New Sig P290 Sub-Compact 9mm

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p290_detail_right_1-tfb

Sig Sauer has unveiled their newest pistol: the Sig P290. It is significant (excuse the pun) because it is a whole new platform. The first P290 that will be available is chambered in 9mm Luger/Parabellum but I fully expect to see it chambered in other cartridges late next year.

One notable feature is that the side grip panels are removable. Sig plan on offering a range of aluminum, wood, and polymer grips that they will engrave with your initials, if you so wish.

A laser sight that fits in front of the trigger guard will also be offered (see below photo).

Specifications
Caliber 9mm
Trigger DAO
Capacity 6 – 8 rounds (two different magazines?
Finish Polymer / Nitron black or Stainless slide
Grip Removable Polymer / Wood
Barrel 2.9″
Overall Length 5.5″
Width 0.9″ (1.1″ with slide catch)
Height 3.9″
Weight 20.5 oz (with magazine)
Front Sight SIGLITE night sight
MA / CA compliant No
MSRP (Price) Not yet announced.

The company has not announced pricing or availability. Don’t expect to see it until 2011.

[ Many thanks to John and Mik for emailing me the info. ]

Steve Johnson

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

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  • http://www.kaliber.hu gvass

    Once upon a time in a Galaxy far away SIG Sauer made beautiful pistols, and now….broaaafff.

  • http://www.kaliber.hu gvass

    I think the trigger is nor “doa” (DAO!), but DAK (double action kellerman), see the hammer.

  • charles222

    The general shape kinda reminds me of those Liberator pistols from WW2.

  • SpudGun

    Looks pretty nifty to me. I read on another forum that it is virtually identical in size to the Kahr PM9.

    I would imagine that the 6-8 round capacity is based on two seperate magazines – a 6 rounder that fits flush with the mag well and an 8 rounder with a pinky extension. Just a guess though.

    The P290 certainly looks a bit more ‘solid’ then other super sub-compact 9mms, I would be very interested to see how it performs.

  • Trigger

    The trigger is dead on arrival? Did you mean “DAO”? :-)

    • http://www.thefirearmblog.com Steve

      Trigger, fixed. thanks.

  • Mike

    It would be interesting to see this compared to a P3AT or LCP.

  • nazgul

    the extended mag is a good idea if it extends the grip. that way one pistol can compete with the p9 and pm9.

    if it is derived from the p250 it is a non-starter. if it is derived from the excellent sig pro FCU (which has one of the smoothest DA pulls i’ve experienced outside of revolvers) it should garner a lot of interest.

  • ap

    I’m waiting for an alternative to the PF9. If Ruger disappoints at SHOT, this might be my best bet. I’m not a fan of Kahr because of their ridiculous pricing.

  • West

    The thumb cut-outs and the general shape of the frame remind me of the S&W Bodyguard .380.

  • http://gunmart.blogspot.com Gunmart
  • Gregor

    Make that one in pink and its the perfect girlfriend gun (mine keeps complaining about the weight of my MK23)

  • West

    Just checked the spec and this has the same dimensions as the P238. Nice.

  • 4Cammer

    Looks much like a Taurus to me, but I am sure the price will not.

  • Brian C.

    Sig is going to sell the crap out of this pistol. If they chamber it in 357 sig, I will buy one.

  • http://gunmart.blogspot.com Gunmart
  • Sean

    So, a Kel Tec PF9 competetor for what 2-3 times the price?

  • jdun1911

    Mike,

    The comparison should be with Karh CW9 or Keltec pf9. Both are 9mm pocket pistol. Karh make the smoothest DOA pistol out of the box. I don’t own a CW9 but am seriously thinking about replacing my Glock 19 for conceal carry.

  • Stella

    I think–unless the price is insane–this will be a good seller. If the Ruger LCP has show anything, there is a tremendous market for easy to conceal auto loading defensive firearms chambered for rounds typically associated with larger pistols IE not .32 ACP.

    The current roster of single stack, short barreled, polymer framed carry guns in 9mm or larger is not very good. As much as many love the easy-to-pocket LCP, moving to 9mm is likely worth a larger pistol IWB if its a reliable shooter. Sig could really fill a void here.

    It would be nice if Glock, HS/Springfield or S&W took one of their established 9mm pistol designs and made it a single stack.

  • Thernlund

    As per this…

    http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/98020/

    It’ll be priced at $530 to $550.

    -T.

  • Alan

    That hammer weirds me out for some reason.

  • alex

    YES!

  • jdun1911

    Thernlund,

    At that price it will probably sell for Sig fans but there are better alternatives at a lower price point.

  • T800

    Well, I guess I will have to be that one asshole that ruins everyone’s fun by posting mean comments (mind you that I’m just back from a party so my english is definitely not going to be good, and I’m going to say things I will regret later), role that Spudgun usually takes (though with much more class and less blood alcohol than me).

