Take Charge Carry With Confidence

Sig P365 vs P365 XL

The Sig P365 is arguably the most size efficient 9mm concealed carry handgun on the market and the Sig P365 XL is its slightly larger brother. We compare the Sig P365 vs P365 XL and cover all the pros and cons of both firearms.

Size

MetricsSig P365Sig P365 XL
Weight No Mag(Oz)16.518.1
Weight Empty Mag(Oz)18.620.3
Weight With A Full Mag(Oz)22.925.5
Height(top of Slide to bottom of Magazine Baseplate)(Inches)4.234.65
Length (Inches)5.806.59
Width of Grip(Inches)1.021.02
Width of Slide(Inches)0.900.90
Width Across Controls(Inches)1.011.01

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Concealed Carry

Both of these are extremely small guns but the Sig P365 has a clear advantage over the Sig P365 XL being just under a half-inch shorter in the grip. The size difference sets them up for different roles in your concealed carry arsenal. Another key difference is the weight.

The most important think about concealed carry is getting a good quality concealed carry holster.

Sig P365XL

Sig P365XLs In Stock

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With 2 extra rounds of ammunition, the Sig P365XL weighs two and a half ounces more than the Sig P365XL. 

Pocket Carry

While I’m sure there are some individuals who could pocket carry the Sig P365 XL for most of the population it’s not a viable pocket carry option.

The Sig P365 is much for viable for most of the population. I’m 6’ and 175 pounds and I can pocket carry the Sig P365 with the right pocket holster in most of pants. With a normal pocket hoslter I need to have pants with huge pockets and bulkier cut to avoid showing that I’m pocket carrying a gun.

Ankle Carry

Both of these guns could be ankle carried but the general rule of thumb is that for your long term joint health you don’t want to ankle carry a gun that weights over 16 ounces loaded.

IWB Carry(3-5 o’clock)

Both of these guns work great for IWB carry.

In theory the Sig P365 is easier to conceal with it’s shorter grip but if you have a good holster that’ll properly cant the holster then you should be able to conceal the guns with similar effectiveness from the 4-5 o’clock. When concealing at the 3 o’clock the shorter grip on the Sig P365 becomes a more clear advantage.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL AWIB Carry (Appendix Carry)

For AIWB carry both the Sig P365 and Sig P365XL do well due to the thin profile and relatively short grips. The P365 is so small that most people won’t have an issue concealing the larger Sig P365XL.

The extra length on the slide of the Sig P365 XL balances out the gun a little better and makes the gun more comfortable to carry AIWB for most people. That said carrying a Sig P365 in a Sig P365XL holster fixes that for most people.

OWB Carry

If you want to carry an OWB holster concealing a gun can be more difficult than with IWB carry. Having a thin gun like the Sig P365 and Sig P365XL gives you the best possible chance of concealing without wearing oversized clothing.

A lot of OWB holsters don’t have a sufficient amount of cant built into the holster and if you’re using one of those than the shorter grip on the Sig P365 will conceal much better. 

Sig P365

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If you have a properly designed OWB holster with significant adjustable cant then the Sig P365 XL will likely work just as well although you will have to wear slightly longer shirts to account for the extra muzzle length.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Ergonomics overall

Frame

The only difference between the frames when comparing the Sig P365 vs P365 XL is the length of the grips. You get 2 extra rounds with a Sig P365xl flush fit magazine so the grip is just under a half-inch longer. 

Sig P365XL

Sig P365XLs In Stock

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The guns both use the same magazine body so you can run Sig P365XL magazines in the shorter Sig P365.

Sig makes 12 and 15 round aftermarket magazines for the Sig P365 and the 15 round magazines come with 2 sleeve options so choose one optimized for the gun you’re using it with.

These extensions are ergonomic and well designed. The 15 round magazine is a bit much in length and looks a little ridiculous in both the P365XL and especially in the Sig P365.

