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Yours sounds like the slide rails may not be lubed enough. Try running the rails very wet with oil or use some synthetic or silicone grease on the rails.

Also, it is much easier (less wear) on the slide stop & notch to slinghot the slide to load the first round. The only problem is that you must be sure your not "riding" the slide down.

As far as I know, they never replaced the springs "as a courtesy". At least in my case, I had a brand new pistol that would not function properly.

I posted earlier in this thread that I was having ejection problems. I diagnosed it myself as recoil spring stacking. With the spring in, you had to really pull hard on the slide before you could engage the slide stop. It just didn't want to go back that last 1/16". With the pistol fully assembled except for the spring, the slide would easily go back to well past the slide stop notch.

They sent me a replacement spring (round-wire) which did not stack, but collapsed within the first 100 rounds. The pistol would fire and eject just fine, but would not return all the way to battery.

That's when they sent me the flat-wire spring.

I'm not aware of anyone who got their spring replaced for free, just because Sig came out with the new spring.

philip964 wrote:Spring may be in backwards check the manual.

A P238 spring can go in either way. Both ends are the same.

jwine wrote:Called Sig this morning, as mentioned they were first class. Didn't give me any hassle and are sending me a prepaid shipping label. Not exactly excited about sending a high priced weapon, brand new at that back to the factory but I'll have to get over that I suppose.

After I here the results I will update this thread incase anyone else has the same issue.

They will take care of it. Don't be discouraged and don't go sour on the pistol because of this. It happens.

At the range one day, a guy came over and asked me if I knew anything about 1911s. I guess he thought I might because I was shooting one at the time. He had a brand new Springfield that was jamming on every shot. After firing it and seeing that the fired case was literally crushed between the barrel hood and slide, I removed the slide and verified the extractor hook was broken off. I gave him the same advise I gave you... "Call the manufacturer."

I suspect that it frequently happens because someone places a round in the chamber & then drops the slide on it. This will force the extractor over the rim of the case. While SOME external pistols wotj an extractor will do this with no problem, it is a very bad idea with an internal extractor.

Please don't get the idea I'm accusing you of doing that. Flaws can and do happen in metal, including spring steel. I just wanted to make you aware of the issue -- just in case.

PS - Your Sig p238 pistol case will fit nicely in the FedEx medium box. It'll bulge slightly, but it will work just fine. How do I know? I have a P938 that I'll be sending to them tomorrow for other issues.

jwine wrote:It is the newer flat recoil spring.

As for how it is failing: The spent round fails to extract from the chamber.

Oh! I read "FTE" as "failure to eject". In your case, it is almost certainly an extractor problem, either broken or not properly adjusted.

I agree with the others. Give Sig a call. They will make it right.

What does your recoil spring look like?

If it's the old round-wire spring, kind of like a larger version of a ball point pen spring, that is most likely the problem.

The newer springs are a flat-wire spring, sort of like a stretched out Slinky. (Click the link, then move your mouse pointer over the picture.)

I had lots of trouble with FTEs when mine was new a couple of years ago. Even the cases that did eject tended to be severely dented. They changed to the flat-wire spring and that fixed it right up.

If you have the old spring, Sig will send you a new one for free.

Also, the pistol likes to be run wet. instead of lots of oil on the rails, I recommend a dab of synthetic or silicone grease on them.