Bought Sig Sauer 290RS 9mm

[doddg]

I went to the range today to shoot my new used Ruger LC9 (no s) that I bought from an individual for $250 (he'd had it 3 yrs.), and it did admirably.
I was going to buy a LC9s at Marksman Shooting Academy (where I go to the range) for $275, but they closed early Monday before July 4th, and I found one here online that I bought that evening.
I had bought the previous week (or two) a Taurus PT709 Slim and was using it out on the range last Monday along with a few other guns I rented (all small 9 mms).

After going to the range today, I stopped by Hoosier Armory to take a look at whatever they might have gotten in used, just for fun.

My wife is going ballistic b/c I have bought since May: Charter Arms 38 5 shot snubbie SS ($250 @ Marksman); Taurus .357 ($275 off individual); Ruger GP100 .22 10 shot SS ($600 @ Hoosier Armory); Taurus PT709 Slim 9mm ($180 @Marksman); and the Ruger LC9 ($250 off individual).

I haven't sold anything yet except the Taurus .357 and I am supposed to do so since I don't need multiple 9mm; I'm just having fun.

Well, today, when I stopped by Hoosier Armory they happen to have gotten in on trade a Sig Sauer 290RS, with SS slide, and some sweet sights (night I think). It was heavier than the Ruger LC9 (a negative for me), but it was shorter (a positive) but it was wider (negative).

I had no intention of buying another 9 mm right now and plan to keep the Ruger LC9 and sell the Taurus PT709 Slim, but b/c the asking price was $299, which was better than the XD used for $399 (which I would not buy).

I knew that anyone would knock off 10ish% or $25 right off the bat.
He said would $275 help, and I said yes, but not enough to buy now b/c I had bought two 9mm in just a week.
He humorously asked me why I wasn't being faithful to him since I had told him of buying the other 2 guns recently (I'd bought the Ruger GP100 .22 off him previously), and I said b/c he didn't have what I wanted in used guns, ha!

I told him $250 is what would cause me to pull the trigger, and he said he'd check to see what he had in it.
Then he asked if my $250 offer included taxes and I said, "No," and he said he didn't need to look, he could do it for that.

So, this is what I get for looking w/o a need, but a compact Sig Sauer was on my list, like a Kahr, and Shield, and it had some SS on it, which I am drawn to like .................

I'm going to do my research b/c I look everyday here and on Armslist, but a Sig for $250 is sweet as far as I knew, and they sell for $430 new at Hoosier Armory, which I use as my benchmark for gun prices.

Also, like Taurus, I was told Sig Sauer stands behind their guns and you can send them in for them to fix if there is a problem: that was the clincher for me.
That's why I bought the Taurus 709 Slim even though I get negative comments about Taurus here in the forum, but since Chris will help me do the paper work if I need to send it back for fixing: sweet deal.
In fact, in the 3000 guns he's sold since being open, he had sent less Taurus back than other brands, so I was willing to take a chance on it.
Getting the Ruger for $70 more was a nice upgrade, and getting the Sig for the same money as the Ruger seems awesome to me, but I'm a newbie, just learning.

 

[Ggreen]

I loved my sig 290rs in 380. It was the only 380 that I ever felt I truly enjoyed shooting and the factory included holster that rode high and outside the waistband is my standard for holsters now. I have been debating picking up a 9mm version as a carry gun but I just don't know. The wonderful thing about buying a sig used is the ability to send it into the factory and have it reconditioned for a very reasonable fee. I cant recall the exact price now, but I feel better buying a used sig than just about anything else. Good choice and it will slay that 709, I'm not a Taurus hater my first pistol was a pt1911 but you have definitely stepped up.

You will have to spend some time at the range learning how to shoot a double action only pistol. The pull is extremely heavy and can really create some off the mark shots. The 290rs has a long heavy pull but it is extremely smooth and in practiced hands will do everything you could ever want it to do. The double action only makes for a lot more fatigue than lighter striker fired or double/single action so it probably won't be your favorite all day range gun but the practice and experience with it will make you extremely confident with it for every day carry.

