I have a P230. Small. Thin. DA/SA. Easy to shoot accurately. Been reliable so far.
Right now, it spends most of its time in my glove box--yet it has most of the things I look for in a carry gun. In a sense, it's the slim, compact, DA/SA 9mm so many are looking for... just not 9mm parabellum.
Anyone shoot/carry a P230/P232 extensively? How's reliability?
We issued 230's to detectives when we issued 9mm SIG 226's many years ago. None of the detectives were really shooters, but the pistols were reliable and accurate enough. One of the road troops, who was a shooter. had one for a whole that he liked well enough. After we went to .40 pistols, we offered detectives (and later smaller-handed officers) the option of the 239. I think the road troop abandoned the 230 and now carries a 239 as a retirement gun.
I’ve had two. They both shot well and I liked the size. However both of mine had reliability issues, so I no longer have them.
I wish Sig has made the P232 (or similar size gun ) super reliable, a 10-12 round gun, with a slide stop, and normal mag release. The mag release being the least important of the improvements. It would have been a great DA/SA option.
Interesting. Clearly some departments thought highly enough of them to issue them... yet I've read a few less-than-favorable reports here and there, reliability wise.
I had a P230SL years ago, before this one. It would choke on flatpoint ammo once it got dirty (say, after 50 rounds or so). But it never had a problem with round-nose ammo. I haven't put anything but round ammo through this one, and it's been fine. Though I can't say I've put more than 200 rounds through it, total, in the time I've owned it.
But I pulled it out of my glovebox today and got to thinking, "You know, this is handy." Never really had a hard time carrying my P239... but that's not to say a P230 wouldn't be easier.
Last edited by MattyD380; 03-05-2019 at 11:56 PM.
S&W 39XX is 9mm.
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I think all of those .380s had reliability issues of one sort or another. The Sigs were much better than the Walthers, though. I never saw a PPK make it through a 50 round box of FMJ-RN in a qual (~20 years worth of watching).
Regional Government Sales Manager for Aimpoint, Inc. USA
Co-owner Hardwired Tactical Shooting (HiTS)
Pretty much the only one of these vintage .380s that I'd trust out-of-the-box would be a CZ 83 and possibly a Beretta 84/85/86. They're all a bit larger, which might be a lesson in and of itself...
I will admit to having a bit of a long-standing yen for a Browning/FN 1910, but I have no idea how they stack up durability-/ reliability-/ accuracy-wise. They've just always struck me a a quintessentially neat pistol. Aesthetics and compact package, etc. It could be a fun IDPA BUG pistol if I ever stumble upon one and the condition and timing is right.
Best, Jon
I dig the 1910, too. Sights are even smaller than a basic LCP, though. As in, if you look very closely for a long time, you might be able to see some tiny bumps on the top of the slide.
Last edited by OlongJohnson; 03-06-2019 at 12:50 PM.
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While sipping some vintage, hipster adult beverage, or with a high-powered magnifying glass....Originally Posted by OlongJohnson
Best, Jon
Of course, if one is assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand at point-blank range, sights aren't really necessary.
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