I’m not a big fan of .380s, or double actions, but the little SIG was one of the few guns at the range that I hadn’t shot, so I tried it reluctantly. I was pleasantly surprised.
The P232 has one of the best double action mechanisms I’ve ever used. When decocked, the hammer is still partially cocked, which makes the first shot lighter and shorter than most DAs.
| SIG P232 | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 7+1 |
| Weight Empty | 16.2 oz. |
| Barrel | 3.6″ |
| Sight Radius | 4.7″ |
| Length | 6.6″ |
| Height | 4.7″ |
| Width | 1.2″ |
| Origin | W. Germany |
After the first shot, double action autoloaders cock the hammer, making for a trigger pull that’s lighter, but not necessarily shorter. Often, the second trigger pull is just as long, but the first stage of travel is extemely light because the trigger has no resistance. With the P232, the trigger doesn’t return to the fully forward position after the first shot, so there’s no takeup in the single-action trigger pull.
These two features make the 232 very easy to fire quickly and accurately. The sights are big enough to get a good sight picture, and feature a red front blade. The grip was just big enough to get a good purchase, and had rubber stocks that provided a secure grip that easily tamed the modest recoil.
The magazine release is on the bottom of the handle, which makes it a two-handed affair that’s a little slow to operate. The gun I shot was stainless steel for ease of maintenance. Other finish options are blued, two-toned, and Nitrox.
If you’re in the market for a .380, the SIG P232 would be an excellent choice. If you can handle the recoil of the more-powerful 9 mm, the Kel-Tec P11 and Glock 26 are about the same size. I’ll post reviews of both guns in the next week.
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that’s the only sig i don’t care for. The reason (as you mentioned) is the mag release is at the bottom of the grip and the mags have to be pulled out.
The hammer is not partially cocked on the P232 when decocked. SIGs employ a number of internal safeties one of which is the safety intercept notch which holds the hammer off of the firing pin (even under pressure) unless the trigger is in its full rearward position. Also, I don’t think the P232 comes in Nitron…it’s either blued, two-toned or fully stainless, but don’t quote me on that part.
The sig 232 is really a wonderful gun, I carry one every day and love it. Some people dont like the european stle mag release, but having grown up shooting guns with it, like my good old Ruger MkII, It doesn’t bother me a bit. In fact, I prefer it to the button style releases. Super smooth trigger and mine has had thousands of rounds through it with not one single malfunction.
I bought a 232s as a carry pistol a while back. An excellent, reliable and simple handgun, which fit my large hands well compared to the Sig 239 and some of the smaller S&Ws (my choices in MA being very limited). At the range, however, I find that the natural shooting position places my hand in a spot where it just barely gets nicked by the slide (not bitten, just kind of scratched); after I put a box of ammo through it, I take a nice red mark home. Yeah, maybe I’m just being a wuss, but it’s worth considering if you have larger hands and want to shoot it regularly. I’m now considering a used Kahr K40 (sadly, can’t buy them new in Kahr’s home state) or perhaps S&W’s new 99 as a more powerful alternative.
The P232 is my daily carry gun. Stocked with PMC Starfire JHPs, it makes really nice large holes in wet phone books (poor man’s ballistic gell). It is slim and small enough to easily conceal, yet large enough to afford a good grip (I recommend a Hogue mono-grip). Many people with large hands do report getting bitten by the slide on recoil. My hands are large, but thin and have no problem. (Never bitten). Great gun.
Tyler, I had a similar problem with a P230. I put Hogue wood grips on it and it hasn’t nicked my hand since.
Hi Expert ,
I just bought a P232 at a local gun show . The gun came with two mags and I load both mags with 7 rounds each . Don’t know if leaving the mag with full load of ammo might weaken the magazine springs . Please advise. Thanks so much .
Camauman
Just empty your mags once a month or so and leave them empty for 15 minutes to an hours to allow tensil strength to restore. The new Glock springs reset after being uncompressed in seconds, so unloading and reloading the mag does the trick… Not sure what material Sig uses.
I have a p232 in 9mm Kurz that I have had a short time now, in that fancy titanium special edition finish. The 232 is by far the best handgun I have ever owned. I have heard all the complaints from the mag release to only 7 rounds per mag to even why the short is not powerful enough for protection. None of which scratch the surface of a real problem. The P232 is a finely crafted firearm that will never fail under pressure. And like all other firearms, the owner should be familiar with its workings, instead of buying a gun around the way others are made. Sure, the 380 isnt a magnum or a full size 9mm or a 40. I can argue until blue in the face, but the gun is easily handled, easily carried and will shoot each and every time, strait and perfect.
