My EDC + Sig p238 range report.

Weebs · Oct 24, 2009

On Tuesday the 20th I met up with Sully and picked up a brand new Sig P238 .380 carry pistol. I had been looking at the kel-tec p3-at and the ruger LCP but I didn't really like either of the pistols. I loved their size but didn't like their trigger and the fit in my hand. Yeah I realize with a pocket pistol you're not really looking for the quality of the trigger or how it feels in your hand but I do value training with my carry guns and a day at the range with a gun you don't like to shoot isn't very much fun!

I took it to the range on Thursday and put a box through it and absolutely loved it. At 5 yards it's very accurate. I'm not the best pistol shot but I was able to get tight acceptable groups. When moving back to 15 plus yards I was still pleased with the accuracy. I was hitting head size groups with nearly every shot. (again, it's a pocket pistol so I'm not really looking to hit a head... )

I had 0 jams and 0 malfunctions. From a brand new pistol shooting steel cased ammo I was completely surprised. Pleasantly surprised :s0155:

Pros:

The single action only trigger gives you a nice easy trigger pull adding to your potential accuracy.

Replaceable sights. The sig has real sights on it. I plan on replacing them eventually with night sights. The LCP and p3-at have little nubs that they call sight.

Replaceable grips. The 1911 lover in me loves being able to put grips of your own preference.

Cons:

No visual indicator of the safeties status. The isn't a S or F, there isn't red piece that gets revealed when the safety is off. I'll be adding my own paint to make my own indicator.

Price. When comparing the LCP, p3-at, and p238 the price is probably the obvious factor that dictates which one people buy. I got a GREAT deal on my p238 but it was still $200ish more than it's plastic counterparts. I don't really put a price tag on my carry pieces though.

EDC:
Having proved that the gun functions properly I have started carrying this as my EDC in place of my USP compact 9mm. So far I love it. It's lighter and doesn't intrude on my normal lifestyle. I'm carrying the p238 in a D.M. Bullard pocket holster designed for the colt mustang. I'm not sure if they guns are the same but the holster work identical. The holster it self is bigger than I wanted but it still conceals very well. Unfortunately if you are looking straight down my back pocket you can see the hammer of the pistol. I'm compensating for that by hiking my pants up a little higher (my old teachers and my mother would probably say the pants are "where they should be") and wearing longer shirts.

Along with the p238 in poctet holster I carry a gerber assist open knife, my cellphone, my keys, and my wallet. Depending on the where/what I'm going/doing I'll also throw on my USPc in a comptac.

SULLY · Oct 25, 2009

I'm glad you like it!

Weebs · Oct 25, 2009

SULLY said:
I'm glad you like it!

Thanks again Sully!

GED · Oct 25, 2009

Great report!

Handled the P238 over at Fisherman's on N. Hayden today(they have a black and a two-tone) and like it very much.

Bello425 · Oct 25, 2009

Great report, thanks. It looks good in the leather holster. Does the holster just "sit" in the pocket? What happens when drawing it out of the holster, does the holster start to slide up, etc?

Weebs · Oct 25, 2009

Bello425 said:
Great report, thanks. It looks good in the leather holster. Does the holster just "sit" in the pocket? What happens when drawing it out of the holster, does the holster start to slide up, etc?

Yeah it just sits in the pocket. The purpose of the holster is more to not give the impression of a pistol in the pocket. It isn't mounted anywhere. Unfortunately the holster does slide up when attempting to draw the pistol. I'm assuming the leather will break down a little bit and let the pistol out a little easier.

Since the gun is such a new production piece for Sig I'm hoping the selection of holsters increases with time. I'd like one that's thinner and has a finger hole so I don't have to remove it from the holster to shoot it

Vstromvoyager · Oct 25, 2009

I thought I had read a pre release on the P238 that it was modeled after the Mustang, as in all the same demensions. Tried to find the article, but no luck. It is one sweet looking carry.

D.

raindog · Oct 26, 2009

Nice report.

I found I had a four FTFs with my P238 in the first 200 rounds, but that was with The Place To Shoot ammo. Need to take it to the range for a shoot with good ammo.

BTW, did you get two mags with yours? I only got one AND it was defective :angry: AND I spent four phone calls arguing with Sig, who told me that half the company thought it was a 5+1 gun and half thought 6+1 and they hand't decided yet :nuts: Yes, I'm not making that up.

The blue Colt factory mags work great - I have two and they work and feed just fine, so there's no need to spend $45 or whatever nonsense Sig wants for theirs.

Weebs · Oct 27, 2009

raindog said:
Nice report.

I found I had a four FTFs with my P238 in the first 200 rounds, but that was with The Place To Shoot ammo. Need to take it to the range for a shoot with good ammo.

BTW, did you get two mags with yours? I only got one AND it was defective :angry: AND I spent four phone calls arguing with Sig, who told me that half the company thought it was a 5+1 gun and half thought 6+1 and they hand't decided yet :nuts: Yes, I'm not making that up.

The blue Colt factory mags work great - I have two and they work and feed just fine, so there's no need to spend $45 or whatever nonsense Sig wants for theirs.

Wow 4 ftfs. that's painful. Since this is a carry gun I wanted to insure that it went bang everytime I pulled the trigger. When I first got it I threw some snap caps in it and manually cycled the action. Occasionally a round wouldn't make it all the way into the chamber and the slide wouldn't be fully forward. I was a little concerned. So I threw a little oil (key word little) and began racking the empty slide over and over and over. Probably 300 times. Tried the snap caps again and it was flawless. I think you just have to break all the edges in a bit!

When I went shooting with the p238 I used bad range ammo too. Blazer steel case.

Mine only came with 1 mag too. Standard for this pistol though. Sig's goin' cheap on us!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up on the colt mags. I'll pick 1 or 2 up soon!

raindog · Oct 27, 2009

Vstromvoyager said:
I thought I had read a pre release on the P238 that it was modeled after the Mustang, as in all the same demensions. Tried to find the article, but no luck. It is one sweet looking carry.

D.

I believe Sig bought the rights and maybe the tool & die from Colt. You are absolutely right - the P238 is a Colt Mustang, with a little bit better fit and finish and Sigified.

BTW, the Siglite night sites are nice. That and the SA trigger are the main reasons I chose it over other .380 pocket offerings.

mxitman · Oct 27, 2009

I love my P238 so much I got 2....lol I've got about 200+ rounds through the first one, the 2 tone and only 75 to 80 through the all blue. I would shoot more but i'm almost out of .380 ammo and need to find some. I haven't had any problems other than recoil spring bunching up and not be able to lock open the slide sometimes when using just your hand, The 2 tone was one of the first 200 and was recalled by sig, I sent it back and they replaced the spring and safety issue and when they returned it I got an extra magazine!, the blue one hasn't had any issues. Both of mine have the nite sites and are sweet. Nothing more to say other than for pocket/ankle carry I love it... did some comparisons with my former pocket P3AT...

Some pics;