Any Sig P232 owners out there?

[EW3]

Any Sig P232 owners out there? I am considering downsizing from my current 9mm Sig to the P232. Just wanted to get some feedback and opinions before I do anything.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Erich]

While on paper the P232 is not a great deal smaller than my .40 P239, it certainly "carries" smaller. The P232 is pocketable, for instance (I use a Mika pocket holster). It is very flat and wonderful IWB.

I've worked on many handgun killings using the .380. Ball always penetrates enough and does its job if placed right. (Like every other handgun cartridge, it does not work if not placed right. ) I've worked on one case where JHPs did not penetrate sufficiently, which backs up my feeling that you don't want to have very light, slow rounds with hollowpoint braking action attached if you're serious about reaching the vitals. (Use the hottest ball you can find. A pathologist I know agrees.)

I find the P232 needs to be cleaned after about 100-150 rounds of shooting to remain 100% reliable . . . it is a blowback.



Here's a thread on mine: http://proguns.proboards92.com/index...7532543&page=1

[DonGlock26]

It's a great IWB CCW pistol.

[sjp2452]

My wife has one and loves it. I've shot it quite a bit and it's a great little gun...but IMO a .380 is too small a caliber for a primary CCW pistol. I'd downsize to a smaller 9--consider a Glock 26 (or 27 for .40) or an XD-9/40 subcompact. Sigs are wonderful guns, but they generally aren't the best when it comes to the 'small-package-large-capacity' factor. If you must carry a smaller gun for your primary, get the most bullets of a reasonable caliber into the largest acceptable pistol. Sigs aren't the world's only uber-reliable pistols.

Just my $0.02.

[Vaquero 45]

You might consider a Kahr CW9 or P9. Lighter than a 232, and a much more potent round. (9mm) I wouldn't trust a .380 for anything other than last ditch backup, and I would use hot ball ammo. .380 hollowpoints are silly, the round doesn't generate enough energy or velocity to reliably expand, and if they do expand, they do nothing but stop the bullet before it reaches the vitals.

You might also look at the new Walther PPS, which is also light, slim and pocketable.

If you absolutely must have a .380, I'd get a Bersa. They have an awesome reputation for reliability, and will cost half of a Sig 232.

[ron8903]

Its a fine pistol, I carried one for years as my BUG.

[OPFOR]

I have a 230 - basically the same thing. Excellent pistol, easy to carry, very reliable, quite accurate for what it is. As others have mentioned, there are pistols out there of the same size (or smaller!) that pack more punch, but it you are comfortable with a relatively small number of relatively underpowered rounds, then you could do a lot worse than the 230/232.

Mine is now carried by a female who is pretty recoil sensitive - the mass of the 230 coupled with the very tame .380 recoil impulse is something she can easily control, and she shoots it MUCH better then the J Frames, PF-9, P3AT, and PM9 we tried. I'm much more comfortable with her having 7+1 of .380 on hand, in a package she can shoot accurately, then having more of a "bigger" caliber sitting at home in a package she can't control....

[older gunner]

My wife has a Sig 232 and she is quite happy with it. I would have preferred something a little stouter, at least a 9mm, but she was more comfortable with the .380. The gun has been flawless and I am well pleased with the quality and the fact that if she's comfortable with it, she'll carry it.