SIG P365 Review & Buyer’s Guide
Building America’s Largest Online Gun Deals Platform.
Start Your Search Today!
- Home
- Reviews
- Pistols & Revolvers
- SIG P365 Review & Buyer’s Guide
| Image | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | SIG P365 | |
 | SIG P365 XL | |
 | Springfield Hellcat | |
 | Glock G19 |
When I first started looking for a handgun, I encountered a lot of difficulties. Namely, it was hard to find one that’s accurate and easy to conceal.
The SIG P365 was one of the pistols I tested. The gun certainly has a lot to offer, which is why I decided to write a brief Sig P365 review to help you assess whether the weapon might be the right fit for you. If you’re in a rush and want to look at buying one, check them out here.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Sig P365
The SIG P365 primarily targets shooters who are looking for a particular combination in their handgun. The gun was initially the size of a single-stack 9mm pistol and had a magazine the size of a subcompact double-stack handgun. As such, the pistol was ideal for anyone who wanted a gun that was both easy to handle and required fewer reloads.
However, the SIG P365 isn’t for everyone. Like any other compact handgun, models like this one are primarily designed for people who want to conceal their weapon easily and carry it around comfortably. Luckily, the pistol’s design allows this.
On the other hand, you may be better off with a larger handgun if concealment and comfort don’t rank high on your priority list. Larger firearms are more difficult to conceal and may create some discomfort as you carry them, but they hold more rounds and are easier to shoot. In many people’s minds, this outweighs the cons of having a large gun since such a pistol will generally help protect you better from assailants.
To sum up, here’s what you should consider before purchasing a SIG P365:
- How important to you is the ability to conceal your pistol?
- Do you want to carry your handgun comfortably?
- Do you require more rounds?
- Do you want a gun that’s easy to fire?
Where to Buy the SIG P365?
Looking for the best place to purchase one of these handguns? Check out prices with some of our partnered vendors:
SIG P365 For Sale
What Makes the Gun Different?
You can get the P365 handgun with two 10-round magazines. But shortly after release, the company launched 12-round and 15-round magazines. As a result, the gun was a novelty on the market and catered to people who wanted smaller pistols with greater capacity. This way, the company has been able to target a broader audience and promote their pistol to gun owners looking for something different.
However, the company faced some SIG P365 problems in the early stages. More specifically, the sights SIG shipped with the pistols weren’t glowing in the dark. On top of that, some initial models featured weaker strikers and were starting to malfunction after a few shots fired. This forced the company to cease production for some time and offer fixes to dissatisfied customers.
Nowadays, the P365 is polished but still has some inadequacies. Here are the main pros and cons of the handgun.
Pros
- Extremely compact (different P365 dimensions are available with the SIG P365 XL model)
- Large magazine
- High-quality trigger
Cons
- Magazine extensions are costly (about $50 per bullet)
- The 15-round magazine is impractical for carrying
- The lack of a stand-off device some other competitors’ feature
SIG P365 Review – Features and Benefits
Finish and Fit
The handgun slide is made of stainless steel and covered by a matte grayish finish. Stainless steel is generally rust-resistant on its own, but due to this combination, the slide is entirely rustproof. There are also minimal manufacturer’s markings, making the handgun appealing to many customers. As a result, the firearm contains both high-quality materials and a good-looking design.
As mentioned previously in this SIG 365 review, you can get magazines of different lengths for your pistol. The magazines have been carefully integrated into the grip and feature a seamless transition. Therefore, you shouldn’t come across any issues with the pistol’s fitting unless you insert a 15-round magazine that extends far out of the gun.
The Main SIG P365 Specs
The P365 handgun weighs 17.8 ounces. This is the SIG P365 weight you get with the 10-round magazine, and it increases as you add magazines with greater capacity. The SIG P365 is also relatively short. In total, the handgun is 5.8 inches long, and the barrel is 3.1 inches long.
As for the height, the firearm stands at 4.3 inches with the 10-round magazine and 4.7 inches with the 12-round magazine. Accordingly, you get a full-handed grip without your pinky hanging below the gun. Finally, the pistol’s handle is one inch wide.
