Sig P238 vs. S&W Bodyguard 380

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Buckweet

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Looking for a pocket gun and have narrowed it down to the Sig P238 (complete with its checkered past) and the S&W Bodyguard 380. I currently have a S&W M&P 40C and really love it (its just too much weight to comfortably carry). I can get the Sig (with Crimson Trace and Rosewood Grips) for $599, and can get the S&W Bodyguard for $379.

Should I save the $220 and just buy the Bodyguard, or is the Sig worth it?

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the reports of Sig FTE/FTFs weren't pursuading me to move toward the S&W Bodyguard.

Any thoughts or preferences based on experience would be appreciated. Can the new Sig P238s be trusted?

I also realize they are very different in their set up SA vs DA...

Thanks folks!
 
A plastic gun with a bad trigger or a steel gun with a good trigger...

It seems like Sig has worked out the teething troubles on the 238, so the choice seems easy to me.
 
My SIG P238 is a great little pistol... wish I still had it, wife cabbaged on to it. Good trigger, good night sights, tilting barrel design should have way less recoil than a delayed blowback type pistol. I cannot comment on the S&W Bodyguard, never really considered it, but I consider the SIG to be the best choice for me in this size of pistol. If you can try both, then make your own comparison, and get the one you prefer. This is THR, you ask for opinions on 2 pistols and end up with many other suggestions, of your two choices I would get the SIG P238.
 
Sig - so far so good

One of my students brought a new Sig P238 to the range. She has 100 round of ball ammo through it with no problems. No hollow points. I ran 3 mags through it and the trigger is very nice. Recoil is negligible.
 
Buckweet

I think most of the problems with the SIG P-238 are over (I hope), as current production models seem to be doing just fine. Both guns are made from quality materials and come with decent sights (advantage SIG because you have both a laser and night sights while the Bodyguard has just the laser).

In matters of inherent accuracy, I would have to again say advantage SIG because of the SA design. The DA trigger on the Bodyguard is good; better than that of a KelTec P-3AT. But it does require more effort to get the most out of it in terms of potential accuracy.

Also consider that while the SAO tigger on the SIG is very nice, it does require a different manual of arms when you're carrying (Condition One with thumb safety on), over the DAO trigger of the S&W Bodyguard .380. The Bodyguard also has a thumb safety but I find it to be too stiff and too noisy in its operation. So you really should try out the trigger pull of the Bodyguard and then decide for yourself if this will work for you, or if you prefer the P-238's better.

Basically it comes down to whichever one you feel the most comfortable and the most capable with. Good luck with your decision, and let us know which one you decide to go with.
 
I will probably take some heat for this but if I was using these for a concealed carry I would take the BodyGuard out of safety considerations.
I owned a Colt Mustang which the Sig is a copy of and was using a leather purpose made for the gun IWB holster and carried it cocked and locked for a couple of weeks.
Well low and behold one evening when I was putting the gun away I immediately noticed that my safety had come off and that light single action trigger was a discharge waiting to happen.
Talk about a sick feeling!!
If the Sig had a grip safety as a back up to the lever safety I would say no big deal but it does not and you can be rest assured I will never carry a concealed piece like that ever again.
Just something to think about.
YMMV.
 
I chose the Bodyguard 380 at Bass Pro Shops for $349. The Sig is nice, but I did not think it was worth the extra $250 to me.
 
i own two sigs p238's....

one the basic nitron cheapest model the other the hd model. the hd had to go back for the soft slide not locking back issue. it is heavy for what it is, and while i love the look and heft for range work with small pistols, for fun, (recoil is like my walther p22) i wouldn't buy it again for pocket carry. the standard aluminum frame is far better for this task, if weight is a concern for you, imho.

the other one... the nitron cheapest model.....the top of the barrel has rusted weirdly on me, and i posted about it, in my 3 or 4 posts here but it works fine and feeds anything i have put into it. of course i live in humid florida in the swamps and it's always wet in the air down here....so the rust issue wouldn't get in the way anywhere else i imagine outside of a jungle or swamp, and maybe it's just due to me and my pocket? having said that i trust it completely...as long as i keep it clean and lubed.

i like the single action and the look of the p238...even as a lefty shooter i managed to work around the left side only safety lever. carry condition 3 or empty chamber....but for righties that wouldn't be an issue. while the bodyguard has the laser thing and that is nice and the price going for it, but the looks do not appeal to me and that has nothing to do with effectiveness of the tool, but i would still go the p238 if it was me again.

biggest thing i think is compare prices and decide for yourself and the cocked and locked pocket carry. some can't get over that i can understand why.
 
They do seen to have the bugs worked out-I have a July 2010 2 tone that does mark the spent casing every once inawhile but has never failed in the last 2 hundred rounds. Still has the older style factory spring with about 275 rds threw it. Also have a HD made in Sept. that has about 700 rds threw it. 500 rds with the factory old style spring and now with another 200 rds with the new flat spring. No problems with that one at all. the dented spent casing doesnt worry me to much with the 2 tone but I do reload for it so hoping after I change to the new style spring that wont be a problem with that one either. They both work well with factory and my reloads but have never tried a hp style bullet in either
 
I was in the same situation back in December (along with checking out the DB 380). Just as other have said, I believe they worked out most of the issues on the 238 similar to the Bodyguard. Personally I did not feel I could justify an extra $200 for the Sig just because of the trigger. If you go to the range and you actually do a little dry firing (which should be done if it's a carry gun) you will accomplish everything you need to accomplish in a self defense situation with the Bodyguard that you would with the Sig.

As I said, I chose to save the $200 and put it towards ammo and another sd class. Based on how well I shoot the BG I feel I made the right decision.
 
