Sig 238...what should I know?

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whatever

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I recently had a friendly competition with a few buddies and our pocket 380s. There were lcps (including mine), p3ats, and the like. While my lcp has always been 100% reliable and has been accurate enough while taking my time at the range, firing quickly at smallish targets under 'pressure' really revealed how bad I was with the lcp. And it wasn't just me - all of us were fairly shocked at the results.

That being said, I don't pocket carry everyday. When possible I holster up with bigger and, at least in my hands, more accurate options.

I started poking around at the other 380s to see if I could find something a bit more accurate for me. I landed on the sig p238. I have test fired it and seem to do much better with it. I am sure the single action trigger and decent sights had a lot to do with it. I understand that I will have to train with an entirely different system (my other carry pieces are striker fired daos), but I am willing to invest that time.

All that being said, what have your experiences been with the 238? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Do they all only come with one mag now? I have read reviews where they came with two mags and a holster but everything I see online shows 1 mag with no mention of the holster. Which pocket holsters are working for you? Anything you can tell me will male me feel better about plunking down the cash.
 
I sold my P238. That being said, it was a very accurate little pistol. It was very reliable, as long as I didnt feed it Federal Hydra-Shok. It was too heavy for my pocket, and I had the aluminum frame version. The trigger was gritty, and heavy. I did like that you could rack the slide with the safety on.

I lost that warm and fuzzy feeling for it, when I bought a Bersa Thunder 380. The Bersa will do everything just as well as the 238 did, and at half the cost. Im sure all the Sig fans will flame me for that statement, but other than being a little larger, the Bersa is a fine pistol. I dont miss my Sig one bit.
 
I've IWB and pocket carried a Ruger LCR .357, Kel Tec PF9, and the P238. I don't notice much of a difference between them. The weight of a "loaded" p238 and a PF9 are listed to be about the same at 15 oz. The Bersa Thunder, that doesn't seem to be as heavy for weblance's pocket as he says the P238 was, weighs 20oz unloaded I believe, is 1 inch longer, and is 1 inch higher than the P238, but your mileage may very... To each their own. To me, you might as well carry a full size 9mm rather than a large carrying 20oz+ .380.

To me the P238 is a better firearm (trigger, fit and finish, sites,etc) that will hold it's value where as the others in the category are just guns that you won't necessarily get attached to or lose too much sleep over if they're taken by L.E. after a shooting. I found myself carrying my cheaper edc options because I didn't want to scuff up my $600+ gun.

iMHO, if it's a carry gun or a gun you plan on passing down to your children, get the P38. If it's a range gun, then the Bersa might be a cheaper option, but with the sites and trigger on the P238, it will work well in that regard as well.
 
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You might also consider the Glock G42. I have a P238 as well as three Bersa 380 pistols and just recently purchased the G42.

I would not sell any of them. All are fine pistols.
 
Not much not to like about the P238 as I believe any bugs they had when they were introduced were fixed a while ago.

I've had quite a few of them in various versions, Extreme, Scorpion, Diamond plate, HD, and Equinox, "Gambler" that I'm holding in the safe as a collectible.

All have been perfectly reliable, surprisingly accurate and soft shooting.

If you're okay with a manual safety on your CCW....it might just be the gun for you.

I tried a friends' PM9 a few years ago and realized I preferred the striker fire over SA trigger for carry so I sold my 238s off.

I've tried the 9mm 938 and that would be my choice if I wanted a carry gun w/ a safety..
 
I picked one up a couple of years ago as my Fathers Day present to myself. It was a package deal which included SIG night sights, rosewood grips, laser, holster, and a spare mag. The trigger and thumb safety were both a little stiff and gritty first time in action but smoothed out nicely with more use. Sights are great as is the accuracy of this diminutive pistol. I also have a Colt Mustang and feel the P238 is a comparable stable mate to the Colt.
 
The 238 shoots (I feel) better than any other pocket .380 on the market today. It does that by virtue of a combining a SA trigger, a locked breech, and being one of the heavier "pocket guns".

I really like mine, but I'm coming from using SA handguns for my bigger carry guns, and using a "wallet" holster in my back pocket. (where weight is less of an issue)

If you're OK with cocked and locked in a pocket and a tic more weight, the P238 (or mustang) will reward you with a pocket gun that is fast to shoot, fun enough you'll actually practice with it and easier to get shots on target.

If you are worried about weight, or don't want to mess with a safety or exposed hammer then one of the other pocket .380's will function fine at the cost of a more punishing recoil, harder to master trigger, and more primitive sights.

Like any CCW, and more than most, a pocket .380 is a study in compromise. Decide which traits matter the most in your shooting style and then buy the quality handgun that plays to those traits.

FWIW, my P238 is the only .380 I have left, and the only pocket gun I still own. I dumped a P3AT and a S&W Bodyguard .380 and kept the Sig.
 
The larger, heavier Bersa, being blowback, kicks more than the smaller, lighter locked breech 238.

You can get a 7 rd magazine with grip extension for the 238 if you desire.

It's an extremely good .380
 
I have all three and would not discount any of them, but if your concerned about felt recoil the Glock G42 is easily the softest shooting of any of the three.

