Iโve been carrying the SIG P365 for over a year now and itโs been one of the most comfortable carrying guns Iโve ever used. The magazine and its capacity have been one of the biggest selling points. Itโs a gun that holdsย 10 roundsย in a remarkably efficient way. In guns of comparative size, youโd see a capacity of 6 to 7 rounds. The guys and gals at SIG found a way to shove 10 rounds into that same amount of space. Upon the release of the P365, there was also a 12 round magazine available for sale. Now, with the announcement of the P365 XL we have a 15 round magazine available for the P365. As youโd expect it works in the standard P365 quite well.
By Travis Pike, The Mag Life Blog
The magazine comes with two base plates, one to fit the XL model and one to act as a grip filler on the standard SIG P365. I grabbed one as soon as I could because I have what I call a machine gunnerโs mentality. I like ammo, and I like having a lot of it. The P365 already offered more than average capacity, but adding another 5 rounds pushed it over the edge. The big thing about theย SIG P365ย is how small it is. When you add another 5 rounds you are bound to add size to the gun. This is trueโthe magazine is quite long and does extend the overall height of the weapon.
For this reason, and a few others, I donโt carry the SIG P365 with the 15 round magazine. Instead, I carry the weapon with a standard 10 round magazine and use the 15 round magazine as my backup.
Why is It a Great Backup?
There are a number of reasons why the 15 rounder works better as a backup. As I mentioned above the point of the SIG P365 is to be small and easily concealed. Since its a larger magazine it would make the weapon harder to conceal. That extra inch or so negates the difference carrying such a small gun makes. This is why itโs not my main go-to magazine.
If Iโm ever in the position where I need to change my magazine Iโm not concerned about concealment. Being realistic Iโm not likely to swap mags because Iโve run out of ammo. Most gunfights donโt last that long. If I swap mags itโs likely due to a malfunction. In this situation why not get a complete reload plus 50% more ammo? The same could be said for that 1 in a million chance that you have to reload because youโve run dry. In that situation extra ammo is even more attractive.
Also, because the magazine is larger, itโs easier to grab, itโs easier to reload, and easier to manipulate overall. Itโs very easy to grip and easier to work as a reload than a shorter magazine. Thatโs one of the biggest draws to me. When I try to reload with one of the 10 round magazines, I feel clumsy and slow because my big palms and fat fingers often get in the way.
I can reload with the P365 more quickly and more efficiently with the longer magazine. With the longer magazine, there is also more room for mistakes. You can recover from a fumble much easier with the 15 round magazine than the 10 round magazine. Most spare mag pouches eat up almost the entire body of a 10 round magazine and that makes it harder to grip.
Admittedly the P365 has a weird magazine. Itโs too thick to be a single stack but too thin to be a doublestack. It makes finding mag pouches hard, but I found the Polymer TACOs to be a perfect fit. It expands to fit the magazine regardless of its size. This ensures proper retention which is a must-have for a spare magazine.
How It Rocks and Rolls in the SIG P365
As a SIG OEM magazine, I expect the highest level of quality. As youโd imagine you get it with this magazine. It is very well made. Itโs reliable and feeds like a champ. SIG couldnโt afford to fail in the realm of magazines with the P365. When what sets your gun apart is its magazine design you canโt mess that up. It does run cleanly and doesnโt hiccup when it is run hard. The lower base plate is heavily textured and that texturing is identical to the SIG P365โs grip. It fits well and looks clean.
It also provides a healthy extension to the grip. The P365โs standard grip is almost hand filling. Itโs at least better than most subcompacts. The 15 round magazine gives you a full-sized grip on a very small gun. The more grip on the gun the more control you have over it. On the range, it acts as training wheels for this small gun. It makes it easier to run and to shoot. When it comes to shooting rapidly that extra grip counts for a lot of control, and the same can be said for one-handed shooting.
My main complaint is how hard it is to load. Not just the last round, but every round. This mag is exceptionally stiff. The last round is the worst andย a mag loader might be a wise investmentย for high volume days.
Iโm glad SIG is expanding on this platform. I canโt wait to get my hands on the P365 XL and I also canโt wait to see how they expand on the grip modules,ย magazines, and slides. The P365 stands to be the most modular subcompact handgun on the market and the magazines will play a heavy role in that modularity.
Want your own SIG P365 15 round magazine? Well, grab oneย here. Also, check out theย TACO mag pouchesย if you want to carry it.
Read this article in its entirety at The Mag Life Blog.
1 Comment
I always question fancy sights or for crips sake a laser on a carry piece. It’s 2 in the chest and 1 in the head in 2 seconds, theirs really no time to even look at any sights it better be muscle memory. I’m not taking on a gang of 5 robbing a bank if you don’t have the option to run in any of the first 10 rounds, you are probably screwed anyhow. If you are that crazy to need that many rounds, just get a Ruger 5.7 and with a spare mag you’re already up to 41 rounds. This is just making the it into a gang banger gun for Chicago, is the drum next?