I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving or at the very least survived it. My family had a great time in between the cousins fighting and the family pictures, which is the surest way to put everyone in a bad mood when trying to get a 3-year-old and 18-month old to sit still.
One of the best parts of Thanksgiving was going to the shooting range with my relatives and helping those that weren’t very familiar with guns to learn more. Plus, they got to test out certain guns they had never shot before such as an AK-47 and my Ruger American bolt-action .308. (A great bolt-action rifle if you don’t own one.)
But I spent my time with the Sig Sauer P238
While they were mostly shooting the rifles, I spent time practicing with my Sig Sauer P238, which is one of my favorite pocket guns. The fact is, I know many folks who have their concealed carry permit but don’t carry daily because they say it’s not comfortable… but if they started carrying in their pocket that excuse would quickly disappear.
I like the Sig P238 because not only is it a pocket gun, but it’s a pocket gun that’s as easy to shoot (and hit your target) as a full sized gun. In other words, some pocket guns are ideal for only close quarter encounters and it would be tough to hit a target at a distance. (Some also feel like a fire cracker going off in your hand when you shoot them.)
But the P238 has an excellent trigger and recoil and I have no problem hitting my targets from 25-yards. Of course, most self-defense encounters occur within 7 yards, but it’s still nice to know you can hit a further target if the situation arose.
What’s more, the Sig Sauer P238 that I own comes with tritium night sights. Night sights are always a great edition to any firearm since bad guys like to come out at night.
The only real downside to the Sig Sauer P238 for some people is that it’s a 1911-style gun meaning it’s got a thumb safety. In other words, if you’re not a 1911 fan (I am) and you don’t want to practice regularly then this gun is not for you, because you might forget to take off the safety in the heat of the moment.
But if you want a gun that shoots 6 + 1 in the chamber, and is easy to shoot and be accurate with then you should head to your local range and see if they have a Sig Sauer to test out. Also, see if they have any pocket kydex holsters so you can practice your draw, because you need to make sure the gun fits with the clothes you wear and that you’re able to draw and fire in around 2 seconds. And if you can do this and like the gun, then you’ll probably want to carry the P238 in your pocket just like I do.
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The Mailbag
From Chev N: It’s Laser clear… I HAVE to get your book…I’m onboard! (and many thanks for the vids and free gifts!)
A: I’m certainly not going to disagree with you, I think my book will benefit anyone and everyone. You can get my book plus a ton of free gifts right here.
From Ben W: While in Paris I have had the opportunity to review the modus operandi of the attacks. The Israelis’ adopt the ” swarm ” approach to active shooter incidents. When a shooting starts, the default reaction amongst Israelis is to move towards the shooter and not away. Moving away, exposes more viable targets for the shooter. Swarming the shooter, or shooters, incapacitates them by sheer force of numbers. This takes courage but saves lives.
A: You are absolutely correct that the Israelis’ do it the right way. This is the method the US needs to adopt and people need to start training this way.
From Bob P: I’ve seen how your duct tape escape works, when your hands are taped in front of you. A good professional will always tape your hands behind your back. Does your method still work if the hands are behind your back, and is so, can you do a video to show how it works?
A: Most criminals will tape you in the front so they can lead you around and control you. It’s actually hard and time consuming to duct tape someone from behind, which is why we do this during the live Spy course so people can see it’s not likely to happen.
From Dave K: Quick note about your AK-47 comments/recommendation in the November newsletter. Agree we should train with AKs… although we’re equipped with ARs we also train with AKs to allow seamless battlefield pickups of downed weapons.
A: You’re 100% right. You never know what weapon you’ll have at your disposal, which is why I train on all types of rifles including the AR and AK.
From Chris E: I just want to thank you for all of the quality products that you offer. I have purchased about everything that you offer. The gun belt is the best gun belt I’ve ever owned.
A: Thank you, I really do appreciate it. I personally use all of our products as do my family members so I only want the best. (Click here to see a video of the gun belt that Chris mentioned, which has 3 hidden compartments.)
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
Jason, I ordered your book and its really good. Thanks. But I never got the free vids and other free gifts? Just FYI.
Cliff,
When you order my book from http://secretagentbook.com/ you’ll get a plethora of free gifts. If you’ve purchased it from another company you can still receive some free gifts by registering your book. The website for this can be found on the back of the book cover.
Stay safe!
Hi Jason. I’ve bought a lot of merchandise from you (and will continue) and have been extremely satisfied with all of it. I give your tactical pens as graduation gifts to ladies who graduate my Commando Krav Maga women’s self defense course. I just received your Micro Spy Tool and must say it is one of the finest innocuous self defense tools I have ever seen. I absolutely love it and will begin incorporating it in my classes. My question is, have you ever gone through airport security with it and what did you tell them it is? I will be traveling in two weeks so I have attached some keys to mine and categorize it is a large key fob that is designed to look like the “spy” icon used by military intelligence. That icon is commonly referred to as “The Spook.” I am a retired military intelligence officer and went through the course at the farm. The tool looks very much like the spook or the old Mad Magazine “Spy vs Spy” characters. I just wanted to see if you already have a better description for those who ask, “What is it?”
Jerry,
Thank you for your comments and for your service to our country. I travel all over with my Micro Spy Tool. I have never had anyone question me about it. However, I would just explain to them that it is a cool spy silhouette.
Stay safe!
Why are you recommending a caliber that doesn’t meet or exceed FBI ballistics requirements?
Respectfully,
Alan
Alan,
I’m recommending this pistol because it is small and will conceal better for some people depending on their size and clothing choices. The FBI ballistics standards were developed after the 1986 FBI shootout, where the FBI was severely outgunned. As you may know, the FBI switched to the .40 cal as their primary service weapon after the incident. Yet they have recently switched back to the 9mm as it has less recoil and allows them to engage more accurately.
Most of our readers don’t need to worry about being outgunned, but they do need to be armed. If having a smaller caliber allows them to be armed when they otherwise wouldn’t be, then this is a great option. The FBI ballistics test measured penetration after going through thin metal, heavy cloth, and so on. Most citizens in self-defense situations won’t need that level of penetration.
Stay Safe!
I truly enjoy my P238, especially after replacing the black plastic grips that it came with and installing a black Hogue wrap around rubber grip. That dramatically improved holding this gun. And, it evolved even further when I bought an extended 7 round magazine (for the Springfield Armory 911…which is a virtual copy of the 238). Instantly, all 5 fingers were on the gun, and I believe the balance seemed to be much better than when the flush 6 round magazine was inserted. While I carry a Sig Ultra Compact 45 to major shopping malls and other very public places, trips to my favorite restaurant or local supermarket are always with my 238 and a spare 6 or 7 round magazine in my other front pants pocket. The odds of my ever using this absolutely beautiful and reliable gun, in a terrorist attack or scary situation, are no different than the odds of my winning the lottery.