Sig Sauer P365 9mm Compact Review

The SIG P365 was likely the biggest drop of 2017. Shortly before SHOT Show, 2018 SIG dropped a press release showing their new 9mm gun. The gun community itself was on fire with the little gun. It promised to be as small as guns like the Glock 43 and even some smaller .380 pistols, but offered ten rounds, with the option for a slightly extended 12 rounder. SIG was even diving in behind the gun’s launch with high-quality holsters released at the same time the gun would premier. That same weapon is the focus of this Sig P365 Review.

The SIG P365 was stacking up to be the biggest and most impressive concealed carry pistol we’d seen in a while. However, the gun had some issues when it launched. Reports of broken firing pins, bad night sights, and other small reliability issues made the rounds. SIG halted production, fixed the problematic guns and promised to iron out the problems.

Now, we are sitting almost a year since the gun’s release, and the question is, is it any good? Let’s dive into our Sig P365 Review and find out.

Sig P365 Review: Overview

As we said above, the P365 is designed to be a concealed carry pistol. Not only this, but it’s also designed to be a high quality, affordable option for people of all sizes, backgrounds, and more. The gun’s ability to hold ten rounds of 9mm is an impressive feat for just how small it is.

On top of that, SIG designed the P365 to be very straightforward and simple to use. Sig named the gun the P365 because this is the gun you can carry no matter what and when, from light summer clothes to heavier winter jackets. You can carry the P365 at any time and in any place.

Specifications

I can still remember when I first read the SIG press release and checked the specs. The picture SIG released of the P365 had nothing for scale, so it was hard to grasp just how small the gun was for its relatively large capacity. Here are the specs.

Barrel Length – 3.1 inches
Overall Length – 5.8 inches
Width – 1 inch
Height – 4.3 inch
Weight – 17.8 ounces

The SIG P365 is a small gun compared to the competition, and overall it’s roughly the same size as the Glock 43. However, it holds 10 + 1 rounds compared to the Glock 43’s 6 + 1 rounds. Additionally, it offers a significant increase in capacity over other similar-sized platforms.

Features

SIG did a lot to create a well made and feature-filled gun at a good price. First and foremost, it’s a quasi-double stack gun. The gun was more or less built around the magazine. The magazine is very similar to a coffin style magazine downsized for a small concealed carry gun. SIG includes two of them with the P365. One is flush-fitting, the other has a small pinky extension. As I mentioned before, a 12 round magazine also exists.

The SIG P365 comes with SIG’s XRAY3 sights. These are both day and night sights.

The Sights

The front and rear sight have brightly glowing vials for when the lights get low which I adore. The front sight also sports a bright green ring around the glowing vial. This is designed for daylight shooting and works well. It catches the eye well, and the green color is eye-pleasing.

The gun features a SIG rail, which is proprietary and only works with SIG produced items. Proprietary anything is a downside to me, as I would like something like the TLR8 on my small guns. This is a minor downside, but I’m unlikely to attach a light to a super compact gun anyway.

The SIG P365 does not have an external safety or trigger safety. The lack of a trigger safety gives you a very comfortable trigger for those high volume shooting days. The chamber sports a small viewing window to see if the gun has a round in the chamber or not, so press checkers should feel comfortable.

Fit and Finish

The gun’s slide is made from stainless steel and coated with a Nitron finish. The finish results in a smooth-looking, smooth-feeling, extremely corrosion-resistant gun. This finish is great because this gun is designed for carry and is small enough to hold tight to the body. This means it will be exposed to sweat, so the corrosion-resistant finish and design are a must-have.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I hate large rollmarks across the sides of my guns. I also hate wearing branded clothing, so maybe its just me. The SIG P365 lacks any of SIG’s brand Rollmarks, and all you have is a simple P365 on one side of the slide.

The polymer frame is well made, and there is only one small seam alongside the back of the frame. It’s subtle, and you have to look to find it. The grip has an aggressive texture to it, which we’ll talk about in ergonomics more. However, the composition also seems to attract dirt which can stain the grip, which occurred with my own P365.

Ergonomics

The SIG P365 is well thought out when it comes to ergonomics, especially for a small gun. It features a high undercut in the trigger guard which allows you to get your hand higher on the grip. With the pinky extension magazine, it fits my whole hand—just barely, but it fits. I got big hands, so keep that in mind.

The gun has both front and rearward serrations that make racking it in different ways easy. The slide lock is textured and has a scallop that makes it easy to push down with the thumb. The thumb permanently sticks to the slide lock for easy upward and downward manipulation.

The grip is very comfortable and fits the hand very well overall. I like the texturing, and I never find it uncomfortable. The magazine release is reversible for right or left-handed use. It’s a triangular button that’s quick and easy to press.

