Brian K. writes . . .

I’m fascinated by all the comments people post on these, so I thought I’d step in the ring.

I carry a SIG P365 in a Kydex holster. Spare magazine…10 round limit here in Connecticut. The sacrifices we make for family!

Leatherman Wave, Streamlight Microstream, and a Bic lighter (not a smoker).

This post is part of our series, What I’m Carrying Now. If you’d like to submit a photo and description of the gun, holster and gear you’re carrying in the new world in which we live, send it to us at [email protected] with WICN in the subject field.]

 

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49 COMMENTS

  1. The P365 is a good choice. The one I had was accurate and reliable with every kind of ammo I tried.
    Sucks that you’re limited to 10 rounds. Do the bad guys obey that rule?

        • Sorry to hear about your limit. Since I don’t want to push any of the good folks of Connecticut over the edge, I’ll refrain from mentioning my 21 rounders in my P-320.

          So, what’s left for the law abiding East Coast P-365 owner?

          I figure you have two choices: (1) Move to Texas, or (2) Just learn to be a little quicker with your mag changes. Sure, it just takes a little practice, but, what else do you have to do while we’re all busy, hiding from Covid-19 germs?

          WARNING: Do not tell those fool Democrats the magazines can be changed. I don’t think they’re smart enough to figure it out, on their own.

          Stay Safe

  2. Look at the bright side. You get to carry a standard capacity magazine. /sympathetic sarc.

  3. I’m now carrying a P365 with a 12-round magazine. They’re a purpose-built firearm, and that purpose is CCW. It isn’t a “a gun you can conceal,” it is a “gun designed for concealed carry.” There’s a difference, and Sig, to their credit, discovered this.

    A “gun you can conceal” varies according to the situation. In the winter, I can conceal a Government Model or N-frame.

    • Kinda like Kel-Tec did with their P11 twenty some years earlier. 😀

      I’m not comparing the quality of the P11 and the Sig. The Sig is obviously light years ahead there. I’m just talking about the carryability, size and capacity. Kel-Tec did it decades ago.

      By the way, the 365 seems have surpassed the Shield and Glock 43,26,19 etc. as the carry gun of choice. It makes a lot of sense.

      • I’ve looked at Kel-Tec pieces before, and always came away thinking “Nice idea, needs more execution.” Kel-tec is making handguns to a price point, and, well, I wanted more.

        In fact, I looked at the P11. The trigger was atrocious. The P365’s trigger is better, but it’s still a striker-fired trigger: atrocious by my standards.

        But here’s what tipped the P365 for me:

        I wrote to Sig when they released the P365 and suggested that either a manual safety or grip safety (preferring in that order) would be the tipping point for guys like me – that I had examined a lot of the modern Glock-knockoff pistols in the last 20 years, and always wanted a manual safety. Kel-tec wasn’t about to add one. Sig did.

        So I bought a P365 with a manual safety. It is in the same place relative to the gun as it is on the 1911, which was the first centerfire pistol I learned to shoot, and is my instinctive manual of arms on a pistol. Somebody finally delivered what I wanted, so I made good on my word and bought it.

        The other factor was that the P365 comes from the factory with night sights. I can hear a bunch of people flubbering now “But you’re a gunsmith, surely adding night sights is a cinch for you!” and yes, that’s true. Both of my Glocks wear night sights – but the point is, that Sig didn’t muck about. They included night sights from the factory. That was less time I had to spend ordering sights, and then installing them. Even with a gunsmith/FFL discount, night sights are still $90 for most popular pistols.

        The sum of the details was the tipping point. Sig gave me what I wanted, right out of the box. With the 12 round mag extensions, it fits my hands very well, and I started laying down groups that were more than acceptable for self-defense purposes, even with rapid fire.

        • The night sights are a great addition.

