Pocket Pistols

(Lucky Gunner)

The Sig P938 has been around for a while, just never came up on our radar until recently while out on the range. Figured we do a quick review on this. This pistol is a 9mm compact handgun designed for concealed carry. It’s a single-action pistol with a 6+1 capacity and a lightweight aluminum frame. One of the most attractive features of this gun is its size – it’s small enough to fit in your pocket or waistband, making it ideal for everyday carry.

The P938 has a sleek, modern design and is made with high-quality materials. It features a stainless steel slide, black anodized aluminum frame, and checkered G10 grips that provide a comfortable and secure hold. Additionally, the slide serrations and beavertail grip provide added control and comfort while shooting.

The P938 has a 3-inch barrel and an overall length of 5.9 inches, making it one of the smallest 9mm handguns on the market. Despite its small size, it’s an accurate and reliable firearm with a smooth trigger pull and low recoil. It’s also easy to operate, with a simple thumb safety and slide release.

Overall, the Sig P938 is an excellent choice for anyone who needs a compact and reliable firearm for personal protection. Its small size and quality construction make it ideal for everyday carry, while its accuracy and reliability ensure you can trust it in any situation.

Ergonomics – Yes, every shooter will say if the gun feels good then its for me. Most of it is true, for this P938 if you have large hands and think the grip is small, you can have a new fatter grip install to suit your needs. But, remember this was design for concealment (no printing) so keep that in mind.

RecoilWeb

Accuracy – a quick word on this – pistol barrel with 3 inches will not be as accurate as a full size pistol. You’re giving up velocity and power for concealment. So being effective with the short-barrel pistol means your shot placement really counts. Don’t be running it just to make noise. One of the features on this P938 is that it sports the tritium night sights that allows you to see the sights in dim lighting. In practical application just means getting on target quickly. To be more efficient it would be nice to black out the rear sights. This will help train the shooter to use that front sight. Another feature that some have commented when comparing it to the Glock43 is the trigger. This Sig P938 has a short single-action trigger mechanism when combined with the tritium night-sights sending that round off is smoother than the G43. With the advancement in ammo technology there are some good choices out on the market even for a short-barreled pistol.

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9mm Ammo – There are many manufacturers that produce quality 9mm ammunition, and the choice of which one to use often depends on personal preference and the intended use of the ammunition. Here are a few reputable manufacturers of 9mm ammo that you may want to consider:

Federal Premium – Federal Premium produces a variety of 9mm ammunition for self-defense, range use, and competition. Their HST line is a popular choice for self-defense due to its reliable expansion and penetration.

Hornady – Hornady is known for producing high-quality ammunition across all calibers, and their Critical Defense line of 9mm ammo is a top choice for personal defense. It features a patented FTX bullet design that provides consistent expansion and performance.

Speer – Speer’s Gold Dot line of 9mm ammo is another popular choice for self-defense. Its bonded core technology and hollow-point design provide reliable expansion and penetration.

Winchester – Winchester produces a range of 9mm ammunition for various uses, including self-defense, range shooting, and competition. Their PDX1 line is a popular choice for self-defense due to its consistent expansion and penetration.

Remington – Remington’s Ultimate Defense line of 9mm ammo is designed for personal protection and features a brass-jacketed hollow-point bullet for reliable expansion and penetration.

Just a note these are your 9mm norm that we show because we just want you to be aware of what’s available out there at the gun store and the internet. I know what everyone will say, this P938 is a short barrel. Thanks for calling this out, these two manufacturers offers these loads and the 16″ that you see below is the penetration and the expansion on the HST was .60, these were run from a Glock43. This was tested by Chuck Haggard of Agile Tactical.

