Sig P238
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Freedom_fighter_in_IL
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My wife has one and loves it. We cant carry here in the socialist state of Illinois but if she could carry she would feel perfectly safe with it. Shoots very well. A bit on the small side for me but I have baseball gloves for hands so smaller pistols just don't feel right to me.
1. Mine had reliability issues. Sold it.
2. .380 ammo is expensive compared to 9mm.
3. If possible, skip this gun and choose a sub compact 9mm. If you must go the route of .380 due for concealment, get the LCP instead. The Sig shoots better...but is less reliable (from my experience).
2. .380 ammo is expensive compared to 9mm.
3. If possible, skip this gun and choose a sub compact 9mm. If you must go the route of .380 due for concealment, get the LCP instead. The Sig shoots better...but is less reliable (from my experience).
Tommygunn
Member
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new one. The model has had problems but I think Sig has corrected most of them.
I would certainly run a bunch of ammo through it before trusting it for defense, but I would do that for any firearm I bought for defense.
I would certainly run a bunch of ammo through it before trusting it for defense, but I would do that for any firearm I bought for defense.
harmon rabb
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I've got one. Provided you get a good one, as some apparently have issues, it's fantastic, in a class of its own when it comes to pocket pistols. The other pocket pistols have crummy triggers (although the TCP's trigger isn't too bad) and aren't nice to fire at all. The 238 has a decent trigger, and soaks up recoil well enough to let you fire a couple hundred rounds without wanting to stop.
I am far, FAR more accurate with my 238 than I am with my LCP. Night and day difference.
I am far, FAR more accurate with my 238 than I am with my LCP. Night and day difference.
M2 Carbine
member
My P238 has been nothing but trouble. Recently I got it back from it's second trip to SIG and it malfunctioned during the third magazine. Which was better than the first trip to SIG, when I got it back and it malfunctioned during the first magazine.
To date I have spent the gun's high price in .380 ammo trying to get it reliable. I would be money ahead if I had thrown the gun away the day I bought it.
I am a big 1911 fan and I like the miniature 1911 but I'd never trust it for a carry gun.
To date I have spent the gun's high price in .380 ammo trying to get it reliable. I would be money ahead if I had thrown the gun away the day I bought it.
I am a big 1911 fan and I like the miniature 1911 but I'd never trust it for a carry gun.
M2 Carbine: Is your P238 a newer one or is it one of the older ones? I have read they did have some problems in the begining but thought they had worked most of them out.
Does anyone have concerns with the 380 as self defence ammo? My thoughts are that the gun is light enough to carry all the time and I can carry an extra mag to make.
Does anyone have concerns with the 380 as self defence ammo? My thoughts are that the gun is light enough to carry all the time and I can carry an extra mag to make.
WRGADog
Member
I too live in Central Florida and dress similarly I routinely carry one of the following three guns: Kahr PM9, Kahr P380, or S&W 340PD. These guns conceal easily in your pocket and are all very light weight and accurate. I use a DeSantis Nemisis holster. I considered the Sig 238, but liked the Kahr pistols much better. The PM9 is my favorite, because of caliber and accuracy. If you should decide to go with the Kahr be sure to fire the required 200 rounds to break in the pistol.
harmon rabb
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That Kahr PM9 is SMALL. I give them that. With the 6rd mag in it, it's easily pocketable.
I don't like DA triggers though.
I don't like DA triggers though.
My wife wanted a .380, so for a while she had a LCP, which she liked to carry but it hurt her hand too much when shooting. I found a 238 at a real good price for my area........we've only run about 150 rounds through it, so far so good. It's much easier for the wife to shoot well; I replaced the funky blue grip panels with some black G-10 panels from Altamont; looks nice. Our experience with the 238 has been good for now........
Mike
Mike
I like my P238 but it is hard on recoil springs. Replace it after 500 rounds or so. I feel that there is not enough room for the recoil spring when the slide is fully retracted. The spring gets coil bound under recoil. Buy them in bunches so you have one on hand. They are pretty cheap from Top Gun Supply, $5 or so.
I found Wolff springs and Mustang springs crap out in less than 100 rounds.
Also, I feel the extractor is a problem and frequently not adjusted properly. Maybe a function of varying dimensions of the rim on various brands of ammo. I want to get another or two, but have not called Sig yet to order. I have not yet found them available elsewhere, but not looked hard recently.
