SIG Sauer needs little introduction. As one of the most popular firearm manufacturers in the industry, they stand at the forefront of innovation, constantly offering new products that consistently provide improvements over their earlier designs. Out of their current lineup, two pistols stand out, those being the P320 and P365.
On one hand, you have the P320, renowned for its modularity and easily customizable features, allowing enthusiasts to personalize the pistol to fit their needs and preferences. On the other hand, you have the P365, which redefined what’s possible with a concealed carry pistol, maximizing round count while remaining concealable in a compact package.
Both SIG Sauer pistols are incredibly popular, but how do they compare, and which is best? Follow along as we delve into the specifics of each one.
SIG Sauer P320 Overview
The P320 is SIG Sauer’s flagship pistol model and has rapidly become one of the most popular handguns available today. It’s a striker-fired pistol that’s available in multiple sizes, including full-size, carry-size, and compact options. It’s also one of the most customizable pistols around, allowing you to easily upgrade to different grip modules, slide, and caliber options.
In addition to its success on the civilian market, the P320 design became the U.S. Military’s new standard issue pistol, using both full-size and carry-size models, re-designated as the M17 and M18, respectively. After its military adoption, the P320’s popularity soared, making it one of the industry’s leading pistol models.
P320 Grip Modules and Slides
Instead of the frame, or grip, being the serialized part of the pistol, the P320’s FCU is. The FCU (Fire Control Unit) is an internal component that houses the trigger and other mechanical parts. It’s easily removable, allowing you to easily switch over to different grip modules. With other pistol models, you would need to either permanently modify your frame or buy an aftermarket one.
The P320 bypasses this, with many manufacturers creating grip modules for it. We highlight them more in our P320 Grip and Size guide, but some popular options are those from SIG Sauer’s custom shop, Icarus Precision, and Wilson Combat, just to name a few.
There are also many aftermarket slide options available directly from SIG Sauer, with their Pro-Cut, Spectre, and Legion slide options being some of the most popular. There are plenty of aftermarket options available too, with manufacturers like Zev Technologies, Zaffiri Precision, and Grey Ghost Precision making some of the most sought-after options.
Caliber Options
Primarily available in 9mm, the P320 can also be chambered in other calibers like .40 S&W, .357 SIG, 10mm, and .45ACP. Note that the larger calibers require a larger grip module and size, but the FCU is the same across all sizes.
Holster Availability
There are several holsters compatible with the SIG P320, ranging from IWB holsters for EDC purposes to OWB holsters for duty or competitive use. As such, it’s easy to find top-quality holsters from brands like Comp-Tac, LAS Concealment, and Safariland.
Depending on your needs, you can opt for different holsters that are compatible with weapon lights, optics, and compensators, if you choose to run them, that is. Many of the OWB holsters come with added retention as well, giving your pistol a secure fitment. If you don’t know what to look for in a holster, we recommend looking at our guide on choosing the best holster for your pistol.
Optic Compatibility
P320 models all come with optic-ready slides, cut to accept the optics with a Delta Point Pro footprint, which is what most of SIG’s pistol optics use. If you want to run a different optic, SIG also has adapters that allow you to do so.
You could also opt for an aftermarket slide. Many of the slides we mentioned previously are optic cut to be compatible with different mounting footprints, bypassing the need to use adapters and offering a secure mounting solution with less potential points of failure.
SIG Sauer P365 Overview
Designed specifically for concealed carry, the SIG P365 is a micro-compact double-stack pistol chambered in 9mm and is a prime example of advancement in firearms technology. Standard P365 models are remarkably small firearms, but they have a standard magazine capacity of 10 rounds. These pistols are some of the most compact high-capacity pistols available. In addition to the standard model, there are two other P365 models available, those being the P365XL and P365X-Macro.
The P365XL model is a step up in size from the standard P365, but it’s still an incredibly compact pistol with a greater capacity of 12-rounds instead of 10. The X-Macro is, comparatively, much larger with magazine capacity of 17 rounds. However, it’s still slimmer than the P320 Compact, which carries only 15 rounds.
It’s worth noting that there is also a plethora of unique P365 models. Depending on which one you look at, they can come equipped with specialty grip modules, sights, and other designs. One of the most popular is the P365 ROSE, which was made specifically for SIG’s ROSE Training course for women, making it a popular handgun choice for women.
P365 Grip Modules and Slides
The P365, like the P320, uses a modular design, featuring an FCU instead of a serialized frame. Various grip modules are available for it, ranging from SIG Sauer’s own offerings to aftermarket models from Icarus Precision and Sharps Bros.
The FCU in the P365 is the same for every model, so it will fit in every P365 grip module size. For instance, if you had a standard P365 but wanted to upgrade you to the P365X-Macro, you could do so long as you had all the required components.
