Sig Sauer P239 Pistol Review: Outdated Relic or Classic Design?

Not long ago, I was moving on from an older carry pistol and looking for a new one. I ended up stuck between a Sig P239 and a different pistol. My wife told me once, “if you can’t decide between two things, get them both.” I don’t think she really meant that for guns, but here we are… I bought both of them.

I switch back and forth, but I’ve spent a good bit of time shooting and carrying the P239. It’s an enjoyable pistol overall, and I’ve only got one real complaint about it. Continue reading to see what that one complaint is, and see what else I like about it.

What is the Sig Sauer P239 for?

This pistol is all day meant for concealed carry. You could also use it for home defense, but it is absolutely meant for personal defense. It’s a fun little gun to shoot, but its primary purpose is concealed carry.

Breakdown

The Sig P239 is a single stack pistol that is available in 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W. It is on the larger side of compact pistols, with an overall length of 6.6 inches. It is 5.1 inches tall, and weighs in at 29.5 ounces. The weight comes largely from the fact that it is made of entirely metal.

The pros of this pistol are that it is very easy to conceal, shoots extremely well, and is very durable.

When you look at this pistol, you’ll immediately notice that it looks a little different than most pistols on the market. The shape of it is a little different, and it’s rounded out in a few key places. This makes it easy to conceal the pistol, especially with a proper holster.

The pistol has an external hammer, which is a little different than most concealed carry pistols. Most of these modern pistols are polymer and striker fired. The P239 is metal and hammer fired, so it really is much different.

However, the action of the pistol is very smooth. It shoots extremely reliably and accurately. I’ve found that I shoot much more accurately with this pistol than I do with most carry pistols. The action cycles smoothly and very consistently.

Another pro of this pistol is how durable it is. Thanks to the all-metal construction and the anodized finish, this pistol can withstand the elements. Similarly, it can hold up over thousands of rounds, and if a little sweat gets on it, it won’t be the end of the world.

The one con that I really don’t like about this pistol is how heavy it is. The weight was mentioned before, and like we said, it’s made of all metal, but it is a pretty hefty gun, especially for concealed carry. If you’re going to be carrying this for extended periods of time, you will definitely notice this weight.

Another con is that it is on the expensive side, but it’s not the absolute most expensive pistol out there.

Safety and Reliability

The pistol is pretty safe overall. Some users have noted that certain Sig firearms have failed drop tests, but the P239 is not one of them. Obviously, you should still handle it safely, but it should handle a drop well.

As far as actual safety features, the pistol doesn’t have an actual manual safety, but it does have a decocker. So you can carry the pistol with the hammer down, and have your first trigger pull be double action. After the first pull, the trigger will be single action. This allows for very safe carry.

In terms of reliability, the Sig presents no concerns whatsoever. The action is smooth and strong, and it will certainly stand the test of time.

Sig Sauer P239 Review: Comfort and Shootability

The grip of the P239 is somewhat of a topic of debate. It’s certainly not very aesthetically pleasing, but some people also don’t like the feel of it. For me personally, I thought the grip was decent, but could be improved easily. More on that later.

The shape of the pistol itself lends well to good shooting. The backstrap has a slight curve, which fits your hand pretty well. As far as concealed carry pistols go, this one feels great in your hand, likely due to the increased weight.

This leads into decent shooting features, which is what allows you to be a great shot with the gun. Like we said before, this is a concealed carry pistol that shoots very well. The trigger is decent, but there’s certainly room for improvement.

Accessories and Upgrades

There are quite a few things that you could do to this pistol.

First and foremost, you’re going to want a holster for this. Since it’s meant for concealed carry, we like an inside the waistband holster, like this one (https://www.brownells.com/shooting-accessories/holsters-belt-gear/holsters/thigh-holsters/paddle-lite-holsters-prod82921.aspx), but anything is possible.

Next, it’s definitely worthwhile to upgrade the sights. Using tritium night sights will help to improve your target acquisition. I like this set from Meprolight (https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/sights/sight-sets/sig-sauer-tru-dot-tritium-night-sight-sets-prod70587.aspx).

I would also recommend changing out the grips. These Hogue grips (https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/grip-parts/grips/semi-auto-pistol-grips-prod6935.aspx) will go a long way in increasing the grip of the pistol, and will also make the pistol slightly better looking, in my opinion.

Check out another review of Sig Sauer P239 from TheFireArmGuy:

Conclusion

This is a great option for concealed carry, even though it is a little on the heavy side. The pistol is extremely reliable, and it shoots extremely well. There’s a lot to like about this pistol, and it is very high quality overall.