P238 vs G42

[herkyguy]

Out of curiosity I ran my P238 alongside the new G42. In the past I had an LCP but disliked how snappy it was and traded it. I picked up the P238 some time ago and have really enjoyed its mild shooting qualities. The G42 gives it a run for its money.

First off, I shot 150 rounds in total between both of them. 50 rounds of Winchester 95 grain white box, 50 rounds of 100 grain plated Berrys sitting on top of 2.7 grains of 700x, and lastly Berrys 100 grain plated atop 2.9 grains of 700x (max load per Hornady).

The P238 has never run Winchester Ammo reliably and this outing was no different. Through my chrono, they ran at 750 fps. The 2.7 grain load also ran at 750 fps. The 2.9 grain load topped off at about 850 fps. Both hand loads cycled reliably and accurate enough to hit a 10" steel plate at ten yards.

The G42 cycled the Winchester ammo with no problems. It would not fully cycle the 2.7 grain load. More than half had insufficient power to eject the case after firing. Many stovepipes. Some brass never even made it out of the cylinder. The 2.9 grain load cycled with 100% reliability. Velocities were the same, 750 fps for both the Winchester and 2.7 grain load and 850 fps for the 2.9 grain load.

I found accuracy to be just as good with the G42, although I'm re-acquainting myself with the Glock sights. Regarding recoil, both absorb the recoil well and are far better than the LCP. I prefer the longer grip of the G42 and the simplicity of the Glock design, but it's hard to dislike the aesthetics of the P238.

The downsides of both:

The P238 is picky about ammo. I've tried quite a bit and it will only reliably cycle round nose bullets. Not a problem for me since I like fmj for .380. It's nice that it will cycle a lower load, but that doesn't do me much good as a CCW.

The G42 needs a more stout load to reliably cycle. My next test will likely be some hollow point bullets.... Perhaps with some more velocity behind them.

 

[whatever]

I have done quite a bit of testing my 238 and my friends 42. Both of ours have been flawless (outside of the first magazine of the 42). Both have worked with all sorts of different factory ammo.

In my hands, accuracy is a toss up as is ease of shooting. I love both firearms and would not hesitate toncarry either. The edge in my mind goes to the 238 because it is a bit smaller, but that is really nitpicking.

 

[AK103K]

Looks like youre having better luck with your P238 than I had with mine.

I had a P238 a couple of years back, and could never get it to function properly with anything. It was supposedly one made past the "problem era" cut off too.

I just picked up a 42 last week, and with 300 rounds through it so far, a 100 WWB 95 grain, and 200 of my reloads, 100 grain plated fmj's over 3.3 grains of 231, and it hasnt missed a beat from round one. Accurate too.

My experience with Glocks has been, they tend to like their ammo on the hotter side, so if you have loads that work other guns, you may need to bump them up for reliable function in the Glocks. I had that issue with my 9mm's loaded for my HP's, P38's, and HK P7M13.

While Ive only had the 42 for a couple of days now, and it is a cool little gun, Im just not so sure its going to find a spot where my 26's now ride. The 42 is basically the same size over all as the 26, just about 1/8"-3/16" narrower, and 4 (to 21) rounds lighter.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Super thanks for your opinions and review!

My Wife could not find her preferred Concealed Carry weapon until we settled on a G42 for her and she loves it...We shot a P238 and both liked it very much as she has a Colt Officers ACP that was her "main squeeze" for years until it got to be a bit too much for her in her older/arthritic years. The ergos on the P238 are similar.

We enjoy both pistols but the G42 is now a family member. I also hand load for the G42 and we are shooting 100 gr. Xtreme flat noses over 3.8 gr. of Unique pushing them over 1000 fps. Very reliable and accurate. Gonna try some 115 gr. Berry's flat noses as soon as time/work schedule allows me to work up that load but I suspect the G42 will handle a respectable 115 gr. .356 bullet nicely. Having shot many .380's searching for the best gun for my Wife we discovered that with the exception of some (like the Walther PPK/S and Beretta .380 pistols) many/most .380 guns can be finicky about ammunition and bullet shape.

We did shoot Winchester "Train and Defend" .380 ammunition as a test in the P238 and the G42 "both types...the Train version and Defend version) and found it to be perfect in the G42 and finicky in the P238. I believe the "Defend" Winchester, which seems a little hotter, functioned better in the P238.

Thanks for the information and your experience - I'm rapidly becoming a .380 convert for CC due to the newer .380 pistols that allow hotter ammunition with reliable functionality as well as reduced recoil. We are getting barely sub 9mm performance out of our G42 with soft recoil.

