American Rifleman P365 Review.Pdf
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TOP PICKS: 2018 GOLDEN BULLSEYE AWARDS April 2018 The World’s Oldest And Largest Firearm Authority SIG SAUER MICRO-COMPACT P365 Of cial Journal of the National Ri e Association AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG R1804_COVER.indd 1 2/21/18 3:31 PM No Compromise Necessary? SIG’s P365We always hear that everyday concealed carry is an exercise in compromise: size, weight, chambering and capacity are all factors that in uence the handling and concealment qualities of a given gun. Now, SIG Sauer is changing the equation by offering a micro-compact pistol boasting a full-size, full-power payload. BY JOE KURTENBACH, MANAGING EDITOR t’s all about the magazine. We started with the magazine, and then designed everything around that,” remarked SIG Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen of the company’s new P365—a striker- red, semi-automatic pistol chambered for 9 mm Luger and intended for everyday concealed carry. I caught up with Cohen during SIG’s range event in advance of the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, which was my rst opportunity to put hands on the gun and put rounds downrange. Attendance at the event was limited to premier media representatives, and the buzz among my peers was wonderment at how the company had managed to pack more capacity—10 rounds of 9 mm Luger in the standard, ush- t magazine—into a micro- compact rearm that is dimensionally similar to Smith & Wesson’s Shield, Spring eld Armory’s XD-S, Ruger’s LC9s and the Glock 43. Each of those, for reference, holds seven 9 mm cartridges in their standard magazines, save the Glock, which carries six. Cohen was quickly echoed by SIG’s Pistol Product Manager Phil Strader, “We actually developed a magazine from the ground up. This is our magazine, our magazine design. It’s patent-pending, and we found a way we can get 10 rounds in this tiny, little, short mag.” Prior to holding the gun, I expected to encounter a pistol that was slightly larger and wider than the aforementioned competitive models. What I found, instead, was a gun that, if anything, was smaller and lighter than others in the eld. Strader continued, “We were able to keep the same width, 1" width, a much smaller-contour grip, and actually keep the size of the gun on par, actually below, the industry aver- age. We took four major competitive guns … averaged their heights, their weights, their lengths and we’re shorter, lighter and thinner than almost every gun in the market.” Photos by Forrest MacCormack AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG APRIL 2018 49 R1804_F_SIG.indd 49 2/13/18 11:36 AM SIG P365 Regarding major components and disassembly/reassembly procedures, SIG’s P365 is similar to other striker- red pistols. One difference, though, is that its slide lock/ release must be pressed upward in order to fully rotate the spring-tensioned takedown lever. In the spirit of “trust but verify,” I had a P365 sent to the of ce posthaste, and like any championship contender, the gun wasn’t going to make it into the ring without rst submitting to a thorough weigh-in. At 18.6 ozs., with an empty magazine, it is de nitely among the lightest guns in the category. Too, in terms of width it is on par with the competition, though, like the competition, the gun is actually closer to 0.9" across the slide, and just a few hundredths over 1" at the controls. The P365 offers the same 3.1" barrel as the Shield and the LC9s, and it’s shorter X-Ray3 Day/Night Sights rely on a big, green, than the G43 (3.4") and XD-S (3.3"), though I think the single dot (top) for use in bright environ- difference is ballistically negligible. Overall length and Semi-Double-Stack ments, and a glowing, tritium-powered, height for the P365 are 5.8" and 4.3" (with the ush- t Without doubt, SIG Sauer designed a micro-compact three-dot arrangement (above) in low-light 10-round magazine), respectively, meaning the gun will, worthy of the name, but the hook, of course, is that despite conditions. V-shaped grooves at the frame’s indeed, t inside a smaller box than its competitors. its slim, trim and featherweight dimensions, the P365 front form a propriatary accessory rail (inset, However, the most noticeable difference, in my opinion, is gives up nothing in terms of magazine capacity—indeed, it facing page). how narrow the grip frame is. The circumference measures outmatches its peers by a relatively wide margin. So how did just 4.9" at its narrowest and right around 5" at the widest SIG designers do it? At the most basic level, the P365 makes than the P320 magazine, ensuring