[dlaufnick]

Bought an engraved P938. Check the page out for it, nowhere does it mention this is a decorative coating and cannot stand normal wear and tear. I'd never have bought the gun if I had known I couldn't carry the damn thing without it looking like ****. It's already got several small dings in the finish. Sig says they don't offer a touch up service so I can't even get it touched up and sell it.

Man, this sucks. I bought this for carry and now if I carry it it will look awful. I'd never have bought if it Sig weren't so lazy as to not even keep their own site up to date with info in their own products. The holster it came with from Sig made dings in the slide, that's ******** right there. Five minutes after taking it out if the box it had marks from the holster Sig provided for it. That's a rotten thing to see after paying Sig level money. I have felt sick whenever I look at the gun since then. I do not have the money to **** away in expensive guns that can't be carried. I bought this to cheer myself up when I lost my job due to my growing disability. What a f'n mistake that was as it just makes me feel worse to have wasted that money. Damn the person in charge of keeping info up to date in their site.

Spoke to sig customer service, they couldn't care less. They said I could send it in and BUY a new slide for it but they won't touch it up so I call sell it. That just sucks. So out of three Sigs I have bought (Mosquito, p238, p938) two have been a huge disappointment. This one is due to sloppiness and lack of concern for the customer having adequate info to judge a purchase. I haven't been this ****** at a gun company since... Oh right, Sig and that **** Mosquito that had a crooked slide out of the box and took a month and a half to fix.

Any suggestions? Sig had none except for giving them more money to buy another slide. Since Sig won't touch it up can I have it stripped and giving a normal bluing? Or will that ruin the engraving? What a pain and additional expense even if it's possible.

******** it, Sig. You lost a customer today, that's for damn sure.

 

[Roger Z06]

I say get someone to cerakote it for about $100 that way you will have a better finish on it. I carry my 938's every day and it sure does take a toll on them.
I am talking about taking them to work in rough environments, under cars, in the dirt etc... I have the extreme that I don't care too much about then I have the scorpion. Like you I felt some type of way when I noticed the coating from Sig coming off from the holster. I called them and they told me this was normal... from everyone I have talked to that cerakotes they say you can't mess the stuff up. Sigs cerakote job came off almost immediately when I hosltered and unholstered it.

 

[Jonzim48]

Is the engraving into the metal, or just superficial. If in the metal, maybe it could get a new coat of nitron, or another finish. Maybe Robar, or a cerakote finish. Just a thought.

 

[dwg13013]

It is a stainless slide. Sig can bead blast it to natural stainless. They can also re nitron it.
You did not say if the slide was nitron or stainless.
I have had very good service from Sig. Just keep cool, and polite, and they could offer to refinish it since you are not happy.

I have never heard of the finish you are talking about.
I would not choose deluxe for carry. Every gun gets beat up in time.
I find natural stainless to be tougher for carry than nitron. Easy to touch up as well.

Also a little research before would have helped. It is buyer beware.

Personally I just toss the holsters. I won't put any gun in a hard shell holster.
I did one time and scratched it.


Sig does not make the Mosquito, and I don't know why they market it. People are very hot and cold with them.

 

[dwg13013]

It does say polished. Is that what is happening is the polished finish is scratching or marring ?


9mm into an all-metal frame and a polished and engraved stainless steel slide. The cocked-and-locked single-action trigger gives the P938 unmatched
accuracy in a pistol its size.

 

[LeftCoast]

While I can appreciate your disappointment with the info onsite, and Sig CS, were I you I wouldn't put another nickel into it. It's not like if you ever need to use it in a **** situation, that either the BG or you will be noticing the wear on the slide of your engraved Sig Sauer. It's a tool, and tools get dinged-up when you use them. And personally, I'd NEVER use one of the hard plastic holsters Sig provides free...that's what the "holster drawer" is made for!

Yes, I believe you can have it bead-blasted and reblued for $99, + shipping. As was stated before, if the engraving is in the metal, it MIGHT show after the rebluing, but it sounds to me as though it more like some superficial decal-like "engraving," and likely to be all but gone when you get the pistol back. The Cerakote idea isn't bad either, but I'd caution you to make sure the insides of the slide and frame are left uncovered, as the extra layers of material can leave you with tolerance issues, as the Sigs are so tight anyways.

