Sig Sauer P938

Spotlight On …..

Sig Sauer P938

 Several years ago the firearms industry flooded the consumer market with “pocket pistols” – defined for our purposes here as a semi-auto of exceptionally small size (relatively, at least) suitable for dropping in the front pants pocket of loose-fitting garments.  In cases where the consumer usually wears more tight-fitting trousers these guns also give the owner many more wardrobe options than larger and heavier compact and even sub-compact models.  The time had come to apply more modern design and manufacturing techniques to this stagnant niche of the market, and consumers responded favorably to the introduction of a plethora of new entrants.

Sig Sauer’s highly successful response to the demand was its P238 chambered in 380 auto - as were almost all pocket pistols at the time.  A frequent complaint from consumers was the caliber, with a wish for the 238 to be available in 9mm Luger, so Sig answered a few months later with the P938, which is a design clone of the P238 but very slightly enlarged.

Introduction of the P238 was marred by a few reliability problems which Sig overcame early on to regain the marque’s reputation for dependability, which is now at the peak of the list of those models with which it competes.  Having apparently learned some lessons from the early 238’s, Sig’s introduction of the 938 went very well, with no significant number of problems.  The 938 used in our tests was one of the first out of the factory and has performed flawlessly from the get-go in accuracy and dependability through hundreds of rounds.

First impression of the gun is that it is small.  It disappears in the front pocket of slacks except tight-fitting varieties. For those who prefer a tighter fitting wardrobe, a holstered 938 presents a very small profile to cover when worn at the waist, and belt-mounted carriers are available which result in a look that is identical to a smartphone being worn at the waist. Concealment is definitely one of the 938’s best features. Despite its all-metal construction, the 938 is light enough to be almost forgotten when carried during every day activities.

When fitted with its flush-fit magazine, the 938 sports a capacity of 7 (one in the chamber and 6 in the mag). An extended magazine is available which adds 1 round to the capacity and provides a perch for the pinky finger missing from the “standard” configuration. While the extended mag does provide extra capacity and enhanced ergonomics, it does not detract very much at all from the concealability of the piece and is still very much “pocketable” with the extended mag in place.

The most important feature of and personal defense firearm is, perhaps, reliability.  Few bad guys will wait peacefully and patiently while a defense shooter clears a malfunction or recovers from the confusion of a “glitch.” 100% reliability is less important for a recreational gun or even one used in competition but is absolutely essential when the “fit hits the shan.” Our experience with the 938 – including the unit used in our tests, the other units owned and carried by staff and friends, and feedback from our customers – puts the P938 at the top of the heap in this category.

When considering a purchase of the 938, many consumers complain of the small grip size and wonder if it can be held well enough to be controllable during use.  Remember, the size of this pistol is dictated by its mission as an ultra-small concealed carry piece.  A larger grip size would negate – to some degree – this constraint.  The grip gives enough purchase to control the pistol during use, although some amount of practice with it should be done to ensure familiarity with the feel that is different from which most shooters are accustomed. Simply put, a gun with a grip big (aka long) enough to feel familiar will be too big for the mission.  Practice, not design change, will overcome this perceived drawback, and the available extended magazine solves the problem for most buyers.

The gun is surprisingly accurate for such a short barrel and sight radius.  A proficient shooter can obtain satisfactorily small group sizes from as far out as 25 yards, and those of us who are good marksmen have even used the little guy to ring steel at 50 yards. At self-defense distances of 7 – 12 yards, the 938, simply put, will deliver the lead where it is pointed when the bang-switch is pressed.  It just will.

The unit we used for this test now has almost 400 rounds down the pipe and we’ve tried to feed it as many different kinds of 9mm ammo as we could find.  Plenty “factory” FMJ, HP, and other variations of jacketed bullets, hand-loaded ammo with round-nose, flat point, and truncated cone lead bullets, and several variations of plated bullets have been fired.  The hand-loaded ammo has been crafted to produce a variety of power levels from ultra-mild all the way up to +P+.  The results can be stated very simply.  Zero (zip, nada, none) failures of any kind.

When mission specs for concealed carry are defined as: Reliability, accuracy, and concealability, the Sig P938 delivers.  It is also a well-made gun, showcasing Sig’s reputation for build quality and high-end fit ‘n finish.  When quality and reliability trump budget, the P938 is the “pocket 9” to have.

Respectfully Submitted;

The Bunker Bunch

August, 2014