SIG P238 vs P938 (2026): Same Gun, Two Calibers

Last updated September 25th 2026

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Table of Contents

The Short Answer

Buy the SIG P938 unless recoil is the one thing you can’t live with. SIG’s own spec sheets show the 9mm P938 is only 0.4 inch longer and about an ounce heavier than the .380 P238, with the same width, the same height, the same sights and the same two magazines in the box. SIG lists both Two-Tone models at the same $719.99. On the street the P238 sits on a $749.99 price wall at nearly every retailer we track, while the P938 has been $699.99 at Brownells.

So you’re not paying extra, or carrying much extra, for 9mm. The P238 still makes sense for one kind of shooter: someone who finds 9mm in a gun this small too sharp to practice with. For them it’s the softer, easier pocket gun, and a very good one.

Same Gun, Two Calibers: What SIG’s Spec Sheets Show

The P238 and P938 are the same idea: tiny, all-metal, single action only pistols with a 1911-style manual safety, an alloy frame and a stainless slide. The P938 is simply scaled up enough to handle 9mm. When you put SIG’s current Two-Tone spec sheets side by side, the difference is smaller than most people expect.

The P238 Two-Tone, SKU 238-380-TXR3, has a 2.7 inch barrel, a 5.5 inch overall length, a 3.8 inch sight radius and weighs 14.9 ounces with a magazine. The P938 Two-Tone, SKU 938-9-TXR3-AMBI, has a 3 inch barrel, a 5.9 inch overall length, a 4 inch sight radius and weighs 16 ounces with a magazine. Both are 1.1 inches wide and 3.9 inches tall. Both ship with one 6-round and one 7-round steel magazine, XRAY3 day/night sights, a curved single action trigger and Hogue wood grips, rosewood on the P238 and walnut on the P938.

That’s 0.4 inch of length and 1.1 ounces of weight for a full step up in cartridge. Both Two-Tone pages describe ambidextrous thumb safeties, so left-handed shooters aren’t pushed toward either one. The controls sit in the same places too: safety, slide stop and magazine release are where a 1911 shooter expects them.

The Price Wall Nobody Mentions

SIG lists the P238 Two-Tone and the P938 Two-Tone at exactly the same $719.99 on its own store. Retail doesn’t follow that. Of the 23 new P238 listings in our catalog on September 25, 2026, 19 were priced at exactly $749.99, three more at $750.99 from Palmetto State Armory and one at $772.99. That’s $30 over SIG’s own list price, at almost every seller.

The P938 sits on the same $749.99 line for most listings, but it has cracks in the wall. Brownells had the Two-Tone at $699.99, and Classic Firearms had an Equinox two-tone at $656.38. The specialty P938s run higher; the Legion ran $789.99 to $889.99. The P238 never dropped below $749.99 anywhere we looked.

So here’s what a fair price looks like right now. For a new P938 Two-Tone, $699.99 is the number to wait for, and anything at $749.99 is full price. For a new P238, $749.99 is simply the going rate, and there’s no point holding out for a sale that nobody runs. The live cards further down refresh every day, so check them before you buy.

The .380 Actually Costs More to Shoot

Here’s the part that surprises people. The .380 is the smaller, milder cartridge, so you’d expect it to be the cheaper one to feed. It isn’t. Across the trusted retailers in our catalog on September 25, 2026, .380 FMJ practice ammo had a median price of 42 cents a round and the cheapest was 32 cents, Blazer Brass 95 gr at $15.99 for 50 from Brownells. 9mm FMJ had a median of 30 cents and started at 24 cents.

There’s also far more of it. We tracked 157 in-stock 9mm FMJ listings at those retailers against 38 for .380. Defensive ammo is closer, with hollow points at a median of about $1.10 a round in .380 and $1.20 in 9mm, but you shoot a lot more practice ammo than carry ammo.

Whichever you pick, run at least 100 rounds of your chosen carry load through the gun before you trust it. Short barrels and hollow points don’t always get along, and the only test that counts is your gun with your ammo. Both of the defensive loads I used fed without a hiccup, but that proves it for my two guns, not yours.

Put numbers on it. Shoot 500 practice rounds a year and the P238 costs you roughly $60 more in ammo than the P938, every year. Since SIG charges the same for both Two-Tones, the .380 ends up being the more expensive gun to own.

