october 2019 G&A 35THIS YEAR’S SUMMER RELEASE of the SIG Sauer P365 XL was the most anticipated launch since the
first P365 debuted on the cover of our May 2018 issue. The original P365 was groundbreaking, winning
the 2018 Guns & Ammo Handgun of the Year award and knocking off the single-stack Glock 43, which
had only been introduced three years prior to similar fanfare, as America’s best-selling concealed carry
pistol. Just as fast as the G43 made the .380-chambered G42 a cheap gun store trade-in, the
P365 stunted sales of the G43 once supply caught up with demand.
The P365 instantly secured its place as the gold standard to which all other single-
and double-stack 9mms are compared. I say “secured” because its magazine
was cleverly designed as a unique stack-and-a-half that’s currently
protected by three patents. Engineers at other manufacturers
have been frustrated by their inability to work around these
patents and stuff just as many rounds of 9mm in a magazine
with similar dimensions.
The once-hot G43 only offered six-plus-one capacity mag-
azines, which brought about an aftermarket selling plus-one
and plus-two extensions. The only option to carry more rounds
without a reload was to purchase a double-stack pistol, but those
interested in the G43 wanted it for its slim 1.02-inch-wide proportions.
Double-stack pistols such as the Glock 26 (1.18 inches wide) and
newer HK VP9 SK (1.31 inches wide) may be great pistols, but they tend
to feel fat in the hand and are more of a challenge to conceal comfortably, which is what gave rise to the
single-stack subcompact market in the first place. Now, let’s consider the new P365 XL.
SIG SAUER’S NEW P365 XL
HAS BIG SHOES TO FILL.
BY ERIC R. POOLE | PHOTOS BY MIKE ANSCHUETZ
The Longslide Guns & Ammo sources our own
independent measurements, so the specifications
that follow may or may not agree with the manufac-
turer’s data. Our P365 XL featured a barrel length
of 3.695 inches, measured from the breech block’s
hood to the muzzle. The P365 barrel measured
3.091 inches; The XL’s slide was .675-inch longer
than the P365’s. With similar proportions, this
extension gives the XL a 5.6-inch sight radius com-
pared to the P365’s 4.85 inches.
Sight radius matters to some because a longer
slide typically allows sharp eyes to define the edges
of the front sight within the blurred rear notch for
more precise visual discernment. The SIG Sauer
X-Ray3 day/night sights, which are standard on
both pistols, are similar, but different at the rear.
The P365s we evaluated came with a three-dot
tritium sight system. The notch between the two
X-Ray3 rear sights measured .15-inch, the same
width as the front X-Ray3 sight. However, the rear
sight on the P365 featured horizontal serrations
across the back, intended to minimize the reflec-
tion of direct sunlight. The new rear sight lacks
serrations. The XL’s front sight features the same
bright, green ring surrounding a fine, tritium night-
sight vial. I have 20/15 vision and I perceived an
improved sight alignment when shooting the XL.
G&A staff chronographed both the P365 and