I've been carrying a Ruger LC9s pro for the last two years, before that I carried a Sig 230. The 230 was my first Sig and I really liked it but always wished they made it in 9mm Luger not just 380. I've been a Ruger 'collector' for years and decided to try the LC9 striker fired even though I have always preferred double/single action pistols. The trigger pull on the LC9 is very light... just under 4.5lbs and this has started to concern me in a carry weapon... and so I used this as an excuse to look into another small compact 9mm. Sig was the only brand I looked at... I bought a Sig P226 last year for some training I do and it is one more fine pistol. Anyway, to get to the point... I bought a very slightly used p290 two weeks ago. This is not the new RS one but the older version and it came with a laser.... few comments on it: Feels great with the extended magazine, but I don't like the smaller flush one, not enough grip. Damn thing is dead on accurate and had no trouble with the three different brands of ammo I shot. I'm not a fan of electric stuff on guns but the laser is kind of interesting and I'm going to keep it on for a while... works even in bright daylight. Negatives: The holster that comes with the gun is too tight, have to pull like the dickens to draw the gun. And in this vain, it is hard to find good holsters on the internet for one of these with a laser. Any suggestions? I want leather, inside the waste band. Can't really figure out why there is no discussion on this little sleeper gun?
There's never been a lot of talk about this pistol when compared to other SIG models and I think the trigger reset issue of this pistol turned off a lot of shooters.
Odd trigger feel, top heavy, meh magazines and erratic ejection are reasons I no longer have one and I don’t talk about it much. Compared to the competition, it doesn’t do much.
I really wanted to like the P290, but the trigger was absolute turn off for me. Ended up with the P938 instead for a pocket 9mm and have been extremely happy with it. So much so, I am on my second one.
What part of "...Shall not be infringed" don't you understand???
Posts: 11331 | Location: Western WA state for just a few more years... | Registered: February 17, 2006
I really wanted to like the my 290 but after shooting it a bunch I had to sell it. The trigger was super smooth but the reset was almost the complete trigger pull so it was easy to short stroke the trigger. I love shooting double action but the 290 was about 1.5 times longer than most of my double actions that i have.
Posts: 550 | Location: Texas | Registered: November 15, 2012
I'll echo what everyone else has said, the trigger is the 290's downfall.
If SIG had made a striker-fired 290, they'd have a hit on their hands, IMHO. I never understood why they didn't, especially to go up against the Shield/XDs/G43/etc. I guess they went with the 938 instead.
If SIG had made a striker-fired 290, they'd have a hit on their hands, IMHO. I never understood why they didn't, especially to go up against the Shield/XDs/G43/etc.
I would agree with this statement. The trigger doesn't work for me personally (ymmv), but a striker fired version could be a hit.
You either love it, or you don't. Not everyone is enamored with striker fired pistols. Hammers are reassuring to many of us. I think the sights on the 290 are far superior to most of the other micro 9 pistols I have encountered (other than the 938) and it is dead nuts accurate for a little gun. My wife shoots it like a champ. The trigger is a long pull but for a belly gun with no external safety, that is a positive for me, as is the restrike capability on the RS model. If you don't mind the pull on a double action revolver, you won't mind this one. The hefty weight out front suits my tastes. This is a niche pistol that is good for what it was designed for-backup or deep concealment. I would not carry it as my primary because I like a bigger gun, but if I were still working the street, this would be my backup piece.
Originally posted by HayesGreener: You either love it, or you don't. Not everyone is enamored with striker fired pistols. Hammers are reassuring to many of us. I think the sights on the 290 are far superior to most of the other micro 9 pistols I have encountered (other than the 938) and it is dead nuts accurate for a little gun. My wife shoots it like a champ. The trigger is a long pull but for a belly gun with no external safety, that is a positive for me, as is the restrike capability on the RS model. If you don't mind the pull on a double action revolver, you won't mind this one. The hefty weight out front suits my tastes. This is a niche pistol that is good for what it was designed for-backup or deep concealment. I would not carry it as my primary because I like a bigger gun, but if I were still working the street, this would be my backup piece.
