There's always the negative ninnies with stupid opinions about something they know nothing about.

I picked up a 225A1 when they first came out. Great gun! And yes, I have a German P225 to compare it to.

The 225A1 is what the 239 should have been from the beginning (and I'm not criticizing the 239 - I have the 239 and think it's an excellent weapon). The 225A1 is a very well thought out compact single-stack 9 mm DA/SA.

The opinion of someone who doesn't choose to own one:

The quick version:

+ feels great in hand, better than the P239 that I never cared much for
+ looks like a real classic SIG
+ shoots very well for me
- for its size it seems like it's missing firepower
- doesn't fill any personal role or need
- doesn't point well for me
- duplicates guns I already own that I currently don't shoot much
- relatively expensive compared to other available options
- doesn't have that special charisma or spark that fires up the 'want' side of the brain



And now the 'blowhard' explanations, for those brave (or bored) enough:

I do like how the gun feels in hand when compared to the P239, whose squared off front strap has never been a friend to me. The P225-A1 just fits and falls into my hand nicely, though like all SIGs it doesn't point 'naturally' for me because of my Glock predisposition. It also looks like a traditional P-series and less like a genetic offshoot like the P239 does to me. I also did well shooting one; that one's trigger was more than decent. More than a couple of times I've been tempted.

But my problem with it is that like the P239 it has a large enough profile that I keep thinking that it should have more firepower as a result. Sure it's thinner than a double stack P-series but that doesn't mean that it's thin enough in general when compared to the rest of the marketplace. As SIGs go, the P229 TALO I recently bought does fill a role if called upon to do so, whereas the SIG single stacks don't do a good enough job in filling any particular niche for me. In truth while I like SIGs well enough they are basically range toys in my cache of firearms. I tried adapting to a P229R once about a decade ago as a carry weapon but could not get comfortable with its girth or its double-action trigger. Too long with a striker Glock makes DA/SA seem like too much effort and time to realign myself. So they remain something to occasionally take to the range to enjoy as as fun guns.

While the P225-A1 and the P239 before it slims things down, they also sacrifice capacity in doing so. As a range gun they are less fun, specifically with the frequency and chore of reloading magazines. A G19/23/32 is about the same size and offers far more firepower, and continues to offer the same trigger that I've grown all too accustomed to using. In the end a P225-A1 would just become another range toy, but one with limited capacity that requires a lot more effort to feed than the double-stack SIGs I have. Plus I already have guns like that from SIG with my P225 and P6, as well as my P232. It's a telling thing that I don't often take out any of those nowadays. I haven't shot my P6 in ages, and it's probably been a year since my P225 GPP has seen a round through its pipe.

Then there's the P225-A1's price. Sure I realize that it's an alloy and that it's a SIG which always brings a premium to the table whether one actually thinks that it's worth it or not. But there's just too many far cheaper options that make the P225-A1 seem heavily overpriced, even when you can find one at a so-called 'good' price. Some of those I also already own, like my PPS M2 and my G43. Those also come with a trigger type that I'm all too familiar and comfy being around, should I decide to ever go down those roads and actually decide that I can live with less rounds and more mags, to EDC them over my current G23. Truthfully, even with those I don't see that happening anytime soon but they still fit my needs better than the P225-A1 at double the price ever would.

Working at a gun shop affords me the luxury of buying some brands of guns at a significantly cheaper rate. This includes SIGs, but I can also do that with any number of competitors as well. So everything still remains relative and as a result the P225-A1 remains something of an enigma to me. Besides, I'm like many in that I'd rather choose the more expensive but similarly capacity P210 American as a range toy or fun gun. I deem that one as being a far more 'special' firearm and experience, and that op/ed alone makes spending almost double for that new SIG more than palatable than doing the more pedestrian P225-A1. A good fit in hand alone doesn't stir the soul nearly enough.

So when it comes down to crunching all of the data, for me the P225-A1 is just one of those nice, somewhat spendy pistols that doesn't ignite any particular passion or fill any specific need. Certainly I'd take one if I were given one, but like other similar guns already in my safe I doubt that I'd want to shoot it much. And I know that I'd never choose to carry it or rely on it for home defense. So as harsh as it might sound, I'd be best served if I would turn around and sell this non-existent gift firearm off.

And that in a long-winded nutshell is why I chose not to buy one.

Every pistol has its strengths and weaknesses. Most carry pistols are a compromise between concealability and shootability. With the 225A1, the compromise leans towards making the pistol easy to shoot relatively well, and it's about as concealable as possible while still being easy to shoot relatively well.

BTW, why on earth would anyone pick up a 225A1 as a range gun?

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
BTW, why on earth would anyone pick up a 225A1 as a range gun?

Because

Well, yeah, that makes sense.

+1 on th P225-A1. So much so the I retired my previous favorite all time Sig Pistol, the P239, which was excellent all around, but felt a little top heavy. Never looked back after selling my P239. I would love to see the P225-A1 in all stainless.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
Every pistol has its strengths and weaknesses. Most carry pistols are a compromise between concealability and shootability. With the 225A1, the compromise leans towards making the pistol easy to shoot relatively well, and it's about as concealable as possible while still being easy to shoot relatively well.

A very apt description, in my opinion. I picked up a "classic" version and it's quickly become one of -- if not THE -- top guns in my collection.

quote:

Originally posted by DrewR:
Like everyone else has said already, the P225A1 is a great pistol. After I purchased and fired mine I happily retired my P239 and haven't looked back. It feels great in the hand and is a comfortable pistol to shoot, utterly reliable.

Interesting. If you'd elaborate on why you retired your P239, I'd appreciate it, as my P239 in 9mm is my favorite carry piece.

That’s easy. It is a tiny bit longer in the grip but that is a small giveaway to get a well undercut trigger guard, checkered front strap, way better out of box trigger on average, and if aesthetics are important to you it looks way more like a classic sig than the love child that is the 239.

The 239 has two legitimate advantages which might mean the world to you. They don’t to me. Caliber conversions and slightly smaller. Slightly. That’s pretty much it.

I would bet money that unless they are already biased, blind shooting test the 225a1 beats the 239 by a country mile using shooter preference as the basis.

That won’t convince a 239 lover and that’s ok. The 239 is great. The 225a1 is just a bit better. Lol

quote:

Originally posted by dehughes:

Interesting. If you'd elaborate on why you retired your P239, I'd appreciate it, as my P239 in 9mm is my favorite carry piece.

Dehughes,
I have larger hands (the sort Beretta had in mind when they were designing the 92 series of pistols) and the grip of the P239 was never quite a perfect fit. The 239 was a very comfortable pistol to carry and I reserved it for trips out of state where I wasn't comfortable carrying my EDC P229 due to concerns over printing. When the 225A1 was released I had an opportunity to handle one of the 'racing strip' examples and really appreciated how well it fit my hand and the checkering meant the pistol stuck to my hand like super glue.

Under a loose shirt in a IWB holster the 225A1 disappears as easily as the 239 and carries just as comfortably. While the 225A1 is pricier it has all the extra features (G10 grips, night sights, SRT kit)I would have had to pay for anyway.

When I purchased those components for the 239 the total cost was around $250 plus the initial cost of the pistol so the 225A1 and 239 equaled out in the end.

I still have the 239 but my wife has laid claim to it.

I have owned many Sigs. This 225A1 ranks up at the top. I have owned the gun for almost a year. It fits my hand so well. Its easy to shoot and is very accurate. The top feature is the trigger. It is so good and has a great re-set. Its easy to carry all day and I love my 225A1. I suggest it to anyone looking for a dependable carry 9mmm side arm
Hillbilly Dan
Life Member NRA