Grip Length

One thing Sig has done really well on these guns is the undercut. The Sig P365XL is a very small gun but I can get all my fingers on the grip of the gun and I can get half my pinky on the grip of the smaller Sig P365. 

The issue with this guns is not the front o the girp but the rear potion. If you make a fist with your hand you’ll notice the bottom of your palm hangs much lower than your fingers. This means that your palms will likely hang off the back of the grip with both the Sig P365 and The Sig P365 XL. 

Sig P365

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On the smaller Sig P365 there are sharp corners under the backstrap of the grip that will poke your hand unless you have really small hands. It’s not painful but it is annoying. The Sig P365XL doens’t have the same issue although your hand will still extend past the backstrap. Sig recontoured that area of the grip on the XL frame is quite ergonomic.

An issue most people will have with both guns is the magazine not dropping free unless you fully break you grip on the gun. Most people’s palm will sit below the grip and stop the magazine from dropping free. Most people don’t carry a spare magazine when carrying concealed but if you do this is something you’ll want to be sure to train around.

Texture

It’s hard to fault Sig for the texturing they chose for these guns. There is consistent texturing 360 degrees around the grip and it does a good job of keeping your hand in place. It could be more aggressive in my opinion but Sig with what I would consider a good compromise that’ll appease almost everyone.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Slide

The slides on the P365 series are sized proportionally to the rest of the gun but they’re still large enough to easily manipulate.

There are both forward and rear serrations that are aggressive enough to use effectively but not aggressive enough to cut you. The finish on the slide isn’t very slick and feels similar to a parkerized texture so that also aids your grip on the slide. 

If you’re manipulating the slide from the the Sig P365XL has an advantage from a safety perspective as the extra length keeps your hand back from the muzzle. In my opinion, Sig did an excellent job on the slide serrations.

Sights

The sight picture on the Sig P365 vs P365XL is identical on these guns when it’s ordered with the stock sights. You can get 3 different sight options on the Sig P365.

There are some guns out there that come with standard 3 dot painted sights, the most common Sig P365 comes with Siglite night sights and then they also have the Sig P365 SAS model that comes with the Meprolight bullseye sight.

At this time you can only get the sight P365 XL with the Siglite night sights.

Sig P365 Sights

P365 Siglite Night Sights

The Siglite night sights are 3 dot night rights with a black serrated rear with a tritium vial on each side of the notch and a front tritium sight with a green luminescent ring round the tritium vial. Unfortunately, in daylight, the green ring isn’t a bright as sights like the Ameriglo and Trijicon HD yellow-painted front sights. That’s said it’s still brighter than other options.

Sig P365 SAS Sights

The Sig P365 SAS sights are incredibly neat but from a practical standpoint, they’re what I would consider a gimmick.

I’ll start by saying I love the concept and I will be buying a Sig P365 because it’s an interesting concept but the sights are slower to use than traditional sights and the sight picture is much less precise. 

If you’re planning to shoot a torso-sized target within 5 yards they’ll work fine but the same thing can be said for point shooting.

The idea of these sights appeal to you, then you’ll probably be better to offer to replace the factory sights on a normal Sig P365 with something like XS big dots. The big dots will be easier to pick up and for most people, they’ll be more accurate than the stock sights on the SAS.

Sig P365

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I really like where sig was trying to go with the Sig P365 SAS but they fell short in practical execution.

P365XL Sights

Luckily the Sig P365xl ships with Siglite night sights with an identical sight picture to what comes on most Sig P365s.

Shoot Better With Mini Red Dots

Check Primary Arms for the Best Deals on In Stock Mini Red Dots

The difference between the Sig P365 vs P365 XL is the XL sight is mounted to an optic cut over. A major upside of this is the Sig P365 XL will accept slide mounted red dots like the Holosun 507k and the Sig Romeo Zero.

