SIG P290?

[Guest TNSovereignty]

Looking at ... have never held ... a Sig P290, potentially for my wife. (Don't worry ... she gets to hold/shoot & decide; my job is to narrow the field, and we're not going less than 9mm.) I'm a Glock & 45 ACP guy. Grew up on the 1911 (love it) but chose the Glock for ccw ... to me it's not about glamor - just a rugged gun that works. I like the fact that the trigger pull on round 1 is the same for the entire magazine ... keeps things simple, and I'm a very simple man.

The P290 is DAO with an advertised 9lb trigger pull. Glock G26 has a 5.5lb trigger. On paper the P290 looks like it has potential ... anybody shot one? Comparisons with G26? Oh - my wife is a southpaw if this sways anyone to offer opinions/advice.

Another consideration ... my wife's wardrobe is skirts & sweaters, or skirts & short-sleeved shirts. She does not wear a belt, so I've got to figure out how she can carry comfortably; i.e. so she'll carry ALL the time. That's what concerns me about the thicker Glock models, but it's a moot point if she ends up carrying in a fanny pack.

I'm not going to overwhelm my wife with 10 gun choices ... she wants me to narrow it to 3 & then she's ready to try them at the local gun store/range. Appreciate wise counsel.

[StPatrick]

If you're looking in the P290 price range, I highly recommend checking out the Kahr PM9 as well - I carry one when clothing dictates that my 229 can't be easily concealed. Very nice trigger for a small pistol, somewhat similar to the Glock trigger*, and maybe even a little smoother than the stock Glock trigger. It also has very manageable recoil compared to other small 9mm guns I've shot. With a Hogue Handall Jr. on it, it's a fun gun for the range.

*the reset is not as positive as a Glock, and the length of pull / reset distance is longer

[Guest TNSovereignty]

Thx StPatrick ... let me look into the Kahr. Appreciate the advice.

[Guest Sysvr4]

I narrowed my search to the P290 and the Kahr CM9/PM9, for various reasons. I've owned Sigs in the past and had good luck with them, so initially I was somewhat partial to the Sig.

A couple of things shifted my focus toward the Kahr. First, there seemed to be a lot more issues with reliability on this particular model of the Sig. Note that I have no first hand experience with that, just judging based off what I read from others' experiences.

The second was that I actually held both at a LGS and preferred the grip angle of the Kahr. The Sig angle is a lot more square and just didn't quite feel right for my hand.

Third, the Kahr is 3-4 oz lighter than the Sig, and I felt like weight would be a significant issue for me on a daily carry.

YMMV, good luck! Edited December 10, 2012 by Sysvr4

[Guest TNSovereignty]

Wow - liking what I'm reading about the Kahm PM9. Definitely going to be short-listed for the wife. Appreciate the leads. Anyone know if Kahr has an LEO program ... can't find anything on Google so probably not.

[lshel]

I also carry the Kahr PM9 with TruGlo sights and purchased an extra mag for total of 3 mags. The CM9 is about $200 cheaper and has some of the same features.
The CM9 has a different barrel (reg. rifling), one mag, plastic front sight. I have shot these and they are reliable and accurate 10 yds. The only problem with CM9 is finding night sights, due to the front sight. Good luck with your pick.

[Zahooee]

OK.  I own and carry a P290.  Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.

 

Personally, I have experienced zero problems with it, but I made sure to purchase the RS (re-strike) version.  I understand that the initial release had some...let's call them quirks...that turned off many.  

 

My biggest complaint with it is with the trigger.  I'm not a fan of the DAO trigger on this gun.  There is no real reset on it.  A lot of practice is helping there, though, but make sure it's something she tries out first.

 

Personally, I carry it with a Crossbreed MiniTuck, and I sometimes forget it's there.  Her mileage may vary depending of course.

[Proscene]

If you're looking in the P290 price range, I highly recommend checking out the Kahr PM9 as well - I carry one when clothing dictates that my 229 can't be easily concealed. Very nice trigger for a small pistol, somewhat similar to the Glock trigger*, and maybe even a little smoother than the stock Glock trigger. It also has very manageable recoil compared to other small 9mm guns I've shot. With a Hogue Handall Jr. on it, it's a fun gun for the range.

*the reset is not as positive as a Glock, and the length of pull / reset distance is longer

DITTO! The PM9 is a fine choice

[Tennjed]

Love my P290. No issues and is very accurate for a micro 9

[tnroadrunner]

Just replaced my BUG with a Sig P938.  Shoots great.

[Tennjed]

I wanted to post this to anyone who might be reading and interested in the P290.

