People looking for a concealed carry gun often find themselves interested in the SIG Sauer P239. Like the P226 and P228 before it, the P239 is well known for its “to hell and back” reliability. The P239, like the P225 is a single-stack pistol and that translates directly into a slimmer sized grip. It is available in 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W. The .357 SIG and .40 S&W versions of the gun can exchange barrels. That means you can quickly switch the gun to the other caliber simply by changing the barrel. The 9mm version of the pistol cannot be converted. The P239, being a single-stack gun, has a relatively low capacity. The 9mm pistol only holds eight rounds in the magazine and the .357 SIG/.40 S&W only holds seven. 

Slide to frame fit is noticeably looser than other SIG Sauer pistols. Many P239 owners report that the slide on their P239 rattles when they rock the pistol side-to-side. This seems to have no noticeable impact because the same owners report it is highly accurate and reliable. That has been my experience as well.

Specialized concealed carry versions of the P239 are known as the P239 SAS (SIG Anti-Snag). SAS treatment is basically a dehorned stainless steel slide, SIG-logo wood grips and a DAK trigger system. SAS Gen 2 guns are outfitted with a DA/SA Short Reset Trigger (SRT), night sights and plastic grips.

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Ergonomics

At 6.6 inches in length, the SIG Sauer P239 is roughly the size of a Colt Officers Model. For many shooters, the SIG Sauer P239 has a comfortable grip. The front strap is serrated and helps to maintain a positive grip on the pistol. Because the frame does not have a rear strap, the left and right grip panels wrap around and meet at a small seam. Trigger reach in double-action (DA) mode is good. If you have small hands, you might benefit from the installation of a short trigger. The slide on the 9mm P239 is different from the slide found on the .357 SIG/.40 S&W versions. Slide serrations on the 9mm P239 are half-height while the .357 SIG/.40 S&W gun are full-height.

The standard factory sights, known as the “Von Stavenhagen” type, give the shooter a clear sight picture. It appears as a white dot (front sight) and bar (rear sight). The sights are aligned when the dot is placed on top of the bar (think ‘dot the i’). Although the sights should be well regulated from the factory, both the front and rear sights can be drifted for windage.

The trigger was very smooth. In single-action, the trigger broke at just over 4 pounds. There was considerable take-up, but no noticeable creep and very little over-travel. The double-action pull was around 10 pounds and extremely smooth - one of the smoothest you’ll see on a auto loader.

Unlike other SIG Sauer models, the P239 magazine release is not reversible.

Field Stripping the P239

The P239 is very easy to break down for cleaning. Make sure the gun is unloaded. Lock the slide back on an empty magazine (or push the slide catch up while pulling the slide back until it locks). Remove the magazine. To remove the slide, rotate the mounting lever downward on the left side of the frame. While keeping some pressure on the the slide with one hand (so it won’t fly off the frame), release the slide catch and let the slide slowly go forward. The slide can now be taken off the frame. The slide assembly consist of slide, recoil spring guide, recoil spring and the barrel. Remove the recoil spring guide and the recoil spring. Remove the barrel. The pistol is now field stripped and ready for cleaning.

Shooting the P239

Shooting was done at The Indoor Shooting Company in Tampa, Florida. Five round strings were fired at 7 yards unsupported on a 1 inch circle target. Group size averaged 2.25 inches with Winchester, 115gr FMJ ammunition in the 9mm P239. Point shooting (meat on metal) both guns at 3 yards produced lethal hits and no malfunctions of any kind.

Critical Items

For shooters familiar with the Colt 1911 and other Browning-style pistols like the Browning Hi-Power, the controls on the P226 will likely seem unnatural. The slide catch is where you would normally find the safety and the decocking lever is where you would normally expect the slide release. In a gunfight this would become a problem unless you fully familiarize yourself.

As with any bottom feeder, make sure that the magazine is always fully seated and the catch is positively engaged, otherwise you’ll likely experience feeding problems when the slide attempts to strip off the next round.

With a barrel length of only 3.6 inches, the 9mm P239 can get a bit of extra velocity back by using +P ammunition, otherwise, standard pressure ammunition will get the job done.

Conclusion

The SIG Sauer P239 is a very good pistol with better than average shootability. Although there are slimmer guns on the market, the P239 is well suited for concealed carry. You will want to carry this firearm in a quality holster on a quality gun belt.

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