I'm sorry you're not pleased with the weapon, but again, that stuff will happen regardless, if you're carrying it every day. I would immediately ditch that holster, and look into a Milt Sparks or more affordable leather-lined kydex Silent Thunder model.

And don't worry so much about looks, especially if your P938 is functioning properly; lots of people have had a couple nagging issues with that model.

Good-luck.

 

[Mystro]

I would carry it and not worry about its wear marks. I understand you not wanting to mark up a new gun and I was that way but my EDC is a tool. I would rather get marks by using it rather than letting it sit and have it look perfect. Its a great gun and it will serve you well. The marks it develops gives it character and means you use it as it was designed. In the end the marks will tell a story and make it more endearing to you.

Trust me, the P938 is a shooter.

 

[asdfzxcv]

Sorry to hear that. Do you mind posting pictures? If it were me, I'd carry it proudly, dings, scratches, and all. Carry and shoot it like you DO have money to **** away, even if you don't, haha.

That being said, if it truly makes you sick to look at it, bring it to a highly rated gunsmith with engraving experience. I'm pretty sure it can be restored to sell-able condition, if it isn't already. Who knows, maybe someone here on the forum might want it!

 

[Pipe Smoker]

<snip>
I have never heard of the finish you are talking about.
I would not choose deluxe for carry. Every gun gets beat up in time.
I find natural stainless to be tougher for carry than nitron. Easy to touch up as well.<snip>

Yeah, I opt for natural stainless too. The only effect of wear is that the bead blast finish might polish. A carry gun is for business, not looks.

 

[Firearms Collector]

Sorry that You feel that way.

The Majority and I Mean Just That Purchase Engraved Firearms, be they Handguns or Rifles
Purchase them For Collecting and not Using.

Other then the Scratches on the Finish, have You had any problems with the P 938?
If not then there should be no issue.

Scratches Happen in Every Day Use of a Firearm regardless of the Finish on them.

 

[CCC]

I briefly considered a special edition Sig .45, but passed. That was an error, as it was a version with a sort of cult appeal, and I would have made $$$ money on it.

But I carry almost everything eventually, and travel highways over 6 states. In several of those, the handgun used, even if justified SD, is seized for varying lengths of time, and there are no real guarantees it will come back at all, much less as pristine as it was after the guys in the evidence locker toss it around. And they might vanish altogether. Not right, but a consideration for the budget.

And mine spends some time in a car lockbox with a couple of mags bouncing around. Scratches, digs, and my arthritis-induced idiot scratches are a fact of life.

So I try to buy a good firearm at a dollar amount I can lose for an indefinite time. I'm always in line for the Sig that has finish blemishes but runs like a top.

So I don't want to come down on the OP for expecting a nice finish on a special edition firearm. But when money only allows one, I would buy a beater finish with perfect internals.

And last, if I am carrying, I can not show it to anyone, as it is no longer concealed, so there are no "bragging opportunities".

I do have one safe-queen that comes out only for the most special of special range days, but it looks like it has been beaten to hell and back in the worst conditions (oh wait, it has!).

And yes, I recently got my asking price for what I considered a beat-up Sig with thousands of rounds through it, meticulous records, and lots of holster wear. That was $50 under factory MSRP. Good guns keep their basic value.

 

[Esox]

My work pistols look like they come to work every day, just like I do.
My barbecue pistols look like the Sunday best safe queens they are.
But even on Sunday, I still look like I go to work the other 6..

 

[Mullet]

Buying any gun for looks is your first mistake. Sorry for your disappointment but, you bought a firearm. Not a fashion accessory. Buy a firearm for it's usefulness. If it looks good doing it than that would be a bonus.

 

[Chicane]

Without pics, we can't see the scratches/marks?