Unfortunately, there is a downside as well. The downside is that there are no aftermarket rear sight options that’ll work with the Sig P365XL. That said the 

Controls

Safety

There is no difference in the offering between the Sig P365 vs P365 XL. Both guns are offered with and without a thumb safety. I don’t have a safety on my personal guns but Sig did a good job of making the guns usable without making them large and bulky. 

Sig P365XL

Sig P365XLs In Stock

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They’re well-positioned so you can ride your thumb on them like a 1911 but they don’t stick out any further than the slide lock.

Sig P365 vs P365 XLTrigger 

P365 Series Trigger Shoes

One difference between the Sig P365 vs P365 XL is the trigger shoe but there is no difference in how the triggers pull. Internally the guns are identical when it comes for the trigger so the pull feels exactly the same. 

If you like more modern flat trigger shoes then you’ll want to checkout the Sig P365XL vs the P365 that has a more traditional curved trigger shoe. Both work about the same for me and I don’t find that I prefer one over the other.

They both work fine but if you find you prefer one you can always buy the sig factory trigger shoe and switch it out if the gun comes stock with the trigger shoe you don’t like.

Sig P365

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The Trigger Pull

This is probably the biggest upside of this gun series 2nd to the 10 round capacity in the Sig P365. the trigger isn’t light but it’s right where a self defense trigger should be. It has a nice rolling break that makes it very shootable.

Trigger Pull Play by Play

Initally you’ll feel some light takeup and then you’ll feel some creep as the weight of the trigger pull increased before the trigger breaks. This trigger definitely has a rolling break that will surprise you if you’re pulling the trigger extremely slow but it’s predicatable enough that you won’t fire the gun unless you mean to.

Slide Lock

Slide locks are idetical and low profile. They’rre a little bit square and angular and there are sharp edges that can be a little unccomfortable but how often do you really use this feature? As long as you aren’t left handed it’s easy to use and reach. Another win from Sig on the design.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Magazine Well

The frames on these guns are extemely thin on the sides so the gun will fit the double stack magazines. There is no flaired magwell on the Sig P365 vs P365 XL which has a slight flair. Due to that the P365XL is going to get the win there. 

But be sure to be carful when inserting a magazine to make sure it’ll seat. Often times you primary hand palm will block your support hand from seating the magazine.

Quality

These guns are both identical from a quality standpoint. Both are what you’d expect for a gun in the $500-$600 price range. The grip modules can seem a little cheap but considering you can easily find a replacement that doesn’t bother me.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Aftermarket

There is definitely a stronger aftermarket for the Sig P365 vs P365 XL. Sights, holsters, etc are all more plentiful for the Sig P365 than the XL. That said there are definitely enough P365 XL options out there to make the average consumer more than happy.

The biggest aftermarket deficit for the XL is the lack of aftermarket Iron sights but in this day in age, most are probably looking for an optic instead.

Sig P365XL

Sig P365XLs In Stock

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Aesthetics 

Personally, I think the Sig P365 is was more proportional and a much more attractive gun. I’ve always found the Sig P365 to look much better than the Sig P365XL but at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Shooting

Shooting the Sig P365 vs XL you’d think that the longer slide and longer grip would give you a major advantage but in my experience with iron sights, it doesn’t.

There is just barely less recoil with the XL than the Sig P365 but in my opinion ounce for ounce, the Sig P365 is a standout performformer.

When you shoot the regular Sig P365 you’re amazed at how well it performs considering the tiny size but when you shoot the Sig P365XL it’s nothing special. It does shoot better than the Sig P365 but by single-digit percentage points.

I actually shoot better with the Sig P365 vs P365 XL in a couple of scenarios but there are some situations where I shoot the P365 XL better as well.

Senario 1: Long Distance Shooting

Long-distance shooting steel torso targets at 100 yards slow fire is a lot easier with the Sig P365 due to the shorter sight radius. You’re reading this and thinking this guy has no idea what he’s talking about a longer sight radius makes you more accurate. 

