I was recently able to rent a Sig Sauer P365 Nitron at my local range. My expectation was that I would really like this little semi-auto, striker-fire pistol chambered in 9mm enough to want to buy one. After all, Sig Sauer has a well-earned reputation for making high quality firearms, and certainly, the P365 is no exception. My wife and I have a few Sig P238s and they are just dynamite little pistols if you enjoy carrying/shooting small guns (too small for my tastes), but of course, they are chambered in .380 ACP, not 9mm.

Dimensions of the Sig P365

• Overall Length: 5.8″
• Width: 1.06″
• Height: 4.3″ (with 10 round flush mag)
• Barrel Length: 3.1″
• Weight: 17.8 oz

Shooting the Sig P365

Having shot 200 rounds of Fiocchi 9mm, 115 grain FMJ, I was surprised to discover that I really did not enjoy shooting the Sig P365. Why? To begin with, for a 9mm pistol, it is really quite small (and light, weighing just 17.8 oz.), and not surprisingly, a bit snappy. Another thing I didn’t like was that the bottom rear corner of the grip (using the 10 round flush magazine) has a sharp edge, which kept digging into the palm of my right hand as I shot it. Admittedly, I do have soft hands…working behind a computer all day doesn’t exactly toughen up the palms of your hands, but it also makes for a less pleasant shooting experience with the P365. However, using the 12 round magazine provided a more comfortable shooting experience.

I definitely understand why the P365 is in high demand, because by the numbers (less weight, respectable capacity and smaller dimensions) along with its crisp trigger, accuracy and ergonomics, it’s clearly in a class by itself.

The Sig P365 is indeed a very small gun. With an overall length of just 5.8″, it’s not much longer than its little brother, the Sig P238 (5.5″). The overall height of the P365 with the flush, flat bottom 10 round magazine is 4.3″ which oddly enough, is identical to that of the original Smith & Wesson M&P Compact 9c with flush, flat bottom 12 round magazine.

With the 10 round pinky extension magazine, the overall height of the P365 increases to 4.5″. With the 12 round extended magazine, the P365’s overall height of the P365 becomes 4.7″ which is a little closer to the height of my EDC, the M&P Compact M2.0 3.6” (height of 5″). Of course my Smith & Wesson M&P Compact is 1 inch longer; it’s also thicker and heavier.

UPDATE (June 2019): Sig just introduced a 15 round extended magazine for the P365.  However, with the 15 round extended magazine, the overall height of the P365 becomes 5.5″ which is about the same as many full size semi-auto pistols such as the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Full Size and a full 1/2 inch greater than my EDC, the Smith & Wesson M&P Compact 2.0  3.6″. I suspect some will use the 15 round magazine as their “backup” magazine to the 10 or 12 round magazine for concealed carry.

Sig P365 Approximate Overall Height with Various Magazine Options:

4.3″ Overall Height

4.5″ Overall Height

4.7″ Overall Height

5.5″ Overall Height

So, here are my final thoughts about the Sig P365:

1. Reliability. After shooting 200 rounds of Fiocchi 9mm, 115 grain FMJ, I experienced no failures whatsoever.
2. Trigger.  Trigger is crisp with an audible and tactile reset.
3. Grip Texture. The Sig P365 has a good grip texture (not too abrasive) that enables you to get a solid grasp on the grip.
4. Handling. The Sig P365 seems to use a grip angle like the M&Ps which makes point of aim comfortable and natural.
5. Accuracy.  I find the Sig P365 to be very accurate.
6. Recoil. As you might expect, recoil is a bit snappy, but not uncontrollably so.

I recommend that you try it before you buy it. I am glad that I did because it made me realize that this is not a gun I want to buy. I definitely understand why the Sig P365 is in high demand, because by the numbers (less weight, respectable capacity and smaller dimensions) along with its crisp trigger, accuracy and ergonomics, it’s clearly in a class by itself. However, I simply prefer something a little more substantial to hold on to with a little less snappiness (and having a few more rounds of capacity is always nice too), which is why I’ll stick with my Smith & Wesson M&P Compact M2.0 3.6″.