Sig P238

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JamieC

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My wife is looking to get a new carry piece, (she's carrying a 38 snub now). She's shot the Shield a few times, (one of my daughters has one), compared it to a Glock 42. Shot the Shield a bit more accurately than the Glock, (second time shooting the Shield, the Glock trigger safety blade bothered her). The range we were at suggested the Sig P238, nice looking, she is planning on renting it tomorrow, see how it goes. Since it's nearly $200 more than either the Shield or Glock, (I would rather she stays with 9mm BUT, the slightly smaller Glock 42 and the P238 are easier to conceal), I'm wondering if anyone here has any feedback on the Sig P238.
 
The 238 is one of the less snappy .380s out there due to its design. It's very accurate for a .380 and easy to breakdown and clean. My wife likes it, and she is very recoil shy. I just need to get her out shooting it more often. I bought her one with the laser. Good piece of gear.
 
I feel as if a single action gun with a manual thumb safety is better reserved for a shootist, so I'd vote LCP custom with a Hogue grip and 7 shot factory magazines.
 
I would rather she stays with 9mm BUT
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Then take a look at the SIG 938, barely bigger than the 238

I feel as if a single action gun with a manual thumb safety is better reserved for a shootist
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Why? and who says she isn't?

A big plus for the P239/938 is the force of racking the slide can be split into cocking the hammer and racking the slide and since you can rack the slide with the safety on its as safe as anything else. Its only real negative is not being ambidextrous.
 
"Why?"

For the same reason I actually wouldn't carry it, a full frame 1911 is one thing, but when were talking about what becomes the semi-fine motor skill of sweeping a small safety on a small gun AND a light(ish) single action trigger on that small gun, that's just not exactly what I would prefer for CC.

EDIT: ^I was wrong about the weight on the trigger, it's 7.5+ pounds. Regardless, a SA trigger is still not preferred for CC and my points on the safety remain.

"..and who says she isn't?"

Many women are not, they are naturally better shooters, but if they fail to stick with it -- their skills drop off, meaning that on average, men are better shots.
 
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The P238 and the G42 are as good as it gets in small 380 pistols.

It just depends which works best for you.

I have both and prefer the G42 over the P238, but you don't mind having a safety to deal with you just can't go wrong with the P238.
 
Softest shooting 380 I've ever shot. Excellent trigger. I pocket carry one daily when i cant full size carry. Id be surprised if y'all didn't think it was the best of the bunch in comfort and ease etc.
 
Very soft shooting and accurate little .380. Just about the only "con" is that it's basically a mini-1911 in function, so she'll have to be comfortable with cocked and locked. I love mine.

They make a slightly larger version in 9mm too, the P938.
 
2wheels said:
Very soft shooting and accurate little .380. Just about the only "con" is that it's basically a mini-1911 in function, so she'll have to be comfortable with cocked and locked. I love mine.

They make a slightly larger version in 9mm too, the P938.
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Or learn to chamber when drawing and carry in condition 3 like i do being a southpaw shooter and having the first version p238 with no ambi safety. Course i learned to do that from full size mil spec 1911s growing up. So i didnt really have to learn anything new with the p238.

Not for everyone...just another option.
 
My wife carries a P238, round chambered, safety on, hammer back, in a belt-slide holster. She even carries sometimes when she knows I'm already carrying.
 
AR15activist said:
"Or learn to chamber when drawing and carry in condition 3"

:fire::cuss::banghead::what::eek::uhoh::(:scrutiny::barf:
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Not for everyone. ..but an option. Without an ambi safety and being a southpaw you got 3 options. Buy a new gun with an ambi safety. Learn to use your trigger finger to disengage the safety when drawing. Do what i said earlier. You got a better idea I'm all for learning. Thanks.
 
My wife has one and loves it. It eats everything she feeds it. Very accurate, even at to 20 yards.
 
I had a lot of initial ejection issues with my early P238 until Sig got the magazines sorted out.
Pretty sweet little gun, however, I could never get used to pocket carry cocked and locked.
 
I have the SAS ambi 238 and love it. Great accurate fun to shoot easy to carry gun.
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My sentiments exactly. The 238 is one of my favorite pistols. I use a OWB holster. The little thing hides under a T shirt. Being a shorts and flip flops guy, It fits me very well.
Its a great little mini-gun that is actually fun to take to the range. I don't think I would say mine is particularly accurate. More like combat accurate. Maybe if I used two hands.

As far as the safety catch, I don't think its a problem. Just like a 1911, you ride the safety. It just sort of comes off during the draw stroke. I don't see what the big deal is.
Maybe people that can't figure out how to use a safety catch should pick up a Glock 42, another very good choice.
 
My wife just traded her standard 238 for a Desert Scorpion model 238 with ambi safety. Nothing wrong with the last one, she just wanted a makeover.

We have tried the Ruger, Keltec and Taurus .380 models and found then all too "snappy". A airweight .38 was a bit much as well, so she decided on the 238.

The 238 had usable night sights, soft recoil, small size and most important, a manual safety.
 
I normally carry a Sig 45 but bought the P238 as a gym shorts carry piece. Wife tried it, loved it and now it's hers. The gun shoots accurate, little recoil - and she had no problem manipulating and getting used to the safety.
 
As good as the 238 is for a small, concealable handgun the 938 is better. Very accurate, low recoil and minimally larger than the 238. Compare the specs......and it's the caliber you wanted her to stick to. I used to have a 238 for pocket carry but went to the 938 a year ago. I can't tell the difference in size or weight and recoil is only slightly more. Use a good quality holster that covers the trigger and thumb safety and it's as safe or safer than anything else.;)
 
My P238, much like my Colt Mustang, is one of the most accurate and soft shooting .380s I have ever used.
 
Well, we went to the range, rented the p238 first, (the Glock 42 was to follow, just to compare, we had borrowed another 42 the other night). Loaded up P238, one mag, "I like this". I figured if after shooting this gun, (the P238), she still couldn't decide, it would probably be the Shield. She shot that well even though it's slightly large for her hand, it's a 9mm, the recoil didn't bother her. She tried holding the Sig 938, just enough larger so her trigger finger didn't fall into the right spot. The range gun had a Hogue rubber grip on it, real comfortable, when she compared it to the standard grip, (Scorpion), she like the size of the standard grip, (did I mention her size? 4' 11", 100lbs). So the P238 Scorpion is it. It's a bit more $ than we planned, (why does it always seem to work that way? As soon as she shot the first mag and said, "I like this!", I said, "it figures"). We wanted to make sure it was right, between the ammo, range fees, rental fees, well over $100 just to be sure. Not thrilled with 380 ammo, not always easy to find, costs more than 9mm, although I'm told by people far smarter than me, the new 380 SD is just fine, now I have to start finding brass, new die set, etc. I'm glad she's happy, (gives me a chance, LOL)....there's a Fusion I want to build for my birthday
 
JameiC FWIW I settled on Cor-Bon expanding ammo for my 380's. It's significantly hotter than some of the other brands
 
There is a glut of 380 ammo available right now over the internet. just check here
http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/pistol/380acp/

Also, based on the Ammo quest testing the XTP bullet in 380 one of the best performing bullets with reliable expansion and meets the FBI penetration standards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNtPHYwcDts

Freedom Munitions has good reloads at very good prices and their new ammo is excellent top notch ammo.

Right now Freedom has new 380 ammo with the XTP bullet at a ridiculously low price of 34 cents per round, but when they run production of this ammo it doesn't last long.
http://www.freedommunitions.com/category-s/1824.htm
 
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