Why should (or shouldn't) i buy a sig p238...

[Bawanna]

The MK9 in a Silent Thunder will go virtually unnoticed on your hip. The single clip is solid and easy to take on and put off. The MK is a great little gun. Like you apparently I'd wear an eskimo parka in Phoenix in mid summer rather than pocket carry but many really like that option.

Keep in mind the MK to me anyway isn't a range gun, so you don't need to shoot it 300 rounds a week, shoot it often to get proficient and stay in tune but you can use something else for range for fun and practice.

Again this is just me but a c0cked and locked gun, even a 380 ain't going in my pocket, just not gonna happen.

You sound completely sold on the Sig and if thats the case theres probably no saving you. The PM or the CM would be even more comfy to carry over your MK and you could do the pocket carry if you had too or wanted to.

And they, the MK, PM and CM are all 9's. That says plenty in my book.

I think the minimal size improvement for your big hands would be negligible going to the K9 and if IWB works for you step up to the PM45 or the P or CW45. If your body is scaled to the size of your hands you can hide a pretty big gun with the right holster. I'm just a little bitty guy, you could whoop me easy without your lunch and no nap but I conceal a 1911 and a PM45 pretty easy. (warning) I am kind of wirey though.

Bottom line it's yours choice to make and we'll help ya whichever way you go. Your the one thats gonna live day to day with your choice.
The MK is a just a sweet gun too, I'd be hard pressed to part with that one.

[popgoestheweasel]

while i like the idea, looks, weight, shootability, etc. of the sig p238, i just can't imagine myself feeling comfy with carrying it cocked and locked in my pocket (even with a pocket holster). not sure i like it on my hip....and i'm damned sure my girlfriend would be a nervous wreck should she decide to carry. i was just dreaming that she would love the p238 and the 380 cal would be so nice and easy for her to shoot. i know, why not the kahr p380....well, why, when all my guns are 9mm would i want to start buying 380 ammo?

i just keep going back to 'i should have bought the pm9 in all black'. is there really much difference in shootability/comfort between it and the mk9? i know there is a world of difference in carrying (and the option of occasional pocket carry) the pm9 vs. mk9.

as for my mk9 concerns with the 'skinny' grip....i think i'll try the hogue grip sleeve and see how i like it. the short trigger reach...well, i guess it's just the price i have to pay for comfort and concealment if i'm ever going to start carrying. geez, i'm soooo tired of nice handguns locked away in a safe.

[Bawanna]

Don't get hung up on the theory that a girl needs a soft shooting 380. Even the girliest girl can handle a 9 in the right platform.

Story for reference. I attended a Winchester ammunition workshop a few years ago, where they shoot several brands of bullets into ballistic gelatin and compare and measure. They put all the recovered bullets on a nice board and give it to the hosting agency.

They had 9, 40, and 45. It was at our local prison shooting range. They had a female corrections officer shooting the 9 and the 40 and then a man shooting the 45. Most of the corrections officers didn't really have any interest and lounged around but I was very interested and was right in there helping to measure and photograph and I was right near the shooters.

During a lull or lunch break I got to chatting with the female officer and asked why she shot the 9 and the 40 but not the 45. Well she had it ingrained in her head that a 45 was just a punishing canon that she didn't want any part of.
Since we were on the range anyhow I asked the winchester guy if I could take her aside since it was a break and have her shoot both my 45 1911 and the Glock 45 they were using for the demo.
After the very first shot, she was like what was that? I inquired what she meant and she said this isn't punishing at all, it's more pleasant than the 40.

Well after lunch the male corrections officer was pretty much out of a job on the shooting bench and she smiled every time she pulled the trigger on that 45.

So the moral if anyone is into such things is let her decide. She might just like a 9 just fine.

As for your shootability between the MK and the PM, they will both be pleasant to shoot, it's the carry weight factor that is the issue and on the belt the MK won't be bad. Pocket, not so good.

[FLBri]

I agree with Bawana. The Mk9 and PM9 are pretty similar in punch. What seems to be different is the sound and that can make you think the PM9 is snappier. The composite has a sharper report ... the steel is more muted. Kind of like getting hit with the flat side of a ruler on bare skin, or a round blunt pipe ... they both hurt, but different! LOL . I do think the MK is a bit softer on the recoil, but not even enough to factor into a preference equation. If I had one, and not the other, I wouldn't even consider it.

BTW, I use the pearce grip extensions. My hands are just over average size. They allow just enough to get my pinky on the grip. Perfect for me.