          The trigger on the P11 truly is horrific, even compared to a double action revolver. I’ve got a P11 somewhere in my safe. I rarely shoot it. I bought it dirt cheap used from a friend many years ago. I know I couldn’t get much out of it were I to sell it, so I keep it. It is kind of a 6th string backup defensive handgun. It does shoot reliably, and is small, light, and decent capacity with flush fit 12+1. That trigger, truly bad.

      • Manual safety is very easy to retrofit, as the FCU is designed for it. Does require notching the grip module unless one buys a new one. With a new grip module, it’s about a 5-minute job. Switching the magazine catch over to the new grip module is harder.

    • Happily, of the guns I have designed to be concealed, the P365 is the one that is easily the best shooter and fit for the hand.

      My .380 will conceal even better but I rarely carry it now because there are very few circumstances in which I can’t conceal the sig.

      • I am quite happily surprised by how well the P365 shoots and the groups I can get at 10 yards or 50 feet. Then again, I was happily impressed with the groups I got from my Glock 36.

        Perhaps long(er) barrels aren’t as necessary as we believe them to be – maybe the issue is sight radius is more important than longer barrels.

        • Total agreement with the P365. When I do not carry my P220, the P365 is my go to. Small, light, controllable, very good factory sights…what’s not to like. With a twelve’r in the grip and and a spare 12 on my weak side hip I should be GTG. Have not tried the manual safety version.

          Have you tried the 15’s? I bought two and traded them for two additional 12’s….didn’t like how they fit my hands.

        • I have not tried the 15’s. Once I tried the 12’s, they “fit perfectly” and I had a wheel that was of sufficient roundness, so I rolled with it.

        • “Perhaps long(er) barrels aren’t as necessary as we believe them to be –…”

          There are shooters out there that can make tight groups with short-barrel revolvers, so the potential is there…

        • Planning to add “hooks” with something like Sugru moldable glue to match the contour of the 15s to the 12s. Not sure what Sig was thinking with those.

        • Bought a G36 in spite of some negative reviews. I carry it often. It is very accurate and reliable.

        • From what I understand longer barrels- that is, longer than the bare necessary to impart spin on the gun- are immaterial to the direct accuracy of a handgun. Once the bullet is spinning, having it spin a dozen more times before leaving the barrel isn’t going to make much difference.

          It DOES increase velocity, though. A bullet at a higher velocity can travel a longer distance before dropoff and is less impacted by wind. But those issues are not important if you’re shooting at less than 50 yards. In that case sight radius, ergonomics and weight (for followup shots and recoil) is the helpful factor.

        • “Once the bullet is spinning, having it spin a dozen more times before leaving the barrel isn’t going to make much difference.”

          Take a look down the bore of a handgun, I would be surprised if there was even a single full-turn from chamber to muzzle. Now, how ‘aggressive’ the twist is in that short length of bore likely has more to do with the bullet stabilized or not in flight, I’d guess…

    • You can say any subcompact and many compacts are designed for concealed carry. The slightly higher capacity from 1.5 stack is the plus.

      As for shootability I was accurate with the P365 but I found it snappier than a Nano. That is just a property of a small pistol. Other than the Nano, which I bought specifically for the golf course, I don’t own anything smaller than a compact pistol. I think you give up too much in shootability with a small pistol. I will take my EMP/4″ over any tiny 9. Much more benign recoil. I could see getting a P365XL though.

    • I carry one of my 365s a lot, but I like my P365XLs even better. The added slide mass and longer guide rod / recoil spring seems to have eliminated the primer swipe that plagues the smaller guns. The newest gen 365s seems very reliable out to a few thousand rounds, but I suspect the XLs will go thousands without issue.

      I just got a Hellcat for comparison, but it is still in waiting period jail and will miss my next range day.

  4. Nice! As long as I’ve been in the game I just started shooting Sigs. Plenty of guys I worked with did though. Just never saw a reason for a DA/SA. Then my cousin gave me a P220. That is a shooting son-of-a-bitch. Since I bought a P226. Still like the vintage stuff. It shoots and it’s cool.

