Sig P365 SAS vs P365

We’ll compare the Sig P365 SAS vs P365 in detail down below.

When Sig Sauer introduced the P365, it was a big hit almost immediately. After a couple of years of being out, Sig introduced the P365’s SAS variant. Comparing the two, the differences are noticeable but unobtrusive to new users of either model. Even though it’s a small firearm, the standard P365 is designed with standard sights and normal controls.

The SAS, on the other hand, has a specifically snag-free design with a unique sighting system. Both of these guns have unique selling points but neither gun is a clear winner in all categories. 

Size

Metrics	Sig P365	Sig P365 SAS
Weight w/ no mag (Oz)	16.5	16.5
Weight w/ empty mag (Oz)	18.6	18.6
Weight w/ full mag (Oz)	22.9	22.9
Height (top of slide to bottom of magazine baseplate) (Inches)	4.23	4.23
Length (Inches)	5.80	5.80
Width of grip (Inches)	1.02	1.02
Width of slide (Inches)	0.90	0.90
Width across controls (Inches)	1.01	1.01

Sig P365 SAS vs P365 Concealed Carry

Both of these guns are definitely suited for concealed carry. They are identical in size when you’re talking about weight. 

The only differences in dimension are going to be the width and height of the guns if you include the sights and the height, which I did not as that typically doesn’t affect consumers on a base level. The width of the gun is a little bit different, but that’s due to the Sig P365 SAS having extremely low-profile controls.

Those controls do nothing to improve concealment but do ensure a snag-proof surface. We’ll cover those low profile controls later on in the Sig P365 SAS vs P365 comparison. 

In my opinion, the Sig P365 SAS is designed primarily for pocket carry. The SAS has a low-profile sighting system as well as the B-feature controls we mentioned earlier. Both features make the gun come much smoother out of a pocket than the standard Sig P365.

If you’re using the gun for IWB or OWB carry, the low-profile features are going to be what I would call a marketing gimmick. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

They aren’t snagging features when you’re carrying in those positions as there’s nothing really to grab those on the gun.

I’m sure somebody is going to comment below with their one experience that had where that happened, but in all reality, this isn’t going to be an issue for the vast majority of users. 

Ergonomics overall

Frame

Both of these guns are Sig P365s at heart, so the ergonomics are going to be identical until you get to some of the controls. That said, we’re going to cover the ergonomics of the standard Sig P365. 

The ergonomics on the Sig P365 are quite excellent. If you have smaller hands, they are superb. If you have larger hands, it will still work well for you. Even as small as the gun is, I can still get my hands completely on the grip. Half of my pinky hangs off the bottom of the base plate, but even the other half of the pinky that’s on it allows me to get good leverage on the firearm.

The gun really does feel pretty good in the hand considering its size. One downside of the grip I will warn you about is the smaller circumference. This is not a downside if you have smaller hands, but if you have larger hands such as myself, this will increase your draw time when you’re drawing this gun from inside the waistband.

If you’re drawing the gun outside of the waistband, it won’t be as big of a deal — if you’re using it from a pocket, it won’t be a problem at all. 

The reason this can slow your draw using the instruments of the waistband is that a larger portion of your hand has to go between the grip and your body due to the small circumference of the grip.

A grip that is longer from the back to the front strap, is quicker to draw and get a hold on when you’re drawing from inside. The Sig P365 and P365 SAS both suffer from a small grip circumference.

Texture

One thing that Sig nailed on these guns was texturing, which is absolutely fantastic. It covers the grip 360 degrees and feels like very light sandpaper. It holds the grip in place, but it’s not so aggressive that it shakes your hand. This grip will work well for both those with calloused hands or nicely manicured hands. Sig did a perfect job of hitting that sweet spot here that will make most shooters happy. 

Slide

The slides on these guns are probably the most disparate feature, but from a user standpoint, they’re pretty much the same. The slide on the regular Sig P365 has no cut, a front sight dovetail, and a front sight to boot. The Sig P365 SAS, on the other hand, has a completely smooth top. 

Both of these guns have four serrations that are identical. In my opinion, the slide on the Sig P365 SAS is a little easier to wrap just because that front sight post isn’t there and you don’t have to worry about snagging it with your hand.

That’s completely a mental thing on my part, and it really doesn’t affect the way that I grip the gun. Just not seeing that front serration is comforting when you’re going to rack the gun as you know it won’t slam it on your thumb by accident.

I can’t really say there is an advantage on the slide for one over the other.

Sights

The sights on the Sig Sauer P365 and P365 SAS are where things get very different. 

