SIG Knocks It Out of the Park with the New P365 X-Macro Comp – Full Review

So, what does a company do after winning the US military handgun contract with the M17/ M18, and garnering top spot for the #1 selling pistol in the country – SIG P365? Well, they endeavor to figure out how to give the handgun consumers “even more.” I own both the SIG P365 and the 365 XL, and I believe both are excellent pistols that changed the Micro Compact market.  The P365 X-Macro Comp is just as groundbreaking as its predecessors.

SIG CEO, Ron Cohen tasked the 365 Product Team to give the shooters more, and they absolutely crushed their mission. The new X-Macro gives more in so many ways and redefines the market space that the P365 will compete in. The X-Macro’s upgrades should allow the 365 line to expand from the Micro Compact market into the sporting, medium framed handgun, and duty handgun markets.

To compete outside of the Micro Compact concealed handgun market, the 365 needed more capacity, so SIG developed a new magazine and slightly extended the grip of the Macro so that it now has a capacity of 17 + 1. The longer grip provides space for a full-handed grip while still retaining the 365’s comfort and ergonomics.

The good news for all 365 owners is that the new 17-round magazines will fit all previous 365 models. The new longer grip of the Macro increases the overall height of the pistol to 5.2,” which is less than a half inch taller than the 365 XL with its 12 +1 capacity. The amazing thing is the Macro remains a small pistol and is still a slim 1 inch thick.

The new grip fits naturally in the hand and adds more surface area and leverage to increase control while shooting. For shooters with larger hands the original 365 grip was probably a bit too small. To make the P365 X-Macro Comp more comfortable for those with larger hands SIG added a replaceable backstrap that comes in 3 sizes. The backstrap system is so seamless you can hardly tell where it mates to the grip .

The Macro’s slide still has the removable plate to support mounting a red dot optic while the iron sights remain installed, and the excellent SIG front and rear cocking serrations. However, the big change to the slide is the integrated 2 port compensator machined just in front of a 3.1-inch barrel. The overall length of the slide is the same as the standard 365 XL making it a fast handling yet still concealable pistol.

The obvious question is how much does a small 2 port compensator help on a 9mm with a 3.1” barrel? In my opinion, enough. SIG says that the reduction in muzzle flip is 20 – 25%. I don’t have a scientific way to put a concrete number to it, but the reduction in muzzle flip and recoil is definitely noticeable and significant enough to warrant having the compensator.

I’ve shot plenty of pistols with compensators over the years in USPSA competition, and many would blow a portion of the exiting gases back toward the shooter and/or the optic. The SIG Macro’s compensator didn’t exhibit these issues.  The gases tended to move forward away from the shooter minimizing distraction while still being very effective at increasing control.

One of the concerns about compensated carry pistols is that from a retention position the comp may vent gases up into the shooters face. I shot over 50 rounds from close retention and never had any issues with the vented gas.

I slow-motion videoed the close-range shooting strings and it was clearly evident that the gases were venting out in front of me towards the target. The Macro proved to be very controllable while shooting one-handed from the retention position. The compensator allowed for some very fast close-range strings.

Specifications

Caliber                         9mm

Capacity                      17 + 1 rounds

Height                         5.2 inches

Width                          1 inch

Length                         6.6 inches

Weight                        21 3/8 ounces

Sights                          Sig XRay or Sig Romeo 0

Rail                              Picatinny 1913

Cost                          Should be available for ~ $799.99

Accuracy Testing

For a pistol that’s small enough to be a concealed carry gun and holds enough ammunition to be a duty gun, the SIG 365 X-Macro Comp demonstrated fantastic accuracy. The 3.1” barrel printed really well from the table at 15 yards. Most of the groups were shot with the red dot installed, but I did shoot a few with the iron sights and I was equally impressed.

I think the pictures speak for themselves, the Macro did great with everything I shot. Even the military ball ammunition grouped right at 2 inches, and the Speer Law Enforcement frangible was under 1.75. The best group was 5 shots with Hornady Custom 147 XTP.

The Macro comes with the usual 365 X straight trigger, this one broke at 5 lbs 4 oz on my trigger scale. Not a match trigger but certainly more than adequate for defensive shooting or shooting some great groups.

I knew that the Macro Comp was capable of shooting well from greater distances, so I backed out to 50 yards for a try. I had already removed the red dot, so I shot it with the iron sights. I figured if it could do 1 – 2” at 15 yards it should easily shoot 6 – 8” at 50 yards, perhaps better if I did my part.

I went prone and shot from the ground at 50 yards. I really like the SIG XRay sights for up close shooting, but the short sight radius and front sight width would require some focus to shoot the longer distance. However, the Macro did better than I had expected.

Four of the five shots grouped just under 2,” the other one was obviously my fault getting a little rushed on the trigger. The 5 shot group ended up measuring 6.25,” still excellent for such a compact pistol.

Speed Work

I was lucky enough to shoot several hundred rounds through the P365 X-Macro Comp at the SIG Academy and then over 500 more at my home range. It only took a few magazines to get the feel for the compensated Macro. The new grip fits so well that it feels like I’ve shot this pistol my whole life.

My first impression was that this gun cycles fast and the compensator really works. So, unless you are very focused on shooting fast and getting on the trigger, the Macro will definitely be waiting on the shooter to break the next shot. Even after you get a feel for the timing it’s all you can do to keep up.

Another upgrade on the Macro is that the accessory rail is now standard 1913 Picatinny instead of a SIG proprietary design. So now there are hundreds of lights and lasers that will fit the pistol. Unfortunately, this means that 365 XL holsters won’t fit the Macro; and this kept me from shooting it from the draw.

I did my range work from a variety of low-ready positions engaging my plate rack, dueling tree, and assorted steel silhouettes. I was very impressed at the speed I could run the dueling tree, and though I didn’t have a previous baseline time, I am certain I was hitting some new personal bests. Faster is better, right?

During all the media shooting at SIG, and the hundreds of rounds I fired at the house I never had or saw anyone have a single malfunction with the Macro. I know SIG does extensive reliability testing but with that much ammunition ranging from Hornady Critical Defense Light (100 grain reduced recoil) to 124 +P, and 147 grain full power it is impressive to have a firearm run 100%.

Summary

I am very impressed with the P365 X-Macro Comp, SIG did an amazing job on the new model. It’s still a relatively small pistol, much smaller than most 18-round duty guns, but extremely shootable. In addition, it’s very accurate, and stone-cold reliable.

With the same slide length as my XL and only .4 difference in grip length I often had to look twice to see which handgun I was picking up. A pistol this size is not expected to hold 18 rounds and shoot this well. The size and design of the 365’s grip and interchangeable backstraps is awesome and will undoubtedly be a great fit for many in law enforcement as well as civilians.

In my opinion, the greatest endorsement I can give a firearm is to carry it as my daily defensive pistol. I’ve carried the P365 XL since it came out, but as soon as the right holsters become available I will be transitioning to the P365 X-Macro Comp for its added capacity, ease in shooting, and accuracy.

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