Sig P365

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The truth is a longer sight radius will show you more movement in the sights. Extra movement when shooting at distance makes you second guess your sight picture so you’re more likely to speed up your trigger press which is incredibly important when shooting a tiny gun at 100 yards.

Senario 2: Close distance shooting at Speed

When shooting 10 yards and less “perceived” movement in the sight radius is also an advatange. At 10-12 yards and beyond I find the longer sight radius of the Sig P365XL seems to work better for me but this is something you’ll have to test yourself.

Scenario 3: 25 yard Slowfire Bullseye (B8 Targets)

Bullseye shooting at 25 yard the Sig P365XL and the longer sight radius just works a lot better for me which is counter intuitive when you see my experience shooting steel torsos at 100 yards. This is 100% a mental thing and it’s how it works with my mind but I think a lot of other shooters will have a similar experience. 

Sig P365

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If I were to put a set of blacked target sights on a standard Sig P365 I’m pretty sure I could out perform the XL because the sights alone would give me that much of an advantage. At 100 yards shooting a steel torso the crude siglite sights work better than fine target sights for me since the target is fairly large to 12 inches wide and 16 or so inches tall vs a small black X ring I can barely see at 25 yards.

Closing thoughts on shooting:

The Sig P365 really performs well and I think your typical shooter will gain more advantage from it than the Sig P365XL.

You can go just a little bigger with the Sig P320 X Compact and it’ll shoot much better than the XL while the Sig P365 XL doesn’t improve much if any over the Sig P365. So the winner for me is the Sig P365 vs P365XL. 

If I were to add a red dot to the Sig P365 XL it would probably completely change my mind on the Sig P365 vs Sig P365 XL from a shooting perspective.

Sig P365 vs P365 XL Price/Value

At $499 street price for Sig P365 vs P365 XL at $579. Both guns generally sell $100 under the MSRP. If you’re not planning to add a red dot optic the Sig P365 is a better value but considering it’d cost around $150 for a basic optics but to by added to the Sig P365. 

Sig P365XL

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Pros/Cons

Sig P365 Pros

  • Size
  • Iron Sight Ooptions
  • Shoots incredible for it’s size
Sig P365 XL Pros
  • Red Dot Mount
  • Capacity
  • Grip Length

P365 Cons

  • Capacity
  • No Red Dot Mounts
  • Doesn’t shoot as well for it’s larger size
P365 XL Cons
  • Size
  • Rear sight mounted to the optic cut cover

This is an opinion piece, but I always aim to eliminate bias. Look, we’ve all read them before. Gun reviews that claim to be helpful, but they’re really thinly veiled hit pieces trying to get you to buy something before you’ve even started your research. Or, even worse, a review put together by a content writer who has never even held a gun. 

I’ve trained with some of the best in the business to learn various shooting styles and ideologies to better serve our customers. I’ve purchased guns of all price points, calibers, and action types to build the best products for the market. I want you to walk away knowing you have the information you need to make a sound purchasing decision.

42 Replies to “Sig P365 vs P365 XL”

  1. craig says:

    Ended up going with a Hellcat

    1. john says:

      I have both, and while I like the Sig a lot, I carry the Hellcat.

  2. Casey says:

    I’ve been looking at this gun. Great review, I like how you included pro and cons

  3. Tim says:

    Was looking at the XL but your 100yd results are making me second guess that. I was sure the longer sight radius and increased fps would yield better results. Strange.

  4. Nicki says:

    As a single, female new gun owner the 365 is the right size for CC for me, and a good place to start. It helps me to rotate between the 365 and my Walther when practicing at the range. I can feel the difference in the weight and kick, and get a better feel for where my shot is skewing.

  5. Robert Young says:

    I have both and love them both. I do carry the xl as my edc though.

    1. Bardo says:

      Robert, why do you choose the XL. Capacity, grip comfort, or something else?

