P239 - which caliber?

[Cousin Mike]

.357 Sig!

No experience with the P239... yet. I expect to have one within the next 30 days or so.

I do have a good amount of experience with the .40S&W and .357Sig, and shooting both from the same gun. I have a Sig Pro, bought it in .357Sig, and then got the .40 barrel. I like the .357Sig better. Ammo can be found for good prices, you just have to look around a little bit. Not too big of a problem if you're like me, and would probably do that anyways. It costs me about the same as .357 magnum, but nobody recommends you stay away from .357 magnum because of price.

The .40 is not as snappy as the .357Sig, but the .40 has a lot more torque to it. End result is that .357Sig is easier to shoot for me, especially when shooting rapidly, and/or from the hip. It has more flash than the .40, at least in every load I've shot. However, I really just don't believe that the split-second, dull orange flash from a pistol is going to damage your eyesight if you have to shoot it at night, or otherwise dark conditions.

It's really just not that bright and traumatizing of a light.

I shoot at indoor ranges often. At times the lighting can be pretty dim. I've shot a lot of different guns in different calibers myself. I have yet to shoot, or see anyone shoot anything that lit up the range like a flashbulb. IMO, as long as you're not shooting super-hot .454 Casull loads, or something of the like, you should be alright in the sight department for follow-up shots.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Go with .357, you won't regret it

I have carried a P239 as my main CCW for many years now. The gun was in .40 until last year when I came across a very good deal on a .357 bbl and a few mags. I played around with .357 out of curiosity and now the .40 barrel is in box somewhere and I doubt I'll ever see it again.

If you go with the .40 all you gotta do is get the .357 sig barrel and go to town

Be aware that on the 239 you have to change mags as well as bbl for 100% reliable feeding. On the larger models it's just a barrel change, but on this little one there is a noticeable difference in the follower and feed angle.

When I was playing around I tried using .357 in the .40 mags and I had some failures to feed. Not a lot but any is too many for a carry gun.

 

[PoPo22]

caliber

I bought a P239 in 9mm a few years ago and found it to be a very reliable and accurate weapon. I don't particularly care for the DAK trigger (since I am a SA trigger fan), but its good for preventing ND's. The P239 was a pleasure to shoot in 9mm, easy to get back on target and feels good in my hand.

I ended up giving it to my daughter as a HD gun. I personally believe that WAY too much concern is placed on caliber. I've shot 9mm, .40, 357, and .45 quite a lot in my career. We have done extensive testing on all of the mentioned calibers and found VERY little difference between them as far as penetration and wound ballistics.

I found the 9mm to be much better for control and "follow up" shots, as well as round capacity. As long as you can make good "Hit's" on the target, all are adequate for a HD weapon IMHO.
Good Luck