Sig Sauer P365 – A Review

When something is THAT good, you feel compelled to tell others. This is the case with the Sig Sauer P365. Full disclosure – I am a gun guy. I am a Sig guy. However, I am also the guy that will call it like I see it, so, I wanted to give people that are maybe on the fence about a new carry gun, or wanting to downsize, but just not sure, etc, an option. An opinion. A no BS review of sorts of the micro 9mm that has taken the gun world and flipped it on end.

I am a bigger is better guy. I am the guy that shoots a .308 or a 6.5 Creedmoor for coyotes. I, for years, carried a full size duty weapon as a carry gun. I always felt that if things got that bad that I needed a gun, I wanted one I could go to war with. I wanted the accuracy and I wanted the capacity.

Fast forward to the Sig P365, so called this due to the fact that this is a gun you can carry EVERY DAY. No more this gun for the summer clothing and this one for winter clothing. No more balancing between accuracy and reliability and capacity. Most conceal carry instructors will mention that deciding to carry a gun is a lifestyle choice that will force you to even reconsider your clothing choices. I finally found one that makes the choices easy and I am sacrificing very little in the capacity department. In a standard magazine, I am getting 10 rounds, in a gun that is 1″ wide. This is frankly unheard of, and the closest competitor, the Glock 43 is still larger, and has far less capacity. Picking up an extended magazine gives me two more yet, and that is now competing with the likes of the Glock 19, in a gun much, much smaller.

Left: Sig P320
Middle: Sig P365
Right: Sig M11-A1

All this said, I was on the fence. Though I own striker fired guns, including Glock, and the Sig p320, I prefer hammer fired weapons. I just wasn’t sure about going to a smaller, lighter, gun. I enjoy shooting, and if a gun isn’t insanely accurate, it is not taking up space in my safe and it sure as heck isn’t going on my hip. I got the chance to shoot the P365 from a police officer friend who had just bought one and told me “It shoots as well as my full size duty weapon.” Sure it does. Ok, I was skeptical, but, in the thought of “trust, but verify” I shot it myself. The next day I bought one. In short order, this little gun replaced a $1200 Sig Legion edition 229! Who would have thought? Furthermore, I liked it so much, we picked up a second one. My wife enjoys shooting and loves the gun. She replaced a Glock 43 and hasn’t looked back.

I get asked often what makes this gun, hands down, (my opinion of course) better than the competition. To me the answer is simple, and it’s a handful of things.

Sig Sauer P365 Sights

First; it comes STANDARD with the best night sights on the market. Most night sights are difficult to see in daylight hours. They tend to be small, wash out, or in the case of someone like me who is colorblind, just difficult to distinguish in daylight. The P365 comes with their Sig X-Rayday/night sights. These feature a large, bright green front dot with a central tritium vial inside of it so day or night you have contrast. Paired with smaller black, square notched rear sight with tritium inserts and they are simply amazing sights. The competition just simply doesn’t do this. While this gun is a little bit more expensive than (some) of the competition, it also comes standard with the best night sights on the market.

Second; the entire gun is built around the magazine. I am not sure that has ever been done before. Sig managed to get the capacity in a small magazine and then build a gun to house it, and the rest is history. I don’t have to give up capacity to have a lightweight, easy to conceal weapon. Heck, it holds more rounds than much larger 1911’s ever did!

Third; the finish on the gun, though a minor detail for most, is something I look at closely prior to purchasing. The nitron finish is durable and will show less wear after repeatedly going in and out of the holster, and let’s be honest, the drastic temperature changes in this state do not do our guns any favors.

Fourth; the accuracy is hard to beat in any size gun, let alone one that some of us could almost conceal in the palm of our hands. Recoil is light, even with defensive loads, follow up shots are quick, and the gun is a shooter.

Fifth; the trigger is crisp, has little take up and over travel, and the reset, for those that like to ride them, is short. The only trigger on a striker fired gun, that I have seen better would MAYBE go to the H&K, and that is a maybe. This trigger is that good.

Since releasing the p365, they have now added the P365xl and the just released, p365 SAS. The SAS may be one of the more unique carry guns you will ever see. SAS or Sig Anti Snag, features more rounded edges, inset controls, and the sights, well they are flush with the slide, made for deep concealment, and less likely to snag upon drawing. Though they look odd in photos, you truly have to handle it to see just how much they stand out, and are fully functionable. Seriously, stop by the shop and check it out.

Looking for a new carry gun? Give this one a hard look. While I am betting if you do, you will go home with one, if not, there are plenty of other solid options at the shop to choose from and we will find one that fits your needs and your budget!

Author: Mark Brendemuehl, Firearm Enthusiast