OT: Sig P238 Opinions

[guitar_slinger]

Guys and, especially gals,

anyone have experience with the Sig P238 .380 pistol?

 

Wife liked the way it felt in the hand. My 9mm Shield has too stiff of a recoil spring for her and she absolutely hated the trigger pull of my J Frame (Model 60) Smith. She liked shooting my Ruger 22/45 but it's in no way a concealed carry firearm.

 

She liked the P238 in the Local Gun Shop, recoil spring was manageable, I liked the 1911 similarities since I grew up shooting 1911's and am comfortable shooting and carrying them and am comfortable teaching a new shooter on the platform.

 

Question is I've never owned or shot a P238 and looking for anyone who has and what you thought (good, bad, ugly) before sinking a small fortune in one.

 

Thanks,

 

GS

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Very nice gun .

Basically its a Colt Mustang.

Only issue is the single action design.

Its one more step you will need to do in a stressful situation ?

If you are a 1911 person and train for years its OK.

If not then I would so no !

Its not for a beginner as a CCW gun :-)

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

I have had a good looking P238 SAS (Sig Anti-Snag) for about two years now and I love it. The SAS has all the edges and corners rounded--anti-snag.

I've got over 300 rounds thru it without any issues.

Love the sights that show up real clear in the dark. To me, better than laser point.

 

Hickok45 has a good review in the video below.

 

 

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p238-sas.aspx

 

[Ya Big Tree]

I'm not a Gal but I'll give you my cent and a half worth.

 

I love mine. The slide is much easier for my wife to operate than my Ruger LCP and it's a tack driver.

But I have to admit that I personally carry the LCP more than the P238 due to the weight difference in my pocket.

In a holster or purse I think it would be great.

Take a trip up to the Indiana State Shoot and you can shoot it all you want.

 

Tree

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

I've been carrying one for over two years. Everything about it spells quality and it comes in about six different models. The only drawback, and this just me, I don't like my pinky finger to be left out in the cold. I had the same issue with my S&W 642. So I carry it with the extended seven round magazine and carry the original six rounder as a back up. I also put on a Hogue, semi wrap around rubber, grip.

 

A word of caution, like Michigan Mudd says, it is like a mini 1911 so you have to practice and get used to operating the safety if you are going to carry it cocked and chambered. This has to become a muscle memory issue.

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

My wife tried just about everything under the sun trying to find a shooter that felt right in her hand. She really lied the sig 238 best of all the autos but ultimately decided on the Smith 60 with a 3 inch barrel.

[DocWard]

Very nice gun .

Basically its a Colt Mustang.

Only issue is the single action design.

Its one more step you will need to do in a stressful situation ?

If you are a 1911 person and train for years its OK.

If not then I would so no !

Its not for a beginner as a CCW gun :-)

 

What I usually say when asked at work. Even though I prefer hammer over striker fire, I tend to show people the Ruger LC9S quite a bit.

[guitar_slinger]

Thanks guys, LC9s was a second choice.

 

I've been around pistols all my life shooting recreational and competitively since about age 14 (wow, 41 years ago) and grew up shooting 1911 style. However, my wife, is fairly new to the game.

 

She shot my Smith Model 60 and liked single action but absolutely hates the double action. She kept them all "in the black" in a silhouette target at 7 yards but was shooting about 6" low due to pushing into the trigger. I doubt if I could convince her to shoot enough to overcome that. (and my Model 60 has a fairly light trigger for a J frame).

 

She shot my S&W Shield 9mm and did OK with it. 2 things she didn't like: 1) how hard the slide is to pull back, and 2) snappy recoil (115gr White box).

 

She absolutely loved the Ruger 22/45. To be honest so do I, it is perhaps the most accurate pistol I own with my Browning Hi Power and Kimber 1911 being tied for second.

 

I didn't have her shoot the 1911 or any of the Magnums. Wouldn't do that to a newer shooter regardless of how many people think it's funny on YOuTube.

 

We'll take a look at the LC9s again.

 

I'm kin of partial to the 1911 design since I'm so used to it and feel comfortable teaching others how to shoot it. Even on my Shield, I carry it with safety on and practice the swipe off of the safety during all of my dry fire practice.

 

Thanks for the opinions. I'll let you all know what she finally decides.

 

GS

[Hashknife Cowboy]

I am a long time 1911 shooter. Found the Sig P938, same gun but in 9MM and it followed me home. Get the small magazine extensions and it is a shooter that is easy to carry. It is extremely accurate with good defense ammo. Hard to find a good holster for it though. If you are very familiar with 1911's you'll absolutely love it. Very high quality and spendy.

[Houston CAS]

I have the P938 as well. Great gun and much easier to shoot than my Smith 442.

[Black Angus McPherson]

I'll add a +1 for the P938.

Size difference from the P238 is very small and it's a 9mm. The folks I've let try it have all commented that it's a "soft shooter" for a small 9mm. A friend of mine who was also looking for a pistol with a lighter slide spring didn't have a problem working the slide.