9mm 124 grain Hornady Tap FD- 16″

Muzzle velocity: 1110 fps Muzzle energy: 339 ft/lbs 9mm 124 grain Federal HST- 16″

Muzzle velocity: 1150 fps Muzzle energy: 402 ft/lbsYou may want to check out other ammo manufacturers to see if they make the same type of loads, these two above standout due to their quality. It’s important to note that the specific type of 9mm ammunition you choose should be based on your specific needs and preferences, as well as the capabilities of your firearm. Be sure to consult your firearm’s owner’s manual to ensure that you are using ammunition that is compatible with your firearm. So there you have it, the P938 is small and was made for concealment armed with the correct loads for its purpose then you’re set. Below is a take from Guns.com with their experiences with this compact 9mm.

Guns.com did a video take on this sometime ago, have a look.[embedded content]Here’s the Excerpt from Guns.com video above:

A few months ago, I took a look at the Sig Sauer P238 and since then I’ve been inundated with requests to take a look at another Sig sibling – the P938. Chambered in 9mm, the P938 is yet another entry into the micro compact Sig lineup but I was curious how it stacked up next to the .380 ACP Sig P238. Luckily, we here at Guns.com happened to have a used Sig P938 in our Vault ready to be tested.

The P938 adopts a micro look and feel, measuring just 5.9-inches in length with a 3-inch barrel. Weighing in at 16-ounces, this handgun sports a capacity of 6+1. This particular model, found on Guns.com, came decked out in a nice FDE/black aesthetic featuring a black metal slide and controls with FDE frame. Similar to the P238, the P938 opts for SigLite night sites and a manual safety.

The SigLite night sights offered a brighter approach to traditional irons. Easy to acquire, the SigLite sights draw your attention to that ever-important front post so it’s easier to get shots on target. If you’ve followed my reviews for any length of time you know that my usual gripe is that I can’t stand manual safeties. This gun hasn’t changed my opinion. The manual safety added an extra step to my shooting process and as someone who routinely carries without one, it took some time to retrain my brain. That being said, if you are a manual safety fan – rock on.

This gun has a functioning one and it’s located in a good spot, easy to flick on and off with the thumb. If you’re like me, however, and prefer your guns without manual safeties, you might want to pass on this particular model. This gun featured a few upgrades such as a rubberized grip for a more comfortable shooting experience and a Sig branded laser attached to the trigger guard. Lasers are great tools for those learning to aim as well as gun owners looking for bedside guns; however, in the daytime, the laser proved less useful. Shooting at an average of 7-yards, the laser was nearly impossible to see with the sun overhead. During twilight hours and at night, I had better luck seeing it.

The first thing I noticed was the size of the gun. Offering an extremely small stature, the Sig P938 definitely works for concealment. Primed as a backup gun, the Sig P938 seems comfortable nestled in a deep concealment holster or ankle rig; but the trade-off to a super small gun is in its recoil. After shooting the P238, I knew that the larger 9mm round would bring a little more oomph to the table and I was right. Over the course of shooting, I routinely adjusted my grip as the recoil impacted the placement of my hands.

I found myself tightening down more and more to compensate which led to some fatigue. This isn’t much of a surprise as most compact guns chambered in 9mm or above tend to kick a little more due to their smaller stature. Let’s be honest here, though, this gun isn’t made for long days at the range or repetitive shooting in gun courses. It’s better suited as a backup gun that you break out once a month, throw a few magazines worth of ammo in, and call it a day. Speaking of ammo, the Sig did well in terms of reliability. I loaded my mags with Hornady Critical Defense, Federal Train + Protect, Winchester White Box and Remington UMC with no hiccups. I even mixed some ammo up to see if that would trip a malfunction and it did not.

The P938, by all accounts, functions as intended. In comparison to the Sig P238, the P238 is a smoother shooter by far but that’s like comparing apples and oranges. The small frame of the P238 paired with the .380 ACP cartridge is, of course, going to feel better to shoot than the similar framed P938 with a bigger bullet; but where this gun excels is in that 9mm chambering. For those specifically searching for a 9mm round in a super-compact gun, the P938 is a winner. With a bevy of models to choose, the Sig P938 makes for a decent backup or deep concealment gun. The Sig P938 is priced around $700 but street prices and, even better, used prices tend to hover below that. Also, don’t forget the benefit of going used is the gun often comes with extras like spare mags and a nice, hard-sided case.

Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.