After three weeks on the road, about 36,000 shots fired by 90 or so students. I have some time at home, which will be devoted to writing. “Instructor” cap comes off, “gun writer” hat goes on. Ten or so guns will be tested in the coming days.
A couple of ‘em, I’ve already been running while “on the road” teaching. One was a P320, SIG’s new striker-fired pistol. It gave me a 300 out of 300 when I shot a pace-setter qualification with it for our Illinois class. If you’re testing a deer rifle for an outdoor sports magazine, you’ll want to go deer hunting with it; if you’re testing a combat pistol, well, you’ll want to shoot a “combat pistol course” with it to see how it performs. I spent a day carrying it; it rode perfectly in a Leather Arsenal inside the waistband holster made for a P250 the same length; no surprise, since the brilliant SIG engineer Ethan Lessard developed the P320 from the SIG P250 platform. The P320 in the full size configuration is not a small pistol, but it’s no trick to conceal a fairly large handgun if you know how.
If you’ve read many of my articles in the gun magazines, you’ve seen me refer to the “test team,” a group which varies depending on where I am when the gun is being tested. If you read my latest book, “Gun Digest Book of the SIG-Sauer, Second Edition” you saw the picture of me with designer Ethan Lessard, and the prototype P320 whose frame was marked “P250” because it was an early version photographed at the SIG factory in Exeter, NH before the final gun actually came out. Researching who developed the gun, and why, and how is part of the story, too. When I write a gun up for a magazine, it ain’t just me pullin’ the trigger and puttin’ holes in targets: there are small people and big people, lefties and righties, men and women, to see how the gun works for different potential users.
Sometimes I feel like Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence: my friends do the work, and I get the credit, and my friends like being “the first on their block” to test a new gun most others have only “heard announced on the Internet” but haven’t actually seen or touched. But, the fact is, it gives me a helluva lot more useful feedback to pass on to readers about how the given gun is gonna work for a wide variety of users.
Confession: teaching may be the most satisfying part of my job description, but testing is sometimes the most fun part.
Spoiler alert: No, the slightly higher bore axis of the SIG P320 doesn’t make it kick noticeably more than any similar 9mm pistol, and yes, you can shoot a perfect score with it out-of-the-box with 40-some people looking over your shoulder.
Might be a good gun but your targets look the same no matter what you’re shooting.
Mas, had I your job before I retired, I would not have retired. The travel may be a pain but being paid to do what you truly enjoy is such a blessing. By the way, I will gladly change my name to Ben Rogers and bring my own brush if you ever need another super-senior gun tester on your team.
I’m really curious about the new HK VP9. It’s getting excellent reviews and reminds me of a slightly smaller Steyr L9-A1.
Hope you’ll give us all your opinion on those two strikers next.
“and yes, you can shoot a perfect score with it out-of-the-box ”
You can. I never will, since my shooting skills are totally negligible.
Mas. the Sig is one of the few pistols I have never fired. I am one of those guys that when you say do you want to try it they better mean it because I have never turned down a chance to shoot anything that goes bang. Kind of hate to ask here on your blog but it is the only way I know of getting in touch with you. I am in the first steps of starting a gun talk radio show the name of it is The Guard Dogs. If you would be so kind as to give me a email address I could talk to you that would be awesome. My Email is Thughes706@comcast.net. I would love to have you on the show via Skype. I am a member of the Armed Citizen Legal Defense Fund and Marty has agreed to be on the show when we are up and running. We are looking to have our first show in the middle of August or the first of September. I know this is a cheap way of telling about The Guard Dogs but I know you have the power to allow this to be seen or not. Anyone interested in Listening can hear us on the web @ WTTIradio.com or on the apps Live 365 and Tunein. We are looking for advertisers on any level. Anyone looking to be the Studio Sponsor can shoot me an email at the above email address. Thanks Mas for letting me plug our Show and if you don’t allow it I understand that you don’t want to turn your blog into an advertising place.
Tony — No problem, I’ll be in touch by email. Good luck with the show!
Kevin — I like the feel of the M9A1, though my last one wasn’t as accurate off the bench as my first test sample years ago. Have a VP9 coming in this week for testing supposedly; stay tuned.
Rpger — You’ve hit on one reason why I ain’t retired yet. 🙂
“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” 🙂
Folks – there is a lesson for all of us on this site today. Read Mas’ words carefully – he is always open to anyone with questions about our gun culture – or opening a new avenue for someone to spread the word. His example should be ours.
I can attest to these facts: You don’t want to go against Mas in the courtroom, on competition range, be the bad guy, nor in the “ink”, but I haven’t met a more hospitable, compassionate, nor one more willing person to share helpful information, pointers, equipment and his vast experience with those who are the “good guys”. And that goes for the “Evil Princess” as well. Thanks you two! See you soon. the Rev, out!
Sig has, over the years, become my favorite semi-auto pistol. It’s double/single action trigger pull was always a stumbling block for some, but for me at least, it forced me to become a better shot by making me focus on a better grip to overcome the change from long trigger pull first shot to short single action pull follow up . This resulted in better accuracy for me with all my other other handguns. This, coupled with their early development and adaptation of the .357 sig. cartridge made it, what I believe is, the premiere defensive pistol. The .357 sig. has a surprisingly mild increase in recoil over the 9mm., much less than the the significant difference between a .38 spec. and .357 mag. This, coupled with flawless reliability, makes me a huge Sig fan.
