38 G&A october 2019 |GreAt expectAtions
both grip modules and will wear down with use. It’s a rough
texture, but not something that can be classified as aggressive; It’s
a nice balance that also improves control of the gun.
At the base of the grip, the standard P365 features a pair
of notches at the side, which fit like a puzzle piece with the
magazine’s baseplate as well as the optional angled baseplate and
12-round extension. The XL’s funneled magazine well does not.
The P365’s 10 and extended 12-round magazines, and the
P365 XL’s standard 12 and optional 15-round magazines blur the
lines between a single-stack 9mm pistol and and a larger double-
stack subcompact. The FN FNS-9C, Ruger SR9c, Springfield
Armory XD-9 Mod.2 subcompact, Taurus G2C and Walther PPQ
SC all offer magazines that match or offer greater capacity, but
none are as slim as the P365 or P365 XL.
The P365 measured 4.74 inches tall with
the longer 12-round magazine, and the
P365 XL measured 5.35 inches with the
optional 15-round mag inserted. For their
capacity, the P365 and P365 XL have no
competition in size and profile.
Trigger Time A visual difference between
the P365 and the P365 XL is the trigger;
The P365 features a curved trigger while
the P365 XL has a flat trigger. For being
flat, the XL trigger actually has a longer
length of pull from center at 2.7 inches.
The curved trigger on the standard P365
measured 2.61 inches. I’ll leave it up to you whether flat or
curved triggers are better, but larger hands might prefer the new
flat trigger for the increased length of pull. This was a clever way
for SIG Sauer to address any complaints about a short length of
pull from large-handed shooters without changing the dimen-
sions of the trigger’s location on the frame.
To me, what’s more important is how a trigger feels. I person-
ally own two box-stock P365s, one with more than 3,000 rounds
through it. Both trigger pulls feel similar and average 6 pounds,
6 ounces on a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge. The trigger pulls
on the P365 XL measured almost a pound lighter at 5½ pounds.
However, there’s just something about the XL’s trigger that makes
it feel longer and interrupted as it is pressed.Load Up! The P365 XL features a flared
magazine well that’s funneled to gobble
up either of the two supplied standard 12-
round magazine or an optional 15-round
magazine. The 12-round mag fits flush
and will function in a standard P365 —
and so will the 15-round magazine! Once
they appeared on SIG Sauer’s webstore for
$49, they became their own commodity.
The basepads on any of the P365 mag-
azines can be changed to fill the void and
improve the grip, but there’s no contour at
the bottom of the 15-rounder. The square
corner of the box pokes at the heel of thethe grip on the p365 xL wears the same
rough texture as the original, but it is lon-
ger and flared slightly at the magwell.