Sig 230/232

[frayluisfan]

Was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the smallish Sig .380. Am thinking about getting one for my wife, who is new to guns. We tried a couple of small revolvers at the range, as well as a compact Glock 9mm and a Kahr 9mm, but none of them were to her liking (revolvers' long, heavy trigger pull was uncomfortable, Glock compact was waaaay too snappy in recoil, and the Kahr's trigger pull was way too long). She loves our Sig 226 in 9mm, so I'm looking for something similar in grip shape, semi-auto, light recoil, reliable, and easy to conceal in her purse or on a belt holster. Anyone with experience with the Sig 230/232s? Alternate suggestions?

Many thanks,
Mike in NC

 

[Chuckulator]

They seem to be nice guns, but they sure are expensive. I wonder how much better they are than a Bersa to be almost 3 times the cost.

 

[ugaarguy]

From what I read on here almost all SIGs are plenty reliable. Normally I would suggest stepping up to a mid frame Glock 19 if the 26 had too much recoil and muzzle flip. However, you already own a SIG 226 and she apparently shoots it well and enjoys it. With that information I'd say go with a SIG 239 since she's already familiar with and likes SIGs. The 239 will give her a familiar manual of arms in a slimmed down package, a heavier caliber than 380, and a nice metal frame to soak up the recoil. Also, see if she can try out a S&W Lady Smith revolver since they're tuned up with a lighter and even slicker pull than a stock S&W wheelgun. Normally I prefer the flat profile of an auto for carry, but small handguns of either type aren't known to have a problem printing thru a woman's handbag - so it really opens up some options.

 

[rtl]

Those who own them tout them as the most accurate .380 out of the box. Whereas I agree they are very nice and I happen to have stubled across one AND a PPK for a deal I couldn't refuse, I'm not sure they're worth 3 times that of a very reliable and surprisingly accurate Bersa. Had I not scored the 232 and the PPK for the price I did, I would have seriously considered a Bersa. Don't want to steer you away from the Sig, it is a V E R Y N I C E .380, buy maybe give a Bersa a handle before you buy one. After loaning both to my dad (for whom money doesn't seem to be an issue) to take for a spin, he bought a Bersa, said he prefered the trigger pull and fit to his hand better.

 

[longtooth]

My wife & mother both have the Sig 232. They love them. Accurate, low recoil for small lady (wife) and for 75 yr old Mom, & excellent trigger out of the box. They are both completely reliable. (Ladies & guns) They both like them for the light weight. My oppinion on the question from chuckulator, I would 10 times rather my ladies be out w/ the Sig than a Bersa. Both of them would 10 times rather have the light wt Sig in the purse than the heavy bersa. When I have to wear a tucked in shirt & can't get away with a coat all day as cover for Kimber Pro, I bum the wife's 232 & carry it in a Highnoon Split Decission w/ a Kel-Tec P3AT in my back pocket. A reload for both. Small caliber but extremely hideable. If she can shoot one I believe she will love it. Hardyer & tougher ladies w/ larger hands much prefer the 9mm & some even the .40. See you in print.

 

[Jeff22]

Sig 230

I've had an alloy frame Sig 230 since 1990. I carry it as a backup gun and sometimes as a concealment gun in warm weather.

The 230 is small/flat/light weight and pleasant to shoot. I did find that my particular weapon did NOT feed Blazer .380s reliably -- the overall length of the round was slightly shorter than regular FMJ ball ammo and sometimes one of the rounds fed out of the magazine wouldn't chamber all the way.

With regular ball ammo, Silvertips and HydroShocks, the gun is very reliable. In my hands , my gun shot high at 50 feet. I ordered a shorter front sight from Sig and that cured the problem.

I also have a Walther PPK. The Sig 230 has a better trigger than a stock PPK and the alloy frame version is lighter than a PPK. I think the P230 would work well for someone with very small hands or who is sensitive to recoil.

 

[Michael Courtney]

I own a Sig P232 that my wife has carried for a number of years before moving up to a P229. It's a very nice gun, accurate and reliable. I've also carried a P232 occasionally for back-up.

I teach the NRA Basic Pistol course that Ohio requires for CHL, and I've let a number of less experienced shooters try the P232, including some having trouble shooting the gun they brought or the class. I have yet to encounter a shooter wasn't impressed both with the P232 and their ability to shoot it.

Michael Courtney

 

[longtooth]

Good post Michael. My experience also. Several have used my ladies 232 for Texas CHL qualifying & loved them.

 

[marley]

My girlfriend has one that she loves. +1 on what everyone said.

 

[usp9]

There are only two .380s that I would consider carrying; the Beretta 84/85 and the Sig 230/232. IMHO all the others are also-rans. The Sig is capable of excellent accuracy, is slim, light, reliable, pointable, and very easy to shoot well. The only reason I don't carry one of these gems is that I'm satisfied with my small Seecamp.

 

[1911 guy]

my wife has one

She shoots it well and likes it. No malfs of any kind so far. I'd personally go for the 230 in 9mm, but she likes the .380.

 

[osteodoc08]

My wife has a Sig P230 that is fantastic. Shooting that thing is so easy, and it is super accurate, also. It is like a laser pointer its so accurate. It is also finely crafted and a fine piece to look at.

