When the modular SIG P320 and P365 were launched they touted a chassis-like system for the fire control groups. Others like Grand Power had been using this construction style for years to improve longevity and trigger feel consistency, but SIG managed to make the FCU the serialized part recognized by the ATF as the legal “firearm.”
This opened up a world of possibilities. Other manufacturers like SCCY and Honor Guard did the same, but the modularity never went much beyond the same grip modules being offered in different colors. With the size and heft of SIG SAUER behind it we finally got modular handgun systems with the P320 and P365, thanks increasingly to the aftermarket.
What it took for more than “now available in insert-color-here” was aftermarket support. Independent companies willing to risk the R&D resources to make something truly different. Icarus Precision is one such company and is not only making grip modules with different options and ergonomics than OEM, but also making them of billet aluminum.
While working on an article for the May/June ’22 issue of Combat Handguns Magazine I got to experience just how different my SIG P365XL could be by mixing in different aftermarket parts. The goal of that build was to tame some of the snappiness handy micro-compacts can have. I fell in love with the Icarus Precision frame and after finishing the article felt a need to explore more.
As it turns out Icarus is located in Washington State within range of an easy day trip, so I arranged a visit to see more and learn about their process. Check out my interview with Travis of Icarus Precision below . . .
http://https://youtu.be/EukI_HpLiTY
What started out as an experiment has turned into a full-time business turning out functional art. Beginning with personal preference, adding in requests and feedback from members of the Special Ops community, and then refining it all with customer feedback, Icarus is now producing a wide variety of grip modules offering enhancements from mild to wild.
What’s It Good For?
With seven options for P320 FCUs and five for the P365 family, Icarus has a billet-aluminum grip module for just about any taste. Options range from basic to fully tricked out. That is to say from an aluminum near-clone of the plastic grip than came with your gun all the way to double-undercut trigger guards, flipped beaver tails, and grip geometry. They mimic OEM, featuring different contours, or mimic the oddly-comfortable squareness of a 2011. How about a thumb rest for your support hand, the proverbial “gas pedal” for shooting fast? They do those, too.
For me the biggest improvements to my 365XL came from a combination of a few features. First was the double undercut of the trigger guard. This simple modification permits a higher support-hand grip. The logical improvement was the addition of a Picatinny rail. Now the only restriction to what attachments the little pistol can carry is space.
I’ve reached out to USA Today regarding their famous chainsaw attachment to see if I could find one small enough for the SIG, but no luck so far. Maybe a mini electric knife would fit.
An unseen benefit to an aluminum grip module is the added weight. The aluminum Icarus module doesn’t add much weight over SIG’s polymer, but it’s there. The end result is a gun that feels more willing to remain in the hand, shot after shot.
Is It Worth It?
At the time of this article’s composition prices range from $250-$425 for an Icarus grip module. One way to look at that is it’s most of the cost for a complete P365 or P320. The other way to look at it is as a complete makeover of how your existing gun looks and handles.
These aren’t made of plastic squirted into molds. They’re machined from billet aluminum and include contours, lines, and features not found in the OEM polymer grips. In my experience, if your P320 or P365 is a gun you currently spend a lot of range time with, or one you want to spend more range time with, the cost for the upgrade is absolutely worth it.
What Does SIG Think?
A shop in Washington State reverse-engineered the SIG FCU’s cut and then re-engineered the grip module from scratch while also adding in a multitude of options and improvements. What does SIG think about that?
I’d say they like it just fine, considering you can find Icarus Precision grip modules now in the SIG Custom Works P320 configurator. It’s also been said that more than a couple instructors at the SIG Academy are using Icarus Precision grip modules on their personal guns. Those seem to be strong endorsements.
For more information visit www.icarusprecision.com
“SIG managed to make the FCU the serialized part recognized by the ATF as the legal “firearm.”” – until the JBT change their “minds”?
“– until the JBT change their “minds”?”
As we are about to discover very soon.
*mutter*.
I’m seeing there an aluminum frame that will wear out relatively quickly as the hard steel slide cycles… 🙁
Meh, Sig p220 elite has thousands of rounds through it with same setup. I see no bad wear and she is still tight.
Wilson Combat sells a very nice polymer frame for the Sig 320 for under $70. It’s the closest I’ll ever come to having anything from them. lol
A little late to the party boys, these have been around for quite a while now. Careful, now that you have an article about them, you can expect Mizchief Masheen (intentional misspelling, they search mentions all the time) to show up and start heavy spamming about the advantages of theirs over Icarus’s product stack.
Possibly the best thing is the P365 module is it ditches that atrocious proprietary rail for some honest to goodness 1913 instead. Love their Xcompact module, which I flex. Although the recent-ish (post holiday) price increases make them rather debatable on the value point.
Just got a module from Wilson for my 320 RX Carry and I’m quite pleased with it. Totally changed the feel of the pistol. There are also optional weights you can insert into the grip that give it a more balanced feel. Money well spent.
Bought the XElite ACE 365 grip (black) for my P365-BA .380. Even my range officers liked it. But when I went to install my spare OEM FCU (Custom FCU .380 unit in the P365-BA, and I love it!) the XElite came. Installed the .380 OEM FCU, and it went in, though a hair tighter.
Then noticed the magazine bottom was different. None would fit. At local FFL, they showed me the 9mm mags fit very well, BUT even with the .380 slide installing on the frame/FCU, YOU CAN’T SHOOT 9MM THROUGH THE .380 FCU!!! It is an EXCELLENT FRAME, and if Icarus makes a version for the .380 slide/barrel, I WANT ONE. Yes, holster issue, but I’ll deal with that if I am able to get a .380 version. Just over $300 plus ship, and mag drop button NOT pre-installed, but comes with the “kit”. So now must get a 9mm Custom FCU and buy the 9mm slide and barrel, OR buy a new P365X in 9mm.
Communication with Icarus so far good, but didn’t see ANYWHERE that it wouldn’t work with the .380 and its mags. Hope they add that caveat to thier advertising, and Sig should mention that too. Call me overly optimistic, and still learning some things aren’t always what they look like. Maybe the .380 was too new to include in either folks’ ads.
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