Question on a sig P238...

[Derek]

Has anyone spent some time with one of these? Looking at picking one up as a daily carry...I need something really slim and small, but I prefer something with a little more substance than polymer. Ive heard the LCP and kel tecs arent very comfortable to shoot....not im not looking for a great range pistol, but if im going to spend more than 500, i would like it to at least be pleasant. If anyone has any experience with them, id love to hear some feedback. pros, cons, etc. or, if i should skip it and just save up for a colt new agent.

Thanks!

[Hershmeister]

I have both an LCP and a 238. The 238 wins every time. Single action makes it way easier to shoot, and it just is better built.

[Derek]

I have both an LCP and a 238. The 238 wins every time. Single action makes it way easier to shoot, and it just is better built.

Thanks hershmeister!! I havent been able to handle a 238 yet, Ive manhandled a few mustangs though. the 1911-ish build and trigger really appeal to me. so, bottom line.....worth the money?

[Smith]

Thanks hershmeister!! I havent been able to handle a 238 yet, Ive manhandled a few mustangs though. the 1911-ish build and trigger really appeal to me. so, bottom line.....worth the money?

Yes. Several guys in the store have LCPs/P3ATs and 238's. They take the 238's to the range and run 200-300 rounds at a time through them. You won't do that with an LCP/P3AT. The price is worth it.

Edited November 2, 2011 by Smith

[Derek]

Yes. Several guys in the store have LCPs/P3ATs and 238's. They take them to the range and run 200-300 rounds at a time through them. You won't do that with an LCP/P3AT. The price is worth it.

this is what i needed to hear. I need a bit of convincing before a purchase hahaha. Appreciate the input smith.

[Guest spoolie]

My pf9 is in the safe to stay...my P238 is in my left pocket daily.

[Guest FiddleDog]

I'd save up for the new agent, myself...

[Erik88]

I had one of the early p238's that I absolutely loved but it just wasn't reliable. I have heard that Sig addressed the issue with a new recoil spring and since then they are a much more reliable firearm. I was planning on buying another one until I heard that Sig is about to release the same gun in 9mm. That will be worth the wait to me.

[Midnight Smoker]

I've got a LCP, and truly hate it. I can't bring myself to sell it yet, because I have nothing of it's size to replace it with, or the money for a sig lol. But have shot a 238 a few times, and it's a sweet little pistol

[Guest spoolie]

I'd save up for the new agent, myself...

No need to save up...layaway.

........and the p238 is a pocket gun not a primary.

[kieefer]

I had one of the early p238's that I absolutely loved but it just wasn't reliable. I have heard that Sig addressed the issue with a new recoil spring and since then they are a much more reliable firearm. I was planning on buying another one until I heard that Sig is about to release the same gun in 9mm. That will be worth the wait to me.

Mine is an early model and Sig's customer service is outstanding. The P290 is in 9mm and also a sweet pistol. Probably a future purchase but would like to compare it with the Kimber Solo and Beretta's new Nano.

My P238 has over 1K trouble free rounds through it and it's my daily carry.

[Smith]

Also, add the extended grip mag and it makes a nice handling gun a great handling gun. Picture above show the extended mag.

[Jonnin]

Has anyone spent some time with one of these? Looking at picking one up as a daily carry...I need something really slim and small, but I prefer something with a little more substance than polymer. Ive heard the LCP and kel tecs arent very comfortable to shoot....not im not looking for a great range pistol, but if im going to spend more than 500, i would like it to at least be pleasant. If anyone has any experience with them, id love to hear some feedback. pros, cons, etc. or, if i should skip it and just save up for a colt new agent. :cool:Thanks!