You can never have to many 9mm, ammo is cheap, recoil is easy, and there are so many different roles for pistols I could never settle on just one in 9mm at least. (Carry gun, Comp gun, Pretty gun, Fun gun, Range gun, just because gun)

 

[doddg]

I loved my sig 290rs in 380. It was the only 380 that I ever felt I truly enjoyed shooting and the factory included holster that rode high and outside the waistband is my standard for holsters now. I have been debating picking up a 9mm version as a carry gun but I just don't know. The wonderful thing about buying a sig used is the ability to send it into the factory and have it reconditioned for a very reasonable fee. I cant recall the exact price now, but I feel better buying a used sig than just about anything else. Good choice and it will slay that 709, I'm not a Taurus hater my first pistol was a pt1911 but you have definitely stepped up.

You will have to spend some time at the range learning how to shoot a double action only pistol. The pull is extremely heavy and can really create some off the mark shots. The 290rs has a long heavy pull but it is extremely smooth and in practiced hands will do everything you could ever want it to do. The double action only makes for a lot more fatigue than lighter striker fired or double/single action so it probably won't be your favorite all day range gun but the practice and experience with it will make you extremely confident with it for every day carry.

You can never have to many 9mm, ammo is cheap, recoil is easy, and there are so many different roles for pistols I could never settle on just one in 9mm at least. (Carry gun, Comp gun, Pretty gun, Fun gun, Range gun, just because gun)

1. Thanks for your comments: they really make me feel confident about jumping on this even when the timing was poor for me.
2. The 709 is gone in my mind when I bought the Ruger LC9, it will be interesting to see what I decide between the Ruger and the Sig.
3. I just hope a Walther PPS or CCP, or a Glock 43, or a Kahr CW9 doesn't become available before I can at least get the 709 sold.
4. The Shield, also, but those should be selling used for way under what some are trying to sell them for. People were claiming to buy them for $225-$250 (with the rebate) but I see them asking for up to $400????????
5. I have gotten enough feedback that the Taurus was low in the pecking order, but I'm not sure if the Kahr is on the top end or if all the others are all about equal.
6. The "X" factor is those manufacturers who will stand behind their guns, making them a more secure buy for a novice in case there is a problem.

 

[SpartanHD]

The nice thing is the Sig is yours now and paid for. There is normally always a bit of a squeeze after a gun purchase and definitely after you buy 3 that quick. I did the same thing purchasing and string of weapons and now I have to chill a bit and recover the funds. However, will be worth it bc the collection is growing and I try not to sell anything. In a few months I will repeat the process. It's only money and I can't take it with me.

 

[doddg]

The nice thing is the Sig is yours now and paid for. There is normally always a bit of a squeeze after a gun purchase and definitely after you buy 3 that quick. I did the same thing purchasing and string of weapons and now I have to chill a bit and recover the funds. However, will be worth it bc the collection is growing and I try not to sell anything. In a few months I will repeat the process. It's only money and I can't take it with me.

Thanks for feeling my pain! My wife doesn't even know about the Sig yet; she hasn't recovered from the Ruger yet!
On Armslist I saw a Baretta Nano for $300 that I wonder if I should pursue? (new for $400 at Hoosier Armory, my benchmark for gun prices).
There was also a Kahr CW9 for $290 that I'm even more interested in (new for $290 and $340 at Hoosier Armory, I don't know why the same model can have multiple prices, so hard to compare apples to apples to apples).

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What's your goal?

 

[tcecil88]

The P290RS I had was a good gun, a little heavy but a solid gun. Price was good and it came with the laser. Mags are expensive for what you get, but you pay more for the name than anything else.

 

[doddg]

What's your goal?

1. Total reliability: no FTF
2. Light and small: as close to size as my beloved Colt Mustang .380 that I have has since 1990 (I haven't carried in 25 yrs., though.
3. This is for a small pocket carry gun, not home protection (have .38)

 

[doddg]

The P290RS I had was a good gun, a little heavy but a solid gun. Price was good and it came with the laser. Mags are expensive for what you get, but you pay more for the name than anything else.

1. It is heavier than I would like and I don't think it will end up being my "last" gun, but just one on my journey since I'm having fun.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

1. Total reliability: no FTF
2. Light and small: as close to size as my beloved Colt Mustang .380 that I have has since 1990 (I haven't carried in 25 yrs., though.
3. This is for a small pocket carry gun, not home protection (have .38)

No, not what are you looking for in a gun. What's YOUR goal? To have a collection of inexpensive guns? Self-defense? To get good at shooting? Play time at the range?

 

[doddg]

No, not what are you looking for in a gun. What's YOUR goal? To have a collection of inexpensive guns? Self-defense? To get good at shooting? Play time at the range?

