The Great SIG Micro Compact Faceoff - The P365 vs the P365XL

The SIG Sauer P365 took the world by storm for its unprecedented compactness combined with its unheard-of capacity. The birth of the P365 sparked a new “micro-compact” race that had every gun company out there working overtime to produce their own high-capacity micro-compact pistols that were more concealable than the previous generation of “compact pistols” but carried more respectable payloads than offerings like the single stack Glock 43, Weather PPK, and the Smith & Wesson Shield. The micro compact 9mm scene got so busy that even SIG had to innovate on their own product to keep up with the rapid advancements being made to the scene. The P365 XL is a slightly larger, slightly more feature-rich version of the standard SIG Sauer P365 that also increases the standard capacity of the platform without adding too much extra bulk. Today we’ll compare these two closely related firearms to give you an idea of which one might be the better concealed carry choice for you.

The Original P365

It's a bit of a toss-up when it comes to picking between these two for carrying concealed. The OG P365 is a pro at disappearing – it’s so small you can tuck it away just about anywhere whether you’re adapting to the modern appendix inside the waistband carry style (AIWB), or you’re still carrying strongside - either way the P365 has such a small footprint and such a slim profile that it is almost effortless to conceal with the right holsters.

The Standard P365 is 5.8 inches in overall length and 4.3 inches in overall height. 1 inch in overall width and weighs in at 18.5 ounces. It originally featured a standard slide with no optics compatibility outside of having it milled for a specific optic cut (which I did to my P365). The pistol featured a standard capacity of 12+1 rounds - its defining feature. Today the pistol comes standard with two 12-round magazines, a dust cover accessory SIG rail, and a Shield RMS-c pattern optics cut that retains the iron sights of the pistol. This particular non-optics-ready version of the P365 is now called the “Nitron” and has been more or less superseded by the P365X which includes an optics cut.

The P365 and by extension, the P365 XL both shoot very well. The triggers are not much to write home about and if you’re a fan of gritty OEM Glock triggers, you will probably find the SIG’s spongy and soft break equally as gratifying. That being said, these triggers are not bad at all, just nothing fancy. The roughly 5-pound trigger pull from most micro compact guns is more than light enough to get proficient with for defensive purposes, but also heavy enough to prevent accidental discharges under stress.

Overall the P365 in its original format set a standard for the concealed carry world with its great capacity to size ratio. While most people love the P365, some people will cite its small size as a drawback for some with larger hands, and others still have trust issues surrounding the P365’s reliability due to some early launch problems. Subsequent generations of the P365 from SIG have solved these problems and since then the P365 has had a mostly untarnished reputation, especially when compared to its full-size cousin.

The P365 XL

But then there’s the P365 XL. It’s got that bit of extra size that brings some perks. The longer slide and barrel give you a touch of extra velocity, along with some additional sight radius making iron-sight shots much easier. This makes the P365 XL a solid choice if you’re looking to improve your shooting skills with iron sights or don’t need a slide as short as what the P365 offers.

The P365 XL in my experience is far more shootable than the two pistols in its flush-fit magazine configuration. While the regular P365 can be supplemented with magazine extensions to give your pinky more of a say in the recoil control, the P365 XL comes with this as standard and still maintains the capacity while adding a slight bit of extra barrel length. That extra bit of barrel length not only adds a tiny bit more terminal velocity to your fired rounds but also adds a bit more weight in the nose of the gun making the recoil impulse a bit more pleasant for more general shooting.

The XL has the downside of being heavier, slightly larger, and slightly less concealable, especially for smaller-framed individuals. The XL will not only be harder to conceal, but it’ll also be harder to wear in a seated position due to the extra length of the slide. In my personal opinion, however, the benefits of the XL outweigh the slight loss in concealability and its biggest expanded dimension is also the easiest to conceal (the length of the slide).

Closing Thoughts

Choosing between the SIG Sauer P365 and P365 XL comes down to what you want and how you plan to use it. If you’re all about keeping it stealthy and small, the original P365 might be your jam, especially without a red dot optic mounted to it. The P365 is tiny, holds a good amount of ammo, and won’t print very easily if worn with the right combination of holster and concealment garments.  But if you’re after something that’s a tad more shootable, accurate, and still pretty concealable, the P365 XL might be calling your name. It’s like the P365’s cooler, younger, and more versatile sibling – offering better shooting capabilities without sacrificing too much on concealability. At the end of the day, both the SIG Sauer P365 and P365 XL are solid choices in the world of micro-compact guns. They cater to slightly different tastes and needs, offering a blend of size, capacity, and performance.

Ultimately, if you can’t decide and are willing to go on a bit of a personal journey to find out what works best for you. The SIG P365 FCU (Fire Control Unit) is capable of being hot-swapped between all the models of the SIG Sauer P365, so you can experiment and try it all out for yourself till you find something that’s perfect for you!

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