  5. Leatherman Wave. That is in my EDC, also. It is amazing how often I use it. Mostly the screw drivers, pry-bar/file, pliars, and scissors. The knives, rarely, since opening my pocket knife is easier and faster. Have not used the saw at all.

    • I love my wave and use it daily,
      I bet I use the saw more than anything.
      I’ve cut 2X4’s, trimmed trees and cut up drywall. I actually upgraded to the wave+ this past year.

  7. I hear people say stuff like a poster here said that 10 rounds isn’t enough, not that I care how many rounds you want to carry, but the reality is you’re not going to need anything close to 10 rounds. Mdost self-defense shootings take place WITHIN 7 feet, if it’s going to take you all 10 rounds to dispatch a person that close…you need more training! And the chances that you’ll have to take on a mob is about the same odds as getting struck on the head by a meteorite! And if you do ever have to take on a mob, well the chances are they’re probably going to kill you before you can get off 10 rounds!

    I carry a snub nose 5 shot S&W model 60 (357 mag, which all of you already knew); I have it chambered every other bullet with 3 rounds of Winchester Elite PDX1 Defender 125 grain BJHP, then 2 rounds of Lehigh Defense 140 grain Xtreme Penetrator, which neither are not cheap but I’m not target shooting with those, or with the Elite’s, and since I doubt I will ever need to shoot someone then price doesn’t matter since they won’t get used!

    Please, before anyone goes off on me, remember what I said, I don’t care how many rounds you want to carry, I’m just saying what I said in my first paragraph.

    • You sir, are definitely a curiosity, in my opinion. You start off by stating that the decision some make to carry more than 10 rounds is silly based on your opinion that most armed conflicts take place within 7 feet, so trainman and all that, and that a mob will kill you no matter what, so what’s the point, but then follow with a description of what can only be described as a bizarre load out of every other bullet being something different, as though there were some data, hell any data or even a single instance of a sane person in a real world self defense situation, that would suggest that 3 of this and 2 of that in .357 was the magic defense configuration. Perhaps you will share some of whatever it is that you have been smoking?

      • so why do you feel the impulse to become a jerk? I wasn’t being a jerk, I said a couple of times I don’t care how many rounds you want to carry. FBI statistics have shown that most shootings are within 7 feet, in fact actually most are even closer like from 3 to 6 feet, and the average number of shots fired by a single person is 3 1/2 rounds. This information is the reason you really don’t need 10, or 50 rounds, I never said you shouldn’t carry more than 4 rounds or whatever other nonsense you can think of. I never said carrying more than 5 or 6 rounds was silly, you need to learn how to read and comprehend what your reading.

        As far as the mob thing goes, I stated for a situation like to happen would have the odds of being struck on the head by a meteorite! Hell, the chances of even ever shooting a person in your lifetime is 1 in 2 MILLION, being hit by lightning is one in 15,000; heck even in the days of the wild west actual gunfights would only take up one side of one page! But Hollywood is responsible for making it sound like a daily occurance by every family member. I know, you’re not going to comprehend that either, you’ll probably spin it off as if I’m some sort of left wing liberal nut job trying to convince you to turn your guns in…

        The reason I carry 2 different loads is that one has a much deeper penetration and can penetrate low level bullet resistant vests, the other load expands a lot more cause severe internal damage. AGAIN, I never said we should all be carry two different loads, only reason I mentioned it was that’s what I use, nothing more, and nothing magical. AGAIN you failed to comprehend.

        You need to grow up.

      • I had a guy ask for advice once, backed away when he showed me what he had, a revolver with 3 or 4 different types of ammo loaded, just whatever he had found here and there, don’t recall anything other than target ammo RN or SWC, told him if he ever wished to be serious we could talk. Still, he had a loaded gun, which sets him better than 60 % of Americans today.

