Average Joe's Handgun Reviews

Sig P238 1911 Style .380 Semi-Automatic Pistol

It is very safe to say that .380 pocket pistols have become very popular. With the proliferation of States that have passed Concealed Carry Laws people have been looking for their own solution for the compromise between power and size. The .380 renaissance started back in the middle of this decade with the introduction of Kel-Tec's diminutive P3AT. Kel-Tec's offering was somewhat controversial as many people branded them unreliable. Gunsmiths began offering reliability tune-ups and the internet was abuzz with posting on how to perform your own P3AT fluff and buff job (which darn near sounds like a service offered at the Moonlit Bunny Ranch in Nevada). While it may have been a controversial pistol it gained near cult status due to it's size and weight. I owned one for about a year and a half and found it to be completely reliable. My problem involved the trigger pinching my finger and the slender polymer grip frame gave me nothing to hang onto. I solved the latter issue by wrapping rubber bands around the grip and eventually I found some decal grips that fit nicely.

Fast forward about 5 years and we are now awash in .380 pocket pistols. Two SHOT Shows ago Ruger introduced its LCP which was so much like the Kel-Tec that internet folk lore had Kel-Tec producing them for Ruger. In my opinion the Ruger was better made and smoother in both the manipulation of the slide and the pull of the trigger.

At last year's SHOT show .380's from Taurus, Kahr, Walther, and SIG debuted.

I wanted one, but which one.

Pistol	Weight	Width
Kel-Tec P3AT	8.3 OZ	.77 Inches
Ruger LCP	9.4 OZ	.82 Inches
Taurus 738	10.2 OZ	.775 Inches
Kahr P380	9.97 OZ	.75 Inches
Walther PK 38	19.4 OZ	1.2 Inches
SIG P238	15.2 OZ	1.1 Inches

I eliminated the Walther right out of the chute because it is not really a pocket pistol. There are 9mm pistols about the same size as the Walther PK38. The Ruger LCP and the Taurus 738 share the same "thin-ness" issues I had with the Kel-Tec P3AT. They were so thin that is was difficult to get a good grips on them and, post firing recoil, they needed to be repositioned in my hand. The Taurus was tempting due to it's very smooth trigger pull. The other problem I have with the Ruger and Taurus offerings is that they are pretty much devoid of useful sights. Technically they have sights but practically they are of little use. This leaves the Kahr P380 and the SIG P238. Both of these models come with useable sights and optional night sights are available. Upon further consideration I decided not to go with the Kahr for the following reasons:

1. I have found that their long trigger pull erodes accurate firing under stress.

2. The sights on the SIG were larger and therefore more useful.

The SIG also has a lot going for it:

1. The bi-tone model with blackwood grips and night sights is just a downright beautiful pistol.

2. The single action trigger with a 7 pound pull will be perfect for shooting under stress.

3. At 1.1 inches in width it is the widest of the true pocket .380's currently made. It is thin enough to conceal in my pocket but thick enough to get a good hold around the grip.

SIG P238 At-A-Glance

Handling	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Fit & Finish	Terrible	Rough	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Sights	None	Too Small	Useable	Good	Excellent
Trigger	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Power Scale	.22LR	.380 ACP	9mm	.40 S&W	.45 ACCP
Carry/Concealment	Too Large	Compact	Ultra Compact	Micro Compact	Pocket Pistol
Reliability	Unreliable	Somewhat Reliable	Fair	OK	Completely Reliable
Accuracy	Poor	Fair	Acceptable	Combat	Bullseye

(The SIG P238 is smaller than the Walther PPK which set the standard for pocket pistols back in 1931)

(The SIG P238 along side the Colt Model 1908 "Pocket Hammerless" . This was the standard for pocket pistols in 1908.)

Let’s examine the individual characteristics of the SIG P238:

Handling	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

The SIG P238 is a SIG redesign of the Colt Mustang .380 ACP. With seemingly little foresight Colt stopped marketing this little pistols just as the acknowledgement of concealed carry started to be formally recognized by many states. In very short order the Colt Mustang .380 and its predecessor, the Colt Government .380 ACP, became sought after handguns selling for double or triple their original retails. I have already talked about the handling characteristics that caused me to select the P238 over the rest of the field so there is not much more I can say other than one of the obvious design goals was to keep this pistol flat. As such the slide stop lever has been flattened and the frame mounted safety is flat compared to the larger sized safeties that have evolved onto the major caliber 1911's over the past decade or so. Also, there is no ambidextrous safety to add extra bulk. The safety on the P238 does not block the movement of the slide. I like this feature as it allows me to work the slide for loading or unloading with the safety still engaged. I also like that the safety locks with a very positive "click" and stays in place. On both my Mustang and Colt Government model there was some loose "play" in the engagement of the safety. I was always mindful that the safety might become disengaged while in my pocket. I do not have this phobia with the SIG.

