What's so great about the P365?

Leading up to SHOT Show 2018, SIG Sauer announced the upcoming release of the micro size carry-gun Sig P365. The one inch thick frame is designed around Sig’s proprietary double stack magazine. It was smaller than a Glock 43 and didn’t compromise in capacity as most micro-compact firearms had to. People’s curiosity caught on and when it shot well during SHOT Show demonstrations the Sig P365 had won their interest. Sig Sauer's naming conventions are also tough to understand so we hope this helps!

How the P365 Revolutionized the Handgun Industry

Serialized components are practically in most cases the only part of the firearm that is regulated in transfers of ownership and sale. For handguns it almost always means the lower frame. This has largely been the case, as just like AR15 lowers, there is a convenient flat surface on the side for engravings that can be easily seen.

You can swap out an AR15 upper for another, but handguns typically don’t enjoy anywhere close to the same modularity. Having the lower grip module as your serialized component means that all other parts of the handgun are limited to using that specific lower grip module. The one thing that most shooters would want to change about a handgun is the grip size. Sig successfully addressed this and more with the maturity of their P320 fire control units.

By having the heart of the internal parts and serial on this drop-in fire control unit, users can change the grip size, caliber, and slide without having to go through another dealer record of sale. An extremely nice convenience for a variety of reasons.

The P365 took on the lessons of the P320 and entered the market with a rock solid start and continues to live up to its reputation today as one of the best concealed carry handguns available in the micro compact space.

P365 vs P365 XL

The original P365 is first and foremost a carry gun, but not everyone’s hands are satisfied with the surface area available to grip. Moreover, the P365’s short sight radius is not ideal for speedy acquisition and does leave a lot to be desired. For many, it's simply too small, doesn't carry enough rounds and isn't the easiest to grip. If this applies to you then consider bumping up two module sizes to the P365XL.

While the P365 can accept any length of the P365 magazines, the P365XL can accept the 12 round length magazine with flush baseplates. Standard 10 round length magazines will not fit into the P365XL.

P365

Photo Source: Sportsman's Warehouse

The original.

• 3.1” barrel
• 5.8” overall length
• 1.1” width
• 10 round capacity for flush magazine
• Can take any magazine length for P365

P365 XL

Photo Source: Gun Critic

P365 XL uses an X/XL grip module and a slide that is roughly 6.3” lengthwise. With the extended beavertail the P365XL comes in at 6.6” in length.

• 3.7” barrel
• 6.6” overall length
• 1.1” width
• 12 round capacity for flush fitment with grip
• 15 round magazines are also available

P365X

Photo Source: 80 Percent Arms

If you plan on carrying your P365 with a 12 round length magazine or a magazine of greater length, then it might be more worthwhile to just pick up a Sig P365X. The grip size is the same as a P365 with a 12 round length magazine (or in other words the same grip module as a P365XL) and features an extended beavertail to help your grip.

Between the Sig P365 and the Sig P365X, the slide is the same length; this allows the P365X to retain the concealability benefits of the P365 especially when appendix carrying. Additionally, the Sig P365X departs from the Sig P365’s curved trigger to a flat trigger which makes for a better surface area for smoother control and contact with the finger.

The Sig P365 comes optic cut ready but the slide footprint is meant for the Sig Romeo Zero and finding plate adapters to mount more staple red dots are hard to come by.

• 3.1” barrel
• 6” overall length
• 1.1” width
• Flat trigger
• Extended beavertail
• Optic cut ready for Romeo Zero
• Grip length of 12 round magazine

Grip Modules

Prioritizing concealability will always have an impact on the shooting experience. The less surface area to grip, the harder the handgun will be to control. Modularity is all about being able to decide the sweet spot for yourself. All variants of the Sig P365 maintain a 1” thickness profile, the difference between the variants’ grip modules dimensions are only in length. This means that all the different lengths of the P365 family magazines will “fit” into any P365 variant, however whether the magazine is long enough to fully seat is a different question.

Wilson Combat P365 Grip

Photo Source: Wilson Combat

The Wilson Combat P365 grip features a more aggressive texture than the standard factory grip while not being too aggressive to the point that it becomes a hindrance to quickly wrapping your hand around the grip. The texture can make all the difference when it comes to such a small surface area to grip. Wilson Combat’s P365 grip sports an extended beavertail, similar to that of a 1911 (as appropriate of Wilson Combat), that helps to reduce recoil and provide a more comfortable shooting experience.