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A P-238 "Extreme" is the only .380 in this household. Our specimen has a superb trigger and is very accurate. It's been 100% reliable with every type of ammo tried, and my wife has adopted this gun.

As an aside, people who worry about comparing "felt recoil" in little .380 pocket pistols ... probably should just resolve to go to a larger pistol.

Personally, I don't have any use for anything in .380, but these little SIGs are actually really cool ...
 
We bought a P238 through Sig's IOP for my wife to carry. It took eight months to arrive, but it was worth it. She loves it and carries it when she's out and about without me.

We did have some trouble with ours. The magazine catch was a hair off and if a loaded magazine was inserted with the slide forward, the mag would eject when the gun was fired. Not good. We sent it back to Sig and they fixed it, but the day it got back I knew it wasn't fixed. I could insert an empty magazine and the slide stop wold barely move at all- barely up in the slide recess- and sometimes ejecting the magazine would cause the slide to slam forward. Sig said I should have sent in the magazine(s) but their email clearly said NOT to send magazines with the gun UNLESS they requested it, and they didn't. Back to Sig with the magazines this time and they got it right.

Long story short- the P238 is a great gun. If you get one that makes it out of the factory and isn't right, they'll fix it.

This is her carry gun, cocked & locked.
 

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weblance said:
I lost that warm and fuzzy feeling for it, when I bought a Bersa Thunder 380. The Bersa will do everything just as well as the 238 did, and at half the cost.
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I have both, and I'm going to have to disagree with that last statement. First of all, the SIG might be too heavy for your taste in pocket carry, but it will fit in a pocket, which the Thunder .380 will not, unless you're talking about cargo pants. Second, I am much more accurate with the SIG than I am with the Bersa; part of that might be the single-action trigger, which, although it's heavy, is very crisp. In comparison, the Bersa's trigger feels mushy to me. Third, the sights are way better on the SIG, in my opinion: night sights are standard, and the sight arrangement is easier to see, even in the daytime, than the Bersa's. Finally, the SIG has less felt recoil, due to being locked-breech rather than straight-blowback.

I like the feel of the Bersa in my hand, and mine has been very reliable. However, for all the reasons above, if I could only keep one of the two, it would be the SIG.

Everybody's different: That's just my 2¢.
 
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I have the 238 Sport model. Picked it up about 3 weeks ago. So far have shot ~250 rounds RB thru it with zero problems as well as ~100 rounds various JHP (Hornaday, Speer) with zero malfunctions. I have no complaints about either the trigger or the safety being "gritty".

Fits comfortably in an IWB or baggier shorts (golf shorts).
 
It operates just like BHP therefore not suitable for pocket SD pistol. The tiny slide lock lever is a major drawback to this design.
 
A single action small gun is almost always going to be more accurate than a double action small light gun. It's just the mechanics of how you operate it. When you have a short bore axis and a long trigger pull, the likelihood of moving the gun off target increases exponentially. The longer and heavier the gun is, the less likely you are to jerk it off target as you squeeze the trigger.
 
Love my 238's and bigger brother P 938, function effortlessly, accurate, easy to shoot and conceal...much easier to shoot than the Ruger or Keltec.
 
I like my P238. The only complaint is the trigger so I smmother the parts and swapped out the mainspring. I also added a magazine with the pinky extension. With the 7 round magazine, the pistol is a bit bulky, but a lot eaiser to shoot. Mine came with a pocket holster. This summer I went back to a S&W 642 revolver just because I can drop it im my pocket without a holster. However, the Sig is definitely easier to shoot well.
 
whatever said:
All that being said, what have your experiences been with the 238? Good? Bad? Indifferent?
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If you shop for used, educate yourself on the first year or so of serial numbers and avoid them.

Sig fixed the problems but it might be difficult to tell if the pistol had been repaired or updated.

Succeeding years function fine.

Also, at least in the first year production, Colt mustang magazines do not perform well. Stick with magazines specifically made for the P238 and avoid some headaches. The followers are different, at least on my Mustang and P238 magazines.

I put a set of Hogue neoprene grips on mine and I like shooting it much better. The gun does not slosh around in my hand as with the slick panels that Sig provide. I like neoprene grips in general and it is usually a personal preference thing.
 
cfullgraf said:
If you shop for used, educate yourself on the first year or so of serial numbers and avoid them.

Sig fixed the problems but it might be difficult to tell if the pistol had been repaired or updated.

Succeeding years function fine.

Also, at least in the first year production, Colt mustang magazines do not perform well. Stick with magazines specifically made for the P238 and avoid some headaches. The followers are different, at least on my Mustang and P238 magazines.

I put a set of Hogue neoprene grips on mine and I like shooting it much better. The gun does not slosh around in my hand as with the slick panels that Sig provide. I like neoprene grips in general and it is usually a personal preference thing.
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I use Colt mustang magazines in my P238 and they work fine.
 
Which pocket holsters are working for you?
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I rarely carry my P238 in a pocket but when I do, I use the Uncle Mike's size 4. It works OK, not great but OK. My P238 fits neatly in my motorcycle riding vest's internal holster and it was for that reason that I got the P238. It lays flat and does not show a bulge. I added the Hogue grip and extended magazine for 7+1. I also buffed the satin finish to give it a bright appearance. I'll be two wheeling it today and you can be sure the '238 will be with me.
 
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