Fit & Finish	Terrible	Rough	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

The fit and finish of the P238 is superb. SIG took the Colt mustang platform and improved upon it. SIG did hit a snag when the pistols were first issued. Pre-production promotional media stated that the pistol would have some very attractive aluminum grips. Many people who had eagerly awaited the arrival of the 238 were disappointed when they found the grips to actually be silver colored plastic. This was a sore point since the SIG was the highest priced .380 on the market. Not too long after that SIG began producing them with beautiful rosewood and black wood grips. The pistols with wooden grips seem to out number the plastic handled ones now. The fit of the pistol is just what you would expect from SIG which is known to be a prestige brand. The two toned model I located is just simply classy.

Sights	None	Too Small	Useable	Good	Excellent

Most pocket pistols were made without sights of any useful fashion. The original pocket pistol, Colt's Model M 1903 Pocket Hammerless is an excellent example of this (see the model 1908 pictured above with the SIG P238). The Colt Government .380 and the Colt Mustang also were manufactured with sights that left a lot to be desired. Once upon a time I recall seeing a Colt Government .380 on the Cylinder & Slide website that they had worked over and one of their improvement was a set of decent sights. The P238's sights are the most visible and useable of all of the current crop of .380 pocket pistols. The model I was able to find had night sights (thank you SIG). I had the gunsmith at the range drift the rear sight slightly to the right and I am now able to hit man sized targets out to 25 yards.

Trigger	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

In my youth I used to think that light trigger pulls were a fantastic thing. That ceased when I realized that 2 to 3 pound trigger pulls were an invitation to negligent discharges. They may be good on bullseye competition guns but you do not want them on a carry pistol. The SIG P238 has a trigger pull of 7 pounds. It feels lighter because it is smooth with very little creep or over travel. I believe that most gun scribes who are paid to write reviews would call it "crisp".

Power Scale	.22LR	.380 ACP	9mm	.40 S&W	.45 ACP/GAP

Most things in life involve compromise and so it is with carry pistols. The easiest to carry are the least powerful and so it is with the SIG P238. It is easy to carry. I suppose one very positive way to describe the power factor would be to say that...ahem, "The .380 ACP is the most powerful of the weak pistol cartridges". One of the benefits of the popularity of the .380 pistols has been that ammunition manufacturers are continually looking to produce more efficient ammunition. They are stretching the velocity which provides very reliable and maximum expansion from the hollowpoint bullet. This is wonderful although we have to realize that there is only so much expansion that a 95 grain .380 inch diameter bullet can produce. This is a pistol caliber that can help change the attitude of an assailant that assessed you to be a weak target. This is not a pistol to take into combat hostilities.

Carry/Concealment	Too Large	Compact	Ultra Compact	Micro Compact	Pocket Pistol

While not as small as the Kel-Tech P3AT or the Ruger LCP the SIG is still a pocket pistol. Mine rides either in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster or a Galco U.S.A. ULTIMATE SECOND AMENDMENT inside the waist-band tuckable holster.

Reliability	Unreliable	Somewhat Reliable	Fair	OK	Completely Reliable

As expected, SIG has ensured that these pistols are completely reliable.

Accuracy	Poor	Fair	Acceptable	Combat	Bullseye

When I first began shooting the P238 I was not happy with the accuracy; it was acceptable.

It was on par with my recollections of what the Colt Mustang has to offer but I was never really

overwhelmed by the Mustang's accuracy. After having the rear sight drifted over I found that

moving my trigger finger almost all the way to the first joint have me much better accuracy. So

let's see the targets:

Here are the first 50 out of the box. 25 fired at the head and 25 fired at the torso from 21 feet.

38 rounds at 15 feet.

3 from 21 feet.

I then decided to see what the excellent sights on the P238 were capable of . It was difficult to get head shots at 50 feet (35 rounds were fired):

It was easier to get torso shots at 75 feet (again, 35 rounds were fired):

I have but one stingy little complaint and it deals with disassembly. Because this is a concealed carry pistol one of the design goals, as mentioned above, was to keep the pistol as flat as possible. Because of this the slide stop pin which holds the pistol together is flush with the frame where it exits the right side of the pistol. This requires me to line the slide's take-down cut away arc with the slide stop on the left side of the pistol while holding it in my left hand while I try to gently tap the pin through the hole on the right side of the frame. If my left hand lets the slide slip just a centimeter, the alignment is fouled and the pin will not come out. Most of the time this has not been a problem, however today it was about 19 degrees outside when I attempted to disassemble the P238. I don't know how much warmer it was in my garage but I do know it was cold enough that my fingers did not have the necessary dexterity to pull this off in one attempt. That being said this is a minor complaint for an otherwise superb pistol.

My normal carry pieces are chambered for either 9mm or .45 ACP however there are times when circumstances dictate deeper concealment for my carry piece. The SIG P238 fills this niche very nicely.