 

[dlaufnick]

Had I known the coating was decorative I wouldn't have ever bought it, I had no way to know it wasn't able to be carried. That information is not anywhere on the Sig web site. The gun looks good, but that's no reason to think it shouldn't handle normal wear. This happened because Sig is too lazy to keep their own site updated on their own products, not because I went out of my way to buy a delicate fashion piece or because I ignored warnings about the finish. There is now way I'd ever waste the extra money on it had I had any way to know the finish is not up to standards but the manufacturer fails to give the customer that info. Blaming me for not knowing an unpublished secret about the gun is kind of ridiculous and sure doesn't help me feel better about the situation.

At this point I'm contacting some finishing shops to see if they can strip it down and put a real finish on there since Sig won't touch it up (ridiculous for them not to fix finishes for guns with a non-standard coating. What a load if **** to not list this crucial info on the product page for the gun). I am obviously aware that guns get wear on them as I've owned a lot from many makers but this is too fragile to be acceptable. I've never even seen a finish so fragile. Last night a shell came over the barrier and hit my slide and took off another spot of finish. This is like spray paint in durability.

 

[GoneBallisticInAlabama]

I just found one of those engraved P938s for sale on GunsAmerica. Comes with a clear protective plastic overlay on the slide to protect it in the box. I think it is polished Nitron. There have been a number of Sig "collector's editions" with it and the black engraved P226 has the same finish on the slide. I don't know how they do the "engraving".

 

[gc70]

... this is a decorative coating and cannot stand normal wear and tear.

It's already got several small dings in the finish.

Sig says they don't offer a touch up service so I can't even get it touched up and sell it.

Post some photos or give a more detailed description of the problem.

SIG's website says the engraved P938 has a polished slide with a nitron finish. Any highly polished surface will quickly show use marks. Are you saying that the nitron is coming off or being easily and totally worn away in spots? While nitron is a pretty good finish, it is not (as I understand it) a type of finish that can be "touched up."

 

[dlaufnick]

I don't see where you are seeing that info on sig's site, you don't see it when you click on this model. No, it is not nitron, it's just some sort of gloss paint apparently. The sig rep didn't know what it was but he knew it wasn't nitron.

I'm trying to take pics but it is very hard to get pics that show the small spots that are exposed. In real life they are unmistakable, in my pic you can barely see it. I'll give it one more try tomorrow when the light comes in.

I guess overall none of my beefing matters. I'm stuck with a gun that I paid extra for and will have to pay more for in a few months to get it refinished. I suppose I can sell my P238 to pay for that. I'm just ****** at how sloppy and lazy Sig is at providing info on their own products, their attitude toward customers, and the lack of a refinishing/touch up service for their gun they made. What a mistake. I am pretty serious about being done buying any more Sigs. I have too many accessories to toss my P938 without losing even more money I can't afford but I'm sure done recommending this company or their guns.

 

[gc70]

I don't see where you are seeing that info on sig's site, you don't see it when you click on this model. No, it is not nitron, it's just some sort of gloss paint apparently. The sig rep didn't know what it was but he knew it wasn't nitron.

2015 Catalog, page 39:

"Polished and Engraved Nitron Stainless Slide"

 

[asdfzxcv]

Before you do anything drastic, you really need to consult a professional gunsmith. Perhaps the scratches can be easily buffed out or repolished. You're better off selling the gun and buying the P938 that you really want (or another gun if you really are done with SIG). If the scratches don't show up in pictures, all the better. It's one of the more rarer variants, you might not lose much money on it.

I agree with you that SIG definitely should not have included a holster that scratches the finish. It should have come with a wooden box and cotton gloves. However, it was also your LGS' fault because that's exactly what an LGS is supposed to warn you about. And finally, you bear some fault as well. Out of curiosity, I youtubed this variant, and the very first video of the P938 engraved, the person says, "it comes with a cheap holster which I wouldn't use because it would scratch the finish." You can't rely on the manufacturer's website to tell you everything, you need to read the reviews.

Finally, judging SIG as a company based on the Mosquito, P238, and P938 is like going to McDonald's and judging them on their salads. The majority of people on this website are SIG lovers based on their flagship models: P220, P226, P229, P239, and 1911's. It's unfortunate that the newer models are not as reliable as the traditional models, but what other company hasn't run into problems with their new models? Ok, maybe I'll grant you H&K, but they release a new handgun like once a decade.