I’ve been using the SIG SAUER P938 in my “Ammo Quest 9mm” series to find the best-performing self defense ammo for small pocket pistols. The P938 is simply an excellent gun, and the reviews I’ve seen are usually quite positive. But I recently encountered a downright disturbing trait of the 938 — it can actually eject and discard its guide rod.
In this video I show what can happen, what I encountered, and how SIG made it right. If you have a P938, this may very well happen to you too.
Searching the internet, I found that there are reports of this happening since at least 2012, perhaps earlier, so it’s a “known issue.” But I didn’t know it. So I figured you may not know it either. But now, you do. Check your pistol, keep it properly maintained, and stay safe!
It was nice to read a post/ watch a video that didn’t make my stomach twist up. Then again, I don’t own a Sig 938.
That would make me cringe. I bet the aftermarket will have something out eventually in either a one piece or threaded guide rod.
Yeah. Of course, in the vast majority of pistols the guide rod really serves no function other than to hold the spring straight and in place so you can easily assemble the gun. Once installed and gun assembled, the spring is held in place by the frame (dust cover) and barrel and such and the guide rod really doesn’t matter at all whatsoever. I’m sure STB410’s P938 would have functioned normally without the guide rod for as long as it would have with the guide rod.
It pretty much seems to especially if it fired an indeterminate amount of rounds before he discovered it while cleaning the firearm.
I actually had this exact thing happen on a range trip. I didn’t notice till I got home and never found the other piece. I didn’t experience any failures unless it happened on the last round. Good advice for 938 owners , tighten the 2 piece guide rod after every range day. I wouldn’t nessisarily call it a failure of the gun, more A maintenance issue to be addressed by the user
Yep; agree with APM.
Nice to hear from STB410, read about Sig (my wife was ‘test holding’ a 9mm 938 less than a week ago) and have something different from Dallas.
Not a slam / complaint on the editorial policy, etc…just nice to see something else.
Can we use it for spear fishing?
woah, awesome idea
Does that make the P938 a 6+1+1 gun?
Had this almost happen with my Sig 1911 Scorpion. The guide rod is also 2 piece but of slightly different design and it sheared off at the top of the thread. I called Sig and two days later I received a new guide rod and spring.
I am a sig fan and I have a P938. Over 1000+ rounds through it. I have never had an issue and I went downstairs just now and even with a magnifying glass I see no gap in the rod like he stated. I am not saying it cannot happen, but it must be a YMMV kinda of thing.
Could be a tolerance issue. I see the S&W Victory 22 issues are also YMMV. The barrel screw comes loose for some people, not for others.
If a dab of loctite fixed the problem, why wouldn’t Sig do that at the factory and spare themselves the associated hassle when the pistol fails to function for someone in their moment of peril.
SIG, for all that they might be lauded over for their quality, is as absolutely stupid when it comes to strategic business decision making. I have never seen a company announce more new product offerings and then fail to delivery them to the market until over a year later. They also miss opportunities left and right. As much as I like the P320 (it is my carry platform), it was way late to the pistol polymer party. And then, took for-eeeeeeeever making all the variants and exchange kits available. Why they haven’t released the P320 in 10mm yet is absolutely beyond me. They are also apparently taking a chapter out of Glock’s marketing book and avoiding the development of a single stack, striker-fired subcompact pistol. And don’t get me started on their suppressors and rifles. It is no shock to me that they aren’t doing simple things like putting loctite on the guide rod or, I don’t know, making a guide rod that is one solid piece. They probably will…eventually…like 4 years from now.
What is this crap that is adding links to words in my comments? That makes it look like I am endorsing something I am not. That feature needs to stop.
This was my thought. They couldn’t just fix it?
Also, good to see STB ‘back in the saddle’, so to speak.
The failure of the Loctite could have been folks not throughly cleaning oils-lubricants off the two parts of the guide rod before applying the compound…
i sent mine in for barrel re- crown and feed ramp polish. the guide rod used to disassemble before i sent it, seems loc- tited now.
they must know, this was almost two years ago.
maybe it should have come with a steel trigger and a plastic guide rod instead of the other way around.
i like the stainless parts production trigger i installed.
just goes to show you no manufacturer, no matter how excellent their reputation and track record is, is able to produce PERFECT weapons *cough* GLOCK *cough*
Just took mine apart at my desk. I can’t unscrew it by hand so I’m OK with it for now.
