Like so many superlatives, "innovative" has lost its punch thanks to overuse by unimaginative and overly enthusiastic marketing campaigns. Like many people, I've become immune to such marketing hype. In fact, I am more inclined to dismiss over-hyped products out of hand on general principle than give them a fair shake. So when SIGARMS'' Paul Erhardt called to tell me about a new SIG offering that he called "the most innovative pistol ever," I listened but I was pretty skeptical. It's no secret that the rise in the number of states passing "shall issue" concealed carry laws and the changing face of law enforcement have created an ever-increasing demand for flexible firearms to fit shooters of every shape and size. Some manufacturers have dealt with this situation with quick fixes such as replaceable back straps, thin grips and short triggers, while others have ignored the problem altogether.

As the manufacturer of the second-most-issued line of duty pistols in America, SIGARMS was well aware of the problem. The company made some changes--more compact models, short triggers and the DAK trigger to accommodate shooters of smaller stature--but its engineers have been working on a better solution for quite some time. The new P250 is the fruit of those efforts, and I think it may represent the most innovative solution to date.

At first glance, the P250 looks like nothing more than a polymer-framed SIG. The polymer-grip module has checkered front and back straps, and the full-length dustcover has a Picatinny rail for attaching a light or laser. The trigger guard has a traditional SIG shape, even down to the serrated front for those misguided souls who choose to ride the trigger guard with the index finger of their support hand.

To enlarge this image of the SIGARMS PT250, please click HERE

The sides of the P250's grip have a stippled texture. Slight recesses in the frame, at the top of the grip, act as ambidextrous thumb rests. The back strap is slightly longer than the rest of the grip, but the length is the same around the circumference of the grip with a magazine inserted. The grip houses a reversible, triangular-shaped magazine release.

The P250's polymer frame is unusual because it is not really a frame at all. Rather, it serves as a grip, light-mounting platform and magazine well. The actual frame, or receiver, is a stainless steel sub-assembly that rides within the polymer grip frame. This is the part that is serialized and is what makes the P250 revolutionary.

SPECIFICATIONS SIGARMS PT250
MAKER:	SIGARMS
TYPE:	Locked-breech, double-action only semiauto
CALIBER:	9mm
CAPACITY:	15+1
BARREL LENGTH:	3.9 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	7.2 inches
WIDTH:	1.3 inches
HEIGHT:	5.2 inches
SIGHTS:	Three dot
GRIP:	Black polymer, replaceable grip frames
PRICE:	N/A

To get to the receiver, lock back the slide, rotate the disassembly lever and ease the slide forward off the grip frame. Then work the disassembly lever out of the gun. Once that's removed, grasp the front slide rail, pull back the hammer and lift the front half of the frame up and out. The rest will follow. The whole process takes less than 30 seconds.

The receiver is the heart of the P250. It contains the trigger, hammer, ambidextrous slide release (one on each side of the pistol), ejector and four tiny slide rails. The front rails measures .32 inch, and the back ones measure .4 inch on my digital calipers. The tiny rails were a bit unnerving, but they provided more than enough surface area to keep the P250's slide running smoothly.

With the receiver out, everything is completely exposed and easy to service. Only a small hammer and punch are required to disassemble the pistol completely, but most maintenance details can be handled without completely disassembling the gun. From there, you can swap grip frames and triggers to fit different shooters in a matter of seconds.