VooDoo

 

[AFK]

I have a 238 that I really like as it is easy to put in a pocket with a holster. It is picky with ammo and I am still narrowing down my reloads to suit it. It functions flawlessly with Hornady Critical Defense ammo, which is what I carry. I was at the range yesterday and the range officer and I got to talking and he asked if I tried the new glock yet. I said no and he went to the cabinet and brought one out for me to try. I really liked it. I was very accurate with it and it fit my hand better than the 238. The only thing is that it's too big for me to pocket carry, and I wouldn't belt carry it because I have larger guns in larger calibers for that. Now if they made it in a 9mm, that would be a different story. My wife is in the process of getting her carry license and we will be going to the range for her to try some different guns. This has definitely been added to the short list for her. Plus, when we go to the range I would get to shoot it!

 

[astocks2622]

guess we got lucky with our p238. It's my wife's daily carry, & it has eaten everyting we've fed it, including WWB, federal, various handloads, & even some super cheapo tul-ammo we were given. accurate, low recoil, & recovers after the shot exactly on target for both of us. I can shoot it faster than mt shield 9mm, which I love. glad I got a gem!

 

[OilyPablo]

Never had any issues in two plus years of owning my P238 since I changed out the spring. The stock spring is problematic. It's pretty much my summer CPL semiauto. I carry and practice (a little) with flat nose hard lead Buffalo Bore +P. I practice with whatever ammo I can find.

You didn't comment about size. In your picture the G42 seems to appear very small. But in real life my P238 is smaller than the G42, IMHO.

 

[jhb]

I have a first gen p238........a few of the magazines over the various design changes made mine picky with ammo.......weirdly not mag design but the mag themselves. I keep most of the ones that worked regardless of which design....but I sent most of those that didnt work back to sig and got replacements when they were doing that many years ago. Now mine works with any current 380 ammo.

I also have an first gen hd p238 . Had the soft slide issue. It would work fine all ammo even in the mags the other p238 wouldnt. Sent back for the slide and works fine with all ammo and mag versions still.

I keep a couple of the various mag design changes to play with for fun to see why they work in one and not the other. Still haven't figured out why the differences are so minor it's almost undetectable?

Seems they got most of the bugs worked out now or so I see in reporting on the internet.

I sure do like the idea of glock reliability in a pocket pistol though......I'm gonna wait until any bugs that might pop up are fixed before I add one to my collection.


Thanks for your report op...enjoyed it.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

No experience with the 238. Not a fan of Glock at all. Got a chance to shoot the G42......if I wanted a .380, the G42 would be it!
Really liked that gun!

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Went to the range today with my Wife's G42 and rented a P238, 200 rounds of VooDoo Home Brew (which I can't shoot in the 238 'cause it's a range gun) and a bunch of questions. Shot Winchester Train and Defend in the P238. I did get a couple of hickups and would not recommend Winchester Train and Defend "Defend" ammunition for the P238...or at least not for this particular P238.

The size difference between the two pistols, for me, is negligible. Granted I'm a fit 58 years old and 6'3" with a 32" waist and can pocket a G26 or a Beretta Px4 so it's just opinion. A smaller person may be more sensitive to the minor size difference as might someone with more "middle" depending on how/where they carry. But the size difference between a P238 and G42 would not change the carry equation for me either way. It's just not that great of a difference...



I don't think a person could lose with either of these as a carry gun. Fantastic accuracy, super reliable, concealable, durable. I personally like the G42 over the P238 but that's opinion. I think the G42 is softer shooting with hot .380 and more manageable in rapid fire...it was also more accurate for me in point shooting but that is due to my greater familiarity with this platform and the fact that I was shooting hand tuned ammunition.

VooDoo

 

[OilyPablo]

Thanks for the further details. They do appear pretty close. At the LGS and show the Glock slide seemed longer, and probably is, but overall the guns have nearly the same length.

 

[linkscoach]

For a variety of reasons I really prefer the 42 and ultimately decided to not keep the P238. The size is so close on the two that I decided to keep the one that I was most comfortable with.

 

[kokapelli]

Both are really excellent and Both are keepers, but I do lean slitely toward the G42 for pocket carry even though I do shoot the P238 a little better and have not had any ammo problems with either.

With that said I still usually pocket carry a TCP because of it's light weight, smaller size and total reliability with everything I have fed it.

 

[Fork]

One of the main things that the LCP really excels at is being small enough for rear pocket carry. With a rear pocket holster with a flap over the top of it (ie. pocketholsters.com) it is completely concealed even with a shirt tucked in and with a pair of jeans.

I suspect that P238 could do the same but I'm skeptical the G42 can for an average size person. Anyone with experience with this mode of carry with either care to comment?