The sights on the Sig P365 SAS are extremely unique. They are Meprolight Bullseye sights with a fiber optic in the front of the system that sits underneath a window. This window collects light, and the fiber optic shines when you look through the sighting system on the gun.

It’s a tunnel with a dot in front of it. You line these up almost like a peep sight on an AR-15. That said, the sight picture is completely different considering you have a blackout surface in front of the front sight with the bullseye system. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

The regular Sig P365 just has a standard set of Siglite night sights.

These are your normal three-dot night sights. The front sight has a green luminescent painted ring around the front tritium, while the rear is blacked out with tritium vials.

The biggest upside of the Sig P365 SAS sights, in my opinion, is that they are extremely low-profile and won’t snag if you’re drawing the gun from the pocket. These sights are designed for very close use. The Sig P365 sights, on the other hand, are much more traditional.

I’m able to shoot at 100 yards through the tiny Sig P365 and make consistent hits. The gun allows me to do this since the sights are somewhat normal. There is no way I could do it with the Sig P365 SAS, but I do plan to attempt it. 

POA/POI

Another issue with the Sig P365 SAS is zeroing the sights. Unfortunately, there is no way to zero on the gun. Talking to the sales reps at my gun store, they said roughly half of the 60 to 65 SAS guns they receive get sent back because the sights end up being severely off. 

However, they don’t have the same issue with the standard P365. In that SAS case, not only are you counting on Sig’s tight manufacturing tolerances for this to work, but you’re also counting on that for Meprolight. You’ll have two different companies that have to get a lot of things right for the sighting system to be dead on. That doesn’t account for changes like ammo type. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Again, this gun is not something that’s used to use precision weapons. It’s not a gun you’re going to be zeroing in 25 yards. That said, it should still hold the point of any point of impact, around seven yards. Some of the Sig P365s they have in the store will not do that.

Aftermarket

There is no aftermarket option to replace the Sig P365 SAS sights with anything other than a red-dot, but there are companies making red-dot adapter plates that will fit into the area where the Sig P365 SAS sight is mounted.

Alternatively, there are a ton of aftermarket sight options for the regular Sig P365. 

Controls

The controls on these guns don’t want to be one of the biggest differences outside of the sighting system, so we’re going to spend a little bit of time talking about those in-depth. 

Safety

Both of these guns are not available with safety. As of writing this, there is no option on the P365SAS.

I have been impressed with the thumb safety on the Sig P365, as it’s placed in a good position, that’s easy to disengage, and it’s low-profile. Those are not two features that often work together on safety. Safeties are normally either low-profile or don’t disengage well.

The Sig P365 has somehow managed to have both. 

Trigger 

The trigger on the Sig P365 and Sig P365 SAS are also identical. You have a bit of light take-up, and then you’re going to reach some creep that will continue for a little bit until you go into a rolling break. The trigger on the Sig P365 SAS isn’t going to win any awards, but the rolling break makes it a very shootable hang-up. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

As I mentioned earlier, with the regular Sig P365 and its normal sight, I’m able to consistently make hits at 100 yards. The trigger on the Sig P365 is also great for slow-controlled fire.

Slide Lock

The slide locks on these guns vary greatly. The slide lock on the standard Sig P365 is somewhat sharp and angular, but said angles prevent the gun from wanting to snag. The Sig P365 SAS slide lock is set into the frame. You can use the slide stop on the regular Sig P365, as a slide release, whereas you are not going to do that on the P365 SAS. 

I will say that Sig designed the slides up well enough on the P365 SAS that you can push it up into the slide. You could technically push it down, but you better have strong fingernails as that’s what you’re going to be using to press.

There’s no way you’re going to be able to get enough meat from your thumb for that to work.

Magazine Release

The magazine release on the Sig P365 and Sig P365 SAS are identical. This is somewhat disappointing to me. When the Sig P365 SAS first came out, I was really hyped and excited about the gun until I got to handle one in my store and saw it used the standard magazine release mechanism.

This might sound weird, but if you really look at this gun, what it was designed to do, and how it works best in a pocket, it would make a lot of sense for the scan to have a heel-style magazine release. That style of release would be more reliable for pocket carry and would just give the gun a cool factor. 

I know heel-style magazine releases make the guns slow to reload, but let’s look at what this gun is designed to do in the first place. This gun was designed to be shot out, drawn from a pocket, and designed to be very low-profile.

This is not a gun you’re likely to be carrying a backup mag for. This is a gun you’re going to load 10 or 11 rounds into. In the event that’s not enough, run, or hide, or do anything but don’t waste your time reloading another magazine. 

