Disadvantages of the Sig 232?

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Ignition Override

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Are the one or two primary reasons why people decide to sell these, other than needing cash possibly because there are newer 9mm guns with the same or smaller dimensions?
Plenty of seasoned handgun owners suggest a smaller gun to use the .380 round. with only rifles, my exposure to handguns has been limited and sporadic.

When the decision is finally made to select a handgun, I probably won't ever want to 'carry', except in my car on certain trips.
Out of two trips to a local gun range in order to have a first exposure to a 232, the frequently rented gun was gone both times for repairs.
 
I haven't sold mine, even that one time when I needed cash for a lawyer (a long story there :mad: ). Some people equate overall size to caliber in some mythical ratio, but I've never understood that train of thought. A great design is a great design - no matter the caliber. Does that mean every gun made must now be a .45acp in a Kahr PM45 sized gun. Are all 1911s obsolete? Because the Rohrbaugh exists is my HK USP useless? Balderdash I say, Balderdash!

I have the pistol in both the alloy/carbon steel model and the stainless model, as well as two of the three calibers once available, .32acp and .380acp. Both are marvelous guns, very reliable and very accurate. It's true there are larger caliber handguns available... so what. The P230/232 is one of those designs that just worked, a stroke of genius.
 
Nothing wrong with them.
Today there are more powerful guns in a similar size, or even smaller. But if the Sig P230/232 does what you want, you would be hard pressed to find a better quality pistol, in any chambering.
 
Plenty of seasoned handgun owners suggest a smaller gun to use the .380 round.
Click to expand...

not necessarily, I would advocate a smaller .380acp only if pocket carry is desired.

Are the one or two primary reasons why people decide to sell these, other than needing cash possibly because there are newer 9mm guns with the same or smaller dimensions?
Click to expand...

I owned a Sig P232 and it was a great gun I traded it for a .45acp because I didn't have one and I had a BDA which offered more capacity and better DA trigger pull. But I'd buy one again if I found a good deal.
 
Disadvantages are usually personal. My brother, a retired LE officer carries a SIG P230 in 380 as his every day gun. It was his back-up too. I have shot it many times with him and it is what he likes. It is a beautiful well- made gun like most SIGS.
 
I had a West German P230SL I absolutely loved. I gave it to the ex during our divorce since she was comfortable with it and shot it well. AFAIK it is still her night stand gun. It was flawless and a joy to shoot. Accurate and dependable.

It has been "outclassed" as far as size and firepower go, but will always be a classic.
 
A friend of mine had a P-230 and I have to say it was one extremely well made gun, both in its construction and with its overall fit and finish. I ceratainly wouldn't feel undergunned if it was my primary handgun.
 
I'm one of those people who had one and sold it... And I regret it every time I open my gun safe.

I was unemployed a few years back when the economy was really bombing. I had 3 handguns and I had to pick one to keep. The only reason I sold the 232 was that it was the most valuable.

I wish i had it back and I've considered buying a new one for a number of reasons.
-it was very accurate. I'm not an expert shooter, but I had my best groups with the sig.. Better than my .22. With the 232 i was able to put 10 shots in a dime at 5 yards. Not that far, but still a good demonstration of how accurate that gun can be.
-it was reliable. Simple. No failures to fire, no jams.
-extremely simple no nonsense no frills.
-a really nice trigger in sa and da. I don't know how experienced you are but you said you dont know much.. So just in case: da means double action. Thats when the trigger pull causes the hammer to come back and then drop. Single action is when the hanmer is already back, and pulling the trigger releases and drops the hammer. This gun is da/sa which means you don't have to cock it. When you pull the trigger it cocks itself, fires, and cocks itself again, and is now in single action.
-finally: the gun looks great. You can never judge a gun by it's looks, but this one really is pretty.

As for the .380 thing.. This gun is by no means too big for .380. Fornsome reason there's a trend where semi autos need to get more and more compact as the caliber goes down. Don't get sucked into that desire. Having a little extra size means the gun will fit in your hands better, feel more comfy, and aim more naturally. The little extra weight reduces felt recoil which means quicker follow up shots. The only reason anyone needs to buy a handgun smaller than the 232 is if they have very little space on their body for concealment. I'm only 5'10" and weighed 160 when i carried the 232.
Advice:
 
Back in the Eighties I had a P230 with an alloy frame. I sold it and regretted it. Then, about five or six years back I bought a P232S all stainless. Like the 230 it was super accurate and 100% reliable. It was a bit on the heavy side with the stainless frame but a superb pistol nonetheless. I sold it vowing to replace it with another P230 with an alloy frame. I have now done so and am as happy as can be. The alloy frame does result in a more snappy shooter, but I do not find it in any way objectionable nor do I find it to hamper my effectiveness with the pistol. The steel framed guns do shoot a good bit smoother. If you want really smooth there were .32 ACP versions of the P230.

All in all, the 230/232 is a superb gun in just about every respect.

BTW, it is one of the SIGs that has only been made in Germany, if that matters.
 
