SIG Sauer P210 Carry Review: A Modern Classic
In this review we check out a modern take on a beloved classic pistol in the form of the Sig P210 Carry to see if it is worth the price.
USMC Veteran. Concealed Carry & NRA Pistol Instructor. 3-Gun Competitor. Career firearms writer
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Sig Sauer P210 Carry Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great trigger and sights
- Fantastic ergonomics
- Outstanding accuracy
Cons
- Low capacity
The Bottom Line
The P210 Carry is a great gun with a deceptive name. There are much more modern options that are lighter, more modular, and higher capacity that are better suited for carry. Even so, the P210 is an excellent gun that's fun to shoot, easy to shoot, reliable, and still carryable.
Sig Sauer P210 Carry Specs and Features
Specs
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Width: 1.5"
- Height: 5.3"
- Weight: 32 oz
- Barrel Length: 4.1"
- Overall Length: 7.1"
- Sights: SIGLITE Night Sights
- Capacity: 8+1
Features
- Siglite night sights
- Manual safety
- Comes with two magazines
- G10 grips
- Aluminum frame
The Sig P210 is a legendary gun in its own right. It's the Swiss 1911, basically, kind of, but not really.
Much like the 1911, this is a single-action only, single-stack pistol that saw military service for decades.
While there are plenty of differences between the 1911 and Sig P210, the biggest most will note is that the P210 is a 9mm.
Sig brought the P210 Classic back a few years ago and most recently introduced the P210 Carry. Think of it as the commander-sized version of the P210, but to be fair, it's more than a little different.
It's an odd gun, but Sig sent us one to test and review, so here we are!
Table of Contents
How We Tested the Sig Sauer P210 Carry
I've spent countless hours at the range evaluating the Sig P210 Carry for its ergonomics, range performance, and value. This includes running Winchester White Box & Forged ammunition as well as Remington 115-grain JHPs during testing.
Additionally, I shot at various distances out to 25 yards and ran through 10-10-10 and El Presidente drills to put the Sig P210 Carry through the paces.
Aside from that I've spent a lifetime shooting that started in a family that hunted every season they legally could. From there, I joined the United States Marine Corps and spent five years as an infantryman. In the middle of my Marine Corps career, I began writing and have never stopped.
Sig P210 Carry Background
The original P210 served as a European police and military pistol for decades. It was renowned for its accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability and even served Olympic shooters due to these qualities.
Denmark and Switzerland issued the P210 for decades, and the weapon was used by Latvia and Monaco as well.
In the United States, original P210s were as rare as hen's teeth. Luckily, Sig brought the series back in 2010 as the Legend and later the P10A, P210 Target, and P210 Carry.
With the P210 Carry, we get a different variation of the classic 9mm pistol: a trimmer, slimmer model. It's not as large as the P210 variants and packs some modern features that help take the gun out of the 1940s.
Who Is This For?
While you can most certainly carry it, the P210 Carry is still a bit behind the times. It's not a bad gun, but the low capacity and high weight make it tough to say it would be a great carry gun.
I think for most people, the P210 Carry just serves as a P210 with modern features. It is an uncommon gun that offers shooters an experience they can't exactly find anywhere else.
The P210 Carry modernizes a classic, elegant platform for those who want to carry a nice gun that is a bit more practical than the Target model.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
Europeans and metal frame 9mms will always have some magical place in my heart. How they can make their guns so ergonomic is beyond me.
No insult guns like the S&W 1st-3rd gen semi-autos, but the Europeans make a much more comfortable gun.
Sig's P210 delivers an incredibly svelte grip that only a single-stack magazine can provide. Your hand fits just perfectly around it.
The big beavertail gives you a nice high grip on the gun, squeezing it down into your hand quite nicely. A higher grip equals more control, and who doesn't want more control?
A single-action-only design means the trigger is set back and easy to reach. Wraparound G10 grips provide a nice textured surface that makes it easy to manage recoil.
Controls
In the controls department, we got a big everything — big safety, big slide release, and big magazine release. Each is placed close to the thumbs for easy engagement. The safety, in particular, delivers an impressive 1911-like feel.