1. Sorry, ha!
2. the 9mm is for cc., a step up from my beloved Mustang .380
3. I have a .38 for home (I would carry one if it was small enough, and yes, I have the NAA .22 magnum).
4. No range time (except for occasionally), can't have a collection, need to decide which one to keep as a cc. (wife already going nuts with my renewed interest in guns since 1990).
5. Perhaps either my Ruger LC9 or Sig 290RS is sufficient.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Then your actions aren't inline with your goals. Right now you're buying a host of different guns with different sight, different triggers, different grip angles, different controls, etc. You are accumulating a collection of inexpensive guns and rotating through them rapidly, which will prevent you from getting good with any of them. Not to mention the host of support equipment like spare magazines and a quality holster you actually need for carry and enough practice to be proficient.

If your goal is actually carry for self-defense, stop buying a ton of different stuff. Buy two copies of the same gun. Shoot one enough to vet it as functional with your chosen carry ammo. Use the other for range trips for practice and training. It will also be your spare in case the first one is actually used and ends up in the property room as evidence for awhile (which will happen even if it's a good shoot). Get some training and practice enough with that gun you can run it subconsciously. Then worry about different types of guns.

I still recommend the Shield, but whatever. The LC9 is probably a reasonable choice as well. The 290RS is a stiff trigger in a small gun with a small blocky grip. I think you'll find it difficult to shoot well compared to a Shield or the LC9. Just buy something and get good with it instead of flailing around with "what's the best inexpensive gun". With what you've spent, you could have two shields, 1,000 rounds of practice ammo, and a few hours of training with someone like Coach. What you actually have is a disparate collection of cheap guns.

 

[doddg]

Then your actions aren't inline with your goals. Right now you're buying a host of different guns with different sight, different triggers, different grip angles, different controls, etc. You are accumulating a collection of inexpensive guns and rotating through them rapidly, which will prevent you from getting good with any of them. Not to mention the host of support equipment like spare magazines and a quality holster you actually need for carry and enough practice to be proficient.

If your goal is actually carry for self-defense, stop buying a ton of different stuff. Buy two copies of the same gun. Shoot one enough to vet it as functional with your chosen carry ammo. Use the other for range trips for practice and training. It will also be your spare in case the first one is actually used and ends up in the property room as evidence for awhile (which will happen even if it's a good shoot). Get some training and practice enough with that gun you can run it subconsciously. Then worry about different types of guns.



I still recommend the Shield, but whatever. The LC9 is probably a reasonable choice as well. The 290RS is a stiff trigger in a small gun with a small blocky grip. I think you'll find it difficult to shoot well compared to a Shield or the LC9. Just buy something and get good with it instead of flailing around with "what's the best inexpensive gun". With what you've spent, you could have two shields, 1,000 rounds of practice ammo, and a few hours of training with someone like Coach. What you actually have is a disparate collection of cheap guns.

1. I don't care about different sights, triggers, or grips, only reliability; any of the guns I have shot are fine to me as far as those things go.
2. I'm not buying a holster, this will be a pocket gun. After I settle on one, then I might get a holster for inside the pocket if just to hide the profile.
3. I'm not trying to get "good" with any of them; I realize that being a good shot on the range has little or no correlation to a real-time defense situation where it is just close quarters and rapid fire.
4. I am not going for quick-draw situations; I'll never spend the time to develop those skills.
5. I will draw my weapon only when a person won't stop beating me, though now that I'm not 34 anymore, but 64, that will be quicker than in the past.
6. I will not end up with a collection of cheap guns. I will decide which one I want to keep and sell the rest. I have the luxury to do so. It is a convenience to buy them and decide and I am having fun b/c I lead a boring life and this has added a distraction that is welcome among the arthritis and other maladies with age.
7. Your 2nd paragraph is spot-on. Excellent advice. You bring up things I would never even think of in my inexperience: thanks for taking the time for this newbie!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Take this however you will. Right now you don't know what you don't know. I've investigated a ton of robberies, shootings, and stabbings. You're doing what a lot of us did early on, chasing hardware. The hardware is largely irrelevant until you have the software on board. You don't get to pick your gunfight. You don't know if you'll be in a "quick draw" situation, but I've yet to talk to anyone who wished they were slower. You're going to pocket carry for when someone is beating you? Pocket carry is great in a few circumstances. When someone is entangled with you isn't one of them. "Close quarters and rapid fire" sounds like spray n pray to me, and people do miss at arm's length because of it. If you don't want to train or practice, that's on you. It will probably never matter because you will probably never be called on it. However if you're serious about self defense, think about what you just said. I want to carry a gun to protect my life...but I can't be bothered to practice. I'll just wing it with my life on the line.