I started withe the 226/9mm., traded it in on a 229/.357sig., and retired with a 239 single stack/.357sig which I still carry. I doubt that I will try any more striker fired pistols (got a glock, but it feels awkward in my hands), but I can understand folks desire for a consistent trigger pull.
Side note; Probably the best/worst pistol I’ve ever purchased was a Sig Mosquito .22 (actually made by Umerex). Worst because it had the grimiest trigger pull and was the most unreliable pistol I ever owned. Best because after some 50,000 rounds (God I miss cheap .22 ammo) it broke in and has become very reliable, and during the trip clearing malfunctions became automatic and afterwards, all other triggers seemed smooth as fresh churned butter.
The guy in the second pic looks familiar. Where have I seen him before?
Chris
Sig’s double stack pistols have never really fit my hands well, which is why I’m not a big Sig person. However, their 1911-style mouse guns (the P238 and the P938) I’m a HUGE fan of as BUGs for EDC or as primary for suit-carry (either on ankle or in pocket): full sized sights, reasonably good SA trigger, positive safeties, supremely excellent controllability, and tiny size. Sig really worked some magic with those guns. I sold my P238 to my physician (he’s a gun guy as well) after I got my P938 (which is only a few mm longer in overall length from the P238), b/c 9mm is simply better, cheaper, and more available than 380ACP.
Mas, when schedule allows, I plan on retaking MAG40 again when you’re back in Phoenix. I was part of the 2012 class and LOVED it, despite my otherwise dead-reliable Dan Wesson V-BOB suffering a rear sight failure on the qualifier-shooting day.
I think the double/single action pistols are an abomination. I suppose that if that is the only type pistol you use then you can train the muscle memory to respond properly.
My first type pistol was a Walther newly minted P-38. Second was a Smith M-39 (Junk) and finally a Sig. in 9mm. I can’t remember the model number except that it was heavy for caliber. It should have been in 40 S&W. For trigger pull a tuned 1911 can’t be beat.
Mas, you indeed have a wonderful job. I am sure that you have paid your dues to get where you are.
Thanks for the update, Sigs aren’t high on my list, but folks seem to like them. And I put you in the same class with Jerry Miculek, and the other top shooters, hand you a gun you’ve never seen and you’ll STILL shoot a perfect score with it. Muscle memory and training wins out every time.
No, Chris, the *correct* question is, “Who’s the blonde chick?” Tsk.
Roberta — damn, I would have said redhead.
Chris — you and I apparently BOTH need glasses. But you more than me.
Mas & Roberta – and here I was going to make a joke about arms and getting enough sun … whew, that was a close one. 😉
Looks like nobody took home the coveted $5 bill in THAT class!
Actually, Jeff, one guy did — Bob Houzenga, 6-time national champ, who was teaching with me. Beat me on tie-breaker by a good three-quarters of an inch on group size. He was shooting one of the 9mm 1911s he builds…sweet pistols. The man is a helluva shot AND a helluva pistol smith.
I am having a hard time understanding why there is very little, if any, written or even mentioned about the 2022 epically since it is a great shooting piece. It is the gun selected by the country of France for their police, Homeland Security and other forces choose it as their gun of choice. Why is it the “Black Sheep” of the family? I was thinking of the 320 as my next gun, but I am unsure as there may be limited information and or accessories available for it. I also have and use extensively the Mosquito .22. I was able to convert my 70’s hippy, anti-gun wife into an avid shooter with this gun. We shoot together now and she is showing more and more interest. She would like me to purchase her a 380 auto next. Back to my point – please publish something, anything on the 2022. Thank you.
Jim, the P320 has so far fit every holster for the P250 that I’ve tried it in, and should take the same magazines in the same caliber.
I, like you, always appreciated the SIG 2022 and that whole family of the SIG-Pro line. I think the problem was that it was their first “budget” gun and the buying public didn’t see it as having the BMW cachet of the standard line SIG pistols.
You’ll find a whole chapter on it in one of my books, “Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer, available from F-W Publishing, Amazon, or most Barnes & Nobles. The new second edition has only been out for a couple of months now.
Mas, in your new Sig book, do you cover the 938, if so where? I looked at its TOC at Amazon but saw no chapter on the 938. Thanks
John, I’m afraid the TOC is correct. While the P938 is mentioned in the book, it does not have its own dedicated chapter. The SIG line is just too broad to get in-depth treatment of every one of their pistols between the covers.
I have several of your books and buy all the ones I can find. I enjoy them all. Here in Colorado we have almost been Californicated, the full size 320 cannot be purchased as is in 9mm. Only in the carry model. I called the Sig factory to see if they made 15 rnd mags but they only make 10’s as of 8-7-14. Sounds like Ca. and NY. The .40 S&W and .357 Sig come with 14 rounders so they are legal. The 320 carry comes with 13 rnds are available here though.
Keep up the good writing and super shooting. You can inspire people to aspire. Sincerely,Allen Kunselman in Colorado
If the P320 is built from the same platform as the P250, why is it considered a different model? And, when you say platform, do you mean the “gun” part?
Eric, the P320 shares the P250’s general appearance, magazines, etc., but is striker-fired instead of hammer-fired as the P250 is, hence the different designation.