Sig p238 cocked and locked opinions?


Usa007

New member
I carry my p238 not cocked and locked what I do is rack one in the chamber , load the magazine to full capacity then drop the hammer keeping it on fire not safety, if EVER I need to use it it's just as easy to cock the hammer manually then drop the safety without the fear of accidental fireing of "cocked and locked" ....
 

I see one problem with this as a carry style. It's a small gun and the small motor movements involved in both taking off the safety and cocking the gun are going to be tough to pull off efficiently when adrenline dumps into your system under stress. I carry mine locked and cocked with one chambered round and a full 6-round magazine, like a normal 1911. That way, all I have to do is push the safety down with my thumb and I am quickly good to go. I also carry a separate full magazine with it.
 
The advice I like best for 1911 carriers that carry that way is the danger of getting it into that condition. Lowering a hammer like that is dangerous. What if it slips and the slide blows back possibly breaking your thumb and shooting something you wouldn't want getting shot. But, if you are comfortable with it, its up to you. I feel the safety is easier to disengage than cocking the hammer.
 
There is a a "half cock" position on the P238, but I do not recommend using it.. Even when the Safety is on in this position, when you squeeze the trigger the hammer will drop just a little bit. Why they made it that way, I'll NEVER know..
Wife carries Cocked and Locked.
 
Cocked and locked is the safe way to carry. You have the safety. And the hammer won't go down unless the trigger is pulled.= 2 safeties. You can buy a holster with a trigger strap= 3 safeties. Hammer down with bullet chambered isn't the recommended carry. Ask Sig
 
I can't help but be curious why you trust your thumb not to slip - TWICE - during the hammer-down-hammer-cocking dual exercise, more than you trust the external safety designed and built into the pistol by Sig?

Are you a Double Action person, carrying a Single Action pistol and trying to imitate the safe condition to which you're accustomed?

Or, perhaps you're just new to pistols and have not been trained with the Single Action pistol.

Please accept that I'm not trying to be critical or offensive; I've been trained from the beginning to use Single Action, have never used double action and genuinely do not understand the thinking process that causes you to shy away from Condition #1 carry for the P238. I ask in the hope you can enlighten me. I probably have a lot more to learn about pistols and shooting than you and I'm hoping you can contribute to my education here. Thanks.
 
wow.

bless your hart man.

I recommend this. carry a snap cap in the chamber for a few months and get comfortable carrying condition 1.

When you get used to carrying that way for 6 months you will have confidance on your firearm and the way you carry.

Good luck.
 
wow.

bless your hart man.

I recommend this. carry a snap cap in the chamber for a few months and get comfortable carrying condition 1.

When you get used to carrying that way for 6 months you will have confidance on your firearm and the way you carry.

Good luck.

^^^^^^^ This^^^^^^^

Start timing yourself draw to first two shots on target. Use your method first and then in the classic condition 1. What is the time difference? Start watching some of the actual videos of attempted robberies, car jacking, etc. How much time do you have? Just askin..... :pleasantry:
 
Let me make sure I understand this correctly.

You are comfortable with the idea of disengaging all the safeties on the gun, pulling the trigger and trusting your thumb not to slip as you lower the hammer on a life round AND you comfortable with the thought of trusting that the same thumb will not slip, causing a negligent discharge, when/if you need it in a self defense situation. In other words, running the risk of having, theoretically, 2 negligent discharges.

BUT

You are not comfortable with the idea of leaving the hammer back with all the safeties engaged.

That is the situation, correct?


If it is, then I suggest you find a different gun to use for concealed carry because it is obvious that you are not comfortable with using a single action semi auto in that role.
 
I carry a Colt Gov't 380 and it is cocked and locked. 20 years not one problem. I would never carry any other way. The Sig P238 is the same gun.
 
I have read articles if sig p238 with thumb safety recalls and improper functioning/not functioning, I have tested mine but........
 
My reason for carrying chambered, hammer down. I'm a lefty. Can easily cock the hammer during my draw. Cannot easily take off the safety with my left hand during a draw. I do not have the safety on unless it's in my safe. Make sense to anyone but me?
 
My reason for carrying chambered, hammer down. I'm a lefty. Can easily cock the hammer during my draw. Cannot easily take off the safety with my left hand during a draw. I do not have the safety on unless it's in my safe. Make sense to anyone but me?

Just you and the op...I don't believe you will find many more that think that way.
 
I guess I could get into owning a 1911 style handgun for nostalgia's sake. But carry one, rather than a DA/SA Beretta PX4 or a SIG P226 with one chambered, decocked and no safety to deal with? That I don't get.
 
My first gun was a glock, so I don't like to deal with a safety. As my cc instructor said, "your brain is the safety". I also carry a revolver, so no safety and cocking the hammer makes sense. Guess I'm in the minority with the 1911 crowd.
 
