Does anything compare to a P210?

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BoogieMan

New member
My son has a CZ that is a great, accurate, affordable gun that uses the reverse rail slide. Pretty sure the only other thing it shares with a P210 is the cartridge, 9mm.
I have always heard that the P210 is the finest production SA made in terms of accuracy. What else is in that class? Are there any P210 clones?
 
The S&W Model 952 is right there with it when you are talking about a production pistol. Both will out shoot 99.9999% of pistol shooters.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/archive-model-952

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The P210 is a great gun and has a cult like following. I have a regular one, a 50th Anniversary Edition, and a Silver Legend. When you ask if anything compares to it, you need to be more specific.

In terms of accuracy, many guns can be tuned to be as accurate, if not even more accurate. Few stock guns are MORE accurate, unless you get into semi-custom guns such as higher end 1911s.

In terms of trigger, the P210 has a nice crisp trigger with little take up. Again, many guns can be tuned or have trigger jobs so that they are better than a stock P210. Keep in mind that the P210 was meant as a duty weapon and not a target pistol (with the exception of certain models). As a stock duty weapon, the P210 has a great trigger. I have some 1911s with triggers that have shorter and lighter pulls.

In terms of history and significance, the P210 is up there. Other significant guns include the Luger P-38, H&K's P7M8, Browning Hi-Power. The 1911 is also arguably on that list as well, but they are still currently produced and run the gamut from super cheap to super expensive.

I would say the P210 is like a very nice classic car. They are great pistols with historical significance and command a hefty premium ($2,000+ for decent condition). You can get a gun that shoots as well (if not better) for close to the same money.
 
I don't have a P210 or a 952, but it's hard for me to picture something being much more precise than my Dan Wesson PM-9.
 
@Stephen426- thank you for that concise reply. That is exactly the answer I was looking for. The legend of the P210 as I have heard it has made it out to be something other than a fantastic service gun. You put it in the right perspective for me.
 
I have a nice SACM 1935A that supposedly the Sig P210 borrowed the modular feature from. While it is accurate, I am sure it does not compare to a P210.

 
The S&W Performance Center 952, and the S&W Performance Center 945 (.45 ACP) rank right up there with the SIG P-210 and a Bullseye Gun built by Evolution Gunworks (EGW) back in the days when they built complete comp guns, as THE most accurate center-fire semiautomatic guns I have ever personally tried out, a P-210 chambered in .30 Luger is probably capable of slightly finer accuracy than the 9mm, although few of these ever made it stateside. Suffice it to say that all of these were much more accurate than I was ever capable of showing on a target!
 
The Sig P210 is also back in production.
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It would be more complete to say that a pistol based on the original Swiss Sig P-210 is now being manufactured by the German company/factory known as Sig-Sauer.

A subtle distinction, but if a man is considering a purchase, he will want to know.
 
I'd put the HK USP Elite up against the p210 or any other production pistol. They lock up tight and consistent. A very precise and well made gun.
 
@BoogieMan,
Glad to be of assistance. There are a lot of very nice shooting guns with great triggers that are more accurate than most of us can shoot. The Pardini GT series and Benelli B76 are a few other interesting guns that are known to be great shooters. Hopefully BAC1023 will chime in here. His collection is the nicest I've seen on The Firing Line.

Like I said, a lot of guns can be tuned to be great shooters. A Honda Civic can be stripped down and heavily modded to blow the doors off of most Ferraris. You need to decide what aspects you are most interested in. I believe they can be sound investments if you pick one up at a decent price and take good care of it.

@Model12Win,
Yes, Sig Sauer brought back the P210 as the Legend and even addressed some of the issues with the original model, namely adding a larger beaver tail to avoid hammer bite, and changing the European style mag release for the American style mag release. I'm sure the tolerances are just as good, but it lacks some of the "history" of the original P210. There is a reason why Vintage Rolexes can command a strong premium over brand new Rolexes even though they are technically the same model line. The other thing is I believe that the new P210s are no longer being imported into the US.

Roco System is probably the preeminent dealer of P210s in the US. Their website is currently down for remodeling, but you should call them if you are really interested in a P210.
 
