With all the new micro/mini/nano/sub-particle subcompact pistols on the market today one CCW option is continually over-looked – the subcompact. Large enough to soak up the recoil of its full power cartridge, yet small enough to comfortably rest in a Super Tuck holster, the sub-compact is often the best balance of concealability and capacity. A pocket-carry convert, I used to take my little J-frame hammerless wherever I went, and to be honest it’s very convenient. But five shots of .38 special with a two-second reload time doesn’t instill tons of confidence in a shooter. As a result, I jumped to the other side of the spectrum and picked up a Glock model 27. But it printed like a pocket-carried Gideon’s from a sketchy motel . . .
The Glock G27, while substantially larger, somehow managed to give me only a marginal increase in grip real-estate than the aforementioned j-frame sporting boot grips. Feeling discouraged, I traded the G27 for a full-sized G17 to use for home defense and resigned myself to carrying the snubbie .38.
Some years later I bought my then-fiancé her first pistol, a SIG SAUER P239. Slim, compact, and smooth, the little SIG automatic afforded her plenty of room for a full two-handed grip with thumbs forward while easily disappearing into a Crossbreed Super Tuck IWB holster. As I slowly opened the iconic blue case, not unlike Dr. Jones, my initial impression of the SIG was that it’s a no-nonsense business gun with the lines of a jet-black 85’ Firebird. In a bit of internet role reversal, the gun enthusiast borrows the novice’s gun and falls in love. Oddly enough, she found she really enjoyed my Colt Gold Cup since she didn’t have a CCW license yet.
After carrying the SIG in generic IWB holster for a few weeks with a shoddy belt, I learned four important lessons; 1) I really enjoy having a spare magazine on me compared to a cumbersome speed loader (or worse yet, an ironically named speed strip), 2) I’m too old to wear my shorts down to my ankles, 3) a proper holster is a must for an all-metal pistol and 4) a good solid belt can work wonders for mitigating the weight of carrying heavier guns.
Sporting a matte black finish and a magazine capacity up to 10+1, the SIG P239 not only looks the part of secret service heater, but plays it just as well. I found that in local IDPA-esque scrimmages, I shot consistently as well as I normally do with a full-sized Glock. At 10 yards the plates had better invest in Kevlar protection because they had nowhere to hide. Intrigued by the small gun’s big performance, I decided to shoot it from a rest at 15 yards to get a better idea of how well she’d group. At that distance I could cover my grouping with a silver dollar, and at greater distances, a DGU’s legality would be seriously questionable.
At first glance, the Sig P239’s sharp angular edges might appear painful, but the engineers over at Exeter obviously know their stuff. I initially wondered if the gun’s lack of a beavertail would lead to a symptom PPK owners are all too familiar with: slide bite. However, I was pleasantly surprised that despite my 1911-inspired ultra high grip, the SIG’s slide, unlike the little dog of Pink Panther fame, does not bite.
Lest you think the SIG is all bark and no bite, she doesn’t just look pretty and carry well, but also shoots circles around most guns with twice her sight radius/barrel length. While one could argue that such accuracy is unnecessary in a concealed carry piece, (or maybe even detrimental, as it’s usually indicative of tighter tolerances and thus less reliability in harsh conditions) I believe your wife being held as a human shield would beg to differ. However unlikely that situation may be, no one in history has ever complained about being too thin, having too much money, being too good looking or having a gun that’s too damn accurate.
Specifications:
Caliber: 9 mm
Magazine capacity: 8(+1) rounds flush with magazine well, 10(+1) with extended grip
Materials: Aluminum frame, stainless steel slide
Weight empty: 29.5 ounces
Barrel Length: 3.6″
Overall length: 6.6″
Sights: Fixed front and rear, white dot front sight, post rear (Dot the “i”)
Finish: Matte black lower; stainless steel upper
Price: $858 MSRP
RATINGS (out of five):
Style * * * * *
Sig has nailed the alphabet soup agency look with this slick little piece.
Ergonomics * * * * *
Volumes thinner than its double stack plastic fantastic contemporaries, the SIG fills the palm well, offering the shooter great controllability.
Reliability * * * * *
It plowed through almost 300 rounds without so much as a hiccup. Or a cleaning.