I'm left handed, too, and I either buy SA semi autos with ambi safeties or have one put on by a gun smith. That's why I never bought a Mustang. They didn't come with a ambi safety and the only aftermarket ones I ever heard of were one of customs that cost more than the gun to get done.

Mr. Murphy seems to ride on my shoulder, so I figure it's a question of 'when'- not 'if'- something goes wrong. There is no way that I'm going to put any faith in my ability to decock a loaded (as really loaded- a round in the chamber 'loaded') single action semi auto, go around with the hammer (and firing pin) down on a live round and then rely on my ability to thumb the hammer back- under duress- safely.

Sounds like a negligent discharge waiting for a place to happen to me but you go ahead and do what you want.
 
I know this is an extremely old thread, but since there are still many who will search this same question and come to this thread, I thought I would try to update some misunderstanding on the internal mechanisms of the P238. I am not suggesting the the advice offered by the many is inaccurate. There are, however, a few points of detail. I hope others will find useful.

First of all, you are free to carry the gun however you like, but Condition 1 is recommended. That said I'd like to address a couple of points.

As to this post regarding the P238: "I carry my p238 not cocked and locked what I do is rack one in the chamber , load the magazine to full capacity then drop the hammer keeping it on fire not safety, if EVER I need to use it it's just as easy to cock the hammer manually then drop the safety without the fear of accidental fireing of "cocked and locked" ...." The underlined portion of this statement is not feasible unless the gun is malfunctioning. When the P238 safety is on with a round in the chamber, you cannot fully cock the hammer back. The safety must be released first before effectively cocking the hammer.

While Sig does not recommend treating the half-cocked position as a full-fledged safety, it does have a specific purpose. The P238 has a firing pin block. The original 1911's and 1911A1's do not have this. If you choose to have a round in the chamber, safety off and with hammer down (Condition 2) and in the heat of the battle you must draw and pull the hammer what happens if your thumb slips? As you pull the trigger, it goes to half-cocked (firing pin block engaged) and as you continue to pull the trigger and slip, the hammer falls to the half-cocked position and the firing pin does not strike the primer. This feature, however, does not apply when getting the gun into Condition 2. When you rack the slide to charge the weapon, the hammer is put back without ever setting the firing pin block. Pull the trigger and the gun will go bang. When you try to let off the hammer slowly (using your thumb to block the hammer) and slip, the gun may discharge here as well because no firing pin block is engaged. This is why Condition 2 is typically not recommended. However, if Condition 2 is your decision and the gun is in that state, know that their is a firing pin safety, should your thumb slip while manually cocking the hammer on a P238.

While the following question wasn't asked but for those who are unsure, how do we safely unload a P238 in Condition 1 (locked and loaded) or Condition 2, but I've cocked the hammer to fire and changed my mind. Don't we still have to remove the mag; release the safety and let the hammer down slowly? NO. First remove the magazine. With the safety on and hammer back the P238 allows you to rack the slide and eject the live round. The safety is still on. You can then lock the slide, verify the gun is empty; release the slide; release the safety; and let the hammer down. This comment was not intended for the experienced, but for those new to this particular weapon and the novice in general.

My comments here were not intended to cover all the opinions on the various conditions of readiness or every nuance of the P238, but I do hope future readers might find some of this helpful. I do agree with those on this forum, however, that Condition 1 is the preferred method of carry for the P238. If you are not comfortable with this you may certainly resort to Conditions 2-4. It's your right to do so, but then you really should be considering a DAO, DA/SA, or a striker-fired pistol.

And now my hobby horse moment: As human beings we are all built different; so carry what you are comfortable with, but more importantly carry what you have routinely practiced with. If you don't, you will be a danger to yourself and others, which ultimately hurts the cause of the good people on this forum. Routine training is crucial. It doesn't matter how many lives are saved by those who carry, the national media won't report it because it does not fit their anti-gun agenda, but let one person negligently discharge a weapon due to a lapse in judgment or lack of familiarity with their firearm and the whole country hears about it. For any newbies out there or those who've become rusty with their own carry weapon, I pray you won't mind this friendly reminder. It may be our 2nd Amendment right to carry, but if we don't all carry responsibly, we may find ourselves individually or collectively without that right.

While the above paragraph is slightly off topic, in my opinion, it is germane to why it is important to be familiar with the P238 or any other gun you may choose to carry. :smile:
 
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I'm a left handed but I am amdexterous. I can use either hand . My first gun was amdexterous to. I have a child so my gun is on safety chambered and with a full magazine. That's why I carry that way. However recent events have me rethinking that. I am now considering with safety off. My back up is a us bonds defender. It is chamber with 2 slugs safety off. Now I just bought a ruger sc40c. And I haven't got a holster for it yet. So I'm not sure if I will have the safety on or off. However Im thinking off. One of the things I like about this gun is that it has sight that tells you there is alive round in the chamber. I showed my child but they still know to double check just in case of malfunctions.Also not to point it at anything you don't want to shoot.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using USA Carry mobile app
 

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