I will probably take some heat for this but if I was using these for a concealed carry I would take the BodyGuard out of safety considerations.
I owned a Colt Mustang which the Sig is a copy of and was using a leather purpose made for the gun IWB holster and carried it cocked and locked for a couple of weeks.
Well low and behold one evening when I was putting the gun away I immediately noticed that my safety had come off and that light single action trigger was a discharge waiting to happen.
Talk about a sick feeling!!
If the Sig had a grip safety as a back up to the lever safety I would say no big deal but it does not and you can be rest assured I will never carry a concealed piece like that ever again.
Just something to think about.
YMMV.
Click to expand...

I've been carrying my 238 for a while and have never, ever had the safety flip off. It's VERY positive, and seems that only a very deliberate action is going to click it off.
 
I think that the Sig P238 is beautiful. If the choice were between the Sig & the S&W Bodyguard .380, I'd take the Sig.

However, for me, I ended up with tactical tupperware for a pocket pistol. I really like my Taurus TCP 738 - the trigger is probably the best of the DAO pocket .380s (Ruger, Kel-Tec, etc.).

My only problem with either the Sig or S&W is the external manual safety - while the S&W is DAO, so you could carry it w/o the safety engaged. I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of the safety lever getting caught on something and disengaging in your pocket. Not a big deal for the S&W, but with a SAO trigger, this is a lot more dangerous.

Just my $.02.

Having said all of that, I still love the Sig, and might buy one anyways :D
 
Spammy_H said:
My only problem with either the Sig or S&W is the external manual safety - while the S&W is DAO, so you could carry it w/o the safety engaged. I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of the safety lever getting caught on something and disengaging in your pocket.
Click to expand...

harmon rabb said:
I've been carrying my 238 for a while and have never, ever had the safety flip off. It's VERY positive, and seems that only a very deliberate action is going to click it off.
Click to expand...

I agree with harmon rabb; my P238's safety is quite positive and would require an impact beyond what I believe is reasonable to believe possible to dislodge it in a pocket.
I have no problem believing it's safe to carry cocked & locked.
 
Last edited:
To Harmon and Tommygun....Although I have never truely handled the Sig in the field or for that matter fired one it could be that the safety is a lot more positive than the ones that were on the old Mustangs.
Maybe or maybe not.
Still it happened to me and I want no more of this particular design for conceal carry.
Which is why I mentioned YMMV.
No doubt about it the Sig is a very well made pistol as well it should be at it's price point and frankly I would not mind owning one.
But I would not for concealed carry.
Be careful.
 
To Harmon and Tommygun....Although I have never truely handled the Sig in the field or for that matter fired one it could be that the safety is a lot more positive than the ones that were on the old Mustangs.
Maybe or maybe not.
Still it happened to me and I want no more of this particular design for conceal carry.
Which is why I mentioned YMMV.
No doubt about it the Sig is a very well made pistol as well it should be at it's price point and frankly I would not mind owning one.
But I would not for concealed carry.
Be careful.
Click to expand...

If I found mine flipped off, I'd have an issue too. But you had a Mustang. They're almost the same thing but not quite. Sig did make a few little tweaks. Perhaps the safety was one of them, because it's not light to flip off. I tried it side by side with the safeties on two of my 1911's, and it easily takes twice as much effort to click off.

I wouldn't write off a Sig because of something a Colt did, or vice versa for that matter.
 
I have both the Bodyguard 380 and the Sig P238. Both are fine guns and for me both have been totally reliable.

The Sig is the more accurate of the two - probably because of the much better SA trigger. I can get repeat shots with it faster and more accurately than any other gun; it's very comfortable to shoot and I find the manual safety very secure. Of the two I prefer the P238 because of the accuracy and comfort.

I would also not hesitate to trust and carry the Bodyguard but neither is my primary pocket carry weapon.
 
I will probably take some heat for this but if I was using these for a concealed carry I would take the BodyGuard out of safety considerations.
I owned a Colt Mustang which the Sig is a copy of and was using a leather purpose made for the gun IWB holster and carried it cocked and locked for a couple of weeks.
Well low and behold one evening when I was putting the gun away I immediately noticed that my safety had come off and that light single action trigger was a discharge waiting to happen.
Talk about a sick feeling!!
If the Sig had a grip safety as a back up to the lever safety I would say no big deal but it does not and you can be rest assured I will never carry a concealed piece like that ever again.
Just something to think about.
YMMV.
Click to expand...

I pocket carried this one.....

62520996561662.jpg
Never had a problem with safety coming off....

Now this one....it too has a positive safety and not going to come off inadvertantly.
238.jpg
 
Bodyguard. We've got a pair they both work 100% out of the box. My P238 refuses to go fully into battery and has now started having extraction failures. I'll be calling to send it back on Monday. Hope they pay shipping. Another reason to buy S&W they pay shipping both ways should you get a lemon.

I could love the P238 if it worked, as its got the best sights and trigger of all the small guns, but I don't really see how I could hide it, but not my Kahr PM40.
 
wally said:
Bodyguard. We've got a pair they both work 100% out of the box. My P238 refuses to go fully into battery and has now started having extraction failures. I'll be calling to send it back on Monday. Hope they pay shipping. Another reason to buy S&W they pay shipping both ways should you get a lemon.

I could love the P238 if it worked, as its got the best sights and trigger of all the small guns, but I don't really see how I could hide it, but not my Kahr PM40.
Click to expand...
???
 
My vote would be for the Sig P238, I have one that I have almost 1000 rounds through with no issues at all. I have carried daily for the last 6 months in my pocket and the safety has never come off unless I have taken it off. The safety is very positive and won't "just come off" unless you do it.
 
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