SIG P365 X Macro Review
In late 2022 I purchased a P365 X Macro when I was search for a new “EDC”, conceal carry handgun. I was looking for something small enough that I can carry everyday, but also something that I could also include in my battle kit.
When I first held the P365 X Macro I thought, oh boy, this might be the one!
I’ve been running my P365 X Macro for over a year and a half and I thought I would share my experiences, both the good and not-so-good. Spoiler alert, I love this gun, and that’s coming from a Glock-19 fanatic.
Welcome to my P365 X Macro review.
Overview
In 2022, Sig Sauer introduced the Sig P365 X Macro, a larger variant of the standard P365 XL series handgun. The P365 XL by itself is much like what I was carrying before I got the X Macro, the Glock-43. Both are very small handguns and both have grips that are a little small for men with medium to larger hands.
The P365 X Macro is a larger variant of the P365 XL base model in that the grip is nearly a half in inch longer, just enough to get that pinky on board. Trust me when I say, the pinky on the grip was a game changer for me in terms of confidence and capability.
As for barrel length, we’re talking the same length so no real difference there. For weight, the X Macro comes in about an ounce heavier than the P365 XL, but only because it holds 5 more rounds of ammunition than the P365 XL.
When compared to the Glock-43, the Sig P365 X Macro is over an inch taller, which explains why the X Macro fits me so much better. Yes, I had magazine extension on my G43 mags but they always felt loosy-goosy and honestly, I want my EDC to feel “right”, out of the box.
Sig P365 X Macro Review
Now for the meat and potatoes of my Sig P365 X Macro review. I won’t beat around the bush here and I can honestly say that after carrying the G43 with a mag extension for nearly 5 years, I like the Sig P365 X Macro much better.
For whatever reason, I just couldn’t shoot the G43 like and I can shoot the X Macro. But to be fair, I do have a Holosun 507K optic on the P365 X Macro so my excuses for “not shooting the G43 good” are not all equal. Had I put the effort into putting an optic on the G43 I might have had a different opinion, but it is what it is.
If I were to be truly honest with myself, I think I just wanted something fresh, and with an optic. So, don’t read too far into my negative thoughts on the G43 because at the end of the day, I’ll always blame the “equipment operator” (myself) before I blame the equipment.
Compensator
The X Macro’s compensator is suppose to reduce recoil by up to 25%. I’m not sure how much I buy into that but I can sat that the X Macro does have noticeably less recoil than the Glock 43 and M&P Shield. Even my wife said she noticed a difference and now….I have to get her one too! For this, the compensator seems like a good idea.
Where the built in compensator doesn’t do so well, and don’t laugh too hard here, is with a belly band. I use a belly band when I go jogging because it keeps my firearm tight against my body. Standard holsters don’t work so well when running and jogging as they tend to be a little on the floppy side or just downright annoying.
With a belly band, the compensator almost always catches on the fabric when drawing the P365 X Macro. I get it, belly bands are terrible for conceal carry, but there is one exception I feel they are useful for, and that’s for running and exercising.
Now the prepper side me wonders if dirt and muck will collect easier in the slide due to the cuts for the compensator. I have no plans to roll around in the mud and dirt but I do wonder if the compensator could end up being a liability during an SHTF situation. I don’t know and I don’t want to know, but I do wonder.
Optic Cut Slide
The Holosun 507 K dropped right on to the optic cut slide with no real issues. I won’t go as far to say that it was perfect, but it certainly wasn’t a major problem. The X-RAY3 Day/Night Sights also allow me to co-witness with my Holosun 507 K optic, but just barley. You can co-witness with the stock sights on the P365 X Macro but dang if they are still just a “skosh” too small.
Grip Module
The grip on the P365 X Macro feels good to me. It reminds me a lot of the grip on the Shadow System MR920 (Glock-19 clone). I can’t say I have monster hands, but I do have large-ish hands and the grip on this feels so much better the some of the other compacts like the Glock-43 and M & P Shield.
