Check your grip. It's very easy (for me anyways) to get the thumb up too high on the frame and ride the slide. Also, keep a firm grip and don't "limp wrist" it.

Does this happen with different brands/types of ammo?

 

Looks kind of dry with respect to lube also. And yes, these little guys are extremely easy to limp wrist, especially if you have large hands.

 

Lube .... grease - slide rails. oil - barrel, take down pin, in side of the slide, firing pin, extractor and so on. Its really wet on the inside. I just wipe down the outside a lot.

Grip .... I've caught myself with a loose grip once and a while. Even with the Hogue grips I'm able to have my middle finger almost wrap completely back to my hand. My hands are skinny but long fingers. I always use a two handed grip and cock my left hand downward at a pretty good angle. I've felt my left thumb drag on the slide, but I've fixed that. My right thumb does mess with the slide lock some times. I'm ok with the slide not locking back. I'm sure I could stand to get my right thumb lower.

Ammo ... I'm tried both Federal and Winchester. All store bought stuff.

Accuracy ..... The little thing is stupid accurate for its size.

 

I would take a close look at the extractor. Remove the slide from the frame, and the barrel from the slide. Slide a round onto the breach face under the extractor. There should be enough tension to hold the round in place.

 

I just did that with a snap-cap and the round is held in but just. The snap-cap slid in easily. It does have play up and down (top/bottom). There is play towards the ejection port, but I assume that's kind of needed. There no play towards the left (opposite the ejection port).

 

I'd call them, tell them you're the original owner and have less than 500 rounds through it and would like for them to pay shipping to get it fixed.

A good CS agent would help you out.

 

I don't know if it's related to your problem, but I'm surprised to see the severe marking ~1/2" back from the muzzle. My P238 has ~1K rounds through it with no marks at all on its Nitron-finish barrel. When I take the gun down for cleaning, I put grease on the front half of the barrel (and other places too).

 

Can't run 'em dry without rubbin' of the finish. I run white lithium on any part that slides.

 

This is nothing new to Sig with the P238. It took three trips back to Sig to get it resolved on my P238 - and at that point, I'd lost confidence in it as a carry gun. My RSO and I did a trade and he's had nothing but success with the gun and carries it all the time.

So, considering this is an old - well-known problem with that gun, I suspect a call to Sig will get you a shipping label and the gun properly repaired.

Let us know. and good luck.

 

Agree with smoker, I have a few thousand rounds and nothing even close to those markings on the barrel. Even a few hundred hot Underwood rounds...

That leads me to ask, how many rounds have you down the pipe?
And have you even changed out the recoil spring? Recoil spring is listed as around 1,500 rounds to change, but I've found some needing to change at 800(+/-) rounds. For a few bucks, it's an easy fix. And heed the Sig likes to run wet rule...

 

I called Sig today. I wasn't able to get free shipping, but they were confident that that issues could be resolved without any out of pocket cost.

I was reading the shipping instructions and they state the gun should be returned to the original condition and all aftermarket parts removed. Note in the photo below I have installed Hogue grips and I still have the wood grips it came with. The photos of the issues will have the Hogue grips installed.

My first thought is to leave the Hogue grips on because that is how the gun is pictured. On the other hand the instructions say to remove all aftermarket accessories.

Do I replace the grips or leave the Hogue grips on?

 

I would probably just do as they say. Less excuses on their end.

G.

 

I was able to reproduce the issue with the factory wood grips over the weekend. I'll put the Hogue grips back on and include pictures of the pistol with the factory grips. I'll also include the wood grips.

Hopefully I'll get it shipped today or tomorrow and then I wait.

 

Keep us posted as to what they do/repair/replace and how it functions once it's back in your hands.

 

6/23/2016 - Thursday
12:06 pm Delivered EXETER, NH

and now we wait .....

 

I got the P238 back about a week-ish ago. I was able to run about 100 rounds with only one issue but that was my fault. I got distracted and didn't have a solid grip.

I was little annoyed when the gun didn't come back cleaned. I could see the barrel had some crud in it. I was going to call and complain but then I realized I would have reoiled and applied Lubriplate even if it was cleaned. I just let it go.

Here is what Sig all did:

• Inspect pistol
• Upgrade
  
  [*]two magazines
  [*]guide rod
  [*]mag catch
  [*]mainspring housing​
• Test fire with no malfunctions

 

I was little annoyed when the gun didn't come back cleaned. I could see the barrel had some crud in it. I was going to call and complain but then I realized I would have reoiled and applied Lubriplate even if it was cleaned. I just let it go.

Here is what Sig all did:

• Inspect pistol
• Upgrade
  
  [*]two magazines
  [*]guide rod
  [*]mag catch
  [*]mainspring housing​
• Test fire with no malfunctions

They send them back with some fouling to demonstrate that they did, in fact, test fire it.

The one upgrade that surprises me is the guide rod. The 238 GR is a much different design than the 938. Failures on the 938 GR are, let's say "abundant", but the 238 has no problem to upgrade that I've seen or heard of.

Did you get new mags back?

 

gundrted,

I understand you lubricate the gun, though from the photos it looks a whole lot dryer than I would run mine - as others mentioned. Specifically the barrel and guide rod. Those should have a coating of grease, as should the slide rails and top of frame at rub spots (those not shown).

If is slides it gets grease, if it turns oil it.

Since it just came back from SIG, assume the extractor is fine, but that's something to inspect every time the gun gets cleaned.

Enjoy!

bumper

 

Not a sig but I had a ruger lcp with the same issues. Customer service said all my problems were related to blazer brass ammo being made in China and not up to spec. Needless to say I sold the gun and won't buy another ruger but what ammo are you using?

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

I don't know if the mags were replaced or just got new springs. I can't tell.

The guide rod looks the same as the old one.

Personally this it the first time I've ever had to send something back to gun manufacture. If they don't clean the gun to prove test firing I follow that. As my expectations ... I have sent a lot of different types of items in for warranty work. They always come back in the same condition or better. I guess that doesn't hold true in this case.

 

If I send my firearm back to the manufacturer, it is certainly to ensure its functioning correctly, I couldn't care less it's dirty, as long as it isn't damaged, marred or dinged...

Otherwise, if it's working now, be happy and enjoy!
: )

 

My wife just got her 238 back Friday after going back for FTE. She always complained about it but, it ran fine for me.
The returned gun had many of the same upgrades, hers had, "upgraded mag catch and mainspring housing, replaced extractor, barrel, and bent slide catch lever spring. Test fired over 60 rounds of hollow point and ball with no malfunctions.
Now she bought her gun in 2013. This makes me wonder if they know of inherent problems with the gun.
It feels like they replaced the guide rod spring too.
We will shoot it Monday and see what happens.

 

A number of folks have reported inquiring about getting the Gen 2 MSH/sear spring installed in their P238s and have been told by SIG CS that the 238 aren't affected by the MSH wear issue. Yet here are two 238s coming back from SIG with the Gen 2 MSH/sear spring installed. Interesting.

 

A little more range time and it ran great.

I have also switched to Lubriplate on slide, barrel and take down pin. I can't tell a real difference but I have say that ***** is slippery and it doesn't move around. My Father gave it to me and he got it from someone that used it in their job building engines. A little goes a LONG way and I think I have enough for about 20 years ... LOL.