    So…

    - 9mm out of a barely 3″ barrel isn’t going to have much power (maybe enough for most situation, but god help you if your attacker is wearing heavy clothing), and from a 20oz gun isn’t going to be a pleasant experience, nor will follow up shots be easy.
    - replaceable polymer grip panels sounds like a stupid gimmick to me.
    - it means that the p238 might get discontinued
    - can’t wait for the gold plated tree of liberty/constitution/washington crossing the delaware/robot lincoln fighting the nazis limited edition
    - I finally understood the pun.
    - propietary laser means good luck finding replacement parts in 10 years. Or 5 if it is a commercial failure.

  • Jason

    trigger stinks i bet… single stack glock 26/27 please

  • El Duderino

    I own a PF9 but would probably pay the premium for a SIG. I’m sure it will be rated for +P (didn’t read the details). Kel-Tec’s trigger is merely average and fit and finish are, well, okay.

  • CinSC

    This is very cool, especially since it apparently is priced well under the Kahr PM9. I definitely want one.

  • http://www.subrah.com michael zeleny

    I drew my P210 on an unarmed carjacker today. He was so pumped up that I had to order him twice to draw or run. I sure wouldn’t have wanted to back up my commands with anything smaller.

  • Paul810

    Any information on whether or not it will be able to handle 9mm +P?

  • Roadkill

    Finally. I kinda wish it looked a bit better though. A sig poly single stack. If they do as well with this as the 238, this will be an excellent seller and a good carry piece. I’m very interested. I hope this one is good.

  • JustinR

    Hey look, Sig finally fixed Kahr’s slide release! LOL! I’ve carried a PM9 for several years, and the only thing that really bugs me about it is that darn sharp edge. If the poster above is correct about the price point, I think this would be great, as Kahr’s seem to have increased in price significantly over the last few years.

  • Todd

    I’ll stick with my Walther PPS.

  • jdun1911

    CinSC,

    It priced below Kahr PM9 but $150 above the CW9 which is basically an inexpensive version of the PM9.

    T800,

    These type of guns are design for a limited scope. It’s not to be a super handgun that you run around in video games to kill your opponents. It is not design for military combat. It’s not a general purpose handgun. People need to realized this.

    It is design first and foremost for concealment. It can act as a primary conceal gun are a back up to your conceal gun (or what my friends keep telling me a boot gun). By it nature these type of guns are much more conformable to carry on your body.

  • Kyle

    T800, when you’re “just back from a party,” you should be concerned about the relevance and wisdom of your post, rather than grammar.

    - 9mm out of a barely 3″ barrel isn’t going to have much power (maybe enough for most situation, but god help you if your attacker is wearing heavy clothing), and from a 20oz gun isn’t going to be a pleasant experience, nor will follow up shots be easy.

    Accurate but irrelevant – this product is not alone in the marketplace, and weapons of this profile sell very well. I prefer shooting my larger 9mms to my smaller 9mms, but what gets carried? Have you looked at the actual handgun market lately, and what sells?

    - replaceable polymer grip panels sounds like a stupid gimmick to me.

    This feature adds low-cost flexibility to the gun that will expand its appeal to possible buyers who are looking for a certain look or feel. That means the weapon has a better chance of catching on in the marketplace.

    - it means that the p238 might get discontinued

    BZZT – totally different animals.

    I don’t even *LIKE* SIGs but this puppy is slick. It’s worth paying the money for a quality gun.

  • Brian

    Does a gun like this really need the high viz sights? The photo appears to show Trijicon night sights. This gun needs a gutter-type sight. Like the Colt New Agent. Something this size is a belly gun, plain and simple. Get rid of the sights. Probably take a few bucks off the price as a side benefit.

  • jamie

    If it is priced at the above mentioned $550 this thing will sell very well, unless it has some sort of QC issue. If they are runners out of the box, no recall, nothing. This thing is a winner.

  • jamie

    MSRP says $530 for the all black, $550 for two tone, that means real world pricing will be like mid to high 400s. $475 ish?

    9mm sig compared to a $300 ruger in 380?

    Is there even a comparison?

  • jjc333

    I’m surprized no one has mentioned the late S&W CS9. It weighed 20 oz, held 7 rounds, had a 3 inch barrel and a slide width of .93. It did it with a metal frame and came in DAO or traditional DA. I’m not ready to trade in mine for one of these any time soon and this from a cop who’s carried a Sig on duty for 23 yrs.

  • El Duderino

    Michael you daily carry a P210?

    Fabulous handgun (don’t own one but have a P220) but aren’t they rare and worth a lot of money?