Customizable * * * *
With a wide variety of both OEM parts and aftermarket grips (check out Hogue’s aluminum grips, freakin’ sweet!) the Sig P239 offers the shooter no shortage of customizability. If that’s a word.
Carry * * * * ½
While not as light as some of SIG’s more recent offerings, the only downside to this gun are the sharp edges which either a reputable gunsmith or upgrading to the SAS (SIG Anti-Snag) package would remedy.
Overall Rating * * * * *
An easy-shooting all-metal compact piece with accuracy to spare. A standard for other carry guns to live up to.
Having used both the P239 and S&W 3913NL, I prefer the S&W as it is just as reliable, but thinner. The only detractor is the non-rebounding decocker on the S&W as opposed to the 239. If you are looking for a thin single stack, the 3913 series is worth a look as well. Unfortunately it is no longer in production.
I agree with you experience. I tried out a S&W 3913 around 1988-89. It was compact, and sweet. Didn’t care for the safety.
Later that year, I purchased a SIG P-226 in 9mm.
Absolutely Fabulous.
A large, military duty gun, accurate as hell, and super reliable.
Still going strong after 23 years.
Still, with my small hands, I would like something thinner.
Viola! I hope to get a P-239, SA/DA, probably in .40 S&W. Later, get a drop in barrel in .357 SIG.
Then I will have a good range of calibers, from .22, .38 SP, 9 mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG.
Wish me luck.
You can reload a J-frame in 2 seconds? Good heavens, why would that make you hesitate to carry one? That is (if true) extremely fast. Most people can’t reload anything that fast.
Your comment confused me initially until I realized that I wasn’t terribly clear. I can reload the 442 I carried in 2 seconds once I have the gun up and the speed loader in the other hand. It was my first dedicated carry piece and back when I had the time I used to practice reloading for 10 min every other night. If you included me getting said speedloader from my pocket it would have taken me an additional 1-2 seconds at least. Especially when shaking with adrenaline.
Why not just go G19? Lighter, full grip, 15 rounds.
YMMV but the G19/17/26 are all far too thick for me to conceal.
The G26/27 are the same width as the P239. 1.2 inches.
Seems like Mr. Grant confuses opinion with fact, and fact with opinion. Something that is the same width is the same width. Period.
“The G26/27 are the same width as the P239. 1.2 inches.”
Measured at the widest point, which for the P239 is the decocker. The G26/27 are the same width all over, including the grip. The P239 is slimmer everywhere except at that one point — the slide and grip are both slimmer than those on the G26/27. Therefore, it is more concealable.
Same width is not the same width when it comes to concealment. I have carried both Glocks and XDs in the same holster model as a SIG 239, and I can say for certain that the SIG 239 is MUCH more comfortable and MUCH more concealable due to the shape of the pistol and the thin grip frame on the SIG 239. This holds true in jeans and a t-shirt, tucked under a dress shirt, under a suit jacket – the SIG 239 is easier and more comfrortable to conceal.
… it isn’t the 239… I find Glocks are “top heavy” and simply don’t fit my hand as well as the P239. I have thw. 40 S&W, and I love this for Concealwd Carry-crossbreed supertuck is the way to go… Accurate & no failures for over … 10 years.
“But 5 shots of .38 special with a two second reload time doesn’t instill tons of confidence in a shooter.”
It does me. Shootings with multiple shots almost always involve gang bangers and drug dealers targeting each other. How often does a law abiding citizen end up in a situation legitimately requiring the presence of a gun on the street to halt a potential attack or an actual shootout need using up five rounds? On the street, I’d prefer a revolver for the simplicity (pull, point, and shoot) to respond fast to an ambush type attack in a hope to beat that 21 foot rush at me in 1.5 seconds.
As a fellow CCW’r I’m sure you’re familiar with the Latin phrase, “If you wish for peace, prepare for war.” Why would you take anything less capable if you could conceal it nearly as easily? I love my snub-nosed .38 and I can shoot it accurately or I can shoot it fast, but I sure as hell can’t do both. The Sig’s greater heft soaks up what little recoil the 9mm para has and affords the wielder twice the capacity.