SIG P238 vs P938 Comparison Table

Spec (SIG’s Two-Tone sheets)	SIG P238	SIG P938
Caliber	.380 ACP	9mm Luger
Action	Single action only, manual safety	Single action only, manual safety
Barrel	2.7 in.	3 in.
Overall length	5.5 in.	5.9 in.
Width	1.1 in.	1.1 in.
Height	3.9 in.	3.9 in.
Weight with magazine	14.9 oz	16 oz
Sight radius	3.8 in.	4 in.
Magazines included	One 6-round, one 7-round	One 6-round, one 7-round
Capacity	6+1 flush, 7+1 extended	6+1 flush, 7+1 extended
Frame / slide	Alloy / stainless steel	Alloy / stainless steel
SIG list price	$719.99	$719.99
Street, Sept. 25, 2026	$749.99 wall	From $699.99

Can You Pocket Carry Either One?

Yes, both, with the flush 6-round magazine and a proper pocket holster. At 5.5 inches the P238 disappears into a front jeans pocket more easily, and that 0.4 inch matters more in a pocket than on a belt. The P938 fits most of the same pockets, but it prints a little more when you sit down. Whichever you pick, the pocket holster has to cover the trigger completely. Our best pocket holsters guide covers the options.

The 7-round magazine is the other pocket decision. It adds grip for your little finger and one more round, but it also adds length at the bottom of the gun, which is exactly where a pocket gun prints. I carry the flush 6-rounder in the gun and the 7-rounder as the spare. The Two-Tone and Emperor Scorpion versions of both guns ship with one of each, so you don’t have to buy anything extra to set it up that way. The BRG, Legion, Titanium Rainbow and California models ship with only one size, so check before you order.

Don’t assume one holster fits both. Molded Kydex and leather holsters are cut for one gun or the other, because the P938’s slide is 0.4 inch longer. Some soft pocket holsters are sized to take either, and the listing will say P238/P938 when they are. Check the fit list before you order.

Inside the waistband the difference almost vanishes. Same width and same height, and on a belt I stopped noticing which one I had on.

Can You Carry Them Cocked and Locked?

That’s how they’re designed to be carried. Both are single action only pistols with a manual safety, like a tiny 1911: round chambered, hammer back, safety on. You sweep the safety off as you draw. If that manual of arms is new to you, practice it until it’s automatic before you carry either gun, because a missed safety under stress is a dead trigger. Our manual safety guide covers the training side.

The drill I used was simple: from the holster, thumb rides the safety down as the gun comes up, finger stays off the trigger until the sights are on target, and the thumb goes back up to safe before the gun goes back in. Ten minutes of dry practice a day for a week made it automatic on both guns. The controls are laid out the same way on each, so the habit carries over if you ever switch.

Recoil and Shootability: What I Found at the Range

I shot both guns side by side over two sessions, 300 rounds each. The P238 got Blazer Brass 95 gr FMJ and Hornady Critical Defense 90 gr FTX; the P938 got Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ and Federal HST 124 gr. Standing, two hands, five shots at 7 yards, the P238 averaged 1.8 inches and the P938 averaged 2.1. Neither gun had a stoppage. Back at 15 yards the groups opened to 3.4 inches with the P238 and 3.9 inches with the P938, and I put that gap down to how fast I got back on the sights after each shot.

The difference you feel is recoil, not accuracy. The P238 is soft for its size; I could shoot a full box without thinking about my hand. The P938 is sharp. It’s controllable, and the single action trigger helps a lot, but after 100 rounds in a session I was ready to stop. Both triggers broke cleanly and similarly, which is the big advantage these guns have over most striker-fired micros.

If you’re weighing the cartridges themselves, our .380 ACP vs 9mm comparison goes deeper into ballistics and ammo cost.

Which P238 and P938 Models Are Still Current?

SIG’s own pistol pages currently list four P238 models and five P938 models. The original all-black Nitron P938 is gone; SIG’s own product image for it carries a DISCONTINUED badge, and the BRG is now the black P938. Outside California, there’s no all-black P238 in the current line. Here’s what SIG lists now, with its store prices.

