The Sig Sauer P322
By MARJ LAW
On her last trip to the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range, Sally tells me that she is having trouble shooting her Glock 42. This Glock is a .380-caliber, small and concealable handgun.
“What don’t you like about it?”
“I can’t seem to shoot it right. The bullets stick up in the top. Can you help me?”
Well, she didn’t have her Glock with her on that Wednesday, but I just happened to have my Ruger Security .380 with me. The Ruger is like her Glock in that it’s a .380, and it’s also small and concealable.
“It might have something to do with your grip, but it might be the gun itself. If you bring your Glock to the range next time, I’d love to check it out. Meanwhile, let’s shoot the Ruger and see how you like it.”
I ended up really enjoying the morning with Sally. We went over the WCSO range rules, and reviewed the terms “hot” and “cold.” Sally had hearing and eye protection, so we were good to go.
We loaded and unloaded the magazine using an UpLula. We discussed stance, grip and sights. Sally’s hands shook just a little bit. She was excited!
Watching her, I was excited too, sharing her new experience. And what do you know, but she hit the target every time!
“Can we come back in 2 weeks?” she asked. “Then I’ll bring the Glock.”
I can’t help but wonder why she has problems with the Glock, as she is cautious, she listens intently, and she’s a natural: a naturally competent shooter. You don’t find many like her.
When we meet the next time, I find that Sally has been doing research on .380s, and she has visited several gun shops.
“Are you considering selling your Glock?” I wonder.
She grins.
“My husband says he’ll buy the Glock from me if I find a handgun I like better!
“I know you said to bring my Glock, and it’s right here in my sack,” she continues, “but I sure would like to try a couple other .380s,” she adds almost apologetically. “The Sig Sauer P238 fits nicely in my hand. I really like the way it feels. Another gun I’d like to try is the Smith & Wesson .380 Shield EZ. It’s a little larger than the Sig, but I hear it’s very easy to manage.”
Well, happy days! I just happen to have borrowed my friend Glady’s Shield EZ, and also have my own Sig P238. Now we can compare these two guns to her Glock.
We begin with the Sig. I’m having a feeling Sally is thinking she wants this little guy. The Sig’s barrel is 2.7 inches long with an overall length of 5.5 inches, and it weighs 15.2 ounces unloaded. A flush magazine holds six rounds, and you can also find a magazine that holds seven rounds.
“Yours is really pretty!” she exclaims. “I’ve seen several of these Sigs, and their grips are all different.”
“Yes, you can change them if you like. These particular ones we found on eBay. But of course, it’s how you like the gun and how you are able to shoot it that counts.”
I explain the rating system Joe and I have designed. We give a “1” if we like it or if it is easy, and up to a “5” if we don’t like it or if it is hard. This is how we rate difficulty of trigger pull, length of trigger pull, recoil, grip and ease of racking the slide.
“First, I already know I like the grip,” she says, holding the Sig carefully with the muzzle pointing downrange.
She adjusts her stance, and takes a breath and lets it out. She squeezes the trigger thoughtfully and grins when she sees the hole in her target.
“Trigger pull is easy. I’ll give it a 1 for being so easy. Trigger length isn’t very long. I’ll give length a 1.5.
“It does have a kick,” she admits. “I’ll have to give it a 2.5 for recoil. And it’s really easy to rack the slide. That gets a 1. It’s easy to use the 3 dot sights, too. I’d call this Sig a good ‘senior’ gun.”
Next, Sally tries the S&W .380 EZ. The EZ is longer than the Sig at 6.7 inches. It weighs a little more at 18.5 ounces and it holds 8 rounds.
“It’s a bit larger than the Sig,” she notes.
Sally gives the EZ a 1 for trigger pull. To her, the pull is just as light as the Sig’s.
Trigger travel, though, is longer. She gives the travel a 2.5, while she gives the Sig a 1.5.
Recoil feels a bit stronger. She gives the kick a 3: a bit heavier than the Sig’s. And, just like the Sig, she finds the slide is very easy to rack. She gives the EZ a 1 for an easy slide.
“For some reason, I find it harder to aim the EZ,” she tells me.
We hold the guns side by side.
“Both guns have two white rear dots and one white front dot sight. The sight radius is longer with the EZ, which you’d think would make it easier to sight in, but the difference may be the way your eyes perceive the sights. Shooting is personal and different with almost everyone.”
Last, we try that Glock. I’m wondering if she will like it better now that she has the experience of shooting the Sig and the EZ.
Nope.
Sally thinks the trigger is hard on the Glock, and she gives it a 3. She says trigger travel is long, and gives travel a 3.5.
She doesn’t like the recoil at all and gives it a 4 or maybe a 5.
“That could be because I’m getting tired,” she thinks. “This is the last of the three guns and my hand is tired.”
“Well, Sally, are you planning to take your husband up on buying the Glock from you so that you can have the Sig P238?”
Sally grins. She might be tired, but she sure knows what she likes best.
I’m wondering when she’ll return to the range.
Carrying a Sig Sauer P238.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.