The Sig Sauer P365 is arguably the most anticipated Concealed carry-oriented pistols to hit the firearms market in 2018. Initially released in January at SHOT Show the first pistols had a couple issues the spring weights were not correct and the barrels were showing an accelerated wear pattern. Sig Sauer now has these problems fixed and these little guns are running like tops. These new “Gen II” P365’s feature a new relief cut on the top of the barrel to minimize the wear on the gun, different spring weights and all P365’s were upgraded to the Sig Sauer X-Ray sights which are comparable to Trijicon HD night sights.
The pistol has a $600 MSRP but can often be found for ~$500, IMHO this gun was designed from the ground up to compete with the Glock 43 as the P365 takes everything good about the Glock 43 and Shield and just improves upon it.
Specs:
Weight Unloaded No Magazine: 1.1 Pounds
Loaded 10+1 (147gr Federal HST): 1.45 Pounds
Loaded 12+1 (147gr Federal HST): 1.49 Pounds
Maximum Width: 1.0 Inches (at the center of the grip and at magazine catch)
Slide Width: 0.90 Inches
Height: 4.316 inches tall with flush fit 10 round magazine
4.677 Inches tall with 12 round extended magazine
Sight Radius: 5.546 inches
Front Sight Width: .155 inches
Trigger Pull: 5.5 Pounds
General
The gun is very comfortable to shoot and the first day I had it I ran 300 rounds through it with no issues at all, I even tried to induce several malfunctions by “Limp Wristing” the pistol and not cleaning it from the factory. My particular pistol is the “Gen II” variety with all of the upgrades as well so for guns being made after March 2018 this is the gun you will receive (If your pistol does not have the X-Ray sights that is the giveaway that is it a “Gen I” pistol at this date and time).
(Here is an upgrade list from a upgraded “Gen I” pistol that was fixed by Sig Sauer image courtesy of user “LibWithSig” on Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/81fm1b/got_my_p365_back_from_sig/
Currently I have roughly 600 rounds of ammo through my P365 with 0 malfunctions of any kind. I have been using a combination of Wilson Combat Universal weight oil and Shooters Choice grease to lubricate the pistol. It shoots very well considering its size, the pinky extension is a must as it makes the gun allot more controllable at least in my opinion. The trigger breaks right at 5.5 pounds for me currently and it relatively crisp, reminds me allot of the P320 triggers (I hope APEX makes a trigger for the P365).
Hits on 8-inch-wide steel plates at 20 yards is easy with this pistol, though moving past that groups start to open up due to the short sight radius and relatively thick front sight. If I take my time and really work the trigger I can reliable hit the steel plates at 30 yards however.
Comparison to Other Popular Carry Guns
Next up is some comparison pictures to more common concealed carry pistols.
(Sig P365 on top CZ RAMI on bottom)
(Notice how much thicker the RAMI is compare to the P365)
(Smith and Wesson 360PD on top Sig Sauer P365 on bottom)
(Width Comparison of the P365 and J-Frame)
(Photo comparing the M&P Shield, P365 and G43 widths)
(Comparison of P365 and P938) I had a P938 at one point and broke it due to shooting it quite a bit so I got rid of it, I remember the P938 having a worse trigger and kicking in hand more during recoil)
Disassembly and Maintenance
The pistol disassembles much like its larger brother the Sig P320, you just lock the slide to the rear and rotate the take down lever into the downward position and then release the slide taking it off the frame rails. There is a small trick to reassembling the pistol which I outline in the video below.
[video=youtube;RJzckWSUK2E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJzckWSUK2E&t=1s[/video]
(Here is a photo showing slide and frame wear, pretty standard for a Sig and I am pleased considering the round count)
(Showing barrel wear and the new relief cuts featured on the barrel, notice an almost complete lack of wear)
(Visual of the X-Ray sights that come standard on the pistol)
Carry Comfort
This is the set up I have been using to carry the P365 while I patiently wait for Milt Sparks to make me a Criterion holster for it, this is one of the few guns I feel that is small enough to comfortably appendix carry. The holster is made by Black Point Tactical for Sig Sauer and it seems to be good quality and even features the “wing” which helps hold the grip against your body during AIWB carry.
I normally carry the pistol with the 10-round magazine with the pinky extension attached, and when standing up and moving around it disappears, when sitting the holster requires a bit of adjustment but is comfortable none the less. I normally just slip the 12-round magazine into my pocket as a backup giving me 23 total rounds of 9mm.
Shooting the P365
So far, I have roughly 600 rounds through the P365 with the first 300 being the initial range session and the remaining 300 rounds broken up over two separate range sessions. The ammo breakdown is as follows
400 Federal 115gr Ball Ammo
100 Federal Premium 147gr HST’s
25 Hornady 135gr Critical Duty +P
50 Sig Sauer 124gr V-Crown
25 Gorilla 135gr Silverback
After the initial range session, the pistol was cleaned and lubricated using Shooters Choice grease on the frame rails with some Wilson Combat “Universal Weight Oil” used on the slide rails and various other wear areas. Below is a video detailing some actual shooting and my thoughts on the pistols shoot ability.
[video=youtube;5cXxuzOaydw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXxuzOaydw[/video]
(Shooting various hollow points and comments on the trigger as well as a trigger demo)
[video=youtube;Qb_g6rsntL0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_g6rsntL0[/video]
(First person view of the P365 shooting, forgive the misses it is very hard to aim through a cell phone camera)
[video=youtube;zQWzpqHY_rA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQWzpqHY_rA[/video]
(Trying to get the gun to malfunction by “limp wristing” the pistol)
Overall the gun to me at least shoots like a slightly larger gun, it handles more like a Smith and Wesson Shield does versus say a Glock 43, so shooting the pistol for extended periods of time is not a problem at all. My 300-round range session only left my palm slightly sore which I cannot say about the Glock 43 (I did not find the G43 pleasant at all).
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am very pleased with the P365 and it makes a great addition to my carry gun rotation. With its ~$500 price point coming with nice night sights it is definitely competing well with the Glock 43 and Shield in terms of value. Extra magazines are kind of expensive at $55 a piece but this is a carry gun so not very many are actually needed. The grip texturing is perfect on this not too rough to be abrasive when carrying but it definitely bites in to your hand when shooting (no need to break out the soldering irons here)
The gun handled everything I could throw at it and proved to be 100% reliable and everything I have watched and read about the “Gen II” P365’s indicates this gun id definitely good to go. If someone is looking for a “micro 9” carry gun at least in my opinion they would be a fool to not at least consider the Sig P365.