• P238 Two-Tone, $719.99: stainless slide, black frame, rosewood Hogue grips, XRAY3 sights, 6 and 7-round magazines.
• P238 Emperor Scorpion, $719.99: Coyote Cerakote, Hogue G10 grips, SIGLITE night sights.
• P238 Titanium Rainbow, $769.99: rainbow titanium PVD slide, 14.7 oz, one 6-round magazine.
• P238 Two-Tone California, $719.99: the California-compliant version, 15.2 oz, one 6-round magazine.
• P938 Two-Tone, $719.99: the direct match to the P238 Two-Tone.
• P938 BRG, $719.99: Nitron slide, black rubber grips, SIGLITE night sights, one 7-round magazine; a Massachusetts version exists.
• P938 Emperor Scorpion, $769.99: Coyote Cerakote and G10.
• P938 Legion, $819.99: Legion Gray, G10 grips, flat trigger, XRAY3 sights and three 7-round magazines.
• P938 Titanium Rainbow, $819.99: rainbow titanium PVD slide and SIGLITE night sights, 18.6 oz.

SIG prices the two Two-Tones the same, $719.99. Further up the line the P938 costs $50 more: $769.99 against $719.99 for the Emperor Scorpion, and $819.99 against $769.99 for the Titanium Rainbow. The P938 line is also bigger, with the BRG and the Legion having no P238 equivalent.

State compliance splits them too. SIG’s sheets show a California-compliant P238, the Two-Tone California with one 6-round magazine, but no California P938. Going the other way, SIG lists Massachusetts-compliant P938s in the BRG and Legion lines, and no Massachusetts P238. If you live in either state, that may make the choice for you. Check your state’s current roster before you order.

On sights, the Two-Tones and the Legion use XRAY3 day/night sights, while the BRG, Emperor Scorpion and Titanium Rainbow models use SIGLITE night sights. Both are fine for carry. I’d pick on grips and finish, and on price, rather than sights.

How to Tell Which One You’re Looking At

They look almost identical in photos, and used listings mix them up. Three checks settle it. First, the slide is marked SIG SAUER P238 or SIG SAUER P938. Second, the SKU prefix: SIG’s P238 model numbers start 238-380 and the P938’s start 938-9, or 938M-9 on the Massachusetts models. Third, the barrel: 2.7 inches on the P238, 3 inches on the P938, which you’ll see as a slightly longer slide ahead of the frame. If a listing only says “SIG micro-compact,” ask for a photo of the left side of the slide.

Used guns add one more wrinkle. Both models have been around long enough that the used market is full of finishes SIG no longer lists. That doesn’t make them bad buys, but check that at least one magazine is included, since SIG sells magazines for each caliber separately. Then price the gun against a new Two-Tone. With new P938s at $699.99, a used one at $650 is not a bargain.

Can You Swap Magazines Between Them?

No. One is .380 and one is 9mm, and SIG sells separate magazines for each. The P938’s own 7-round extended magazine is listed on SIG’s P938 page at $49.99. Buy magazines by model name, and check the caliber marking before you load one.

The Third Option: A Striker-Fired Micro

If you’re choosing between these two because you want a small SIG, but you don’t love the idea of carrying a single action gun with a manual safety, look at a striker-fired micro-compact instead. Many of them hold more rounds in a similar size, and there’s no safety to forget. Our best high capacity micro-compacts and best SIG Sauer concealed carry guns guides cover them. What you give up is the P238 and P938’s excellent single action trigger.

Who Should Pick Which One

Pick the P238 if recoil decides whether you’ll practice. It’s also the better choice for deep pocket carry, for smaller hands and for anyone who already owns a stock of .380. If you’d like other .380 options, our best .380s for concealed carry covers the field, including the Glock 42 and the Bodyguard 2.0.

Everyone else should start with the P938. If you carry on the belt rather than in a pocket, the extra 0.4 inch disappears. Want the most common, cheapest practice ammo in the country? That’s 9mm. And if you already shoot a full-size 9mm, the P938 lets you carry and stock one caliber instead of two.

My Recommendation

Get the P938. SIG charges the same for the Two-Tone, at least one big retailer sells it for less, and it gives you 9mm in a gun that’s only 0.4 inch longer and about an ounce heavier. The Two-Tone at around $700 is the one I’d buy. If you shoot it and genuinely hate the recoil, the P238 is the same gun in a gentler caliber, and there’s no shame in carrying the one you’ll actually practice with.

The order I’d go in: rent or borrow a P938 first. If it’s fine, buy it and enjoy cheaper practice ammo. Hate it? The P238 Two-Tone costs the same from SIG and shares everything else, down to the controls, the sights and the magazine count in the box.

SIG P238 Live Pricing

SIG P938 Live Pricing

Specs and list prices in this comparison come from SIG Sauer’s own pages for the P238 Two-Tone and P938 Two-Tone. Street prices are what readers saw on our live price cards on September 25, 2026.

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