SIG is big on advertising the fact this is a 10+1 gun, and a lot of firearms advertise a +1 regarding capacity but in play make it nearly impossible to accomplish. Some weapons won’t load with a full magazine, and the slide closes with a round in the chamber. The P365 has no problems loading a full magazine with the +1 loaded.

The P365 has learned a lesson or two from past SIGs.

On the Range

The SIG P365 is a fun gun to shoot, and it’s a comfortable gun to shoot. It doesn’t slap the hand like a little kid’s high five. The P365’s design makes it comfortable to shoot. Small guns are always small guns, so it does have some noticeable muzzle rise and flip as you shoot. I have some of SIG’s P365 branded ammo which is designed for lower recoil and seems to be the perfect ammo for this gun if the muzzle rise is too much for you.

The large sights are a Godsend when it comes to this gun. They are hardly any smaller than a full-sized combat pistol. This makes them quick and easy to use and easy to put on target and score hits with. The front sight is very easy to focus on, and I was constantly surprised at how far I could move back and still score. At 50 yards I was still hitting with decent accuracy on small targets. My steel popper rang more than I thought it would at long-range with a small handgun.

The trigger itself is nice. It has some pre-travel to it before you start hitting the resistance. Once you hit the resistance, the trigger pull is a little longer than you’d expect, but not bad. The reset is very short, and the tactile and audible nature of the reset is very apparent.

Like most small guns, the SIG P365 hates me when it comes to reloads. My paws place pressure on the magazine baseplate, and when I hit the magazine release, the magazine often gets caught on my hand. This prevents it from dropping free on occasion. I have to alter my grip to allow the magazine to drop, or I can pull it out. This problem isn’t unique for our Sig P365 review, but it sucks nonetheless. 

The gun has a nice rear extension that I wouldn’t call a beavertail, but is close enough to it. This extension prevents slide bite. Slide bite is something I experience quite a bit with small guns, especially guns like the Glock 43.

Sig thumb is a thing with this gun. By Sig thumb I mean, when I use standard thumbs forward grip, the thumb rests perfectly on the slide lock. This means the slide lock is held down and the slide doesn’t lock when the gun runs empty. This is a problem I have with SIGs in general, from the P220 to the little 365.

The ejection port is massive, and you have plenty of room to guarantee ejection and minimize the chance of a failure to eject.

Overall the SIG P365 isn’t perfect, but it is one of the most comfortable shooting sub-compact guns on the market. Its high capacity and well-thought-out design makes it fun to shoot and easy to train with.

Sig P365 Review: Rating Each Category

Looks: 4 out of 5

The SIG P365 is a good looking gun. It’s simple, attractive, and doesn’t rely on an external gimmick to catch your eye. While it’s not crazy, it’s plenty distinguishable from the current lineup of other 9mm, striker-fired polymer frame guns.

Ergonomics: 3 out of 5

The gun is very easy handling, and the controls are placed perfectly for right-handed users. The magazine catch is reversible, but that’s about it for lefties. Additionally, the placement of the slide lock is a real pain since its held down if you use a proper thumb forward grip. The grip is comfortable, the trigger undercut is brilliant, and the gun is fun to shoot and easy to train with.

Accuracy: 4 out of 5

In terms of small guns, its very accurate and I keep going back and forth on the final score. The gun is very accurate, even at extended ranges. The great sights and trigger contribute to the gun’s overall accuracy and precision. In practice, it’s not hard to put lead on small targets at long ranges. However, when compared to a full-sized gun, it can’t keep up for long-range shooting with speed.

Reliability: 4 out of 5

My standards for reliability are simple. A 4 out of 5 means the gun hasn’t failed under normal conditions with normal ammo. The P365 is a reliable little shooter, even with garbage Eastern Bloc steel cased ammo. To get a 5, the gun needs to be put under severe stress and tested with dirt, debris, and in general lots of torture. Torturing the gun simply hasn’t happened, and it’s not needed for a concealed carry pistol.

Customization: 3 out of 5

The SIG rail opens up the possibility of adding accessories, and SIG has released the Foxtrot365 laser and light series. Additionally, companies are producing aftermarket triggers, a red dot mount, and more. Holsters are widely available for the gun, and the aftermarket is certainly growing but isn’t up to Glock’s nutso aftermarket. 

Price: 4 out of 5

The MSRP is 599.99, but you can find them for around $499 right now. It’s still a little pricey, but you do get a lot of gun for that price. The inclusion of metal night sights, an excellent trigger, and the high capacity design makes it well worth the price of admission.

Sig P365 Review: Parting Shots

The SIG P365 is a great gun, and it’s not only easy to carry, but fun to shoot. The gun’s capacity places it a step above other guns in the market. The P365 is easily the most compact 9mm housing ten shots or more.

The design is brilliant, and after a rocky road in the beginning, the SIG P365 reviews to be the revolutionary concealed carry gun we’ve always wanted.