Gun control is hitting your target. This will do the job. If you want a gun for a firefight or for war, get your big frame 45 and do it right. Life usually doesnt allow that kinda beast carried.
I recently fired one of these guns at a range. Put about 3 mags of ammo through it. They are extremely, pin point accurate, and recoil, although snappy, is very manageable. The trigger is outstanding, and it’s small size makes it easy to conceal. The slide did hurt my hand a little bit (actually, no pain, just a black mark on my hand after firing it), but really, I didn’t care. The only problem I have is the euro style release. I’m not a big fan of it, but other than that, it’s an outstanding firearm, and being a Sig, one can be sure of it’s quality.
love this gun , hurts my arthritic wrist. but what the h– cant’t have everything!!
I’ve had this gun for over a year and a half. As stated in the post’s above, it is definatle a smart idea to change the grip if you’ve got a decent sized mit. I’ve changed my grip to a mono-Hogue and it’s been nice. I put over 800 rounds through this gun and one squib Wolf that really messed things up. If it wern’t for that cheap Wolf ammo that my range pushes on everyone, this 232 would have been perfect since day one. Thankfully the fellas as SigArms were most helpful and took care of the problem in a timely and respectable manor. Those guys are class all the way. The 232 is a great gun that is easily carried, shoots straight and has just enough punch to do some damage when you’ll most need it.
thanks all of you guys out there. i’m about to bye one and this will reinforce me to do so.
I have been having a problem with my sig 232 recently. When I release the slide to load a round into the chamber, it is very common that the slide is not closing fully. The round seems to be getting stuck against the top of the barrel. I’m trying 2 kinds of ammo and having the same issue. It was fine for 2 years of shooting. Anyone else seen this issue?
tuan- clean your gun thoroughly and use better ammo
I like what I am seeing here. I have started my fiancé shooting in the past month on a Glock 23 .40 and she handles it rather well. She isn’t a huge fan of the Glock trigger however and favors the trigger of my Sig p239 .40. Since we recently have had a serial rapist reported in our town it might be time to get one of these for her to carry once she gets her permit.
I am a female and have just started shooting about 3 weeks ago. Here is the list so far. Rueger semi .22, Rossi .38 special, .357 Colt King Cobra. I am interested in purchasing a firearm and was pointed in the direction of the Sig 232. I plan on getting my permit one day and am curious if this would be a good choice for a first time firearm. Thanks for any comments and suggestions.
I think you would love this gun, Dee. Also Tuan, I had never had a problem with my Sig after many rounds til I ran 50 Winchesters through it. I don’t remember the number, but sounds like the same thing happened 3 times. 3 times in 50 is not bad , but it never happened til then, so I’m blaming the ammo. I love my 232!
This gun is next generation to Walther PP/PPK, revised P 230, many years of experiences of SigSauer constructors are incorporated in that – there mustnt be need to say more already… Smooth and elegant design, no sharp edges (even hammer is no obstruction while drawing), perfect sights, excellent grip, very strong (thus reliable) firing pin force, balanced recoil spring power (considering this is blowback-operating gun!). Maximum safety for service gun even with loaded chamber (while decocked…), decocking lever… Extracting of magazine is compromise, of course, but decocking lever instead of mag release button is better choice. And who has to reload under stressing battle situation, just convicted himself from severe tactical operation procedure failures! (poor shooting, no preventive reloading after first opening fire, lack of preliminary training of stress handling…) This is last resort gun, not battlefield dominator:-) And who is wearing standby second magazine with this king of gun and could profite from quick reloading?… I have small hand, but I am pretty sure that even with bigger one shooter cannot decock by such situated lever while shooting finger on trigger. Some could consider it as an imperfection, but I consider it to be very wise and safe. Handgrips are quite thick and I consider trying thinner ones, but while wearing it in holster, that is making slide thicker, it doesnt matter at all. Grip is therefore very stable and gun in holster looks more authoritative:-)
I had no ammo failures yet, but I experinced failure of slide stop, probably cos of yet “raw” operation of brand new magazine with combination of relatively weak ammo laboration (or weak hand while blow-back?:-). But this wouldnt be so substantial, even if it will reiterate in future – with well self-tuned magazines already.