I’m familiar with the phrase and knew it long before I held a gun. I think I addressed my reasoning above. I’m far more concerned with an ambush attacker and the most effective way to respond than the potential for getting into a multi-shot shootout. I find the revolver’s attributes a faster, simpler, and more reliable tool to respond to some thug coming at me.
be careful of designating your CCW to just handle one scenario with just 5 rounds. What if you’re out for a stroll and a pitbull takes a major dislike to your scent? PitBulls are fast…..I’d like more than 5 in this scenario for sure. I also carry concealed when hiking in state parks…..in Florida Feral Hogs are abundant…..my beretta PX4 compact has 12 rounds of .40 PDX1 and I’m not sure that’d be enough……(my extra mag has 12 too)
A final note, Flash mob robberies and Gang mobs terrorizing and robbing citizens have become in vogue lately in places you’d never thought they’d be. America is changing with 50 Million on Food stamps and unemployment benefits running out for millions, it reinforces to me the reason I carry CCW in the first place, for the things I DON’T anticipate and therefore can’t avoid.
On the printing of a larger CCW pistol….. I use CCW breakaway britches and shorts. I have asked two different veteran police officer trainers in combat handgunnery whether they can tell I am carrying a pistol and the answer was definitely not…..They were surprised and I was happy I have found an alternative to holstering that is comfortable and very quick on the draw as well. You do need that thick BELT though as the author suggests….but that goes with all CCW I think.
Red pepper or grizzly bear spray have their uses with animals when walking around my area and if I go into mountain lion territory I’ll be carrying a 357 and my friends will have their 9 or 45 cals. Should America and Portland Oregon devolve into flashmob and other gang attacks on citizens then I might re-consider my weapons.
I totally agree with you on pitbull defense, and it’s one of the reasons I don’t usually take my ultra light titanium / scandium 5 shot snubbie into the woods or on the trail.
Then again, it’s so compact and comfortable I can jog with the damn thing, and the Weimaraner and Lab LOVE jogging, and the pitbull would probably go after them first. (And I’ve already decided that a pitbull, coyote, etc. will not be pre-maturely ending their lives if there is anything I can do about it.)
Revolver triggers are what turn me off from revolvers. If I were to go with low capacity, I’d go with a 1911.
I have both a sig p239 (which I like) and a S & W 686 .357. I carry the 686 for personal defense. Im with Aharon on this one, hit what your aiming at and you dont need a bunch of shots. Im just not going to pull the trigger unless im sure im going to hit my intended target.
I have to say, though, i would be ok carrying my sig.
“On the street, I’d prefer a revolver for the simplicity (pull, point, and shoot) to respond fast to an ambush type attack in a hope to beat that 21 foot rush at me in 1.5 seconds.”
The P239 pictured above is a DA/SA. Just as simple (pull, point, and shoot) as your revolver but when you use the extended 10 round magazines, you have five to six more rounds (depending on the revolver) before you have to stop to reload. I’ll take my Sig DA/SA over any revolver anyday, but to each his own.
SIG P239 is quick on target, fits my hand rather that trying to fit my hand around it, easy to be accurate with, low on recoil, smooth, and reliable. The one I own is a favorite for many uses.
Thanks for the review.
I love me some Sig 239! I fire my .40 SW Sig 239 better than I fire my old school german-made .40 Sig 229! Great gun!
I HAVE GOT TO GET ME ONE OF THESE IN .40……..
I love my P239, except for the DAO trigger. That’s why I plan to switch the hammer and add a decocker. Da/Sa is my preference for carry.
In my search for a subcompact I shot the Sig P239 at my LGS. The last four SA shots at 25 yards could be covered by my index finger. The first DA shot was was just a couple inches higher than that. I didn’t buy one as I wanted to shoot a 40 in DAK and couldn’t find one. Also no rail (that I don’t know if I need anyway). Looking back I do regret that decision a little.
Happy shooting, dv
Possibly the best all-around concealment handgun on the market. An ideal balance of accuracy, power, size, and shootability. The P239 DAK is the gun I buy for all my nephews and nieces as graduation presents. Even if they never become regular shooters, it’s so simple they’ll never forget how to use it, and it will serve either for recreation or self defense. In fact, after I decided on that gun for them, I started carrying it myself. You’re absolutely right: a gun that’s nice enough to work well for novices is really darn wonderful if you’ve got a bit of experience. Which means it will continue to serve the kids if they do become experienced shooters. The P239 is really a lifetime gun for anyone.