Colt Mustang magazines will give you problems. The P238 cams the barrel down farther than the Mustang's and the Mustang's magazine follower gets in the way. Sig is on at least the third generation magazine follower.
Mine is a year old and never been back to Sig. But, I am comfortable working on M1911 style pistols and aware of their needs. From what I am hearing, current production are better than the early models.
I reload for 380 ACP so cost of practice ammo is not an issue. The P238s do shoot nicely.
I found Wolff springs and Mustang springs crap out in less than 100 rounds.
Also, I feel the extractor is a problem and frequently not adjusted properly. Maybe a function of varying dimensions of the rim on various brands of ammo. I want to get another or two, but have not called Sig yet to order. I have not yet found them available elsewhere, but not looked hard recently.
Colt Mustang magazines will give you problems. The P238 cams the barrel down farther than the Mustang's and the Mustang's magazine follower gets in the way. Sig is on at least the third generation magazine follower.
Mine is a year old and never been back to Sig. But, I am comfortable working on M1911 style pistols and aware of their needs. From what I am hearing, current production are better than the early models.
I reload for 380 ACP so cost of practice ammo is not an issue. The P238s do shoot nicely.
M2 Carbine
member
I bought it in March. No 27A004***.
It's been back to SIG twice. Don't recall what all they did to it. I know the recoil spring has been changed out 5 times.
When I got the gun back a couple weeks ago they sent my old magazines back, instead of swapping them out for the new design. I called SIG and sent in the old mags again for the new ones.
I haven't tried out the gun with the new mags yet but I haven't a lot of confidence that the mags will cure the extracting/ejecting problems.
If the older guns are the problem, SIG should just be upfront and swap the defective guns for the reliable model.
I'm not holding my breath though.
I have 700 plus rounds through mine and still with the original recoil spring and have not hat the bunching up problem.
Some people think the bunching up problem occurs when the recoil spring is installed backwards, which makes sense to me.
I also have two Colt Mustang magazines and they work perfectly.
I have shot 6 different brands of ammo and no extractor problems, or for that matter no problems of any kind.
Some guys are starting to sound like a Kimber fight...I have a 238, and it has been flawless through 500 rounds. It is a very nice shooter, with very nice sights, unlike the LCP, or the P3AT...I had a P3AT, for 3 years, and traded it in for the 238, and have NEVER regretted it, although the P3AT never let me down, the rounds down the tube were very low, like under 100, because it was like holding a 1X in my hand....just my .02 worth...-Joshua
Freedom_fighter_in_IL
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My wife has well over 1000 rounds through hers and it has yet to fail. EVER. No stove piping, not FTF nothing.
rellascout
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The p238 is a problem child. Its reliability is very hit or miss. You will find very few people who are in the middle on this one. Either you have one and it has been nothing but trouble or you have one and it great. I see very little middle ground on the P238. YMMV
AK103K
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Mine was "miss", and it missed a lot.
It also did this a lot.....
Mine was made last May, and past the supposed cut off date that was floating around at the time. I had about 700 rounds thorough it. Tried swapping out springs with no real difference. Had to use Wolff as SIG never had any. My manual said to swap springs at 1500 rounds, SIG told me on the phone that it was 1000. As much as I shoot what I carry, that would be a lot of springs, which werent available when I had mine anyway. Had mags with both types of followers, and the above happened with both. Extractor seemed to be properly tuned, or at least it passed the standard test. It did chuck brass everywhere though. Ammo didnt seem to matter, ball, HP's reload or factory.
Might sound silly, but the safety was VERY loud, and that bugged the hell outta me. My AK's and M1's/M1A's are quieter. Its not at all discrete.
Accuracy was fine, and the sights were nice and something you usually dont see on a gun of this type. Then again, they really arent necessary on a gun of this type, so I suppose it depends on how you shoot and what you base things on. If you shoot them realistically, you'll see little difference between it and the LCP and others. If all you shoot is bullseyes with it, you'll probably do better.
I swapped mine for a Glock 26 and havent regretted it. Personally, I think SIG would have been better off designing one of their own instead of copying a design that historically hasnt done well when done by others. Of all the SIG's I own or have owned, its the only one I ever had troubles with.
It also did this a lot.....