Here are a few for anyone who might be considering the P290

[quote]The SIG SAUER P290 made me a better shooter and, if not a better person, at least a happier one. It’s a whole lot of gun for such a little gun. Uncanny out-of-the-box accuracy elevates the P290 into the top tier of subcompact 9mm pistols [/quote]

[url="http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/07/ralph/gun-review-sig-sauer-p290/"]http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/07/ralph/gun-review-sig-sauer-p290/[/url]

[quote]If you are looking for a 9 mm deep-concealment gun, you should consider the SIG P290. But, you can’t just hold the gun in your hand at a local shop—you really have to shoot it to appreciate the brilliance of the design[/quote]

[url="http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/13926/sig-sauer-p290/"]http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/13926/sig-sauer-p290/[/url]

[quote]
[left][b]The littlest 9mm pistol from Sig is a good one. I think that the folks at Sig Sauer made to right decision to rework their P290, and the resulting P290RS is one of the best sub-compact 9x19mm pistols currently on the market.[/b][/left]
[/quote]

[url="http://gunblast.com/SIG-P290RS.htm"]http://gunblast.com/SIG-P290RS.htm/[/url]

[quote]practice.
A tall order, but based on the sample pistol I tested, the SIG Sauer P290 it hits all these benchmarks. SIG did a good job here with some subtle touches that don’t leap out at first (or even second) glance but greatly contribute to its shooting and handling characteristics.[/quote]

[url="http://gunsgunsguns.net/sig-sauer-p290/"]http://gunsgunsguns.net/sig-sauer-p290/[/url]

[quote][size=2][b]Summary- Well so far so good. An excellent shooting, attractive looking, quality gun an no complaints thus far other than the dead sights (which is covered) and the price tag, which is my fault for paying it. If your in the market for a tiny 9mm I really like this one[/b][/size][/quote]

[url="http://tacticalgunreview.com/blog/2011/10/sig-sauer-p290-9mm/"]http://tacticalgunreview.com/blog/2011/10/sig-sauer-p290-9mm/[/url]

[quote][size="2"]To be honest, I didn't know if I was going to like the P290. As a fan of pocket pistols and deep-concealment firearms, I thought this pistol would be just a little too large to fit the bill. However, as I’ve cleaned it, carried it and shot it, this new SIG Sauer has grown on me. By moving it half a step over from the pocket pistol category to the sub-compact box, it’s clearly a pistol with an exceptional feature set—handling, power level and reliability—for a handgun of its size. I can see the P290 easily taking the place of some of the larger defensive handguns that I like, and possibly some of the smaller ones as well. [/size][/quote]

[url="http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/sig-p290-review/"]http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/sig-p290-review/[/url]

[quote]So where does the P290 fit in? Simple. If you want something bigger than a .380, something easy to carry but that won’t pull you under if you hit soft ground, the P290 might be for you. If you are not enamored of cocked-and-locked carry, the P290 would move higher up your list. And if a striker-driven firing system does not set your heart a-pitter-pat, then the DAO of the P290 makes it perfect.
[/quote]


[url="http://So%20where%20does%20the%20P290%20fit%20in?%20Simple.%20If%20you%20want%20something%20bigger%20than%20a%20.380,%20something%20easy%20to%20carry%20but%20that%20won’t%20pull%20you%20under%20if%20you%20hit%20soft%20ground,%20the%20P290%20might%20be%20for%20you.%20If%20you%20are%20not%20enamored%20of%20cocked-and-locked%20carry,%20the%20P290%20would%20move%20higher%20up%20your%20list.%20And%20if%20a%20striker-driven%20firing%20system%20does%20not%20set%20your%20heart%20a-pitter-pat,%20then%20the%20DAO%20of%20the%20P290%20makes%20it%20perfect."]http://So where does the P290 fit in? Simple. If you want something bigger than a .380, something easy to carry but that won’t pull you under if you hit soft ground, the P290 might be for you. If you are not [/url]
[url="http://So%20where%20does%20the%20P290%20fit%20in?%20Simple.%20If%20you%20want%20something%20bigger%20than%20a%20.380,%20something%20easy%20to%20carry%20but%20that%20won’t%20pull%20you%20under%20if%20you%20hit%20soft%20ground,%20the%20P290%20might%20be%20for%20you.%20If%20you%20are%20not%20enamored%20of%20cocked-and-locked%20carry,%20the%20P290%20would%20move%20higher%20up%20your%20list.%20And%20if%20a%20striker-driven%20firing%20system%20does%20not%20set%20your%20heart%20a-pitter-pat,%20then%20the%20DAO%20of%20the%20P290%20makes%20it%20perfect."]enamored of cocked-and-locked carry, the P290 would move higher up your list. And if a striker-driven firing system does not set your heart a-pitter-pat, then the DAO of the P290 makes it perfect.[/url]

[quote][color=#000000]I think Sig will have a big winner. [/color][/quote]

[url="http://gunblog.com/sig-p290-sub-compact"]http://gunblog.com/sig-p290-sub-compact[/url]