The H&K P7 series can sometimes compete favorably with the P-210 as a super-accurate duty pistol. The SIG P226 X-5 series can give the P-210 a good run for it's money, too, especially the SA models with adjustable triggers. Some of the top-end CZ may come close, too. As noted above, a lot of guns can probably match a P-210, and most of them will have higher capacities and may even be more friendly to the user. And they'll all cost you a LOT!! But they are unique and marvelous guns.

[I had a P-210-6 for a few years and an equally nice S&W 52-2. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but accuracy was great That said, most of my guns can shoot far better than I can -- when in the hands of others. :(]
 
Yes, Sig Sauer brought back the P210 as the Legend and even addressed some of the issues with the original model, namely adding a larger beaver tail to avoid hammer bite, and changing the European style mag release for the American style mag release. I'm sure the tolerances are just as good, but it lacks some of the "history" of the original P210. There is a reason why Vintage Rolexes can command a strong premium over brand new Rolexes even though they are technically the same model line. The other thing is I believe that the new P210s are no longer being imported into the US.
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To run with this analogy a bit, imagine that you have always wanted a Rolex Submariner watch, and you are finally ready to make a purchase. You find out that the Submariner watch is now made by the "Rolex-Montblanc" company (and is labeled as such), which incidentally happens to be located in Montblanc's factory in Germany. They swear the new version is at least as good as the classic Rolex Submariner, though, and there don't seem to be an unusual number complaints from customers. However, you also note they have recently stopped importing them to the USA...
 
I have a 952 Smith and it is very accurate. Never owned a P210 but I heard nothing but good things about them. I shot a lot of matches in the past and I don't recall seeing many P210s but there were not that many 952s either for that matter. There are still some reasonable priced very accurate pistols sold. I bought a Sig P220 Match Elite and it can literally tear one ragged hole at 25 yards. I don't know if they all do that but mine will. YMMV

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Well, you got Swiss P210s, you got German P210s, and you are fixing to get an American P210. Probably have to specify what you are shooting.

My P210-6 is accurate, but it has a lot of 1950 quirks that later guns (including outsourced P210s) have gotten away from.

A friend tried hard to like the S&W 952 for its sensuous single stack grip, but the PPC-9 was more accurate.

The H&K P9S Sport is accurate, but does not thrill with cosmetics and conventional indicators of quality. As Jeff Cooper said, they made them out of plastic and sheet metal and plowed the savings back into the elaborate roller breech.

As Stephen says, BAC1023 has a lot of unusual high end guns, look for The Rug.
 
My Sig X-Five 9mm is my bench-mark for most accurate pistol. I am more accurate with it than I am with my custom STI 2011 frame compensated 45; Colt Gold Cup, Tanfoglio stock 10mm, and fixed barrel Steyr GB 9mm - all of which are exceptionally accurate guns. I don't have a P210, so I can't compare the X-Five to it.

I'm going to also mention the Star Megastar. Not because it is as finely made as the P210 or as accurate. But, because it has an interesting modular fire-control pack or packs, actually. Just an interesting design.
 
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I would venture to say that a well made 1911 could compete with one, in a viced/ransom rested test.
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No doubt. The P210 tended to come with 1.5" - 2" groups on their factory test targets, shot from 50 meters. Les Baer offers a 1.5" accuracy guarantee for certain 1911's, so there's nothing exactly supernatural about the accuracy -- it can certainly be done if you are willing to pay for it. The appeal (I think) is in the way the whole package comes together with accuracy, build-quality, long-lasting durability, and top-notch reliability as well.
 
I agree with a match grade 1911 shooting very well. My 952 Smith and Wesson can do a 5-shot group @ 50 yards in the 1.25" range with the right ammo. A good 1911, as mentioned, is in the same range.
 
The P210 is about the peak when it comes to build quality, accuracy and historical legacy as a combination. For pure performance, though, I feel there are some modern designs that surpass it, and most have been mentioned: the 952 and PPC9, P9S Sport Groups, MAB PAP F1, Pardini GT9, and SIG X5/X6. Tuned Berettas with barrel bushings and 9mm USP Elites can also hold their own. These guns' mechanical accuracy plus improved ergonomics and features make them P210-beaters in my book.
 
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