Range report
Briefly: Ehh. I remain underwhelmed by Sig-Sauer.
PRO: No malfunctions of any kind, with 200 rounds of Blazer Brass. Good hand-feel. Not bad single-action pull.
CON: Only 8+1 rounds of 9mm, DA/SA pull, high barrel axis=flip, DA pull is somewhat long and stiff with a less than crisp break.
In depth: The gun is just really big for what it is, which I knew when I bought it. Recoil is easily absorbed by the gun, though the muzzle does flip a little, due to the high barrel axis (I suspect this is a technique thing, too. A little more practice and I can probably minimize it). I gather that the general layout of the gun mimics that of the P220/226/229 (it seems similar to that of the 226 I eval'ed for my PD), and all controls are easily reached by the strongside hand, though the decocker is more easily actuated by the support-side thumb, a least for me (not a negative). The gun fits my hand well, slightly better than the 226.
The trigger is, well...underwhelming. I suspect that a smith could tweak it a bit, and I also wonder of the DAK trigger from the 226 or 229 will fit. The SA pull and break are perfectly acceptable. The DA pull is long and stiff, with a break that is less like a glass rod and more like rolling off of a log. The transition between the two is really annoying (I hated the difference between the DA and SA pulls on my 4506, too, though the 4506's trigger is worse than the 225's trigger in every respect). Accuracy was acceptable. I couldn't shoot the DA trigger very well, but I suspect that is a practice issue.
Fit and finish of the gun was what you would expect from a police trade-in. The internals looked like the gun had, maybe, 500 rounds through it. The exterior finish was holster-worn, but the gun had very few dings, scratches or dents, and absolutely no rust. GM had three 225s. The first one (stupidly, the one in the display case) looked like it had been dragged behind a truck. The slide's finish was worn to the white in places, and not just corners and other high-traffic areas, and the metal of both the slide and the frame had clearly been dented/scuffed/marred from dropping the gun (French Gendarmes, perhaps?). The second one had a beautiful slide, but the anodized frame was all chewed up. The one I selected had a decent frame and some moderate finish wear on the slide, but no dings. I selected this one because I will probably not ever re-finish the frame, I might well make the slide into a project...and if not, it's good enough.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a high quality plinker, trunk gun or a trainer for n00bs, this is a good buy. If you like the controls and trigger of the Sig classic series, it is probably an even better buy. I consider the gun to be inferior in every way to the BHP. Its closest cousin in my collection, in 9mm at least, would my HK P7. It is inferior in every way, IMO, to that gun as well. The P7 is smaller, of similar weight, holds more rounds, and has a far better trigger. I would absolutely feel well armed carrying this gun as a defensive pistol. It handles well, is reliable, and accurate.
Would I buy it again? No, probably not. I wanted to give he classic Sig layout another shot, since lots of people seem to love it. This was a way to do it on a budget. However, I'm not exactly in a hurry to sell it, either. I will probably use it as a trainer gun for new shooters, since it does fit your hand well, is light, recoil is very comfortable, and you can demonstrate the difference between DA and SA nicely. If you like the classic sig layout and feel, you'll probably love this gun.
Mike
