Your thoughts about the Sig 230SL

[hairy]

I am contemplating acquiring a Sig 230SL in .380 and am curious about your thoughts on the Sig 230SL. I have read many pro vs con articles on the .380 cartridge as a defensive choice and I remain interested. So what first hand insight can you give me about the Sig?

[zeus]

It's an extremely accurate 380. Barrel is fixed in a rigid fixture to the frame and doesn't move/pivot like modest autos. It's shoots really well. Easy to clean, comes apart in 3 seconds and it carries well in a pancake style holster. I don't ever carry it anymore but I did look for it last week just to see it. It was the first gun my wife bought me after we were married. It wears Nill grips now just for looks but you wouldn't be disappointed I think in how it shoots.

[hairy]

Thanks for the report. I have looked on the usual sites to see what is available and perhaps the fact that there are very few for sale is a good sign that most are very happy with theirs. This might make it difficult to procure one though. I have been carrying a LCP and it is easy to conceal. It also nearly disappears in my hand. The LCP functions 100%, I just wish it was a bit larger.

[magnumwheelman]

I carried a Taurus TCP for a couple years ( back when I was rollerblading... in case I fell... I wanted something cheap, that functioned well... I'm not that good a rollerblader )

anyway, I had to put my Bichon down after 15 years, & decided to use my TCP, & a Winchester factory round with a FMJ bullet... I put the muzzle between his front shoulders, I wanted to sever his spine & put him out of his misery right away... the bullet placement did it's job, but the bullet did not exit... he was only a medium / small Bichon, so his chest was not any more than 6 - 8" & the bullet didn't exit from close to point blank firing... that is the last day I carried the 380... I just did not feel it offered anywhere close to the power needed to shoot a human from a self defense distance...

your mileage may vary

[croesus]

I used the 230 in both stainless and blued/alloy for several years. They were among a short list of pistols authorized for off-duty use. The stainless is more pleasant with the hotter HP offerings. 380 doesn't dish out much in the way of recoil, but the pistols are a blowback design and the lighter blued/alloy guns allowed you to feel all the recoil a 380 could muster.

Both the stainless and blued guns were very reliable. With both guns I did experience magazine springs getting fatigued and causing malfunctions. Replacing the mag springs brought the reliability back to 100%. This occurred after a lot of use -- the ammo was free, so they were shot quite a bit. I did not rotate magazines at the time, kept all six loaded all the time. Bad planning and maintenance on my part.

I always preferred the slightly different stocks and feel of the 230 over the 232.

The 230 is a flat design and hides well in an IWB holster. The mags are small and disappear as well. Ankle carry as a back-up is easy, especially with the lighter blued gun. I switched from the stainless to the blued for that reason.

380 isn't much, but it beats not carrying. I was not completely comfortable with the round in any loading. Having said all that, I think it would get you home if the need arose.

Best of luck. Keep them relatively clean & properly lubed and neither will let you down. The reload is certainly faster than attempting a speed strip in a j frame 38.

[hairy]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen, I do appreciate your insight and experience very much. I did find one ... it should be here tomorrow.