I've got these big meaty hands, and Sigs, in particular, have this slide release that my thumb eternally pins down. This is one of the few Sigs where this isn't an issue.
A big magazine release makes it easy to eject the empty and toss in another eight-round magazine, which can be valuable for a gun that only holds eight rounds.
Sadly, the modernizations didn’t yield an optics-ready model. However, we do get some excellent SIGLITE night sights that are very bright and easy to see in all light conditions.
How Does the SIG Sauer P210 Shoot?
Easy. That's the best way to describe how the P210 Carry shoots.
Anytime you have a metal framed 9mm handgun, you get that low recoil experience. If you've shot a CZ 75, you know what to expect for the P210.
A smooth and light recoil impulse that gives you a slight bump of the sights between shots. It's charming, and the ergonomics and low recoil make the gun fun to shoot and easy to control.
New shooters will most certainly appreciate its shooting characteristics. There is no slide or hammer bite to contend with, and the overall experience of the P210 going bang is easy and light.
Sig P210s are known for their accuracy. Helping this is a smooth single-action trigger that makes it easy to fire the gun without disturbing the sights. Most guns are mechanically more accurate than any shooter, so what makes a gun accurate is its ability to minimize human error.
The light recoil lends itself to accurate shooting, especially when it comes to rapid fire. I'm an average shot, and with the P210, I could nail an 8-inch gong repeatedly and even keep it swinging at 25 yards.
With some slower, more controlled fire, I could almost always hit a 2-inch gong at 25 yards from a standing offhand position. Shooting an all-black 10-10-10 drill wasn’t much of a challenge, either.
I decided to try the classic El Presidente drill from low ready with a par time of eight seconds instead of ten due to the lack of a holster. I shot the drill right around seven seconds flat, with a slight increase the couple of times I fumbled the reload.
The bulk of my shooting was done with cheap Winchester Forged ammo, and I had zero malfunctions. The best accuracy was achieved with some Remington 115-grain JHPs, which also fed flawlessly.
I did suffer eight failures to fire from one box of Winchester white box, but I tried the same ammo in a Glock later, and it wouldn't fire either; definitely on the ammo there.
9mm Ammo in Stock
What Sets the P210 Carry Apart
It's a classic cool type of firearm. It's a modern revival of a weapon that American audiences don't have a ton of experience with.
The P210 Carry delivers a high-quality, premium experience in a form factor that is slightly smaller than the original.
You get a bit more modern take on the platform without having to deface or chop up an original P210.
By the Numbers By the Numbers
Accuracy
5/5
Reasoning: For a gun with only iron sights, it really tops the charts in terms of accuracy. The P210 Carry is super easy to shoot accurately and can be fired accurately and quickly.
Reliability
5/5
Reasoning: No problems with even the worst ammo I can throw at it.
Customization
1/5
Reasoning: Uhm, not much here. Not many holsters, no rails, or optic compatibility. There isn’t much you can do here.
Ergonomics
5/5
Reasoning: The P210 is built to be shot and comfortable. A nice grip length, size, and width make it super comfortable in my mind. The huge controls are easy to reach and access. It scores high in the ergonomics department.
Value
3/5
Reasoning: It’s a great gun, a premium-made option with a premium price. The only real problem is that it doesn’t excel in any particular role.
Overall
4/5
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Sig P210 Carry Upgrades u0026 Accessories
Hoppe’s No. 9 Gun Cleaning Kit
Walker’s Razor Slim Muffs
Mechanix Wear Gloves
Final Verdict
The P210 Carry is an awesome gun. It's fun to shoot and provides excellent ergonomics with low recoil.
The classic P210 design still holds up, and I'd love to see Sig push it even further...maybe optics-ready models in the future?
What do you think of the P210 Carry? Is it for you? Do you have any experience with one? Let us know in the comments below! Love slick, good-looking guns? Check out our article on the Modern Best BBQ Guns!
Latest Updates
April 10, 2024: Added how we tested the Sig P210 Carry.
March 1, 2024: Added Pros & Cons and included more data on how we tested the Sig Sauer P210 Carry.