Mine was made last May, and past the supposed cut off date that was floating around at the time. I had about 700 rounds thorough it. Tried swapping out springs with no real difference. Had to use Wolff as SIG never had any. My manual said to swap springs at 1500 rounds, SIG told me on the phone that it was 1000. As much as I shoot what I carry, that would be a lot of springs, which werent available when I had mine anyway. Had mags with both types of followers, and the above happened with both. Extractor seemed to be properly tuned, or at least it passed the standard test. It did chuck brass everywhere though. Ammo didnt seem to matter, ball, HP's reload or factory.
Might sound silly, but the safety was VERY loud, and that bugged the hell outta me. My AK's and M1's/M1A's are quieter. Its not at all discrete.
Accuracy was fine, and the sights were nice and something you usually dont see on a gun of this type. Then again, they really arent necessary on a gun of this type, so I suppose it depends on how you shoot and what you base things on. If you shoot them realistically, you'll see little difference between it and the LCP and others. If all you shoot is bullseyes with it, you'll probably do better.
I swapped mine for a Glock 26 and havent regretted it. Personally, I think SIG would have been better off designing one of their own instead of copying a design that historically hasnt done well when done by others. Of all the SIG's I own or have owned, its the only one I ever had troubles with.
Yes, you are correct, if the spring is installed backwards the spring problems are worse. But I have had problems with the spring installed in the correct position. My gun came with a special warning to have the spring installed correctly.
As others have said, the P238 seems to be hit or miss.
I do like mine and feel it is adequately reliable. Just passing along some of my experiences.
My Mustang magazines, and I have a bunch, work most of the time but they do have issues. I have a Mustang that the P238 was to replace and give the Mustang a much deserved retirement. I really love my Mustang.
I am glad your Mustang magazines work.
Once again, I do like the P238 and mine works fine.
M2 Carbine
member
AK103K,
When I first saw your pictires I thought they were mine.
For the longest time I couldn't figure out how some cases got that bad crease across the case mouth. Usually the case made it out of the gun. Then one day I got the same jam as yours.
I may have some time today to shoot the gun. I'll see if the new magazines make any difference.
When I first saw your pictires I thought they were mine.
For the longest time I couldn't figure out how some cases got that bad crease across the case mouth. Usually the case made it out of the gun. Then one day I got the same jam as yours.
I may have some time today to shoot the gun. I'll see if the new magazines make any difference.
AK103K
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On average, 5-10% of my recovered brass looked like that and you could not reload it due to the damage. As with yours, the brass usually made it out, but the two stoppages you see in the pics were a fairly regular occurrence too, and I'd usually get one at any given moment every couple of mags.
Freedom_fighter_in_IL
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Guess I was one of the lucky ones then. Of all the Sig's I have owned, and there have been many, I have never been displeased with a single one of them. Granted this is a clone of another makers weapon, but it has never failed for the wife. Now after saying that, watch us go to the range this weekend and the damn thing will break :banghead: 
M2 Carbine
member
I just shot my P238 using the two new magazines.
35 (or 42, I lost count) rounds of lead bullets and JRN reloads.
The slide randomly locked back once. I'll give the gun the benefit of a doubt and say my left thumb tip may have hit the slide stop.
All the rounds functioned OK and shot accurately. I do like the way this gun shoots.
One worrisome thing.
I randomly checked some chambered and top rounds in the magazines. The top of the bullet and about half of the top of the case is badly scored. I forgot my camera but it looks like these bullets from the past, only a lot worse.
The worrisome thing is, now the brass mouth and half way down the (unfired) case is also beat up, A LOT.
I'm not filled with confidence that the gun will be completely reliable with this round against round damage going on.
I have a lot of .380 ammo, so I'll see what happens.
35 (or 42, I lost count) rounds of lead bullets and JRN reloads.
The slide randomly locked back once. I'll give the gun the benefit of a doubt and say my left thumb tip may have hit the slide stop.
All the rounds functioned OK and shot accurately. I do like the way this gun shoots.
One worrisome thing.
I randomly checked some chambered and top rounds in the magazines. The top of the bullet and about half of the top of the case is badly scored. I forgot my camera but it looks like these bullets from the past, only a lot worse.
The worrisome thing is, now the brass mouth and half way down the (unfired) case is also beat up, A LOT.
I'm not filled with confidence that the gun will be completely reliable with this round against round damage going on.
I have a lot of .380 ammo, so I'll see what happens.
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