P365 XMacro TacOps (Range Report)

[NoBanStan]

I've been wanting to toy around with a handgun with an optic that's easily concealable. Initially I was leaning towards the XL model but once I put my hands on the Macro, I really liked the size and mag capacity. I'm pretty "meh" about the slide compensator concept to be honest. I would almost rather just have the same size with a full length barrel.

The end goal is to put a Holosun 507k on it. All the reviews I've read say it's a solid optic.

Yes, I've looked at the hellcat as an alternative, It's fine I suppose but I'm not a big modern Springfield fan. I'm also not a Glock fan (grip angle woes).

Anyone with experience? Any thoughts? Appreciate the input.

[TGO David]

I thought I saw that Sig has a version of the Macro coming out soon, or already, that does away with the compensator.  Maybe check into that?

For what it's worth, the comp works pretty well.

 

[Snaveba]

Well, I love the P365XL with a Holosun and the Wilson Combat grip module. It’s with me every day. 

[NoBanStan]

12 minutes ago, TGO David said:

I thought I saw that Sig has a version of the Macro coming out soon, or already, that does away with the compensator.  Maybe check into that?

For what it's worth, the comp works pretty well.

 

TACOPS i think?
https://www.sigsauer.com/p365-xmacro-tacops.html

[Smith]

I have the P365 xmacro and really like it. I to would have preferred a full length barrel minus the comp, but as TGODavid said, it works well. I have the Holosun 407k on mine.

For carry ability, I did go with the Wilson XL grip, 12rnd mags with Magguts +2 extensions. Carries very well this way and I have the xmacro grip and 17 round mags for when I go open carry or don't mind the grip printing a little. 

I do wish they would make an XL or standard grip module with a picatinny rail like the xmacro. I really like my Olight PL-mini 2 with this setup. I added a Tactical Development rail to the XL grip, but finding a holster is near impossible.

As far as shooting, I shoot it as well as my G19's if not better and they all have trigger enhancements. I seem to pick up the 407k easier on the P365 than on the G19's with 507c's . Despite having a smaller window.

[NoBanStan]

1 hour ago, Smith said:

I have the P365 xmacro and really like it. I to would have preferred a full length barrel minus the comp, but as TGODavid said, it works well. I have the Holosun 407k on mine.

For carry ability, I did go with the Wilson XL grip, 12rnd mags with Magguts +2 extensions. Carries very well this way and I have the xmacro grip and 17 round mags for when I go open carry or don't mind the grip printing a little. 

I do wish they would make an XL or standard grip module with a picatinny rail like the xmacro. I really like my Olight PL-mini 2 with this setup. I added a Tactical Development rail to the XL grip, but finding a holster is near impossible.

As far as shooting, I shoot it as well as my G19's if not better and they all have trigger enhancements. I seem to pick up the 407k easier on the P365 than on the G19's with 507c's . Despite having a smaller window.

Appreciate you taking the time to write that up. I'll definitely have to look at the Wilson grip, i didn't think they had one to fit the xmacro.

Also great idea with the smaller mags. I'm a big fan of full capacity. Right now I carry a P-07 and I can conceal it well, so i figure the full size mags should be ok, but good to know of a fallback plan.

[Snaveba]

So the FCU is the same for all three pistols. You can take the FCU from a Macro and put it in a Wilson Combat module and use 12 rnd XL mags. Then you get the compensation of the Macro with the slightly smaller conceal ability of the XL. 

[hipower]

You guys are making me have second thoughts on selling my P365XL!

[Whisper]

5 hours ago, hipower said:

You guys are making me have second thoughts on selling my P365XL!

Don't sell it.  You can buy the Macro grip module and some 17-round mags and put the XL slide assembly on it and then you'll have the ammo capacity benefits of the Macro without the bullet-velocity-reducing drawbacks of its "compensator."

Cheers,

Whisper

[TGO David]

7 hours ago, hipower said:

You guys are making me have second thoughts on selling my P365XL!