 

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Ditto the 239. Around the same size package with a much more powerful round. Yet still very contollable. I taught lots of ladies to shoot. I usually bring several guns for them to try. Almost to a one the 239 is the hands down favorite. Superbly accurate and totally reliable firearm.

 

[c_yeager]

The 232 is one of the prettiest guns out there, and it has a reputation for pretty flawless construction and function. I *think* that they are the only american-available sig that is still made entirely in Germany.

 

[Rumble]

My fiance has a P232 that I love from afar. It feels superb in the hand, has essentially no recoil (subjectively, of course), and I can shoot the tip off a cigarette with it at 1000 yards.

Well, okay. 500 yards.

It's a solidly built, reliable, finely finished piece of machinery. It feels like a gun, and is pretty to boot. I have plans to get one of my own, when the money rolls around.

 

[outofbattery]

The 230/232 is,as others have said, a beautifully made,very reliable and accurate pistol.It also points exceptionally naturally and it fits my hand wonderfully.It is a little snappier than,for example, my P239 but it isn't uncomfortable by any means.

I replaced it for daily CCW with said 239 but still carry it when going about in shorts and a T or when wearing clothes that otherwise do not conceal well such as dress pants.It's considerably slimmer and smaller all around than the 9mm and I like have that whole extra round and a little more power,but I have never felt poorly armed with the 230.Even if I didn't love shooting it,I'd still have one just fer lookin' at.I don't think you can get much sexier than an SL with nice wood grips- mine's blued with 232 grips though

 

[Tom Servo]

Was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the smallish Sig .380. Am thinking about getting one for my wife, who is new to guns

I'd stop right there. I'm a shooter, so I can handle the .380, and I LOVE the P230.

However, if "snappy" recoil is a problem, it's doubtful she'll like the .380. Even the P230 bites and flips a bit, moreso than a 9mm.

Then there's the question of effectiveness. The jury's still out on the stopping-power (I know, those words should be banned...) of the 9mm short. IMO, too much recoil for too little payload, unless you're good enough to place your shots under stress.

Check out the P239 or P225 if you can. Neither is much larger, and both come in 9mm, which IS a proven and easier-to-shoot round. You'll also find that .380's a bit on the pricey side lately.

Sigs are marvelous guns and my favorites, but the P230/232 is really a niche model.

 

[P7]

I've had the 230 and 232 models. They are great. Reliable, accurate and beautifully engineered. In addition, they are about the best looking auto I've seen.

 

[rwschill]

I had a Sig 232 and agree with what has been said. I found it very accurate, but the recoil due to the blowback design was near a 9MM. I traded it for a Glock 26 which is more powerful and more capacity and just as accurate. Good luck.

 

[c_yeager]

I didnt notice the new shooter part. .380s in general are a poor choice for first guns. The character of the recoil is unpleasant to most people. I started off with a Makarov, which is similar in design, and it taught me a pretty nasty flinch right off the bat that took me a long time to get rid of.

 

[gd3]

Recoil is a little snappy

I am by no means an expert but IMHO the sig 232 is like most .380s and does have a snappy type of recoil. It kind of reminds me of a small Chihuahua, it is a pleasure to look and is a small package but still barks fairly loud and is not very big. I was going to buy a 232 for daily carry but then went the glock 27 and keltec p3at (for shorts and tshirt days) route. The cost of the glock and keltec combined was just over the price of the 232 that I was looking at. You may want ot rent one first and see how you really like it....that is what did it for me. Just my .02.

 

[Coronach]

They're outstanding.

They're a little big for a modern .380 ... you can get 9mms smaller now. However, they're "small enough" for most uses and they shoot like a dream. I have yet to find an as-small or smaller 9mm that is as pleasant to shoot as the P232, or one that I can shoot as quickly and accurately as the P232.

I agree with the assessment re: the Bersa. P232s are better and nicer, but it's not clear that they are 3x better and nicer than a Bersa. You have to decide for youself if they're worth it.

They can be finicky with HP ammo- mine has (IIRC) two brands that it does not like, but it is 100% reliable with my carry round (Hydrashoks) and with ball ammo. I believe my experience mimics others- the gun is dead reliable, except with a brand or two it does not like.

Mike

 

[Robert J McElwain]

I'm glad to hear all these good things about the SIG P 232.

I've got three "little" guns. SIG p232, P239 and a Kel Tec P3AT. Most of the time, I dress pretty light, so the 232 and P3AT are as large as I can go and get them into a front pocket. The P239 is hardly "little". It's accurate, reliable and a great gun to shoot, but it's not very little. I could only use it in the winter.

And the Kel Tec is not that much fun to shoot. It's reliable and relatively accurate for something that small, but with no weight whatsoever, it's pretty snappy on the recoil.

That makes the 232 just right.

Bob

 

[Cueball]

I have a 230 stainless and I love it. SIG design and engineering is top notch. The weapon is very accurate, easily concealable and with suitable SD ammo, it is plenty powerful enough. You won't go wrong with one.

 

[cookekdjr]

I had a SIG p230, and loved it. I only sold it b/c I really needed the cash.
First-class accuracy, design, reliability, and ergonomics. I wish I still had it. I chose it over 9x19 pistols of the same size because I did not trust them the way I did the SIG. It is a great pistol, and I plan to buy another when I sell my old house in Atlanta.
-David