My dad has been carrying a P239 in .40S&W for a long time, he recently ordered a .357SIG barrel for it so I can’t wait to try that out. Great solidly built shooter that’ll run circles around any Glock, can’t say I remember seeing it ever fail. I may have to get myself one in 9mm someday, I don’t care for .40S&W as much as my father does.
Nice gun but I still don’t see a need to go below a compact. I buy extra long golf shirts, LL Bean or REI wear and I can carry any of my handguns without obviously printing. My wife walks around with an M-9 and women’s cloths and nobody seems to notice. I think we tend see the telltale signs of a gun on our person because we know it’s there. Unless a person is into firearms they won’t notice a gun even you are open carrying.
Great little gun. IMO, it’s about as small as you can make a handgun without compromising how it shoots *at all*.
Sometimes I think I should have bought a Glock 19 instead- twice the ammo and a grip that’s only a *tiny* bit thicker. But I find the SIG’s SA trigger is so perfect, I can’t quite bring myself to drop the cash to make the switch.
“Volumes thinner than its double stack plastic fantastic contemporaries”
According to mfr’s specs, the 27 is THINNER than the P239. Glock 27= 1.18″, Sig P239= 1.2″
One other item I’d like to mention is the weight. 29.5 oz for the P239 vs. 19.75 oz for the G27. Huge difference, over a half pound and then some.
I stand corrected, gun certainly feels thinner to me. Perhaps it is because I use Hogue’s Aluminum grips? I don’t know what the specs are on those, and my current set are on a friend’s gun right now so I can’t measure. Anyone have a set they are willing to measure?
That 1.18″ is measured at the slide, however the slide is not the thickest part of a Glock.
Just measured the slide on my 239–about .9″, maybe a mm or two thinner. The Glock is noticably blockier, while the even the non-dehorned versions of the Sig seem to taper better.
Yes… 0.02 wider is so … different :p
A P239 in 9mm was my first pistol purchase, and I have never once regretted that!
I own a P239 and it’s the gun I prefer to carry, it’s light enough to be comfortable, shaped to shoot well, and reliable enough to trust. The P226 isn’t bad to carry as long as I’m in a suit coat, but most times the P239 gets the nod. When I can’t carry anything else, I’ve got a PF9 for pocket carry. Hopefully the new P938 will be replacing it this year.
YMMV, but I love my Sigs over all my other pistols. Glocks, S&Ws, Rugers, I’m most comfortable with Sigs, so that’s what I carry.
It wouldn’t be hard to convince me to add a Sig Pro and a P229 to the group.
Get the Sig Pro. You won’t regret it. Best $400 I ever spent. No questions about it. I OC it for hiking in a Blackhawk SERPA holster and its easy to forget its even there, and packs enough ammo to take out any threat in my neck of the woods. I’ll never get rid of her. I will add some more Sigs to my collection when I get my CCW for sure!
The P239 will always be a winner for me. It was my first conceal carry pistol. I still have it in Sig357 / .40 caliber.
It is about 15 years old, but still shoots as well as most full sized hand guns. While I no longer carry it in summer, I do carry it from time to time in Winter. It is one of my favorites..
I was a fan of the P239. I bought it in .40 and then added a 9mm slide so that I had the option of either caliber. One thing that bugged me about the P239 was that if you wanted to shoot .357 Sig, you not only had to buy a new barrel, but mags as well and Sig mags are not cheap. Whereas the P229 .40 mag also holds the .357sig round, the P239 mags are dedicated. While I liked the P239 and even purchased a Crossbreed holster for it, at nearly 2 pounds, it is not a lightweight gun. It makes shooting a lot easier, but carrying less so. I recently decided to pick up a SA M1A, so to fund that purchase, I’ve decided to sell my P239. I’m hoping that Sig’s new P938 is going to be that perfect blend of carry and power. I love my P238, but want a bit more punch than its .380
Sig P239 in .40 cal. needs only a barrel swap to convert to .357Sig cal. The .40 cal. mags work fine loaded with .357Sig ammo. However, the inverse is not so; .40 cal. ammo will not fit in the tapered magazine body of the .357Sig magazines.