    With that said, I’m sure someone daily carries a WWI Artillery Luger, a Registered S&W .357 Magnum, a Volcanic Repeating pistol, and a Dardick.

    Do not mess with this person.

  • Vak

    @ Kyle

    Yeah, I get it, it will sell. Doesn’t necessarily means it is a good gun, though.

    But anyway, let’s wait for the reviews. Deciding on whether or not to buy a handgun on looks isn’t for gentlemen like us.

  • Al

    Apparently the MSRP didn’t take long to jump from $530 as mentioned above to now $757, as it appears to have been edited now at: http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/98020/
    Oh well, guess I’ll keep my pending order for the Boberg XR9-S, if ever released that is!

  • Al

    BTW, just to add, if the P290 comes with the DAK trigger and actually functions properly, then I very well will procure one, as it is a nice overall pocket carry design that may serve well loaded with 124+P HST. I also welcome the extra few ounces since it will aid in control vs my current R9.
    Guess the search for the ideal pocket 9 will never end until such time Captain Kirk’s pocket phaser is available!

  • Sean

    Looking at MSRP to street values of Sig’s I see a pattern. Every one of their pistols sells for approximately 75% MSRP. Exceptions are the P250 (lower) and the P238 (higher) So this one should stabilize at around $400 street. For that kind of money, I see it luring PF9 and PM9 buyers which, IMO, is the target audience.

    Count me as one of them if it performs and the trigger isn’t horrible.

  • Brad

    Looks nice to me. One thing I can’t figure out is where the extra weight comes from. Comparing it to the 238, it weighs 33% more and has a polymer frame. All other dimensions are identical according to the sig site. Shouldn’t the polymer frame make it lighter, all other things being equal?

  • Betty Hamilton

    I can’t wait for this new arrival! Just bought the Kahr PM9 and the gun is so stiff I can’t rack the slide. Had to leave it at the gun store. This will be .2 longer in barrel length over my 238. Other dimensions exactly same as .238. If the slide is as still I’ll have to leave it at the gun store too.

  • Bill

    Can’t wait to take a look at the 290. I have a MK40 which I carry; call me old fashion but don’t really care for the polymers. Maybe I’ll change my mind with this Sig. I carry a 239 in 357 on fishing trips as a last ditch for hungry black bear or just to ease my mind. I really like my Sig but it is a bit much for everyday carry. No problems with the Kahr but just like Sigs better.

  • Steve

    Nice looking compact. Stopping power is fine and wildly overated. Most people want something that they can actually con ceal and carry realistixally, not some Dirty Harry Hollywood movie cannon. I’ll still take a Glock 26 over this, but it looks nice.

  • Mike Kole

    No way is the the Sig P290 size of the Rohrbaugh! I had a Rohrbaugh and got rid of it. It was just too complicated to disassembe and reassemble and I hated the trigger. Gander Mountain just got a bunch of the P290s and my local store had six of them. I just went to see one and possibly buy it. I normally carry a ParaOrd PDA .45 in my pocket and love the gun and caliber. Very seldom, when I really dont want to carry a gun, I carry the Ruger LCP with a laser. Sorry but the .380 just doesnt impress me and I would feel severely undergunned if I ever had to pull it out. So, the P290 sounded good. It’s better lookiing in person than in the pictures and the trigger is decent (certainly better than any of the micro .380s I have tried.) That’s the good stuff. It is MUCH bigger than a Rohrbaugh or the LCP. In fact, it is less than 1/2 inch shorter in height or length and just as wide as my full house .45 ParaOrd PDA. Hefting both together I really couldnt feel any appreciable difference in weight either. FYI, Gander Mountain is selling it for $699.99 with night sights and an extra set of grips that is labeled as “First Edition P290.”

    Also, in speaking to a friend who worked in the armory of a federal law enforcement agency and has done extensive forensic work on shooting cases, he tells me that using a 3″ barrel to launch either a .380 or a 9mm would create about the same results. His feeling is that it would take at least 4 or 5 inches of barrel to allow the 9mm to build up significantly greater velocity than the .380. Why bother with more bulk, cost and weight for an unnoticable difference in ballistics?

    I have a great deal of respect for Sig (except for the Mustang) but FOR ME I’ll stay with a caliber that begins with a 4 in a gun that is effectively the same weight and size. This is NOT an alternative to an LCP or .380s of that ilk!

  • JT

    Except…that 9mm ammo is plentiful and .380 ammo not so much. Even if the improvement in ballistics is negligible, you still get a gun that you can always find ammo for. You also have the benefit of it being designed around +P, so you could probably feed it surplus NATO ammo if that was the only thing available.

  • Mike Kole

    Good point, JT but, how much are you going to shoot a gun like this? For the size and weight I’d still go with a small, quality .45 (plenty of that available) of equal bulk and weight.