All of this is why I suggest you get training before even worrying about which of the host of guns you've bought is "the right one". Then you can go somewhere and rent a host of different guns (Parabellum, Point Blank, Indy Trading Post, etc.)

 

[doddg]

Take this however you will. Right now you don't know what you don't know. I've investigated a ton of robberies, shootings, and stabbings. You're doing what a lot of us did early on, chasing hardware. The hardware is largely irrelevant until you have the software on board. You don't get to pick your gunfight. You don't know if you'll be in a "quick draw" situation, but I've yet to talk to anyone who wished they were slower. You're going to pocket carry for when someone is beating you? Pocket carry is great in a few circumstances. When someone is entangled with you isn't one of them. "Close quarters and rapid fire" sounds like spray n pray to me, and people do miss at arm's length because of it. If you don't want to train or practice, that's on you. It will probably never matter because you will probably never be called on it. However if you're serious about self defense, think about what you just said. I want to carry a gun to protect my life...but I can't be bothered to practice. I'll just wing it with my life on the line.

All of this is why I suggest you get training before even worrying about which of the host of guns you've bought is "the right one". Then you can go somewhere and rent a host of different guns (Parabellum, Point Blank, Indy Trading Post, etc.)

1. I hear you.
2. Sounds like I should be thinking instead of shooting.
3. I haven't carried for over 3 decades, and I have been wanting to get my permit again for a decade and never got around to it.
4. I thought that I was doing good by getting my permit again, buying a great .22 for the range (Ruger GP100), and then I got the idea of getting something besides my old .380 for a cc.
5. Getting training is a common theme and I know it to be of great value.
6. My best friend who is an avid hunter took a carry course in AZ to get his cc and learned much.

 

[sharpetop]

Listen to BehindBlueI's ! The stores he mentioned have rentals available plus classes when you decide what you like in a shooting iron. Get the software right and the hardware is easy.

 

[mcapo]

I have to echo what BehindBlueI's says; though I am much less qualified to render an opinion than he is. While I am a somewhat impulsive collector of firearms that say Smith and Wesson; my CCW has been a Sig P938 and/or a Shield for years. I have 1000's of rounds through each. Nearly every time I'm at the range, I try to run a magazine or two.

Nothing wrong with collecting firearms of whatever price range you desire; but when it comes to a carry gun, stick with one that is a familiar as pulling out and using, um, your wallet. If not, don't carry it.

BTW: You'll find a couple of S&W Shields in 45 acp on the S&W forum for $265....you won't beat that deal - though your wife may beat you up...

 

[Butch627]

If you love your Mustang why are you not shooting a p938? You seem obsessed with your formula for pricing guns and I am sure that a 938 does not fall in line with that process but it seems to me that a 938 is what you should have looked at first.

 

[doddg]

If you love your Mustang why are you not shooting a p938? You seem obsessed with your formula for pricing guns and I am sure that a 938 does not fall in line with that process but it seems to me that a 938 is what you should have looked at first.

1. Thanks for the recommendation; I wrote it down on my list.
2. It could be last on my list as I move up the ladder from other guns.
3. I have been limited to what small guns that the range at Tim's Shooting in Westfield had to shoot and used guns at Marksman Shooting and what has been recommended here, and this is the first I've heard of it.

 

[doddg]

I have to echo what BehindBlueI's says; though I am much less qualified to render an opinion than he is. While I am a somewhat impulsive collector of firearms that say Smith and Wesson; my CCW has been a Sig P938 and/or a Shield for years. I have 1000's of rounds through each. Nearly every time I'm at the range, I try to run a magazine or two.

Nothing wrong with collecting firearms of whatever price range you desire; but when it comes to a carry gun, stick with one that is a familiar as pulling out and using, um, your wallet. If not, don't carry it.

BTW: You'll find a couple of S&W Shields in 45 acp on the S&W forum for $265....you won't beat that deal - though your wife may beat you up...

1. A .45 acp?
2. I didn't see that recommendation coming.
3. Moving up to a 9 mm seemed to be the improvement from a .380