Magazine Well

The magazine well on these guns is not chamfered or bezeled in the slightest, but it still works fairly well because your hand will likely act as the magazine well when you go to reload the firearm. If you’re dropping your magazine, understand that you’re going to have to compromise your grip or else your hand will likely block the empty magazine from injecting. 

Quality

The quality of these guns seems identical, but common wear points on the Sig P365 finish are going to be the take-down lever and the slide lock.

Because of that, the slide lock and takedown device on the Sig P365 SAS seem to be of a higher quality because they’re lower-profile and their finish doesn’t wear quite as bad. I’m going to have to give some quality points there to the Sig P365 SAS, even though in reality, there is no distinct material difference between these two points. 

Aftermarket Sig P365 SAS vs P365

From an aftermarket perspective, these guns share a lot of parts, but you’re going to have a lot more aftermarket sighting options for the regular P365. 

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, I find the Sig P365 SAS to be a much more attractive handgun. There’s something about not having a front sight on the Sig P365 SAS that makes the gun “whole.” I don’t know what it is about the lack of that feature exactly that does it for me. 

I’ve always thought the Sig P365 is a very proportional handgun but lacking elegance. Not having a front sight on the SAS, almost makes the gun elegant in its simplicity. It’s a gun I want to take pictures of sitting next to my other firearms. I know this may seem irrational, but the SAS does look really good.

Sig P365 SAS vs P365 Shooting

Choosing a gun really comes down to the sight session. When you are shooting a Sig P365 SAS, you’re going to have to use the slide for all manipulations. You’re not going to be able to use the slide slot as you would with the Sig P365, so when shooting the Sig P365 SAS vs a standard P365, you’re going to have a different method of reloading the firearm altogether. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Now, the real difference is going to come in the sighting system. With the sight on the Sig P365 SAS, you’re going to immediately lose after that first shot. If you have good recall control, that will return to you somewhat similar to a red-dot. That being said, your sight and target focus on this is going to be different than it would be on a red-dot pistol.

It’s not going to be as easy to get a precise shot as a red-dot. With a red-dot pistol, you can target focus and still get a very clear picture of where the dot is before making a precision shot. For the Sig P365 SAS, you can target focus, but you’re not going to know much more than that the center of the bullseye sight is in the tunnel circle. 

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

Depending on lighting conditions, the back lens of the bullseye sight can also have to be there on one side or the other. This isn’t something I’ve noticed indoors, but it is something I’ve noticed when shooting outdoors in various lighting conditions.

This might be distracting to you. I personally found the Sig P365 SAS system less accurate, especially when going to push the gun out to a little farther distance. If you’re shooting the gun for just personal offense at a distance of seven yards, it will definitely work but you’d probably be better suited with something like access to big-dot sights.

Picking Up The Sight

It is going to be quick to pick up for most people that need bullseye-style sight. The style is fairly quick to pick up for me, but I have a lot of experience shooting, particularly with red-dots. This sight is going to take some getting used to for most people.

Again, I go back to what the salesmen at my gun store said, and they all said people either pick up the Sig P365 SAS and go, “wow, that’s kind of cool,” or “man, I don’t like that.”

Maybe it’s one of those things you can pick up and know right away whether or not you even have a chance of liking it, but I really think you need to get to the range to see if you’re really going to like it. The gun sounds great in theory, but in reality, I would take the regular Sig Sauer P365 vs its SAS variant because of the sights alone.

Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sig P365s

Euro Optic | Grab A Gun | Primary Arms | PSA | Brownells | Guns.com

The sights are cool and eclectic, and I really liked that. If they had released this gun where they hit all mag releases, then I would be all over it just because that would make it something similar to the ASP of yesteryear. But just the bullseye sights aren’t enough to sell me. It’s a cool idea in theory, but in execution, I think it’s lacking.

It’s a marketing gimmick in my opinion. I don’t see this as a useful feature unless you plan to pocket carry the gun. If you want to carry inside the waistband (or do anything other than pocket) then the Sig P365 is going to be your best bet.

Price/Value

MSRP on the Sig P365 SAS is $679 while the regular P365 is $599. For the money, the standard P365 is definitely a better value compared to the SAS variant.

Related Articles

• Sig P365 SAS Holster
• Sig P365 SAS Review
• Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS
• Sig P365 Review
• Sig P365 vs P365 XL

Pros/Cons

Sig P365 Pros

• More precise sights
• Easier-to-use controls
• Price

P365 Cons

• More likely to snag
• Doesn’t look as sleek

P365 SAS Pros

• Snag-free profile
• Cool concept 
• Sleek look

Sig P365 SAS Cons

• No heel-style magazine release
• Price
• Less-accurate sighting system