The sig is my carry gun when I am at work, where I sit on my butt all day long and find that large guns do not go well with office chairs and desks. It is small, slim, with a light, short single action trigger, a firm positive safety, an easy to use magazine release. It is reliable and accurate -- I can hit a quarter at 15 feet with it. It has much, much less recoil than the blowback 380s. The bad stuff: it fits your hands or it does not, its a bit small for some shooters. It is expensive. It has a low capacity. The new pinky extender +1 mags make a huge difference. The new agent/defender series is very nice but you are comparing a 9mm and a 380, which is not easy to do. If you can handle the 9mm recoil in a small frame, and the bigger 9mm frame fits your hands better and the extra difficulty in concealing the weapon is not an issue, the small 1911 9mm may be a better choice (colt or not, there are several others, para makes one, I forget who all). I cannot tell you if the sig is better than a particular 9mm gun, but I can tell you it is the best of the small 380s hands down. The next best 380s are as big as the small 9mm pistols (bersa, beretta, makarov, cz and similar), at which point IMHO there is no reason to get a 380, get the 9 instead. Take that with my bias: I find that the combination of a massive long and heavy DAO trigger, a blowback design, and a lightweight frame make for recoil so bad that it is very difficult to double/triple tap a target even at short range, which means the dozen kel tec clone pistols are all poorish relative to the sig by that metric. At the end of the day, the sig is a choice for deep, easy concealment and you give up a bit of firepower to get there (capacity and caliber combined). It is, IMO, one of the best choices you can make if that is the direction you are headed. If you are not goverened by size/weight constraints, branch out & look at many options before making a decision.

[xRUSTYx]

I'd go with a PM9 over a P238 myself. I've owned (3) P238's. No real issues outside of a hang up here or there, it just doesn't hold a candle to a PM9.

[Guest FiddleDog]

Probably the mk series if he wants to stick to all metal...I'd still go new agent. 1911s are fare more concealable than what they are given credit for...not to mention the sexy factor.

[TLRMADE]

Mine is an early model and Sig's customer service is outstanding. The P290 is in 9mm and also a sweet pistol. Probably a future purchase but would like to compare it with the Kimber Solo and Beretta's new Nano.

My P238 has over 1K trouble free rounds through it and it's my daily carry.

What grip is that!!?

[True Grit]

I have the Sig P238 HD that my wife took over for her purse carry so I had to go out and get the LCP for my pocket carry. The P238 was as reliable as the LCP but much less recoil and a little heavy for pants pocket carry. I hated the LCP for long trigger pull and was much less accurate. I now have an M&P 340 J frame that I pocket carry.

[Derek]

The sig is my carry gun when I am at work, where I sit on my butt all day long and find that large guns do not go well with office chairs and desks. It is small, slim, with a light, short single action trigger, a firm positive safety, an easy to use magazine release. It is reliable and accurate -- I can hit a quarter at 15 feet with it. It has much, much less recoil than the blowback 380s. The bad stuff: it fits your hands or it does not, its a bit small for some shooters. It is expensive. It has a low capacity. The new pinky extender +1 mags make a huge difference. The new agent/defender series is very nice but you are comparing a 9mm and a 380, which is not easy to do. If you can handle the 9mm recoil in a small frame, and the bigger 9mm frame fits your hands better and the extra difficulty in concealing the weapon is not an issue, the small 1911 9mm may be a better choice (colt or not, there are several others, para makes one, I forget who all). I cannot tell you if the sig is better than a particular 9mm gun, but I can tell you it is the best of the small 380s hands down. The next best 380s are as big as the small 9mm pistols (bersa, beretta, makarov, cz and similar), at which point IMHO there is no reason to get a 380, get the 9 instead. Take that with my bias: I find that the combination of a massive long and heavy DAO trigger, a blowback design, and a lightweight frame make for recoil so bad that it is very difficult to double/triple tap a target even at short range, which means the dozen kel tec clone pistols are all poorish relative to the sig by that metric. At the end of the day, the sig is a choice for deep, easy concealment and you give up a bit of firepower to get there (capacity and caliber combined). It is, IMO, one of the best choices you can make if that is the direction you are headed. If you are not goverened by size/weight constraints, branch out & look at many options before making a decision.

really good info here. For me, i work in an office, and wear a suit and tie 6 days a week alomost. So, the size is the big factor here. My clothes are fairly slim and tailored so width is a factor too...which is why i passed on a PM9...I assumed it would be a bit thicker than the 238. The kel tec clones while appealing for the price, are out of the question. I want something thats enjoyable to shoot with a good trigger. As for the new agent...for some reason i thought they came in a .45ACP. im not worried in the caliber difference of a 280 and a 9mm...if i cant get the job done with 7 shots of 380, 6 shots of 9mm wont do it either.