If the well-worn trope that "shot placement is more important than caliber" is true, then the saying's truest application is embodied the P232. The thing points and shoots so well that as long as you're doing your part, you're going to hit what your aiming at, and the size of the projectile is moot. A lot of .380s made for defensive use are belly guns, not made for distance. The advantage of the 232 over smaller .380s is that it can fill that role as easily as it can be a nightstand or range gun. If a person could only own one gun, the P232 would be a great candidate.
 
I have a P230 alloy frame. Like it quite a bit.

Advantages:
Sexy
Reliable
Reasonably accurate
Fun to shoot with target loads

Disadvantages:
Sharp recoil with full-power loads (blowback operated)
Slide bite
Mags are pricey
 
You guys' info is very informative. Thanks very much.

The Good: Thanks for a review of what we read on handgun forums.
It might be that until a novice compares guns with decockers vs. those with none, it will be hard to reach a decision on certain functions.

Is the 232's recoil very similar to a Polish P-64 (9x18 Mak.), by chance?
Two friends have those, and I liked the guns Until trying them out.
 
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I haven't shot a Mak, but the recoil of my P230 is similar to that of the Walther PPK, which I imagine would be quite similar to the Mak, depending on grip size, etc. With hot loads I don't really enjoy shooting either the PPK or the P230.

But some have no issues with it.
 
The Hogue finger groove rubber grips make a world of difference in how the recoil feels. It really tames the recoil compared to the hard plastic grips. Some of the new 232s have the Hogues as standard equipment.
 
Years ago I had a P230 in stainless. It was beautiful gun. But because I only use pocket carry, I found I never really used it. It was too big for that. So I swapped it for a Walther PPK in stainless. That has worked out to be the most useful gun for me that I ever bought.
But just as others have said, I do miss that Sig. If only they had made a smaller version, like Walther did from the PP to the PPK.
 
The Hogue finger groove rubber grips make a world of difference in how the recoil feels. It really tames the recoil compared to the hard plastic grips. Some of the new 232s have the Hogues as standard equipment.
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That is very true. On the other hand, the rubber of the Hogues can hang up the gun on the draw as rubber can be on the sticky side. I have tried both and go with the factory. On occasion I will put 232 grips on my 230 because I like how they fill my hand.
 
I've got a P230 that was added as boot in a trade I made sometime back. My intention was to sell it...until I shot it. It is now one of my favorite handguns and feels perfect in my hand.

I sold the Eagle wood grips pictured and went back to the original black plastic factory ones.

No way would I sell it or trade it away. It is a keeper.

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More bang for the_buck

...

I sold my P232 SL and bought an SA EMP 1911 SAO 9+1 9mm..

Bigger round, more mag capacity, better, same light, trigger pull. Faster on-target accuracy from draw being cocked and locked and very safe w/double safety's that both must agree.

Size, within the same ballpark..


Ls
 
Just made a fourth call to a popular gun range/shop in Bartlett TN.

Their Sig 232 is out for repairs-for the fourth time since I began calling over six months ago.
The guy said that many of his rental handguns require frequent repairs. Sometimes fifty out of one hundred are down.

Tomorrow I might stop by to try out their similar Bersa Thunder .380, and one of these days the Sig 232 might be functional.
Hoping that if their recoil is a bit less harsh than with the Polish P-64 (no thanks), these two .380 handguns

can be fitted with grips for a Lefty:scrutiny:.
 
1KPerDay:
Until Friday it had been at least three times, without a doubt. The staffer told me that if it were not for repairs, they "would have a hundred guns to rent, instead of about fifty".
This is Range USA, in Bartlett (Memphis) TN. Maybe I don't call often enough, so far being only a rifle guy.

Yesterday when I called and learned that it was gone for the fourth time (I've been calling possibly for 8-12 mos., just wanting to Try Out a 232), I decided to stop by and rent the Bersa Thunder .380.
That Bersa was lots of fun to shoot, and even with no formal handgun tng., most of my shots were in a fairly small group at about twenty feet.
 
I find that to be very strange. I have four Sig 232's. I carry one, most everyday, when not carrying my Colt Commander 45 acp. The other three, are staged in the house for quick retrieval. I've never had a problem with any of them.
 
I wanted one for years, finally got it and sold it after the 2nd range trip.

I wanted to like the pistol but it ate the web of my hand like nothing else I have ever shot and I have shot many things over the years. For me my hand and the design just didn't work. I'm a big Hi-Power fan which is famous for biting people but I haven't had any issues with the Hi-Power.

Excellent pistol for what it is, and I think I'm the odd case on it biting me.
If it fits your needs I would buy it. Would have kept mine if it fit me better.
 
Ignition Override said:
Is the 232's recoil very similar to a Polish P-64 (9x18 Mak.), by chance?
Two friends have those, and I liked the guns Until trying them out.
Click to expand...
No, the P-64's felt recoil is much sharper. If you can't find a P230/P232 the Beretta 85FS is also an excellent .380, and about the same size. I carry one on occasion.

If it were me, and especially if I wasn't going to carry it concealed, I'd pick a semi compact 9MM like one of these:

CZ-75 D PCR or P-01
Sig P229
Beretta 92FS Compact
Springfield XDm
Glock G19
Walther P99
etc

These are all great range, and home defense pistols, but can all be carried concealed with little trouble should you change your mind.
 
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