The only consideration in this category of gun is whether there is superb ammunition available in your country. .380 ACP is not great tribute for self defense, but softpoint or JHP bullets with 300 and more Joules should be enough. Well, none of these are available (and allowed) in my country, but I dont care. I can wear this gun where other service gun is not acceptable baggage and .380 ACP in hand is always better than .40SW in desk:-) If you want no compromise caliber, try P239, Kahr, subcompact Glock, or something like that. But I can assure You that You will miss P232 very soon if You are alreadyfamiliar with it:-)
I’m having problem locating a Laser for the P232. Have any ideas where I can find one?
Is this site still active?
I am looking for a Sig P232 Titanium, as mine was stolen. I am willing to pay extra to replace what I miss…
est@centurytel.net
Iv’e had my sig 232 for a year now and i carry it 90% of the time which says a lot i belive something is better than nothing big heavy guns you get tired of carrying 70% people that buy 40 cal or higher carry their gun 30% of the time the sig 232 is reliable, light and easy to carry
I expect my tax money any day now and I know it will be going to the new Sig dealer in our neighborhood.
Thanks, everyone!
Shiner1:
If in those two years you have fired 1000+ rounds, you might consider a new recoil spring. All blowback pistols are dependent upon the recoil spring both to hold them in battery against a loaded chamber and to feed each successive round into the chamber. The only resistance against the pressure generated by the round when it is fired is that same spring. It gets quite a workout!
Most pistol manufacturers suggest changing the recoil springs in recoil-operated pistols (those with mechanical lock-up) after every 2000 rounds at most, so changing the recoil spring in a blowback pistol after 1000 shouldn’t be a bad idea.
Shiner1:
If in those two years you have fired 1000+ rounds, you might consider a new recoil spring.
All blowback pistols are dependent upon the recoil spring both to hold them in battery against a loaded chamber and to feed each successive round into the chamber. The only resistance against the pressure generated by the round when it is fired is that same spring. It gets quite a workout!
Most pistol manufacturers suggest changing the recoil springs in recoil-operated pistols (those with mechanical lock-up) after every 2000 rounds at most, so changing the recoil spring in a blowback pistol after 1000 shouldn’t be a bad idea.
I recently acquired a sig p232 and I am in the process of learning anything and everything I can about it. I’ve only shot maybe 25 rounds and I found it to be extreamly acurate. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the best brand ect. of ammo for practice?
I have a 1983 version of the P230. Shoots absolutely great and I have never had a FTF of FTE. One of my favorites.
I originally wanted a PPK, just cause of all the Hitler/Bond thing. But I’ve realized that the tech has gotten alot better. I have it narrowed down to a Sig P232 or a Kahr CW40. It seems the prices on the Kahr’s are a bit higher. Which one would you buy?
Shiner 1…Change the recoil spring and that should solve the problem.
good luck
Shiner1 change the recoil spring….needs to be done about every 1-2 thousand rounds or sooner…that should solve the problem….
I’m glad to hear the excellent reviews on the Sig P232. My husband and I have owned several different models of Sigs and have always been very happy with the high quality of their firearms, so it is no surprise that the P232 is getting such rave reviews. I currently have a Berretta .32 Tomcat in stainless steel. It’s an excellent gun, never had any problems with it, and it’s a wonderful gun to shoot. But, do I really want to be putting my personal safety in the hands of a .32??? Not really. I have shot my husband’s Sig P229 .40, and it is very comfortable to shoot, very accurate, and I have never had it jam on me (and I have small hands for such a big gun). My husband and I have thought I need to get a higher caliber of handgun for myself (since my carry gun is a .32), and the Sig P232 seems like it will be a perfect choice. What have some of you paid out there for a Sig P232???? Please let me know. Thanks!!!!!
a quick question-
the sig 230 has three positions on the hammer, all the way down, partial cocked and fully cocked?
is it safe to leave a round in the chamber and the hammer all the way down??
thanks
Jim
TRY to find crimson grips with lasers, they will 100% work with p232
Is it ok to fire american eagle ammo in a p232??
Federal American Eagle Ammunition AE380AP, 380 ACP, Metal Case, 95 GR, 960 fps, 50 Rd/bx
I just acquired a beautiful, virtually unused, P232, for $369, from Hoffman’s Gun Center, in Newington, CT, after admiring one which a good friend of mine carries. I have a P226 (.40) and a P239 (9mm), both of which carry well, in appropriate holsters, but I wanted something lighter and flatter, for OWB and/or ankle carry, and I think this will do nicely.