  • John Chung

    Mike I respect the position that your friend holds, but your friend needs to check his feelings at the door and look at the hard data. Chronographs have consistently shown 10% more velocity out of three inch barrels. Also, muzzle energy is about 15% higher.

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    Hey,

    Just got home from my favorite gun shop. Don’t know how he did it but he had a P290 Sig, two tone with night sights and I couldn’t pass it up. Got a Galco holster that fits it pretty well. Haven’t shot it yet as bad rain is here. Noticed the mag keeps popping out from the weapon carried in the galco rig. Got it loaded with H. critical defense, 115 grain. Its quite small but weighs more than my Ruger LC9. Don’t look for any problems as Sig is noted for credability. The grips on mine has Ist edition on them. Don’t like the slide stop release bar as its rather large. The rest of the weapon is very sleek. Hope it shoots well.

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    submit comment above regarding my purchase of the new sig p290.

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    Hey,

    Ref Sig P290 and price of $750.00. Mine is a two tone model with first edition grips plus regulat grips in the box. $650.00 out the door.

  • Mike Kole

    John, your 10% figure seems about right, which gives it (I’m guessing here) maybe 100 fps over a .380? That’s kind of my point. But my real feeling is, I can carry a ParaOrd PDA with .45 ACP ammo and a fantastic trigger just as easily as any of these new, smaller 9 mms. I admit to being a dinosaur and a prejudice for .45s, but it has saved my bacon several times since 1966 and i just don’t like fixing things that ain’t broke.

  • http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/ Steve (The Firearm Blog)

    David, sorry, this is not the place to ask off-topic questions.

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    Finally around to test firing the new Sig P-290. It shot well and recoil wasn’t bad. However after 2 shots a mis-hap. On the bottom of the frame is a small slit where you place the laser that comes extra. To fill this slit Sig put a small hard rubber plug. During the second shot with this weapon the plug came loose and went up into the spring rod destroying the rubber plug. Now I have a $650.00 weapon that has a hole in the frame near the muzzle. Sig knew this was going to happen as they comment in the manuel that you can fire this weapon without the laser plug in place, I don’t feel good about firing a weapon with a hole in the frame. This hole is very close to the business end of this weapon.Sig is noted for being a quality weapon. This is not good and I will call Sig product control this monday. They (sig) should have sealed this hole with something other than a rubber plug or simply sold this wepon with a permanet laser attached.

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    ref my earlier comment about the rubber laser plug coming loose and making it’s way to the spring guide rod where it was destroyed (.Sig P-290)

    I called my dealer about the situation and he commented to contact Sig who would send a pick-uo order. A gun that cost me $650.00 with a rubber plug to block a hole in the frame where the laser would go if you chose to send more money to get one. My gun has night sights so why would I want a laser? Has Sig started making toy guns for Martel and got the makings of a real gun mixed up with the toy rubber ones? I’ve had a number of Sigs in the past and they were quality weapons. No rubber parts. Oh well I got 2 shots out of this one—The world today.

    • mark

      The laser to me is a nice feature if someone breaks into your house that red beam should make them think twice!
      I got my in a kit with laser two mags holster for $489.00!
      Laser was free!

  • http://yahoo.com David J. Holland

    Contacted Sig quality control today and told them what occured with the rubber laser plug. They related mine was the first. They will send me a new rubber plug. I’m not putting it in until I sell this piece of you know what. Normally quality gun makers test fire their weapons prior to sending it to the dealer. You normally find a couple fired casings in the gun box to let you know it was tested at quality control. With this weapon they only related in writing the weapon in question (P-290) was examined and if problems contact quality control with a 1-888 number. No fired casings. If they had text fired it they would have seen what occured with the laser rubber plug. I took the weapon to a gun smith today, explained the problem and he shook his head, disassembled it and the marjority of the rubber plug was found inside the housing of the weapon where it was chewed up by the spring rod and barrel. Quality control???

    I’m a retired Secial Agent with CID, DOD. When we switched from the Colt wheel gun years ago we went with Sig. No problems. I continued police work for another 25 years and my back-up was a Sig. No proplems. ???

  • Sean Scott

    I recently bought a Sig Sauer p290 without the laser. Im looking for the laser now and am having a tough time finding it anywhere. Does anyone know where one can be found without buying the whole gun again?

    • shawn

      i just bought one with the laser, basically got the laser free as i did not want it. ill trade you the laser for the laser dust plug from your gun.

      • David

        I will trade you my dust plug for the laser if your still looking for one.

  • Mike Kole

    Sure, Scott. Amazon.com is a good source.

  • mark

    Like the gun a lot! got it in kit form holster, laser site, two mags $489.00!

    • http://n/a Carl

      Where did you buy your P290, how do you like the laser, and what kind of holster did you get? Like them all?