[tyrantrave]

Yeah suit and tie here x7 days/wk too. You may want to look at the Kahr P380 & PPK/S too for .380; great fit and finish. Cost factors into .380 vs 9 too. 9mm is cheaper for practice.

[MikePapa1]

I love my 238. Best pocket auto I've ever shot.

[kieefer]

What grip is that!!?

These are Buffalo Horn from here;

Custom Grips for Sig P238

another grip site - SIG P238

BTW, I bought a LC9 before the Sig and wasn't happy with, long trigger pull, almost painful to shoot and I couldn't hit a darn thing.

(That Hickok fellow got's sum skill and his video sold me on the LC9.)

This little pistol is a real shooter, I got mine at a discount that makes it even more satisfying.

And the holster is from http://www.holsterpro.com/products.php

Edited November 2, 2011 by kieefer

[tugboat]

ive got the P238 rosewood with crimson trace grips. Absolutely love the gun. Quit counting rounds some time back but I shoot it all the time....Never had a missfire, malfunction,ect... You wont go wrong...I promise. I do agree though. The HD shoots great but is a little heavy to carry in ur pocket.

[choo---choo]

I too have all of these and the 238 wins....

In short, it is just a mini 1911.

Fine weapon

[Jonnin]

really good info here. For me, i work in an office, and wear a suit and tie 6 days a week alomost. So, the size is the big factor here. My clothes are fairly slim and tailored so width is a factor too...which is why i passed on a PM9...I assumed it would be a bit thicker than the 238. The kel tec clones while appealing for the price, are out of the question. I want something thats enjoyable to shoot with a good trigger. As for the new agent...for some reason i thought they came in a .45ACP. im not worried in the caliber difference of a 280 and a 9mm...if i cant get the job done with 7 shots of 380, 6 shots of 9mm wont do it either.

The new agent/defender comes in several calibers including .45 if you prefer, but the "standard" is 9mm or at least that is what I have seen the most of in the platform. The sig is very thin and lightweight. Try this link to compare it to others: Genitron.com: Handgun Selector though often width is lacking. The width of mine as best as I can measure it here is 7/8 from the OUTSIDE of the slide release lever (so this is the max width) while the "true body" width is abut 3/4. I can slip the sig behind my wallet without a holster and it is GONE, fits perfectly and vanishes into a space that no one would ever think twice about. It is enjoyable to shoot. If you are ever down this way you can try mine. The smallest space I have hidden it is a borrowed pair of the wife's jeans, women's jeans have virtually NO pocket capacity (or this brand anyway), my wallet was sticking out of the front pocket a little and the gun behind it, still totally invisible.

[Derek]

The new agent/defender comes in several calibers including .45 if you prefer, but the "standard" is 9mm or at least that is what I have seen the most of in the platform. The sig is very thin and lightweight. Try this link to compare it to others: Genitron.com: Handgun Selector though often width is lacking. The width of mine as best as I can measure it here is 7/8 from the OUTSIDE of the slide release lever (so this is the max width) while the "true body" width is abut 3/4. I can slip the sig behind my wallet without a holster and it is GONE, fits perfectly and vanishes into a space that no one would ever think twice about. It is enjoyable to shoot. If you are ever down this way you can try mine. The smallest space I have hidden it is a borrowed pair of the wife's jeans, women's jeans have virtually NO pocket capacity (or this brand anyway), my wallet was sticking out of the front pocket a little and the gun behind it, still totally invisible.

you guys have me sold. I just wish i could find one used somewhere...but looks liek thats HIGHLY unlikely. Anytime I get above $500, i just automatically think "dang, i should just buy another glock" but until glock does a single stack 9 or they make their 380 available here, not gonna happen. The 238 is EXACTLY what im looking for.