    • The key word here is “most.” Not ALL self defense situations require 7 rds or less at a distance of whatever, and blablabla. This is not a video game where you replay the same stage, again and again, and know exactly what to expect from the AI. Although the odds of finding yourself in the middle of a mass shooting are extremely low, it is also a reality in our society. I have never heard of someone, after a gunfight or any kind, saying “I wish I had been carrying less rounds.” Have you heard a lot of folks after a gun fight saying they wished they had been carrying less ammo?
      Regarding the different types of ammo you put in your wheel gun, if it works for you and gives you confidence, great. Other than that I don’t really see the point. I’d rather be packing a couple speed loaders ready to go

    • More rounds are definitely better, and I usually carry a five shot revolver (642). Most defensive shooting take place at extremely short range and I want something that can’t be pushed out of battery or limp wristed if contact shots are needed while grappling with an attacker.

      If I could have 15 rounds in my J-frame, I’d love it. Most gunfights might be 3 shots, 3 feet, 3 seconds. Some aren’t that way. Some might be three armed and determined attackers. Then I am screwed. There are trade-offs everywhere. Capacity is an important consideration.

      • Here’s my impression, I have no evidence, just feel this way. In the extremely unlikely event that I am ever in an actual gunfight, I believe that after I fire a single (ineffective) shot indicating I am armed, the chances that any bad guys will still be within earshot 3 seconds later are miniscule. Unless you are involved in international intrigue, spying, assassinations, etc, you’re dealing with punks who do not plan on you being armed. When they discover you are, they remember a previous appointment. I hope to be READY to present a defense against dedicated assassins, but I doubt it will ever be necessary.

  9. Nice. I didnt know people in Connecticut could own guns….let alone carry them.

    Just kidding….and nice light.

  10. I am wishing I could meet some of you fellow POTGnms. possum Has not seen any post from JaynFlorida lately. I think he might be dead ,cause his last post sounded,”short” in the cycle of life. ???? Anyway if any of you kin read TTAG, yeah Jay n Florida. 👍.

      • The news he got from the doc wasn’t good, so he may be in hospice care by now… 🙁

        • I don’t know how Florida has rolled with that kind of thing.

          For Jay’s sake (and that of a lot of other people) I hope he’s not I the situation my Aunt is in where cancer treatment was deemed “elective” and disallowed.

          Because, ya know, CoV-2 is more dangerous than untreated cancer. Something like 142% of people who get CoV-2 die from it, which is way more than the 100% of people who die from untreated cancer.

  11. I really like the Sig 365 for concealed carry. That said, I like the Springfield Armory Hellcat just a little bit better so that is one of the guns I carry now.

    Time for the misinformed SA haters to emerge.

  12. “I’m fascinated by all the comments people post on these, so I thought I’d step in the ring.”

    Ohhh a P365 huh? Well, um, …I got nuthin.

  14. Almost the exact same kit I’ve been carrying for close to 2 years now. I switched from a PPK/S to the P 365, simply because of the sights. My aging eyes made the Walter’s sights hard to see in low light conditions, the Sigs really stood out. I’ve been very pleased with the P365.
    I keep the 10 round with pinky extension in the gun, but carry two spare 12 rounds. The 10 round conceals just a tad better than the 12s.
    A Gerber rather than a Leatherman, Streamlight Key-Mate, and a Bic. Those who insist on Zippos have never had one leak in their pocket. Not a pleasant chemical burn to experience, besides, with the right Bic case color, you can visibly verify there’s enough fuel.
    Different holster, as I’ve just enough of a gut to make IWB holsters uncomfortable to wear throughout the day.

  15. Actually I always told new shooters interested in what Cops recomended to go to a public Range and try 5 0r 6 rental handguns for you and your family to see what fits you BEST. I have carried about every major revolver or Semi-automatic made in 43 years of Law Enforcement BUT trusted my life with S&W, Glock, H&K, Glock ; especially SIG 220, 226 and now retired Walther PPQ SC and PPQ Q4 TAC! Good Luck on your EDC and add a Benchmade, Gerber or SOG and BRIGHT White light for identification PS Atomic Lighteris nice.

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