Armory Craft P365 Tungsten Weight Kit

Photo Source: Sig Guy

If you find yourself still not satisfied with additional grip texture and have trouble controlling the recoil, consider trying out Armory Craft’s P365 Tungsten Weight Kit. The weight kit is compatible with all of Wilson Combat’s P365 grip modules and doubles the total weight.

They consist of three tungsten rods: two small rods and one large rod. Installation is straightforward and is simply stripping the slide and dropping the desired rod configuration into the slots in the rear wall of the magwell.

Icarus Precision X Elite ACE 365

Photo Source: Icarus Precision

Do you love the feeling of a full metal frame and hate money? For over four times the price of the Wilson Combat P365 grip modules you can enjoy an extended beavertail, trigger guard cut, gas pedal serrations, and just the right amount of stippling in a 7075 aluminum milled grip module. While it is certainly not light on the budget, the weight of the X Elite ACE 365 is much more evenly distributed than the WCP365 grip and its rail allows compatibility with a wider range of pistol mounted lights.

Omega Series P365 Grip

Photo Source: Mischief Machine

Want an aluminum lower frame module for your P365 but want to add a touch of 1911-style grips? The Omega Series P365 Grip features a 1913 picatinny rail to open up more mounted light options and sits in your hands with a weight of 5.5 oz. Omega Grip P365 Panels can be used to customize your grip for wood and different texture patterns — or if you simply want a different color.

Recover Tactical P365 Rail Adapter

Photo Source: Recover Tactical

Do you prefer the Wilson Combat P365 grip or the factory Sig Sauer P365 grip? You can still have either grip modules with just as much usable rail space as the Icarus Precision grips and the Omega Series grips with the ZR65 Rail Adapter from Recover Tactical. The rail adapter snaps onto the lower rail of both the Wilson Combat grips and the Sig grips to cover them with standard 1913 picatinny rail.

Sig P365 XMacro

Photo Source: Boresight Solutions

The Sig P365XL and Sig P365 XMacro are similar in dimensions with the P365 XMacro grip module being just slightly taller than the P365XL grip module as the XMacro grip module accepts 17 round length magazines. It doesn’t get any bigger or better than this. Full size mag capacity in a micro compact pistol? I mean come on!

The XMacro departs from the proprietary rail system and embraces the standard 1913 picatinny rail. If you don’t plan on carrying any magazines in lower capacities, you could even simply mount the Sig XMacro grip onto your pre-existing Sig P365XL slide to be able to use the XMacro’s accessory rail.

Both the P365XL slide and the P365 XMacro slide come optic ready for a Sig RomeoZero, but the most distinct feature of the P365 XMacro slide is the integrated compensator. While you’ll certainly feel the difference between controlling the P365XL and the P365 XMacro, a dedicated compensator on the P365XL will outclass the P365 XMacro’s integrated compensator. Take this into account if you plan on committing your handgun to only range use and competitions (as concealability is no longer a factor).

• 3.7” barrel
• 6.6” overall length
• 1.1” width
• Flat trigger
• Extended beavertail
• Optic cut ready for RomeoZero or Holosun 507k/Holosun EPS Carry
• Ported slide for integrated compensator
• 1913 accessory picatinny rail
• 17 round capacity for flush magazine
• With TTI Base Pad Extension can carry 20+1 rounds
• Has a Tacops model which is essentially the same thing but without the integrated compensator

How to build your own Sig P365 today

Photo Source: Gear Know How

The Glock handgun pattern is still here to stay despite the waves made by Sig’s introduction of a drop in fire control unit as a new standard. That being said, we will continue offering the GST9s as a staple product for the foreseeable future. But what about those of you who want to build your own P365 fire control unit?

JSD Supply used to have a fantastic solution for completing 80% P320 and P365 FCU's. Unfortunately, due to legal issues those have been discontinued. Your best bet is to either acquire what you want thru private party transfer or to buy a ready to go Sig at a brick and mortar store.

However, that's not to say that there isn't merit to working with 100% FCU's. We stand by the opinion that the modularity and reliability of the P365 platform makes it the best micro-compact pistol system that is currently serving the market.

As you can see, you can pick the grip, the barrel length, muzzle devices if you wish (heck you could suppress it too), a wide variety of slides, optics, and even your desired magazine capacity. Not to mention the large amount of holster options and support for every version of the P365. What's not to love?