portion—both noticeably smaller, visually and tactically, use of a double-stack magazine in a category populated by the top two cartridges form a single, than the micro-compact I’m best acquainted with, the single-stacks—though, in both cases, such simplistic desig- vertical stack for reliable feeding. Shield, at about 5.3" around. nations are not totally accurate. Take, for example, Smith & Each P365 will ship with two 10-round How, then, did SIG pack more ammunition into a gun Wesson’s M&P Shield, now a stalwart in the micro-compact units, one ush- tting and one with a that is as small or smaller, in every dimension, than its category, and perhaps the most popular 9 mm rendering to small, 0.45" grip extension. Even more direct competitors? “Pixie dust,” quipped Strader. date. Despite its magazine often being classi ed as a single- interesting is the 12-round magazine, stack or single-column design, the cartridges within are not sold separately, that increases the grip actually vertically aligned, as in, say, an M1911 magazine. height by 0.65" and effectively gives Instead, it is a semi-staggered stack, and the slight left- and the gun twice the capacity of its competitors, putting it right-offset frees up just enough real estate to accommodate “danger close” to competing with larger, double-stack com- seven cartridges, where a straight vertical stack might only pacts. The innovative hybrid design—Strader referred to it have t six. The trade-off is a magazine that is slightly wider as “semi-double-stack”—accomplished two major priorities than a single-stack, but since the parent gun still comes in for SIG Sauer’s design team: it facilitated an overall width at around 1" wide—the “standard” for the micro-compact very close to the 1" mark, and it measurably increases the category—it’s hardly an issue. capacity over current competitive models. The P365 goes to the opposite end of the spectrum, in that it is very close to being a true double-column arrange- Beyond The Mag ment. Here again, though, we see a slight adjustment to It’s no secret that the American commercial rearm the design, in this case a tighter, more vertical staggering industry is still getting used to the new, post-Obama nor- than in standard double-stacks. To compare, the double- mal. One area that continues to be a bright spot is the mar- column magazine of SIG’s larger P320 is 0.86" wide, which ket for small, personal-defense semi-automatics, and the allows two 9 mm Luger cartridges to very nearly sit side-by- P365 is, no doubt, SIG’s best attempt to capture a share. side. The P365’s magazine is narrower at 0.81" wide, caus- However, it was not that long ago that a new Shield could The P365 comes with two 10-round magazines, one ush- tting, ing the cartridges to stack in a more staggered formation. be purchased for just $250, after rebates, so SIG’s engineers the other with a grip extension. An extended 12-round magazine Also, the uppermost portion of the P365 magazine—about were going to have to really deliver a feature- lled rearm is also sold separately and greatly enhances handling. 1" below the feed lips—is more aggressively “funneled” that would also be ef cient to manufacture. Signi cantly 50 APRIL 2018 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN R1804_F_SIG.indd 50 2/15/18 10:01 AM SIG SAUER P365 MANUFACTURER: SIG SAUER, INC., 72 PEASE BLVD., NEWINGTON, NH 03801; (603) 610-3000; SIGSAUER.COM 5.8" 3.1" 4.3" ACTION TYPE: RECOIL- WIDTH: 1.06" OPERATED, CENTER-FIRE WEIGHT: 18.6 OZS SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL SIGHTS: SIG X-RAY3 CHAMBERING: 9 MM LUGER DAY/NIGHT RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE, MAGAZINE: 10-ROUND 1:10" RH TWIST DETACHABLE BOX TRIGGER: ACCESSORIES: DOUBLE-ACTION-ONLY; OWNER’S MANUAL, 6-LB., 2-OZ. PULL EXTRA 10-ROUND SLIDE: STAINLESS STEEL, MAGAZINE WITH GRIP NITRON FINISH EXTENSION, LOCK FRAME: POLYMER MSRP: $600 X-Ray3 Day/Night Sights rely on a big, green, single dot (top) for use in bright environ- SHOOTING RESULTS (7 YDS.) Semi-Double-Stack ments, and a glowing, tritium-powered, 9 MM LUGER VEL. @ 15' ENERGY GROUP SIZE (INCHES) Without doubt, SIG Sauer designed a micro-compact three-dot arrangement (above) in low-light CARTRIDGE (F.P.S.) (FT.-LBS.) SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE worthy of the name, but the hook, of course, is that despite conditions. V-shaped grooves at the frame’s AGUILA 1054 AVG. 284 0.84 1.56 1.06 its slim, trim and featherweight dimensions, the P365 front form a proprietary accessory rail 115-GR. FMJ 17 SD gives up nothing in terms of magazine capacity—indeed, it (inset, facing page). NOVX ARX 1571 AVG.