I recently took a class up at the Sig Academy, where I watched several people shooting P232′s. I voiced my concern re the alleged lack of horsepower in the .380, based on reading lots of stuff written on the web. The instructor’s answer was this….”If you can’t stop a man with a well placed shot from a .380, then a bigger caliber is not going to help you. You need to learn how to shoot accurately and precisely; ….then work on your speed of delivery. A well placed .380 or two will do wonders. That is why so many non-American police departments depend on them.”
I was interested to note that every instructor, or staff member, I saw was carrying either a 9mm, a .380, or a .38. While I am sure some folks up there carry other calibers, everyone I spoke with had a 9mm in their hip holster and referenced either a 9mm, .380, or .38 backup.
What are the changes from 230 to 232? Thanks
When I purchased my 232, the vendor also had a similar condition 230. I asked the same question, when I could not tell any outward difference between the two. The single and double action triggers were nearly identical, as were the decocking and magazine release mechanisms. Per the sales guy, there are several small changes to springs and interior part profiles.
This week, I found another guy at my range who has a 230, which he has shot a lot (>2500 rounds). He took a look at my 232. His feeling was that the balance is slightly different, but he could not define that. He did note that if I decide to part with the 232, he would buy it in a heartbeat.
I have been experimenting with different carry methods, between the 232 and my 239. I far prefer shooting the 239, and it is a heck of a tack driver, but the 232 is a joy to carry, be it in a pocket, fanny pack, IWB or OWB holster….you can practically forget it is there. While the two are similarly sized, the 239 feels like a brick compared to the 232.
I did have a number of failure to fire incidents, using S&B FMJ’s….however, in every instance, repulling the double action trigger fired the round. I have yet to determine whether this is due to cheap ammo, or a firing pin issue. I’ll comment more on this, after having more time to play with different ammo.
Oh yeah…..I forgot to mention…..the magazines do normally need to be pulled out, after pulling the latch. However, you can simplify that by spraying, or wiping, silicone spray on the full periphery of each magazine. Once it dries, reapply a second layer. With that on, once you release the mag latch, the magazine will drop right out.
Just purchased p232SL. How is it that I am the only person to suggest that this gun is a jamming turd!!! I am not giving up yet as I have read it could take up to 500 round to break in properly. After properly cleaning and oiling according to SIG specs, I am lucky to get 1 out of ten mags to fire without a misfeed. I am at about 450 rounds now and am soooooooooo frustrated. Thus far…..the absolute worst gun I have ever owned.!!!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!
What kind of jams are you getting? Have you tried an alternative ammo manufacturer? As noted above, I am having periodic failures to fire, but secondary hits always fire. I called Sig today about this. Their recommendation was pretty much as I had thought….try different ammo. If that fails, they asked me to call back. They will send a shipping return box, so their armorers can sort out the issue. I have had very positive interactions with the Sig custom and repair shop, so I have no doubt they will resolve the issue.
http://www.sigsauer.com/customerservice/faq.aspx
Customer Service: 603-772-2302
The problem is failure to feed. I have tried various rounds from different manufacturers. Sellier and Bellot, Remington and Independance with no significant differences. I have had issues with all of them. I am sure I could send it back to Sig, but thats not why you spend that kind of money on a .380 I have read that you should try gun grease, have the ramp buffed and so on. I cant stop asking myself…..then why the extra money on a Sig??? I could easily get this kind of aggrevation for way less money. I will hang in there and keep you posted.
Next outing will be on friday with some Winchester rounds I just purchased. Gun is thoroughly cleaned, new slide catch spring installed (just because I read it could pose a problem, looked fine though), oiled and gun grease on the slides. For such a highly touted, trouble free, reliable and precision made weapon……it seems ridiculous. I will let you know how it turns out after Friday. As of Saturday, there is a good chance I will be willing to part with this fine handgun…..any takers….lol.
Les, have you tried replacing the magazine?
Years ago I had a 220 that displayed the same symptoms you describe. What finally remedied the situation was my purchasing a replacement mag from SigArms (approx. $40.00). The pistol fed fine from then on…
Good Luck!
Wildman,
If you are responding to me, Dave, I have 2 brand new mags in addition to the one that came with the gun. No difference between the three.
Thanks!
Dave
Update on ammo. I am not a fan of S&B. Winchester and Remington both functioned flawlessly. This weekend, I spoke with Sig Sales rep, who noted that S&B ammo was not used in the original testing of the 232, nor was it Sig-recommended. I can see why.
