, but decided on the HK P7 in it's place. Wish I would have made the P210 purchase at that time, as P7's seem to more readily available then the Sigs are.

[TheAlsatian]

I have more than a few 9mm pistols. By far the most accurate is the Sig P210. Hard to believe this was a military service pistol but mine was made in 1959 and issued to the Swiss Army. I still have the troop tag under the grips. I would pick up another if I could.

[trbmv]

I have both a Swiss made P210-5 and a German made P210 Legend. The P210 are two of my favorite pistols. If Sig USA makes the new American P210 in a 4" carry model as they claim, I'll probably buy that as well.

This documentary on the Danish army in Afghanistan shows a machine gunner using a P210 when his MG goes down during a Taliban ambush. If the time linking doesn't work, it is at 18:24.

http://youtu.be/b8Z74G5dHqY?t=1097

[TheAlsatian]

I'm not sure I'd want to see Sig USA's interpretation of the P210...

[40Arpent]

I'm not sure I'd want to see Sig USA's interpretation of the P210...

I can't recall where I read or heard it, but supposedly the US version will have a significantly different barrel lock-up.

I hold my two 210's in much higher regard than just about any other handguns I own (especially compared to the 4 other Sig's in this pic)...

[Ned Christiansen]

My good friend who was in the Royal Danish Navy was very fond of his 210 and was a perennial winner with it in matches within the service. The Danish issue ammo was as I recall Swedish-made and the bullet had a steel cap over the core, under the jacket.

[El Pistolero]

The SIG P-210 is one of my holy grail pistols, I've never held one or seen one in person but its reputation for accuracy and craftsmanship draws me to it.

[Firefly]

Question: Has the P210 ever been fielded in actual combat?

I do not know and would like to know if anyone else knows.

It seems like a nice pistol but has never really interested me.