# P290 vs. P938



## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

I'm looking at one of the above as an smaller alternate to my SR9c, I love my SR9c, but it's just a little big/ heavy in shorts and a tee-shirt ....

Ideally, I'd just head to the range, rent them both and decide; but none of the local ranges that rent Sig's have a P290...

Anyone out there who's owns or at least has shot both that can provide insight as to the +/-'s of both ???

Thanks in advance!
SSSSteve


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## slayer61 (Aug 4, 2014)

Don't own either, but I understand that the 290 is DAO and the 938 is a miniature 1911 (IE SAO) they are completely different operating systems


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## Tip (Aug 22, 2012)

Haven't shot a P938 but own both a P290 & a P238 -- as was said above - entirely different beasts.
Really no way to compare them. 

That being said both are very fine beasts! 
The P290 is DAO with a very long trigger pull - if you approach it as being an "auto loading revolver" you'll do fine. Very accurate, very easy to conceal, a tad on the heavy side still....
The P238 is a dream to shoot. Very accurate, very easy to conceal. SAO leads to problems with some folks carrying Cocked & Locked. Can say, however, I've personally never had the safety wiped off in several hundreds of hours carrying..... Train to swipe safety on draw and you'll be fine.

Both are very very fine firearms.

Not quite the 938/290 comparison you wanted but hope it helps.


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks, this is exactly what I'm looking for; the P238 is almost the same size as the 938 and I'm already used to a manual safety, that's one reason I choose an SR9c in the first place; it just ended up being a little bigger than is comfortable some days ....

Thanks again!


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

slayer61 said:


> Don't own either, but I understand that the 290 is DAO and the 938 is a miniature 1911 (IE SAO) they are completely different operating systems


Yeah, the long pull on the P290 is a bit of a concern for me ....


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

If the P938 is as well built and shoots as accurate as the Sig P238 I would go with the P238.....


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## Tip (Aug 22, 2012)

SouthSideScubaSteve said:


> Yeah, the long pull on the P290 is a bit of a concern for me ....


If you've shot revolvers a lot the pull won't bother you and you'll adapt to it.
If, on the other hand, you are strictly a semi-auto man then the pull is likely to bug you...

Coming from a SR9c have you looked at the LC9S?


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## slayer61 (Aug 4, 2014)

Tip said:


> If you've shot revolvers a lot the pull won't bother you and you'll adapt to it.
> If, on the other hand, you are strictly a semi-auto man then the pull is likely to bug you...
> 
> *Coming from a SR9c have you looked at the LC9S*?


There's a good idea.


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

Tip said:


> If you've shot revolvers a lot the pull won't bother you and you'll adapt to it.
> If, on the other hand, you are strictly a semi-auto man then the pull is likely to bug you...
> 
> Coming from a SR9c have you looked at the LC9S?





slayer61 said:


> There's a good idea.


Yep, that's the first place I looked, particularly since the "s" versions trigger is getting rave reviews...

The LC9s is about the same length and thickness as the 938, but it's 1/2" "taller" (bottom of the grip to top of the slide). Even with the extra 1/2" the "usable" area of the grip is about the same as the 938 ... My thinking is smaller is better in this case, since I want something I can pocket carry...

That said, I probably should look at them side-by-side....


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

Ok, looked (and handled) them both, side-by-side today; I'm still leaning P938 but there is no single, clear-cut reason ... 

Overall the 938 is a little smaller; the slide if narrower, but the ambi safety TAB makes the overall width the same...'

The trigger guard on the LC9s extends closer to the end of the barrel than the guard on the 938; this makes the LC9s more like a triangle, while the 938 is more of an "L"...

But LC9s seems a little lighter than the 938...

and, it's 40% less $$ than the 938 ....


Like I said, I'm leaning toward the 938; but until I pull the trigger (yeah, I went there) I can't say for sure which I'll choose !


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## TheMystro (Jul 1, 2015)

The P938 is a genuine pocket pistol that acts and shoots like a full size gun. Mine has been very accurate and trouble free. IMO, the P938 sets the standard of pocket pistols.

Here is a video I did awhile back to showing the accuracy of the P938. I am actually shooting way behind the camera but didnt want to stop the camera so I walk it up to the target each time so it would be very clear. I did this because there were a few videos claiming the small P938 was not accurate and needed to be very close to use it.:smt102


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

Update time...