The only other issue I seem to be having involves the decocking lever return spring. It keeps disconnecting from the decocking lever. The pistol continues to function fine, but it is annoying to have to manually pull the lever up, no to mention having to pop the grip off to re-attach it. I am taking it with me, up to Sig Academy, this weekend; hopefully, someone there will have an answer. I have been carrying the 232 all week, in a new Crossbreed Snap Slide holster. It carries great….if I can get the details sorted out, this will certainly become my favorite lite-carry pistol. BTW, I am a BIG fan of the Crossbreed Snap Slide; with a quality(reinforced) gun belt, it is a fantastic CCW holster.
Follow up:
Made it back to the range. Had a much better experience. I had 8 misfeeds out of 150 rounds. Ammo did not make a difference. I finished off my last of 50 rounds of S&B and then used Winchester. All 8 misfeeds were from the same mag. Prior, I was getting misfeeds on all mags with all ammo. Could be just a rough break in period and one bad mag. I do believe the gun grease on the slides (small amount) helped greatly. I will post again after next outing without suspect magazine.
Awesome day at Sig Academy today. Shot the 232 for half the class, using 2 of my mags and 2 loaners from Sig. Sadly, one of the 2 Sig loaners caused a bunch of failures to feed. Initially, the instructor suggested it was due to less than optimal lubrication on the rails, slowing down the slide. However, I narrowed it down to one of the loaners. Once I stopped using that mag, I did not experience another single failure.
As for the decocking lever spring issue, the instructor replaced the lever return spring. That too was disconnecting. The instructor, who carries a 230 himself, noted that the Hogue monogrips often have too deep of a pocket for that spring. That proved to be the case for my grips. We proved that by filling the pocket with white grease. We should have seen swirl marks from moving the lever; there were no marks at all in the grease. I need to contact Hogue for a replacement grip, with a shallower pocket. The instructor temp fixed the issue by notching the spring end, and seriously cranking down the grip screws. This seems to have worked, as I successfully fired at least 20 mags, without any further issues. I am very happy with the 232 overall.
I’ve carried my P232 daily for about three or four years now, IWB, very comfortable, easy to shoot, reliable and accurate. Very light but compared to other ultra small 380 “pocket” semi-autos feels like you have a grip on something substantial. When I was shopping I liked the PPK feel and balance but discovered in a catalog that the sig weighed about half the PPK. I knew Sig is high quality, I had a P220 with tritium sights already for under my pillow, too bulky and heavy to carry all the time and if you can’t carry it all the time you probably won’t have it when you need it. I’d rather have a 380 all the time than a .45 some of the time. I’ve played tennis with the p232 in a IWB holster with a snap catch. Bad neighborhood! Anyone that says it isn’t powerful enough and will just make someone mad, let me shoot you once and see how much fight you have left. Hollow points hollow out a cantalope at 20 yrds pretty well. If 8 Federal golden saber bjhp bullets don’t have enough stopping power you should get a large magnum to hunt bear with. Practice to be accurate if you are worried, this gun will make it easier to be accurate and it won’t wear you out at the range.
By the way, the gun is safe unless the trigger is pulled, whether fully, half or un cocked but keep it in de-cock mode when you are handling it, when in single action (fully cocked) it doesn’t take much trigger pull to fire it. I prefer de-cock to a safety lever or button because it is always ready with a pull of the trigger in double action mode, nothing to remember how to work, similar to a revolver.
The German made 230 was a masterpiece, the American made P232 is the most undependable gun in recent memory. $750 and it’s jamming is notorius
I had ftfs in my first 150 rds. I think the recoil spring is the culprit, too stiff. I loosened it up by locking back the slide for 2days. Problem solved.
Does ftfs mean failure to feeds? I’m having the same problem with my first 200 rounds. I’m lucky to get through a full magazine without one failing to load and feed properly. On four occasions the magazine jammed. Thought it was cheap ammo but used a few different brands and experienced the same problem. Called sig and they told me I would have to put 300 rounds or so to break it in properly. Am I crazy, or should a quality gun be broken in by the company who makes it. Why should I waste $1oo doing it. Don’t get me wrong… I love the way the gun shoots… I just want to be able to depend on it.
Also, can anyone recommend any good range ammo that they haven’t had any issues using? Thanks
Hey Jason — The problem with the sig p232 is in the breech face — there is no recess for the shell, so it falls into the ejection port constantly