 

I heartily recommend you find a range where you can rent and try both.

 

I also got the extended magazine so my pinky doesn't flail about in the wind while I'm trying to shoot.

 

Angus

[Tom Bullweed]

Only three ways to carry a single-action semi-auto: loaded mag with a hammer down on an empty chamber (safest but requires most force to load chamber); loaded mag, hammer cocked over empty chamber, safety egaged(safe, easier to load), or loaded mag, hammer cocked over loaded chamber, safety engaged. Any of these can be useful to experienced shooters.

For a less experienced shooter I like S&W .380 Bodyguard double-action only and with a thumb safety. Safer, easier, less expensive.

[Sedalia Dave]

Also look at the LC380. Exact same frame except in 380. Different recoil spring than the LC9.

 

Also have you considered a revolver? Got my wife a Rock Island Armory M204 because she sometimes struggled with the slide. Excellent trigger. Can be had as hammered or hammerless. Excellent quality and affordable.

 

Looks like the old colt Detective Special until placed side by side.

[guitar_slinger]

Also look at the LC380. Exact same frame except in 380. Different recoil spring than the LC9.

 

Also have you considered a revolver? Got my wife a Rock Island Armory M204 because she sometimes struggled with the slide. Excellent trigger. Can be had as hammered or hammerless. Excellent quality and affordable.

 

Looks like the old colt Detective Special until placed side by side.

I have several revolves and I would give her any of them. If she has trouble shooting my Model 60 with 38spl rounds none of the others will work either. My little J frame is well broken in. I've put well over 1,000 rounds through it and far more than that dry firing. Trigger is about as sweet as one will find on a DA revolver. I think she could learn to shoot it but it would be a long haul. She shot all my semi autos better. Well, she hasn't shot my 1911 or the Hi Power yet but neither of those are really CCW firearms for her body size and shape. I can conceal them but I'm a fat old man.

 

I will look at the 938.

 

I've shot a couple SW bodyguard 380;s and found the trigger pull somewhere between horrible and bad. Never shot the LC9 or LC380.

 

The good news here is she's coming from a base of zero so there are no bad habits or things to unlearn.

 

I'll keep you all posted and appreciate the insight.

[DocWard]

The LC9 has a very long double action trigger pull. The LC9S has a very nice trigger pull, and I tend to find fault with striker fire triggers.

 

Hickok45 discusses the differences between the two, and the triggers within the first 7 minutes here:

 

 

 

Of course, you could always go for style points and go with an old PPK!

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

Guys and, especially gals,

anyone have experience with the Sig P238 .380 pistol?

 

Wife liked the way it felt in the hand.

 

 

GS

 

That's half the battle, and one of the prime reasons I have one. It fits my hand, and my fingers reach all of the controls naturally. Flicking the safety off with my thumb has become second nature, and I don't give it a second thought.

 

I'm very impressed with the build quality and the finish. Operation has been flawless. I stuck a Crimson Trace laser on the front, and feel very confident that it's going to hit where I point it.

 

It's a very nifty little package.

 

LL

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

My wife carrys a Bersa Thunder 380.

Excellent firearm !

Single action double action trigger.

Very nice features .

And the price wont brake the bank.

 

I am a CCW range officer for our gun club .

My buddy pocket carried this gun for years.

In our CCW class if some one had a gun issue or could not qualify , He would pull the Bersa out of his pocket and let them us it.

And they always qualified or shot it better then what ever they was shooting .

 

So after buying many different guns for my wife.

I bought her a Bersa Thunder 380.

She loves the gun !

 

I have refered the Bersa Thunder to several other people , all was satisfied with the gun :-)

[Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L]

Here's another vote for the Sig P238, my friend bought one for his wife and liked it so much he bought one as his CC, I shot his and really liked it. Sportsmans Whse had a smokin deal on them for Black Friday and I got one. Very accurate and comfortable to shoot and carry.

[guitar_slinger]

We were going to go try some out this weekend but she's not feeling well so it'll have to be later.

 

I don't own any of the modern 'pocket' pistols unless one considers the Shield a pocket pistol. My J-Frame all Stainless Model 60 is a pocket revolver but not the easiest weapon to shoot accurately and well. All my other pistols are larger semi auto or revolver (Vaquero, 1911, HiPower, and the like).

 

Thanks for the suggestions. It'll come down to what she likes the best and can shoot the best. The good news on the safety thing is she didn't grow up with Glocks or DA revolvers so no expectation that it is point and bang if she starts from ground zero with a safety.

 

At least that's how it worked for me. I learned to shoot pistol with a 1911 and even on pistols with no thumb safety, I still find myself swiping down on the slide/frame where the 1911 safety should be.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions and happy to listen to any and all perspective on this. Don't want to trust the lovely Mrs. Guitar Slinger's life with something that will fail her at the worst possible moment.

 

GS.