    2. Mike Jacobs says:

      I have and love both also but the smaller p365 is noticeably more comfortable and concealable so has become my EDC. However, after a couple months I am still dry-fire training weekly to draw as reliability as the XL because the grip is so much smaller… I seem to grab more shirt with the smaller grip, and there’s a little adjustment necessary before the first shot. These are the biggest differences to me. FYI I have average size hands, sedentary, and over 60.

      1. Kerry says:

        The 12 round mags seem to fill the gap between the two for me. It gives a little more grip length.

  6. Chris M says:

    I haven’t really gotten into Sig’s so this is interesting and helpful to learn more. The comparisons done here are great.

  7. shirley richard mclaughlin says:

    at 89, without gun ownership, for at leas 60 of this years, i am a little like the kid in the candy store. looking and trying to make up my mind. kind of fun actually.

    1. James Reedy says:

      That’s awesome! Never too late to start shooting and/or thinking defensively.

  8. Todd says:

    I think that the xl is a better option due to the extra rounds. It doesn’t seem like the xl is all that much bigger.

  9. Darrell M says:

    I have both the P365 and XL. I love both of them.

  10. Eric CJF says:

    Can’t go wrong with either choice!

  11. MLFWV says:

    I’d take either one!

  12. Melvin says:

    Sold my sig p320xl for a glock 48.

  13. CT says:

    I have the P365, but thinking of moving more towards the XL after shooting one (I have bigger hands). P365 is great for anyone with small hands, and impressive for its magazine size.

  14. Jaime says:

    Am I the only one that finds it hard to justify the price when compared with the Hellcat?

    1. JS Leonard says:

      The 365 is just a better firearm. Never buy a firearm based on cost, buy the best firearm.

    2. Andrew says:

      The Hellcat doesn’t shoot well, I like the grip and the feel but doesn’t shoot nearly as well at the range, its recoil is very snppy.

  15. Steve Sanders says:

    I like Sig for the full size frames but think I’ll stick with my G26 for concealed carry.

  16. scott says:

    always been interested in the 365 since testing it once. very useful insights

  17. Was looking for the hellcat couldn’t find one went with the sig 365. Got 3 12 round magazine and holster for 625 don’t much care for the holster but love the gun and 12 round mags

    1. Carmen says:

      That’s a steal! I just picked up a 365 for $600…it came with (2) 10rd mags and bought a 12rd mag for an additional $45.

      1. Harrison says:

        Dealers are charging more than usual right now with the increased demand. When things calm down most will be selling them at MAP(Minimum Advertised Pricing).

  18. Andre says:

    After a long search online and watching YouTube videos and reviews for weeks, I had my mind set between SIG P365, Glock 43X, and Shield Plus. I went to Sports Academy and looked at all 3 and my final decision was the SIG P365 after I saw in the counter the XL. WHY? It was a definite yes to a larger CCW that was larger, better grip, night sights, has a 12+1 times 2 Mags, hard case, wired key lock, and made to install an optic laser ,and a flash light. You can also purchase a 15+1 Mag. Everything for $630

    1. Dave says:

      What the manufacturer & model for p365 xl light & laser? Is it the streamlight TLR-6? Thx!

      1. Harrison says:

        There are a couple of options for them now. The Sig Lima series as well as 2 Streamlight offerings and a Surefire offering. There might be more I’m missing as well. But they’re all pretty weak.

  19. Will the 365 mags fit the 365xl ? Looks like the 365 mag has extra pieces on the sides that fit in the cutout on the grip module. The cutout is to assist removing a stuck / jammed magazine.
    I had this problem when I ordered a WILSON grip module. I had to file the extra tab off as they would not go into the solid frame.

    1. Harrison says:

      Sig Sells a 12 and 15 round magazine that comes with the sleeves and baseplates to work with both. 10 round P365 magazines will not fit the P365XL.