The Aiming System
The SIG P365 lets you use both daytime and nighttime sights. The pistol features the X-Ray 3 sights that contain a high-visibility wrap surrounding the vial of the front sight and three tritium vials. Hence, you’ll have no trouble aiming during day or night, enabling you to zoom in on your target quickly.
Shooting Characteristics
When it comes to recoil management, the gun is extremely comfortable to fire. The pistol won’t slap your hand or cause any other form of discomfort when you fire.
In terms of accuracy, you should be able to land shots with great precision from 25 yards away. This is due to the sights mentioned above that are easy to follow.
Regarding the trigger, you should also see satisfactory results. In particular, the pull is crisp and light, and the resets are excellent, meaning that you can count on high SIG P365 reliability with every trigger pull.
Concealment
The main area where the SIG P365 pistol delivers is concealment. The handgun is the size of an average pocket, making it extremely easy to conceal. On top of that, if you combine the pistol with the right holster, the firearm will be virtually undetectable. Thus, if carrying a concealed gun is one of your primary concerns, there’s no going wrong with purchasing a SIG 365 handgun.
Aftermarket Options
The SIG P365 firearm is widely recognized in the gun industry, resulting in a variety of aftermarket possibilities. For instance, you could buy a holster that perfectly fits the gun just several days upon the handgun’s release.
In addition to holsters, there’s a wide range of other accessories available on the market. The list includes magazine releases, baseplates, sights, triggers, frames, and many other elements. With the addition of aftermarket items to your handgun, you can completely change how your firearm feels, potentially improving your shooting abilities.
Durability
Some handguns of the same size as the SIG P365 tend not to withstand the test of time and bullets fired. However, this pistol is surprisingly durable, considering that it has a low failure rate after the gun has passed the 100,000 shots fired threshold. The durability issue is an inherent problem with small firearms, but not something that plagues the SIG P365.
Social Proof
Since its release in 2018, thousands of gun owners have had a chance to try the SIG P365. The reviews are mostly positive, and many people praise the handgun for its compact design and comfort it provides while carrying it around.
The pistol is also praised for its easy control:
Some users regard the gun as the best conceal carry option available:
Alternatives
While there’s just a handful of SIG P365 issues that may harm the handguns’ reputation, you can also consider the following three pistols:
SIG P365 XL
The same company manufactures the SIG P365 XL, but the model is different from the SID P365 in many ways. First, the handgun has an extended beavertail. Second, there’s a flat X-series trigger instead of a curved one, and the gun has a red dot. Finally, the standard magazine holds 12 rounds.
Springfield Hellcat
This firearm is slightly heavier, longer but also 0.3 inches shorter. Additionally, the Springfield Hellcat handgun comes with two magazines containing 11 and 13 rounds, respectively. Also, the Hellcat has a longer magazine release and more aggressive serrations that facilitate racking the pistol.
Check out our article for more info on the differences between the Springfield Hellcat vs. Sig P365.
Glock 19
This model is also longer and wider than the SIG P365. Moreover, the standard magazine capacity is 15, with extensions available of 17, 19, 24, 31, and 33 bullets. The barrel is also longer and stands at 4.02 inches.
Final Thoughts
The main point of this SIG P365 Review is that you should get the SIG P365 if you’re looking for a gun that allows you to carry it around comfortably and fire reliably. The aiming system is also exceptional and will enable you to focus on your target much more quickly than other handguns.
If the gun seems right for you, click this link and check it out for yourself.
Written by
Brady Kirkpatrick
Brady Kirkpatrick is the founder of GunMade.com, the #1 online gun search engine. Recognizing the challenges of finding the right firearm at the right price, Brady built a platform to simplify the process, comparing prices across hundreds of online dealers and providing valuable content from trustworthy bloggers. His commitment to user-centricity and innovation has shaped GunMade.com into a comprehensive resource for gun enthusiasts. In addition to Gun Made, Brady has also lent his firearm expertise to an array of renowned publications, such as The Truth About Guns, CrossBreed Holsters, Cheaper than Dirt, 19FortyFive, We Are The Mighty, and many others.Damion Langlands Sat, 19 Dec 2020 05:51:00 Reply
i love this fabulous article
tirod3 Mon, 10 May 2021 14:20:16 Reply
“Con: Lack of a standoff device.” I assume that means some projection that prevents the slide unlocking when the muzzle is pressed tightly against an attacker?