In sum: Just stick with .40 cal. mags to fire both calibers. And btw, those ….357Sig mags can be used for 9mm ammo if you get the 9mm conversion barrel.
i had 2 of the 239′s, one in 40sw the other in 357 sig…
it was possibly the most accurate and reliable compact auto i had ever purchased up to that point in time…
6k+ rounds with only 3 FTF (defective ammo) in the 40sw, the 357 sig had problems w/bullet setback on the only readily available ammo, so i bought an extra 40sw barrel…
nothing but good to say about this model of sig…
their other stuff was, ummmm, not so good…
i will recommend the 239 to anyone who needs a small, functional pistol of adequate caliber…
With all due respect a .38 Special revolver instills ample confidence in me. Afterall
if a situation can’t be resolved with 5 or 6 shots ,then perhaps I don’t need a handgun. I need a SWAT team.
“A pocket-carry convert, I used to take my little J-frame hammerless wherever I went, and to be honest it’s very convenient. But five shots of .38 special with a two-second reload time doesn’t instill tons of confidence in a shooter…”
Two .38 Special Airweights provide ten shots and are no more burdensome to carry than one P239. The cost of two revolvers and one pistol are roughly equal, as well. Admittedly, the SIG has much better sights but the J-frame is more easily retrieved from a pocket.
The pistol is more “shootable” but the revolver is more convenient, which suggests it will be carried more readily. Perhaps the “pocket nines” will some day render the discussion moot but for now, the P239 is no threat to the J-frame’s popularity.
Excellent assessment and consensus on what I also believe to be one of Sig’s best kept secrets and one of the most overlooked item in their catalog of arms. My preference in the 357Sig variant in traditional DA/SA.
Reading one of your articles is like reading an old-school detective novel. LMAO!
One of the finest compliments I’ve ever received. Thank you good sir.
Have had a 228 for about ten years and about three years ago bought a 239. Shoot a sig after anything else then you understand!
You can’t go wrong with any sig other than the P250 – which has some debatable points.
It’s a Sig…..what else is there to say?
The Colt .45 Officer Compact shoots better than the Sig. Better ergonomics, better recoil feel. You might even pinch your trigger finger using the Sig getting caught between trigger and trigger housing.
I love the P239. I bought my wife one years ago, and find myself carrying it often. I carry a 4″ XD most days, but if I need to carry under a nicely fitting suit jacket, or tucked under a shirt, the little P239 and it’s rounded lines just disappears. It is also very comfortable to carry.
A lot of other people must think the same, because we sell more Front Line tuckable holsters for the P239 than almost any other pistol, probably because it has been overlooked by many of the big holster manufacturers.
Yes! Frontline offers several great holsters for use with the SIG P239.
After a good experience with the 9mm SIG P228, I decided that I wanted a concealed carry weapon with a slimmer grip – a single stack magazine instead of the SIG P228′s double stack magazine. Going with lesser capacity made me want to use a more effective round than the 124 gr. +P 9mm Parabellum Gold Dot GDHPs that I was using in the SIG P228.
I purchased a .40 S&W two-tone SIG P239 SAS with the SRT Short Reset Trigger and three dot night sights. Picked it up only a few months old and lightly used for much less than a new non-SAS pistol. I didn’t like the Hogue grips that came with it, didn’t like the SIG black plastic stock grips, but with Hogue G-10 checkered grips I am now happy. The pistol came with two magazines. I picked up another magazine and two +1 magazine adapters that replace the floorplate and extend the grip a quarter inch. That gives me 7+1 via the first magazine in the SIG on the belt in a tuckable Frontline lined holster counterbalanced with two 8 round spare magazines on the other side.
Ran several boxes of each type of various ammo through it without a hiccup, except some people firing a 12 gauge shotgun in an adjacent lane at an indoor firing range asked how I was able to fire that shotgun so quickly when I was testing the 180 gr. Fiocchi Extrema XTP JHP rounds. The flash and bang were both a bit more with that round than the 180 gr. Speer Gold Dots GDHP and 180 gr. RWS FMJ FP rounds.
regardless of which is actually thinner, i’ve found that single stack pistols fit my hand best. every time i see one of those sig p239 they’re already spoken for. for now i will have to make do with my makarov or 442. my biggest complaint with pistols like the glock isn’t their quality, the have that in buckets, it’s that they’re so square and chunky feeling in the hand. my sigma suffers from that as well. reliable and easy to carry but just feels off when in hand.