There’s also a diverse array of slides to choose from as well. SIG Sauer has an expansive lineup of slide options, and much like for the P320, other manufacturers produce a plethora of high-quality options as well.
Caliber Options
P365 pistols are mostly chambered in 9mm and don’t have the same cartridge availability as the P320. However, there is another variant of the P365 that’s chambered in .380ACP. The .380ACP cartridge is smaller and offers less recoil, but this comes at the cost of ballistic energy. Still, it can be an effective defensive caliber as there are plenty of defensive loads available, making it a viable choice for EDC use.
Holster Availability
Since the P365 is one of the most popular concealed carry options, there are a lot of P365 compatible holsters available. Popular brands like LAS Concealment and TXC Holsters are just a couple of popular manufacturers producing holsters for the P365 with there being options for IWB and OWB use, as well others that are weapon light compatible.
Compared to the P320, the P365 doesn’t have as many OWB holster options, as the pistol was designed primarily for concealed carry with IWB holsters. There are still some options, but if you’re looking for an OWB holster, your options will be limited.
Optic Compatibility
Every P365 model produced today comes standard with an optic-ready slide, however, due to their smaller size, they can’t run the same optics that larger pistols can. From the factory, their slides are cut to fit optics that have an RMSc footprint, such as the Romeo Zero, Holosun 507K, and Vortex Defender.
Just like with the P320, you can opt for an aftermarket slide that’s cut for specific optics, but there won’t be as much leeway with your optic choices as there is with the P320. Since the P365 is a smaller pistol platform, the only optics that fit the size properly are those with the compact mounting footprints, so most of them will also come with RMSc or other similar optic cuts.
Which is Better?
Both the P320 and P365 are incredible pistols, but which one is better? Well, that depends on which one best fits your needs and preferences.
Size Differences
The most notable difference between the two platforms is their size. To briefly recap their sizes, the P320 is available in multiple sizes, including a full-size, carry-size, and compact option. Meanwhile, the P365 is available in three models/sizes as well, those being the standard P365, P365XL, and P365X-Macro.
The P320, especially in its full-size and carry configurations, might be too large for some enthusiasts to comfortably conceal and carry. In contrast, the P365 excels in concealment, with the standard and XL models being some of the easiest to conceal. The X-Macro, while larger than the XL, is still slimmer than the P320 Compact, so with the right gear, it can be concealed easily.
With any pistol model, being able to comfortably conceal and carry one depends on a variety of factors, such as your stature, clothing, and holster type. So long as you’ve taken all of this into consideration, you’ll be good to go with whatever you choose.
Intended Use
We’ve already gone over how the P365 can be a better choice for concealed carry, but what about as a handgun for home defense or competitive use? For these applications, the larger size of the P320 provides better grip and allows for greater modularity. As such, it can be easily upgraded for better recoil control and ergonomics, making it ideal for these applications.
This isn’t to say that the P365 isn’t a workable option for these applications. The P365, specifically the P365X-Macro, is particularly well-suited for both carry and competition, sharing a similar degree of modularity to the P320. It can easily be configured to suit these roles adequately. However, the smaller sizes of the P365 and P365XL make them less practical for these purposes, and they weren’t really designed for these roles in the first place.
Weapon Light Compatibility
Both the P320 and P365 platforms can run several accessories such as weapon lights, but it’s important to consider each platform carefully as they have different mounting capabilities.
For weapon lights, the P320, being a large frame pistol, can run just about any pistol weapon light. Popular options like the Streamlight TLR-7 and Surefire X-300 fit onto the P320 without any issues. In contrast, since the P365 platform is much smaller, your options for lights are more constrained. You still have solid options to choose from, such as the Streamlight TLR-6 and TLR-8 G Sub, as well as the Surefire XSC, but comparatively, your options are limited.
There is a lot that goes into choosing the best weapon light for your pistol, so be sure to research each model to make sure it fits your pistol as well as your preferences.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, choosing between the P320 and P365 is entirely dependent on your specific needs and preferences. The P320 stands out with its incredible variety and modularity, allowing users to easily adapt their pistols to suit distinct roles, making it an excellent option for home and personal defense, as well as competition and duty.
On the other hand, the P365 boasts a large round capacity comparative to its size, making it an ideal EDC gun. Like its bigger brother, it features a similar degree of modularity, allowing you to easily build it out to suit your shooting style and preferences. However, its smaller size makes it less than ideal for competitive purposes, though the larger P365X-Macro can provide you with the added versatility needed for such use.
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either pistol. So long as your needs are met and the pistol caters to your intended purpose, it’s a solid choice to go with. Once you have it picked out, you’ll be ready to make it yours. Our guide on pistol compensators for carry guns goes over all you’ll need to know before adding a compensator to your pistol and will get you started on your customization journey.
Lastly, if you want to learn more about them and the other products they make, our article on the history of SIG Sauer will help round out your knowledge of this well-known manufacturer.