 

[horsemen61]

I have both and I love both of them

 

[kokapelli]

One of the main things that the LCP really excels at is being small enough for rear pocket carry. With a rear pocket holster with a flap over the top of it (ie. pocketholsters.com) it is completely concealed even with a shirt tucked in and with a pair of jeans.

I suspect that P238 could do the same but I'm skeptical the G42 can for an average size person. Anyone with experience with this mode of carry with either care to comment?

I tried it once but did not like sitting on a gun.

 

[toivo]

One of the main things that the LCP really excels at is being small enough for rear pocket carry. With a rear pocket holster with a flap over the top of it (ie. pocketholsters.com) it is completely concealed even with a shirt tucked in and with a pair of jeans.

I suspect that P238 could do the same but I'm skeptical the G42 can for an average size person. Anyone with experience with this mode of carry with either care to comment?

I tried it once but did not like sitting on a gun.

I have rear pocket carried a Kel-Tec P32 in a regular DeSantis Nemesis. It only works when you're not going to be sitting down. I move mine from front pocket to rear when I'm going to be moving around a lot, bending over, picking things up and carrying them, etc. A pistol in the front pocket gets in the way for that kind of activity.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

I'd think the G42 would be a little large in a holster/in the back pocket. I could carry it without a holster easily in my back pocket covered by a sweatshirt but that'd mean I'd have to not keep one "in the pipe" and I'm not a fan of that kind of carry. I like 'em hot if I'm gonna carry them...

Then again, I'm a large guy and can pocket carry all kinds of craziness.

An LCP could be an advantage in this regard but since shooting a G42 the LCP is so far on a back burner I have no interest in it. That little gun kicks like a mule and rapid fire accuracy, which is imperative in a .380, is non existent for me or my Wife.

VooDoo

 

[golden]

I am for the glock 42

I have gone through a number of pocket pistols. I have never shot the SIG 238, but I have shot the COLT .380 Government Model Lightweigt. It shot fine and handled well, but carrying cocked and locked held little appeal to me.

The GLOCK 42 has shot everything I have tried including the lousy WINCHESTER White Box ammo with the flat tips. This stuff causes jams in everything except a BERETTA 84 that I have shot. NO PROBLEM IN THE GLOCK 42. Like other GLOCKS that I have owned and carried, it just shoots and shoots and shoots. The recoil was less than expected and it is quite accurate for such a small gun.
I finally retired my WALTHER PPK after shooting the GLOCK 42. It is as close to perfect as any pocket gun that I have found.

GOOD JOB GLOCK!

Jim

 

[Fork]

I have rear pocket carried a Kel-Tec P32 in a regular DeSantis Nemesis. It only works when you're not going to be sitting down. I move mine from front pocket to rear when I'm going to be moving around a lot, bending over, picking things up and carrying them, etc. A pistol in the front pocket gets in the way for that kind of activity.

I suppose this is yet another case where everyone's actually body is different. When I sit down with an LCP in my back pocket, the whole gun is behind me rather than under me. I wear a belt all the which also may contribute to this. I'm realizing that back pocket carry, similar to appendix carry, only works for some poeple.

My concern with a gun larger than a LCP is less a confort issue and more of will it stick out the top of the back pocket and be exposed issue.

 

[toivo]

My concern with a gun larger than a LCP is less a confort issue and more of will it stick out the top of the back pocket and be exposed issue.

Well, my P32 isn't bigger than an LCP -- about the same size, actually -- but it doesn't stick out of my back pocket, even with jeans. With Dockers, it's not even close.

 

[aloon15]

The G42 and P238 are in different size groups IMO. The G42 is closer to the size of a Shield, whereas the P238 is quite a bit smaller.

I really like my P238, but I wish it the controls protruded less from the sides. I'd say a Shield w/o safety, or a Beretta Nano are close in size to the G42 but they still offer you a 9mm round. If you want to go closer to the P238 size, you should also look at a Taurus TCP.

 

[toivo]

I really like my P238, but I wish it the controls protruded less from the sides.

This guy makes a great Kydex pocket holster for the P238. (Don't be put off by the name -- he makes right and left-hand holsters).

http://www.lefthandholster.com/

The safety isn't covered, but there is a bump-out in the edge of the material next to the safety so that the safety is protected from contact.

 

[d'zaster]

but what about the kahr p380?

 

[bannockburn]

Haven't had a chance to check out the Glock 42 yet but in my CCW line-up (with my KelTec P3AT being the pocket carry champ in the overall size category), it would probably go right between my SIG P238 and my Kahr CM9. Both are great guns in terms of ergonomics, reliability, and accuracy. Might wait to see if Glock decides to upscale the G42 to a 9mm. Now that would be worth seeing.