When compared to the P365 XL, Glock-43 or M & P shield, I can say without a doubt that the P365 X Macro fits me much better. The grip alone makes me feel much more confident and the handgun feels much more secure when it’s in my hands when compared to the others.
The Sig P365 series is known for it’s modular frame which essentially allows the handgun owner to swap out the entire grip module and it’s internals. Wilson combat now makes grip modules for the P365 X Macro but I’ll be honest, with a stock grip we can at least hold it before we buy it.
Trigger
The flat, striker trigger system is smooth and reasonably short. Not as short as a Glock-19 but much shorter than the M & P shield and Glock-43. When shooting the P365 X Macro you can feel the trigger reset which is something that is important to me.
I like feeling the trigger reset because it lets me refine my shooting when training to shoot faster. Why spend extra time pulling the trigger the full distance when the trigger reset lets you know the actual distance.
No problems here with the stock trigger for me but like I said, if you really have to you can drop in an after market trigger.
Magazine
What can I say, the Sig P365 X Macro can carry 18 rounds, 17 in the magazine plus 1 in the chamber if that’s how you like to roll. The magazines are metal and have lived up to a lot of training and shooting.
I have not had any problems with the stock magazines and I’m planning to buy some more.
M1913 (picatinny) Rail
I can’t write a P365 X Macro Review without mentioning the built in M1913 picatinny rail system. The rail is for the installation of a gun light and I’ve tested it with a TLR-7 A. I found the TLR-7 to be a little bit on the bulky side so I have since removed it, but the rail is there for those who wish to have a light on their EDC.
The key will be whether or not you can find a holster that will fit with whatever accessories you mount to the rail. Not all holsters support all lights and accessory brands. It’s now 2024 and the holster manufacturers are starting catch up but you’ll still want to do your research.
Conceal Carry
I carry the P365 X Macro everywhere I can legally go during the day. Currently I use a CYA inside the waistband holster where I carry usually the 1-oclock or at the 4-oclock position depending on my mood. When I go running, I use a belly band to secure the X Macro to my body while I attempt to get some exercise.
The P365 X Macro has no noticeable imprint on any of my clothing but sometimes some of the firearm is exposed if I wear a T-short that’s a little shorter than others.
I also put the X Macro in an EDC bad from time to time and everything is perfectly accessible.
Reliability
I’ve had the P365 X Macro now for well over a year and a half. During this time I’ve put around 2500 rounds through the X Macro and I have had zero issues. The P365 X Macro has survived the abuse of regular run-and-gun type training scenarios, has been dropped on several occasions and has been used in all types of weather conditions.
Snow, rain, single digital temperatures and the P365 keeps doing what it does best, putting lead down range. With all the training that I’ve done with the P365 X Macro I would have thought that I would have experienced some sort of malfunction by now, but I haven’t.
The Glock-43 and M & P shield always had feeding issues, especially the M & P Shield. But I have yet to have any of the feeding issues with the X Macro like I did with those other handguns.
X Macro vs. Glock 19 vs. Glock 43
When comparing against other firearms that I own, the P365 X Macro fits somewhere between a Glock 19 and Glock 43. Smaller than a SIG P320 but larger than a P365 XL. I think that one of the reasons why I like the P365 X Macro so much is that it’s just the right size for me and it’s a great “do all” type of handgun.
Conclusion
You know how you met your significant other you just knew it was right? The Sig P365 X Macro feels kind of like that, like it belongs, like it’s a part of me. It’s the same feeling I have with my Glock-19. I know, I’m kind of a mut being that I run a Glock as my full-size and a Sig Sauer as my EDC. But…… I’m a prepper, so I could care less about brands. I’m more about what tool is right for the task at hand, not what brand is more popular on the Internet.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for something “in between” that you can use comfortably as an EDC or even as part of your battle kit, the X Macro might work for you. With the P365 X macro’s 17 round magazine, built in compensator and larger grip module, you’re getting full size like shooting in a compact EDC footprint.
I love it.