I recently purchased a P365 Nitron and it’s basically a 9mm version of my Kahr CW380 in outer function – no “standoff device.” Most CCW auto pistols don’t seem to have one, The Canik TP9SF or S&W 4566 lack whatever that might be, also. Maybe I’m missing the point, tho, as at point contact ranges, a bit of practice keeping the muzzle off the body a few inches won’t significantly alter the point of impact.
One could also offer that there was a massive loss of awareness that would even allow someone that close in a confrontation – wrong place wrong time in personal decision making comes to mind. Giving credit that the draw of a weapon was accomplished. Would the off hand not be employing an edged “get off me” device as well or would it be an alternative draw for use in getting an opponents hands off the weapon?
For some of us, even the P365 is borderline “impractical” in size for carry – I could not pocket carry an LCP, just to big and printed. Draw was problematic, and moving up to the .380 Kahr only made it worse. It went in a Pistol Wear shoulder holster, which I am ordering for the SIG – which is also another step up in size. Won’t fit the current one I have. As for the pinky rest, not so much, my hands prefer it wrapped under the mag – that’s me, I don’t have massive sausage fingers. I got a 12 round mag and it comes with a spare flat floorplate, which I will install on the pinky rest mag to see how it works. Its relieved on the sides with no filler for the grip, which then potentially making a recess making a forced extraction more easy is it’s needed. That would be my primary carry mag – and something done with carry pistols for quite some time now. Enhanced stripping slot or something like that.
I could have purchased a Kahr 9mm however I had recently sold my SIG P938, which does suffer more issues than the newer SIG in some significant areas. One, price, on resale even in this market it didn’t come up to what was expected, two, capacity, three, the tricky reassembly, it has an exposed pawl which is fragile and that makes it problematic, four, the trigger is notoriously short pinching the trigger finger, five, some don’t want a safety, fine by me, however in carry I would find it swiped off. That’s not a major issue with a proper trigger covering holster as it becomes no different than any SAFE action trigger. Along with five year old tritium sights already fading, the luster of that showcase carry auto was dimming from use and time. If SIG had not rabbeted the slide and left it flat, they could have used less spring pressure to jack the rounds up to feed due to slower cyclic time. It would look “better,” and it wouldn’t have forced me to eventually add an upLula loader. Since the ten shot mag was better done that way, might as well get higher capacity and ease of loading. The CW380 was never a problem with that and a joy at the range,
With all that, SIG apparently learned their lesson, and so did I – a mini 1911 doesn’t have the depth modern design offers to be a better personal defense weapon in the smaller formats.
There are other future benefits of the P365 yet to be realized: It has the modular trigger unit, and that means you can already buy different grip units to swap, for color, size, etc. This is already creating a mix and match option for owners, who can go long grip for range or open carry, long slide, RDS, custom parts, etc as the P320 has paved the way. You can’t do that with a SAFE action platform as the trigger – and serial number – are permanently fixed to a grip. I predict Glock will adopt it to compete for military contracts and civilian sales. They don’t back down – but they may take longer than Magpul to get round to it.
Armed with a P365, I will have extra capacity, MagGuts offers a +2 plate pushing the 12 to a 14 round capacity, which would be appropriate for a second mag. As a second legal firearm for deer season, it’s also good to have only a ten rounder in my jurisdiction. Beats jumping out of trees with a Case knife like the good ol days. I need to close that standoff distance with my aging eyes.
Christopher Sourp Sun, 19 Jun 2022 15:51:00 Reply
Bought mine as a “Tac Pak” yesterday (06/18/2022). The basic P365, 3 extended 12 round mags and a holster that is meh… Took it home, cleaned it and performed a complete function test. It will not go into battery. With a mag in and slide locked back the slide release will not release the slide. You cannot pull the slide rearwards and have it release either. Does this with all 3 mags. Going back to the LGS for verification and then off to Sig it goes. 600 bucks for a firearm I will not be able to shoot now for months. Thanks Sig….
Chris Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:17:24 Reply
The firearm function. My mistake. Took it back to the LGS and they put some snap caps in it and it functioned as intended. Sorry put none of my other handguns ever did this but Sigs do. Ran 200 rounds of 124 gr and all is good. And VERY accurate. My bad folks !
COMMENTS