I'm in this camp in regards to the little pistol. I grew up in my career on the DA/SA guns, so the first trigger pull was always long and my backup guns were either 5 shot revolvers or even the long pull of a HiStandard .22 Derringer in my boot. I suppose, with enough trigger time, that's why I don't mind and actually like the long trigger pull on the little gun. It's a small gun, with full size sights, a trigger pull I'm ok with, 100% reliable and still in a decent caliber for size. I carry one every day in uniform as a backup. Mine is the RS version. Holsters are far and few between for sure. I'm currently waiting on an IWB from El Paso Saddlery, that will allow me to carry it when something bigger won't work.
I agree with many about the trigger pull, although it's mostly the long reset that you notice. The pull is actually quite smooth, better than my 5 shot J Frames even. I think if Sig were to have initially advertised it to the "old timers", or even try now and see what happens, and liken it to a modern day "not your old 5 shot" pocket pistol, they'd probably do pretty well. It'll never run numbers like the G43/etc, but it still fills a niche.
Posts: 847 | Location: Alaska | Registered: April 29, 2015
Originally posted by HayesGreener: You either love it, or you don't. Not everyone is enamored with striker fired pistols. Hammers are reassuring to many of us. I think the sights on the 290 are far superior to most of the other micro 9 pistols I have encountered (other than the 938) and it is dead nuts accurate for a little gun. My wife shoots it like a champ. The trigger is a long pull but for a belly gun with no external safety, that is a positive for me, as is the restrike capability on the RS model. If you don't mind the pull on a double action revolver, you won't mind this one. The hefty weight out front suits my tastes. This is a niche pistol that is good for what it was designed for-backup or deep concealment. I would not carry it as my primary because I like a bigger gun, but if I were still working the street, this would be my backup piece.
This is a great post, and agree that hammers are reassuring. Though I have switched to striker for my EDC, I still prefer the DA for appendix.
For me the 290 was just too long on the reset and a bit heavy/gritty for the first shot. But it felt good in my hand.
I like DA triggers just fine but the P290's trigger just broke in the wrong place for me. It felt awkward. I have pretty average size hands, but the grip felt unusually small compared to other single-stack 9mm pistols. The P290 is also quite heavy for its size but had more felt recoil than the lighter Kahr PM9.
Well I'm in the minority. I have a RS version and love it. I was weened on da only shooting revolvers and I like the longer travel of this trigger. Mine is smooth and super accurate, easy to control with +p defensive rounds, and ultra reliable. I've had a lot of the competition and have decided on this little one for me. YMMV.
Posts: 308 | Location: Pa | Registered: September 20, 2007
Never cared for it. The original 290 had too many examples that suffered from light strikes. The subsequent 290RS was better in that regard but we still had a couple of customers having to send their newly purchased SIG back to the mothership for the same problem. While the action was smooth, the trigger broke too far back for me; hard to keep from slipping my trigger finger around on the bow, and I have SHORT fingers. The long reset was a negative as well, much like it was with the original hammer-fired LC9. Lots of finger movement to take into account in stabilizing the gun for rapid fire. My G26 or a Shield is far easier to deal with. For that matter so is the slightly larger subcompact SIG 250.
I bought a RS model a while ago and started a thread about the 290. This is one of those guns that people loved or hated. I have large hands and even using the short mags, shoot it very well. I sold my Glock 43 after getting the 290. I was hung up on its looks for a long time, but it is kinda like an ugly kid, after a while it grew on me. Now, it rides in an ankle holster for 12 hours a day as a back-up gun when on duty and in a iwb when I am off. I love the little pistol. The trigger does not bother me at all. It is the first DAO mini pistol that did not pinch my finger. I have had the Colt Pony and the Pocket 9 and a Kahr. I carried a Smith 642 as my normal back up for a long time and am used to the DAO.
So far, my 290RS has been 100% reliable and very accurate. Those are the only the only 2 things that I could that I really need out of the gun. It conceals well and feels good in my big mitts. If I had one bitch, it is a little heavy for its size.
Yeah, I used to have a couple of guns.
Posts: 434 | Location: North Central Ohio | Registered: February 08, 2009
Originally posted by GallowayPrecision: If you have a P290rs and want to make it run better just hit us up, we still make parts for them.
What do you do with the trigger? I will look you guys up, but I am unfamiliar with how you enhance the trigger. Thanks.
We make the Antioch which you can get in either curved or flat faced, which is adjustable for pre and post travel shortening the length of pull. We also make a reduced power spring kit that drops the pull weight by around 1 to 1.5lbs depending on the tolerances of your particular pistol.