I just bought the black “nitron” one!
haven’t even fired it yet.
This is the first I have ever heard of this problem!
The grip screw thing has been all over the internet
I am amazed Sig does not loc tite the screws at the factory as they are sending out lots of free grip screws to people.
Now the only question is what color or pattern to paint it…Burnt bronze slide, black frame? Tiger stripe? Navy digital?
Anyone have any suggestions?
Its old news to most of us who have a P938.
Im sure there are more then enough owners out there who shot it once and are still carrying the same ammo in the mag for unteem years too.
I love my 938!
It had the magazine dropping problem that is all over the Internet
It was an easy fix by putting in a stronger magazine catch spring, but Sug will not sell you or send you the magazine spring
I sent my gun back to them on their dime both ways and problem fixed!
I have the Crimson trace laser grips on mine and I use it for target practice as well as home defense
It is a soft shooter, Great trigger, accurate, just a joy to Shoot
I bought the Sig 290 magazine and cut the new notch in it to fit the 938 mag catch and now I have an eight round magazine that functions perfectly
I’m amazed that Sigdoes not sell that as an accessory for the 938
March 25, 2018—this video has to be on the money.
I took my 938 apart at my kitchen table and the spring and end cap flew out of the pistol.
I have torn my kitchen apart looking for the rod—-where did it go? I have no idea. Then I saw this video.
Maybe it shot out of the pistol at the range–I just put 150 + rounds thru the P938 and the P290RS.
JUST AN FYI–I have had the screws come out of the grips too. I even tried after market grips and the blue and red screws would not hold–even with lock tight-the red stuff.
I just installed new Hogue grips I bought from Sig and the screws still came out.
The trigger of the 938 is very pointee. I am thinking of changing that trigger to a red one. Hoping it would be smoother to the touch.
I am beginning to wonder about the P 938.
Sig has been GREAT to send new screws!!! Tomorrow, I will call about the guide rod I am missing.
Bye the way, I have ordered the P365 pistol as soon as it comes into stock from Brownells.
At present, I carry the M&P Shield–love the thing.
March 25, 2018—this video has to be on the money.
I took my 938 apart at my kitchen table and the spring and end cap flew out of the pistol.
I have torn my kitchen apart looking for the rod—-where did it go? I have no idea.
Maybe it shot out of the pistol at the range–I just put 150 + rounds thru the 938 and the P290RS.
JUST AN FYI–I have had the screws come out of the grips too. I even tried after market grips and the blue and red screws would not hold–even with lock tight-the red stuff.
I just installed new Hogue grips I bought from Sig and the screws still came out.
The trigger of the 938 is very pointee. I am thinking of changing that trigger to a red one.
I am beginning to wonder about the P 938.
Sig has been GREAT to send new screws!!! Tomorrow, I will call about the guide rod I am missing.
Bye the way, I have ordered the P365 pistol as soon as it comes into stock from Brownells.
At present, I carry the M&P Shield–love the thing.
I bought a preowned sig 938 NMR In excellent condition and the rod was already gone , wasn’t even there 😁 , it is a sad thing that nothing is done about it , I wonder if this was a Glock or Springfield!!! The firearm is beautiful and I tested one at the range and it performed excellent but this problem sig must take care of it for free , it is called honesty , integrity and professionalism ,
I have p320xc and p365 and sig AR15 tread all new only the p938 I bought used , I also had p229 nitron and p320 compact .
Just noticed my guide rod was gone today. I carry the gun, but hardly ever shoot it. It didn’t want to go into battery today, so I took it down & used a little Rem Oil & wiped it down. It wasn’t really dirty, just a little soot. I wondered why the spring humped up when I took the slide off, but it didn’t occur to me Why? Also had a heck of a time stuffing the spring back in. I went through three mags after that, without a hiccup. Gonna call Sig tomorrow. I’m back to my P238 as of now.
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