The p239 is a sweet piece, but I still carry my S&W Nightguard 8-shot .357 Revolver with PDX1 rounds. Trigger action feels a-ok to me, especially once it’s staged!
(though it is a little bulkier for a carry piece – but hey, I only need to hit them once with that baby!)
this is a good pistol, but discontinuing the Sig 225 to make it was a big mistake.
I traded my XD9 SC for a Sig P239. Hated the XD and love the Sig. Feals good and shoots great. Compaired to my LC9 it is like night and day. The LC9 is a little easier to carry but when I can it’s the Sig that I want with me. Also have an M&P 40 and it’s ok but from now on I will only buy Sig firearms. They are worth the money.
A longtime glock and ppk carrier, a sweet little p239 .357 found me at the gun show and followed me home. I am having trouble finging the 10 round mags. Anyone have a source?
Those 10 round magazines people are writing about are extended magazines for the 9mm SIG P239, which normally has 8 round magazine capacity.
Normal magazine capacity for the .357 SIG and .40 S&W rounds is 7 rounds. You can get a Plus 1 Kit extender for the .357 SIG and the .40 S&W magazines:
http://www.topgunsupply.com/sig-sauer-magazine-p239-.40-.357-magazine-plus-1-kit.html
For .357 SIG, 8 round extender magazines are available, which appear to have the Plus 1 Kit adapter already installed:
http://www.topgunsupply.com/sig-p239-357-8rd-magazine-extended-capacity.html
If you already have the 7 round .357 SIG magazine, get the Plus 1 Kit. Otherwise, the 8 round magazine costs the same as the 7 round magazine and are only a quarter inch longer, yielding a better grip.
So, if you absolutely need 10 rounds in your SIG P239 magazine, 9mm is your only current option. If you already have a .357 SIG or .40 S&W P239, you can acquire the 9mm magazines and a 9mm Bar-Sto Conversion Barrel that will fit in the larger slide used by the .357 SIG and .40 S&W P239:
http://www.topgunsupply.com/bar-sto-conversion-barrel-sig_p239-9mm.html
I am not affiliated with Top Gun Supply, but have ordered from them and am a satisfied customer. I would order from them again.
Personally, I would prefer to carry a double stack 13+1 or 15+1 9mm SIG P228/P229 than go with the single stack 10 round extended magazines for the SIG P239. If you live in a place that restricts magazine capacity to 10 rounds, SIG still provides 10 round magazines for the P228/P229.
Good review! I fondled one in a local store, and I’m sold. My go-to pistol is a P226, so there’s about zilch re-training for the P239. Still trying to find out how many mags the dang thing comes with!
Charlie
One overlooked benefit to the Sig P239 over a Glock is the confidence inspired in concealed, round-in-chamber carry. The P239 has that safer, heavy-first-shot, double-action trigger at approximately 11 pounds. Glocks can keep you on needles and pins regardless of their “safe action” design. I would hazard a guess that there are a lot less unintended discharges with Sigs, especially in panic, L.E.O. instances.
And even that heavy first pull is no liability with training and practice. Make it a Sig P239 for me any day, any way over a Glock where concealment is required.
Hi:
I’m looking to buy my first handgun and have read through all of TTAG’s highly-rated reviews. I really appreciate all of your great info. Have learned a lot. I live in GA and want to apply for a CCW license.
I was a Naval Officer for 9 years. Once upon a time…a lifetime ago at the U.S. Naval Academy…I qualified with the 1911 as an Expert Marksman. Have had no shooting experience with handguns since then.
After reading so many great reviews, it seems like the P239 would be a great starter gun for me. Would you have any recommendations regarding caliber and ammo type? I need to do more reading in this area…
I’d also like to buy a 1903 Colt Auto .32 Hammerless or its 1908 .38 variant in pristine condition. (Have a big appreciation for older, great weapons and TTAG’s writeup on the 1903 sold me). I’ve gone through a few websites looking for one at a decent price. Any recommendations as to the best sites/sources?
Sorry if these are dumb questions. As mentioned, I’m a novice…but plan to get up-to-speed and practice a lot once I make a purchase or 2. Finally, if you can recommend the type, length, frequencey, etc. of training classes I should utilize, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Thanks a lot for your help.
Sincerely,
Ken
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This review has created quite a lot of butthurt.