range time: sig Sauer p365xl 9mm

When I took this pistol to the range it was not just a one-and-done field trip. I brought this pistol out for play multiple times over the summer. I did most everything a seasoned shooter could think to try for practice from banging steel, shooting silhouette targets, practicing magazine exchanges, and working on drawing from a holster.

My greatest overwhelming impression was that this firearm shoots like a full-size range pistol. It might have been spawned from carry pistol origins, but frankly, it handles, manipulates, carries, and hits like a full-size range pistol. The fact that it is easily concealable to boot is an ancillary benefit we are all going to benefit from.

I believe I have moderate-size hands, and I was able to easily get a complete purchase on the frame of this pistol. This made handling the pistol easier and I had a lot more confidence. The transfer of recoil was easier to mitigate and control as well. All of these things culminated in making this pistol very enjoyable to shoot.

As far as some of the aesthetic points of the P365XL 9mm, I appreciated the stippling on the frame of the pistol as well as the extended 15 round magazine. It was like a fine sandpaper grit that assured a secure hold without being abrasive to the point that you are losing skin. The beavertail built into the rear of the frame and the shallow undercut beneath the trigger allow you to hold slightly higher than comparably sized pistols. This achieves the feel of a sleek low bore axis which aids in quick follow-up shots and mitigating recoil.

The one thing I had difficulty with is quickly catching sight of the ROMEOZero Micro Red Dot I had mounted on top. It may have been my own fault for not having a lot of experience with SIG Sauer firearms, but it took a solid 10 mags or more before I could shoot fast with the red dot. So for people who are new to SIG Sauer pistols, there might be a slight learning curve in getting comfortable with ‘pointing’ them.

concealed carry: sig Sauer p365xl 9mm

Although all I wanted to do with this gun is burn it down at the range shooting steel, paper targets, bowling pins, or anything I could get my hands on I know that the origins of the P365XL 9mm is a carry gun. Albeit slightly longer in the handle and slide than the original P365, this is still a tremendous contender to be anyone’s everyday carry (EDC) gun. So with that being said, I carried it on and off over the course of the last 2 months in rotation with my normal EDC.

I used the ever so popular Galco KingTuk holster which worked great for my mundane days of working behind a gun counter and light work of unloading product off semi-trucks into our store. On the days when I would wear a shop polo (not tucked in) I chose to go the KingTuk route. The longer polo easily covered this pairing while carrying what I call far-of-back; basically on my right butt cheek since I am right-handed. The neat thing about the P365XL 9mm is it will fit most normal P365 holsters. I do not want to make the profound blanket statement that it will work in all, but the 3 or 4 I tried it fit just fine even with the ROMEOZero Micro Red Dot and the longer 15-Round Magazine. All in all, comfortable to carry this way, decently easy to draw (not lickety-split fast, but decent), and much easier than my mainstay EDC which is a full-frame polymer gun.

The 2nd way that I carried the P365XL 9mm is with an appendix IWB holster also from Galco because I had them readily available to use at work. While the far-of-back IWB carry is more comfortable for the general bending, moving, and working of everyday life I prefer the appendix IWB because of its secure feeling and faster draw.

With the appendix IWB carry, I never have heightened Spidey-sense feelings that the gun is going to ever tip out. With far-of-back IWB, if I am crouched down stocking and straightening shelves I feel like my shirt may unfurl and GASP!… Be exposed! I understand a lot of this is in my own head, but for that reason, the appendix IWB always feels closer-at-hand and more secure to me. Conversely, if you do a lot of car commuting or work in a seated position for long periods of time the scrunch of a gun under your belly and poking your groin can be uncomfortable. Its a give-and-take of positives and negatives which are not necessarily the SIG P365XL’s fault. These are gripes I have with most any gun in those positions so it is simply food for thought for those considering carry there.

My closing thoughts on carry for the P365XL 9mm are that it was very easy to conceal. As easy, if not more so, than all of its direct competitors like the Smith & Wesson Shield, Glock G43, insert “X,Y,Z” brand name, but with this you are getting more capacity and a better purchase on the frame to control it. Also, it feels like you are concealing something smaller than those competitors because of the thinness of the frame. It is truly an enigma in the shooting industry right now; the best kind of enigma.

If I end up buying one of these which has a high likelihood, I would search out a better appendix IWB holster because the draw would be faster for me from that position of carry, and it would be just as easy to go about my day. The brand I had in mind is actually from one of our very own writers, Alex, who is the owner of ANR Design: Thermoplastic Solutions and Holsters. Give his company a look when you have the chance.

conclusion: sig Sauer p365xl 9mm

With the duration I spent using, carrying, and shooting the SIG Sauer P365XL 9mm, I had more than enough time to reaffirm my thoughts and feelings about this pistol. For one, it is truly an oddity. What I mean by this is it can run beside your best or favorite carry guns and then crossover to the range to perform equally well there, too.

Being as the original P365 paved the way for holsters and accessories, the P365XL 9mm can share all of those aftermarket tools and essentials so you are not hunting down components that are not on the market yet. For carry, I grabbed multiple P365 holsters off a store shelf and the P365XL 9mm dropped right in. I loved that simplicity.

The other thing I truly appreciated is this pistol being optics ready with the slide cut from the factory. While I wholly believe everyone should have a foundation of shooting and proficiency with iron sights before adding in optics to anything… Holy Cow does shooting with a red dot make life easier! There is a learning curve of knowing how to point quickly and catch the dot in the window, but once you attain those skills you can quickly be burning down steel at the range in no time.

My only complaint about the P365XL 9mm in 2+ months of shooting it was that it ‘points’ at a different angle than some other brands I am familiar with. This is not so much a strike against SIG Sauer that they are doing anything wrong, but more so something of note that there is a slight learning curve to get used to and that I personally have do not have a lot of experience with SIG Sauer firearms.

In closing, I want to say THANK YOU to SIG Sauer for allowing TFB and myself the opportunity to try out their New SIG Sauer P365XL 9mm as well as their equally New ROMEOZero Micro Red Dot! That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that this SIG Sauer P365XL 9mm is something worthy of you adding into your EDC rotation? Would you carry it with a Micro Red Dot like I did? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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