Sig P238 HD Stainless Slide

[sirgilligan]

I have put less than 300 rounds through my Sig P238 HD Stainless. Manufactured in May 2010.

It fails to lock back on last round. Attached are some images of the slide catch notch.

Sig quickly and easily asked me to return the gun, no hassles. Will let you all know the results.

 

[Jolly Rogers]

There were a number of defective slides installed on the HD 238s.
Sig is replacing them.
Joe

 

[Flint Ridge]

Call Sig, you'll have to send it in but they are replacing them as noted. However it will be replaced with a slide that is notably thicker/wider but the problem should go away.

At the same time you might get the updated magazines and the new flat recoil springs that are just now coming out.

Report back as to Sig's response.

 

[Storm]

SIG's motto has been "hell and back reliability". Seems to me with the 238 it has been "send it back reliability". I'm still wondering just how much product testing they did getting the 238 to market. I know that I risk the ire of the 238 apologists, but there is no excuse. When you look to customers as beta testers, especially with a weapon designed solely for self-defense, there is zero that can be said to defend them. That applies to SIG and every other maker who acts in that matter.

 

[sirgilligan]

Received the "mailer" via email today. I will get it sent off quickly. Sig and their rep has been very polite and helpful. I can't complain about their service.

As for initial quality, well I know I am not pleased and I bet they aren't either. They are doing things right at this point. I can not apologize for Sig and they have apologized to me. They really did apologize. "Apologies for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you have any questions. "

 

[Storm]

Sirgilligan, I'm sure that SIG will do everything that they can do for you. From what I have heard the new slide should do the trick. Where they are at with the recoil springs I don't know. I really hope that they get this gun right some time soon as I'd really like to own another, one that I can depend upon. Other than the malfunctions this is one sweet shooting pistol. But, once I cannot trust a gun it either leaves or becomes a range toy, and this gun is no range toy, at least for me. Time will tell.

Good luck.

 

[benzuncle]

My HD had the same issue; failure to lock back after the last round was fired and numerous FTE's. I called SIG and explained my problems, letting them know that I had fired 200 rounds through it before contacting them. They emailed me a prepaid UPS next-day mailer and said the firearm would be back in 4 weeks. It came back a couple days short of their turn-around time with a new slide and an extra magazine. I have fired 450 rounds through it since then with zero problems. It shoots as good as it looks!

 

[Peter M. Eick]

My 238HD is back from its 3rd visit to Sig and I will take it to the range tomorrow to see if "this time" they got it right.

I am not holding my breath.

The lock back problem is common. Usually it is due to a collapsed spring.

The main problem is the soft slide:

This was my first slide.

This was my second slide.

I am now on my 3rd slide. Maybe this one will work? (Doubt it though).

There is also a problem with the extractor:

A Sig extractor is on the top, A colt is on the bottom. The colt works great. 100% reliable. The Sig does not. Notice the sharp edges, extra bevels and cuts? Those are why the Colt works and the Sig does not.

Another view. Which one will hold the rim and not let it slip off? The Colt part below of course.

Another problem with the 238HD's are extractor tension:

Note how loose the round is in the slide. The extractor hook is a bit long and has no tension.

So where do I stand? I would like my 238HD to run, but I give it a 10% chance of working right after this trip to the factory. If it does not work tomorrow I will call up and demand my money back. I am not going to send it back for the fourth time unless it is on a one way trip only.

 

[sirgilligan]

Unexpected call from my wife and she tells me the gun just showed up.

So home from work on lunch break.

Okay, I opened up the box and inspected the P238.
Definitely new slide, and barrel, and also the take down pin looks new as well (but not sure).

The letter included with the gun reads:

Gun Smith Comments:

Inspected pistol.

Replaced Slide and Recoil Spring.

Lubricated and test fired 3 mags of CCI Mini-Mag, noting proper function and no failures.

Also, they included a free magazine.
The spring is a new flat spring. It is much stiffer then the other Sig springs. Also, it is harder to get it back together because of this stiff spring. I was trying to get the guide rod back into the end of the slide and then the flat spring suddenly came out the end of the slide so I had to "unwind" it out and try again.

The gun will not fit into its holster anymore and there was no new holster included, nor any comment on this. I anticipated this from from reading posts.

Also the barrel is firmly contacting the slide, bottom of barrel to bottom of slide, enough so that some rub marks are already on the bottom of the barrel. Will you all do me a favor and unload your P238 and look down the end of the barrel and see if the barrel is centered in the slide or not?

http://sigarms556.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=10315&p=64082#p64082

So, very quick return time. I can't complain about that. Now, how does it work? Will it extract? I will report.

 

[bannockburn]

sirgilligan

Hope everything checks out okay and your P238 is back up and running right. A couple of weeks ago I went with a friend of mine to the range so he could try out his new P238. No problems with the slide not locking back after the last round, but I did experience something else rather unusual happening.

When inserting a fresh mag with the slide locked back, upon releasing the slide stop lever, the slide would not go all the way into battery. It would stop about 1/8" short of its complete travel. It did this three or four times through 50 rounds. No problem with having the mag inserted and racking the slide to chamber the first round. Has anyone else has this type of problem occur with their P238? Other than this, the gun ran great and turned in some pretty nice groups as well.

 

[sirgilligan]

Here is a stock Sig photo of my gun. It shows the barrel and slide the same as mine so therefore I feel mine is as it should be.

 

[sirgilligan]

bannockburn,

I have not experienced that. Not returning to battery and it being a Sig P238 my first guess is it is the recoil spring. Until I got this new flat spring I had no idea how wimpy the original round springs are. Notice in my picture how long the new spring is! It is 2x the length of the guide rod.

SirG

 

[Jed Carter]

SIG customer service is first rate, I recently sent a pistol for warranty repair, prepaid both ways and only 9 days round trip. The original springs have a tapered end that goes on the guide rod first, it is not addressed in the users manual. that boogered up spring in the photo had to be installed backwards. I know this from experience with my P238, although my spring only started to screw itself past the back of the guide rod. My P238 has functioned great, but I still want a flat recoil spring for it.

 

[bannockburn]

sirgilligan

Thanks for the update and the nice close-up photos of your gun. I wouldn't think there would be a problem with the recoil spring as my friends P238 hadn't been fired very much before we went to the range. So maybe it's just an early break-in peculiarity that will disappear after more rounds have gone through it. I will mention the new flat recoil spring to him as well. Hope the new mods work out okay with your P238.