P938 Sig Review - It has been a long time since I bought a new gun. To be honest, I'm happy with the selection of handguns I have. For competition and when I have time to dress up my gun, I have my modified S&W M&P 9c:
As often happens, I don't want to strap on a holster and carry my M&P 9c, especially during the summer months. At that time, I carried a Sig Sauer P238:
P938 Sig Review
I've had a P238 for over two years, and I've done it slowly. Although I am satisfied with the .380 ammunition that feeds the Sig P238, I was a little excited when Sig announced in 2012 that it would release the Sig Sauer P938 - essentially a pistol similar to the P238, but in 9mm. Why did it take me two years to get the P938? There are several reasons, chief among them why I am so happy with the Sig P238. I really struggled with the need to raise the gun. As with the P938, there are often problems with the first few batches, so it's usually best to wait a few months before buying new parts. In the end, I found it hard to ignore not only the ballistic advantages of the 9mm over the P938 .380, but also the fact that 9mm is generally more plentiful and easier to find than .380 ammunition, and less expensive. Aside from the obvious difference in caliber, there is very little difference between the P238 and the P938 – outside of the P938's ambidextrous safety switch, most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two.
Sig Sauer P938 9mm
The Sig P938 comes in a variety of sizes, but I chose the P938 Nightmare - mostly based on aesthetics. The Nightmare model has a solid black anodized frame and Nitron coated slide, black G-10 grips and nickel accents:
My only complaint about the gun in the box was the lack of included magazines - mine only came with a 6 round magazine (as pictured above). This is a gun that retails (as we write) for $823.00. My opinion is that the gun should have shipped with two magazines, one of which was a 7 round magazine with an extra pink. I ordered another one when I ordered the gun (knowing from my experience with the P238 that I like extra magazines):
Magazines aside, the P938 (like the P238) is a pretty complete package out of the box. With many other guns I've bought, it takes time and extra money to get them "ready to carry" - night sights, mounting tape, etc. However the Sig P938 comes with (excellent) night sights (made by Meprolights):
The G10 textured grips and the fore and aft check of the handle frame provide plenty of grip (more on that later) and I found my grip on the P938 to be superior when using a long 7 round magazine. to hang
Sig Sauer P938 9mm 7 Round Extended Magazine
My biggest concern with the P938 before I bought it was how much heavier it was in my pocket than my P238. P938 (15.6 oz.) is a full 2 oz. Heavier than the P238 (13.6 ounces), the weight difference is slightly reduced when the magazine is loaded - only an ounce difference between the two with a loaded magazine. There is a slight increase in the height and width of the P938 compared to the P238, but again the difference is so small that there is no real difference between the two in the bag... which is a very good thing.
Instead, things turned out to be very interesting. Every new gun I buy I try to put around 200 rounds through it to ensure reliability. The first few magazines did well. Here is my first log from 20 feet (only the ones inside the black target are mine):
My group was a little spread out, but it was acceptable - especially for a small 9mm. So I decided to go back that way - 75 feet:
No award winner here, but not bad considering the range and size of the gun. I was "accurately engaged" with the P938 at 75 feet. In terms of shooting, I had some problems - the target does not tell the whole story.
Average Joe's Handgun Reviews: Sig P 938 9mm
As one would expect, shooting at a high range from a frame similar to the P238, the P938 also produces recoil or "muzzle flip". I had to tighten my grip and found myself adjusting my grip on other strings. I also found a weird trigger that I didn't like. One of the nice things about this 1911 platform is the 1911-like trigger - smooth, light, and compact. There is probably no difference between the trigger pull weight on the P238 and the P938 (about 8 pounds). Personally, I found the trigger on the P938 to be heavier than I would have liked, and sometimes inconsistent. These factors make the P938 very difficult to shoot quickly - the shots taken for the reasons pictured above were very slow and deliberate. The last issue I had with this unit was the aggressive shape of the G10's handle. After 200 rounds, my right (control) hand was very raw:
In fact, my most practice range with a defensive rifle is something like 50-100 rounds. But again, there was a big difference between shooting the P238 and the P938, which made me seriously consider ditching my P238 in favor of the P938. From a reliability standpoint, I will say that the Sig P938 was very reliable with a variety of ammunition, including some reissued ammunition that I purchased from Freedom Munitions:
Honestly, the Sig Sauer P238/P938 is a difficult platform for handguns, and neither is one that I would recommend to a new shooter or casual student in my CCW classes. The battery of the weapon is very heavy when compared to other GREAT polymer frame assault rifles out there. The Sig P938 loses the price point argument compared to many other concealed carry options (especially when the P938 comes with a magazine like mine). However, I have tested many pistols, and found the P238/P939 to be the most versatile and "capable" semi-auto on the market today. While the popular J-Frame trigger provides similar concealability, it doesn't have the trigger or reload that the Sig platform offers. I personally choose this platform for "my gun is always on me" because of the flexibility it provides when carrying in a pocket, not because it is the best choice as a self-defense gun.
As of this writing, I can't say for sure if I will keep the P938. Based on the above, I'm not sure my wife would be able to shoot it well, which means she'd rather stick with her current P238. This means we have to buy .380 ammo for use and defense, which defeats the other reasons for switching. However, the ballistic advantages of the 9mm over the .380 are hard to ignore, so to overcome some of the shortfalls I've been experiencing, I plan to do two things. The first (and easiest) plan is to replace the stock G10 with Hogue rubber grips for the Sig P938.
Glock 43 Vs. Sig Sauer P938
. The second thing I would do is have a local gunsmith replace the plastic with aluminum and try to lighten the trigger pull. I also replaced the plastic trigger on my P238 and hope that a little lightening will make the P938 more fun to shoot. I will report back when I get a chance to shoot the P938 with the changes I have planned. But I like the P238/P938 platform - maybe more than I should, and I agree partly because of the sentiment. I grew up with steel guns. I remember working with my dad and gunsmiths when Glocks came on the market and thinking "Why would anyone pay $400.00 for a plastic gun? but I still like a full metal gun sometimes.
In addition to this written video review, I have prepared an additional video that can be found on the YouTube channel:
John B. Holbrook, II is a freelance writer, photographer and author, as well as LuxuryTyme.com and TheSeamasterReferencePage.com. *All text and images on this page
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