As for cocked and locked, I realize most would agree with you, and I am in the minority. But there are so many redundant safety mechanisms on the Sig that I don't think of it as a problem, FOR ME. Nothing can go BANG unless the trigger is pulled. There is a manual safety as well as a secondary 'half cocked' stage in the hammer, that even if the hammer was released from it's cocked position (dropping etc.) there is a stop that will not allow the hammer to fall on the firing pin unless the trigger is also pulled. The trigger is a SA short travel, but it's not like a hairline SA revolver trigger or anything. It still takes a definitive 7# pull to fire.

Bottom line, to me, is that you have to be comfortable with the operation of the manual safety as second nature. I actually agree with the one poster that said it doesn't make sense to have multiple carry weapons of different operation types. This is one of the two main reasons that I am on the fence with my Sig ... the other being the .380 caliber.

[popgoestheweasel]

after re-reading my last post, i realized the 'girlfriend' thing was just thrown out here from nowhere. let me explain. i've got my mk9, again, never used/carried/fired. now, after 4 years, i'm wanting to change those sorry facts. so i break out the mk9 and start fondling...wondering if i made a mistake. i keep hearing my work-buddy tell me how i should sell my kahr mk9 and get a sig p238 like he is so in love with. i must admit, it has me thinking...particularly since i know if i'm ever going to start carrying, i'll want something lighter and pocketable (once in a while). again, i know i'll have to force the pocket carry because i hate bulk in my pocket to any extent.

so, i have a sig p226 (another questionable purchase that has hardly EVER been fired - 1/2 box of ammo, max) that i could sell. i've also got my mk9 elite. so, the dilemma is what should i unload (trade). i'm settling in on keeping the mk9 and getting the best iwb holster(s) and start carrying. so, i've got to get something in exchange for my p226. if i got a new pm9, it's almost a certainty i'll want to keep it for myself. in which case, it seems kinda foolish to own a pm9 and a mk9....hence the thought if i got a sig p238 it would be different enough from my mk9 giving me new things to play with. more importantly, i thought i could interest my girlfriend in ccw and the sig p238 would be a sweet shooter for her and i wouldn't feel the need to hoard it for myself like i would if i got a kahr pm9. good lord....i'm rambling.

bottom line, i don't think i can part with my mk9 over my sig p226. so, i'd better get used to a new holster and start carrying with the understanding it will never be tempting to carry in my pocket when wearing a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt like i always wear in the summer. dang....cargo shorts all the time??????????

[Barth]

You bought an MK9, but never shot it?
Are you kidding me?
Now you’re interested in concealed carry and rethinking your choice in guns?
You need to hit the range hard before you even consider carrying anything for self-defense.
The world is your backstop.
And I live in this world too.

[popgoestheweasel]

yup....never fired. i guess you didn't pick up on the sig p226 i own that has been fired less than 30 times? well.......something has to change and by golly, i'm going to make it happen. perhaps if i buy enough pistols (and holsters), i'll have a decent enough collection from which to choose the pistol that suits me perfectly.

you have to admit....that kahr mk9 elite sure is a beauty and it looks REALLY good in the box.

[Barth]

yup....never fired. i guess you didn't pick up on the sig p226 i own that has been fired less than 30 times? well.......something has to change and by golly, i'm going to make it happen. perhaps if i buy enough pistols (and holsters), i'll have a decent enough collection from which to choose the pistol that suits me perfectly.

you have to admit....that kahr mk9 elite sure is a beauty and it looks REALLY good in the box.

Guns are really just tools, albeit serious and dangerous ones.
The best gun in the world will do you no good If you’re not proficient with it.

And yes,
1) Shooting lots of guns will give you the experience to pick the right gun for you.
2) The MK9 Elite is sweet. I own a MK40 Elite myself.

You might consider a professional self-defense handgun course.
That might peak your interest and give you invaluable training.
I really think everyone with a CC permit would benefit from such training.

Have a great weekend and be safe.

[JFootin]

I think the beautiful checkered wood grips for the MK9 would give you more to hold onto. If not, I'll bet Bawanna, famous maker of Bawanna's Super Thin 1911 grips, could make you some beautiful Super Thick grips!

[popgoestheweasel]

dude, i'm 55 years old.....just for your information. however, i respect your suggestions. i know, there are plenty of 55 y/o men carrying a weapon that haven't a clue.....and that's a pretty scary thought.

i bought the mk9 elite with the intention of carrying it as a primary ccw. i bought a very expensive leather brommeland holster thinking it, along with the mk9 would be a pretty slick outfit. i guess i'm rethinking my decision and beginning to get 'more real'. i couldn't help myself.