Bailed from work early and stopped at my LGS today, put 90 rounds thru a P938 and 50 thru a LC9s Pro ...

In a word, I found both a bit disappointing, from 7 yards I couldn't shoot either worth a darn! I was having trouble keeping all the shots on a 8" target  I was worried I'd "lost it" so I pulled out my SR9 and put 10 rounds thru it to see if I cold still shoot... YEP, I can!! (5 of the first 6 in the Bull :mrgreen

I liked the P938, the trigger is "crisp", but I shot consistently low with it; I thought it was me, but I'm pretty sure the sights were off; but that raises a concern. I don't think the sights on the P938 are adjustable. Plus model my LGS rents doesn't have the extended grip Mag. I'm pretty sure I'd want the extended mag, I don't like my pinky curled under the grip, maybe that would help with accuracy, but maybe not! On a positive note, the frame fit my hands very well with a two handed grip

As for the LC9s, they only have the PRO model and I'm most likely want the LC9s Standard (I want the manual safety), but I assume the triggers are similar. Speaking of triggers, I'd heard that the LC9s was comparable or better than the SR9/9cc... Not from my perspective, and I own both! I found the trigger to have a long pull and reset. That said, I shot a little better with the LC9s than the Sig, but that could have been because I shot it second and was getting use to the shorter sight radius... I did like that the LC9s felt a little lighter in my hand, but the trigger guard is elongated/ kind of oval which made a two handed grip a bit awkward for me ... But, I shot it better (still not good enough, but better) and it is half the price of the Sig ($350 vs $700)

At the end of the day (i.e. the ammo I brought with) there was no clear "winner" so I left with my cash and plan to go back over the weekend and shoot both again ($22 total for the use of both guns and unlimited range time... not a bad deal!)

More to come!


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## slayer61 (Aug 4, 2014)

SouthSideScubaSteve said:


> Update time...
> 
> <snip>As for the LC9s, they only have the PRO model and I'm most likely want the LC9s Standard (I want the manual safety), but I assume the triggers are similar. Speaking of triggers, I'd heard that the LC9s was comparable or better than the SR9/9cc... Not from my perspective, and I own both! *I found the trigger to have a long pull and reset.* <snip>
> More to come!


I was beginning to think I was the only one that thought so!


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## edknn123 (Apr 4, 2015)

Funny thing about the way Sig did the height measurements on the P938 and the P290RS. They list the height as 3.9 in for both, but they measure the 290 from the top of the slide and the 938 from the top of the rear site. The 938 even though longer, they count the beaver tail, is actually a much smaller and lighter gun. That being said, I prefer the P290RS with a double action trigger over the P938 having to be carried cocked and locked.


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## casurvivor (Jan 23, 2015)

SouthSideScubaSteve said:


> Yeah, the long pull on the P290 is a bit of a concern for me ....


I think to 290 is way too heavy and wide, a Sig trade, for what is suppose to be, a small CCW weapon.


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## edknn123 (Apr 4, 2015)

casurvivor said:


> I think to 290 is way too heavy and wide, a Sig trade, for what is suppose to be, a small CCW weapon.


I carry my P290RS daily. It might be heavier than some like the Kahr CM9, but is very close to the Shield and Nano. I'l take it over any of the other guns any day of the week.


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## andymidplains (Nov 30, 2012)

Keep the P238 on your list of options. It is surprisingly accurate despite its size, and it feels good in my fairly big hands. I'm no team shooter, so I hesitate to offer technique advice, but when you shoot the P238 (and other really small pistols) you might try moving your trigger-contact area from the meaty part of the first digit of your trigger finger to the tip of your trigger finger. That advice cut my group diameters in half. I carry a P238 in a pocket holster thousands of hours every year--it's a winner.


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## SouthSideScubaSteve (Jun 20, 2012)

Update time...

A P938 followed me home the other day!

After an additional range session comparing it to the LC9s, I started looking for the SAS (Sig Anti Snag) model locally; I'd rather spend my $$ down the street when it doesn't cost me a significant premium. I had wanted to get it thru the new "farm store" that opened up down the road early in the summer, they kept getting the "nightmare" and "nitron" models, but never the SAS. At the end of the day I still bought it from a LGS, because it was cheaper than buying online and paying the transfer fees & taxes; it was just a LGS 30 miles away, not 3!

I'll be giving it a good cleaning on Saturday and hope to get at least 100 rounds thru it over the weekend; I'll post a range-report once I have


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