    2. Tom Aiken says:

      No. The xl mags are 12 round and they will fit the 365 tho. The baseplates just go up to the grip all the way. U can buy 15 round mags and they give with 2 baseplates so u can fit them correctly to each gun. I assume if u buy 12 round mags they might come with the baseplate for the 365, but 12s are the minimum size for the xl.

    3. Greg says:

      What I read (and watched a video of) someplace online is that any of the larger Sig handgun mags will fit the P365 but not the other way around. The P365 mags will NOT fit the P365XL or any of the larger handguns. The guy in the video even tested a 30(?) round mag in the P365 and went nuts with it. 🙂

      1. Harrison says:

        Please post a link. P365XL mags will fit but other magazines are of a different design.

  20. Greg says:

    Hey Harrison. I don’t know why but it’s not giving me a link to respond directly to your post.

    Anyway. Easier asked than done. 🙂 I’m estimating I watched that video somewhere between 150 – 200 pages ago and I don’t remember if it was on my desktop, my tablet or my Android TV. I haven’t found it yet but while going through my history I did run across another link you might be interested in. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUWfLTy2sB8 titled “Sig P365 vs P365XL” from GunsAmerica. Around 5min he does talk about how the P365 12 rd mag won’t fit the XL w/o modifications and the around 6min 10sec he pulls out a couple of 50 rd drums. He doesn’t fire the drums till the very end and then only fires 5 or 6 shots of each but the drums did work in both P365s.

    I’ll keep looking through my history for awhile but it doesn’t look good because I don’t think Youtube is showing me my complete history on the Android TV which is where I think I watched it. If I do find it I’ll come back and post.

  21. Ed B. says:

    Have both. edc is P365 nitron, with 12 round mag. I was able to mount a green dot holosun on ma 365 XL, so now considering the XL for edc. But i love ma 365 nitron way too much, easy CC and No printing in AIWB, and i am a decent shot at 8-10 yrds with its iron sights, and around 2-3 sec, somewhat decent, on the draw, depending on the layers of clothing. I guess i will go with p365 nitron as ma edc, and p365XL with extended 15 rnd mag, with dot for HDef. Have fed 1000s of range rounds (FMJs) thru both and about 100-150 JHPs thru both as well, and haven’t had any issues so far.

  22. Robyn Vitson says:

    I’m looking to get my 1st gun, as a female. Still not sure, but great video! Wish me luck!

  23. R says:

    Whoever wrote this needs to learn what a spellchecker is. Or proofreading.

  24. Ryan says:

    When people comment that they shoot the same, that doesn’t take account that they have two different triggers.

    Despite popular opinion, the curved trigger works WAY better for me. The weight is less, the reset is better, the pull is smoother.

    If the XL shoots the same as the regular…it might be that the straight trigger is holding the XL back.

    I have both. The curved trigger is better.

  25. John Thomas says:

    I have the P365 NRA edition. I like the way it shoot’s with the 12 round mags. I have large hands an it fits pretty good. I recently upgraded the grip module with one from Wilson Combat and it has a bit thicker palm swell and the texture is much better. It’s a night and day difference for the better. It even has 3 grooves in the back of the mag well for a set of tungsten weights that cuts recoil a little bit. Overall it was a great upgrade.

  26. Rick says:

    I have both std and XL , I shoot at 10 yards . I’ve had the std for 2 years. 1500 rounds. Just got the XL. And I must say I can drive tacks! With it. But the std is my EDC, because of weight and concealment. I can hold a 3 to 4 inch group with it and never had mpg with ether. You choose!

  27. Wayne says:

    I have H&K’s which are great guns but I wanted a gun that was very easy to conceal. I bought the 365-380 with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. I realize that it is not as powerful as my 9mm’s but Hornady is rated #1 as defence 380 ammo. The gun is very reliable,fun to shoot with a great trigger. When It’s important that you absolutely want to “hide” a gun this is #1, It has received great reviews.

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