The SIG Sauer P365 Still Leads the Subcompact Pack

It can be fun to look back and see how guns have changed. And it’s not just the technology that has changed. Gun styles often change as well. Back in 2008, Ruger started the .380 craze with the LCP. Then the style moved to subcompacts in 9mm. Despite some issues, folks liked these single-stack pocket guns because they were very easy to carry and conceal.

The problems with these small pistols were control and capacity. To be easily concealed, they were small. Most shooters couldn’t obtain a full grip. Most also came with a single magazine that could only hold six to eight rounds, max. These subcompacts were easy to carry but hard to shoot. They also didn’t come with enough rounds for an extended fight. Then, in 2018, SIG Sauer introduced the P365 and changed the game by adding four plus rounds to a very small pistol.

The SIG Sauer P365

When the SIG Sauer P365 came out, folks jumped at it. This super small 9mm pistol, which was easy to conceal, came with two 10-round magazines, with an optional extended 12-round magazine. That was four rounds more than other subcompact pistols at the time, with possibly six rounds. This included the G43 and the LCP, both of which were super popular and only held six rounds in the magazines.

The larger round count also led to a bigger palm swell, which makes the gun a little easier to control. Still, the SIG P365 is a subcompact, meaning it comes with a short barrel and a small frame. Most shooters can’t obtain a full-hand grip on this pistol. I can kind of get a good grip with the extended magazine, but the pinky hangs on the flush-fit magazine.

Despite its popularity, the SIG Sauer P365 had some issues when it first came out. Some early purchasers reported broken firing pins and trigger return springs. They also reported return to battery failures, excessive wear on some parts and even night sight dimming or completely going dark. SIG quickly resolved the issues, and there haven’t been many complaints since.

Folks like the P365. So much so that SIG has brought out numerous expansions of the model. This includes larger (XL), slightly larger (X) and specialty (comp, Rose, Rainbow, TACOPs, etc.) versions. There is even a .380 version for those wanting a little less snap.

This pistol might be small, but it comes with an excellent trigger and night sights. Of course, its small size and short 3.1-inch barrel means shooters need to practice with this gun regularly, particularly if used for everyday carry, as recoil can be a bit snappy.

This pistol isn’t designed for long shots or extended fights. It is a few more rounds in an easily concealed self-defense pistol. This is one of the things that make it one of the most popular micro-compact pistols on the market, as shown by Gun Genius.

Thoughts & Results

I’ve got a few friends that swear by the P365. One even carries one as his primary. However, the first time I fired one, I wasn’t impressed by the accuracy. The palm swell felt good in the hand for its size even though my pinky could just barely fit on the extended tab on the 12-round magazine. Unfortunately, I had some issues hitting the target. It was, however, at 15 yards against a small Shoot-N-C target after a long day of testing rifles. I was tired.

The next time I broke out the P365 was for a drill. I used it, along with a couple of other pistols, for a story on the Wizard drill. There, the P365 did well. It hit where aimed at every distance out to 10 yards during the drill, though I was a little slow on the last stage the first time.

From there I started running some basic self-defense drills at different ranges, using both range and self-defense 9mm ammo. The P365 performed these well, with the only issue being during speed reloads. I had to significantly adjust my grip to allow the magazine to drop free. This was, of course, expected, as this semi-auto pistol comes with a fairly short grip.

I conducted accuracy testing with American Eagle 124-grain FMJ and Federal Personal Defense Punch 124-grain hollow points at 10 yards. Recoil was as snappy as expected, especially with the Personal Defense Punch rounds. It wasn’t any worse than any other subcompact 9mm, and better than most because of the palm swell. All rounds hit the target, both freehand and from a rest. However, I was unable to obtain a truly tight group. This could be because of the short barrel and sight radius. It could have even been because of me, but it wasn’t because of the trigger. The gun has self-defense accuracy but I couldn’t get pin-point accuracy.

The Good, Bad & Really Nice

The SIG Sauer P365 comes with many excellent attributes. These include the larger palm swell, which leads to additional rounds. The Xray3 sights were also good, providing good viewing in both day and night situations. For its size, the pistol feels good in the hand, and the Nitron finish seems quite durable, showing no wear after several weeks riding in a pocket holster.

I don’t really have anything I would call bad on the SIG P365. Two features, however, seem unnecessary. This micro-compact pistol comes both optic ready and with a rail. To me, this is a pocket pistol, not a home-defense gun. As such, I’m probably not going to attach a light or an optic. I just don’t want to add the bulk or the weight. I might, however, add a laser, for which a rail might be nice, and those who carry this pistol as primary might want an optic. Maybe they are necessary.

One of the best features of the SIG Sauer P365 is the trigger. It is a striker-fired gun with a curved trigger, but it is really nice. The trigger is short, smooth and crisp. It also measured right between 4 and 5 pounds, greatly attributing to its shootability.

The Bottom Line

In the end, the SIG Sauer P365 represents one of the biggest shifts in modern concealed-carry handguns. It proved that shooters no longer had to choose between capacity and concealability. By squeezing double-digit capacity into a pistol that can still disappear in a pocket or inside-the-waistband holster, SIG changed expectations across the entire industry.

The P365 may not be perfect for every shooter, and like any small defensive pistol it demands regular practice to master. But for those looking for a highly concealable handgun that still offers respectable capacity and a solid trigger, it remains a compelling option. More importantly, it helped redefine what shooters expect from a micro-compact pistol—and that influence is still being felt today.