I'll never sell any of my P320s or P365s.  Their modular design makes them incredibly versatile and "cheap" to tinker with.

[JustEd]

On 2/24/2023 at 2:30 PM, NoBanStan said:

I've been wanting to toy around with a handgun with an optic that's easily concealable. Initially I was leaning towards the XL model but once I put my hands on the Macro, I really liked the size and mag capacity. I'm pretty "meh" about the slide compensator concept to be honest. I would almost rather just have the same size with a full length barrel.

The end goal is to put a Holosun 507k on it. All the reviews I've read say it's a solid optic.

Yes, I've looked at the hellcat as an alternative, It's fine I suppose but I'm not a big modern Springfield fan. I'm also not a Glock fan (grip angle woes).

Anyone with experience? Any thoughts? Appreciate the input.

P365 is great.  Howver, I don't like slide comps at all on pistols. 

My Hellcat, no comp, works great with Holosun 407/507 kx2 (needs two studs milled down which is cheap to have done)   I dont like the stock trigger on the Hellcat so put in an aftermarket one,  Have a great DeSantis leather owb holster.  Honestly, I rarely carry it because am tired of cleaning smudges and debris off red dot lens.  On the other hand, it will put shots right on the spot at the range .  It is reasonably fast to draw and aim (actually might be getting faster than irons considering my aging eyesight).

Both great guns, just don't like comps

edit:  Don't fall for the "bargain" Romeo 0 sight.  It is too fragile and difficult to adjust, imo.

Edited February 25, 2023 by JustEd

[Links2k]

I sold my two P365s in favor of the NRA coyote XL.  It conceals great for a big guy.  I just purchased the Macro grip module and five mags to try the slightly larger package with the XL slide. IMO there are no bad choices when it comes to the P365. 

[hipower]

On 2/25/2023 at 9:03 AM, TGO David said:

I'll never sell any of my P320s or P365s.  Their modular design makes them incredibly versatile and "cheap" to tinker with.

I sort of regret it, but I followed thru on the sale. I had already offerred it and it's done. May (Probably) try for another when I sell off something else. Finishing off property taxes took precedence.

[hipower]

On 2/25/2023 at 7:26 AM, Whisper said:

Don't sell it.  You can buy the Macro grip module and some 17-round mags and put the XL slide assembly on it and then you'll have the ammo capacity benefits of the Macro without the bullet-velocity-reducing drawbacks of its "compensator."

Cheers,

Whisper

Too late..she's gone. I had put it out to a friend, so I went ahead. There will always be another of some kind to tempt me!

[NoBanStan]

6 hours ago, hipower said:

Too late..she's gone. I had put it out to a friend, so I went ahead. There will always be another of some kind to tempt me!

You probably don't remember me, we met at a Shoney's meetup years ago,  but I think the last pistol i wanted (CZ P-01) you sold right as i first met you. Now a 365. hah

[NoBanStan]

On 2/24/2023 at 1:32 PM, TGO David said:

I thought I saw that Sig has a version of the Macro coming out soon, or already, that does away with the compensator.  Maybe check into that?

For what it's worth, the comp works pretty wel

Got a TACOPS inbound. Should be getting it middle of next week.

[NoBanStan]

Picked up the TACOPS. Pretty cool kit

tritium night sights
4 mags
3 backstraps
Mag loader (not that i need it, have an extensive maglula collection, but still cool)

Weight, size and grip are exactly how I wanted it to feel. I'm still amazed that they got 17 rounds into these things. I will say that the metal magwell is a bit lose. With a firm grip, you can feel it move a smidge. Perhaps i need to torque down the screw a bit. Now, that being said, it doesn't feel like it's going anywhere, just that perhaps it needed a beefy screw or something. Time will tell.

Now i just need a weekend to field test it. Appreciate the advice everyone

[NoBanStan]

Since I own it now, I changed the title thread.

First things first, a big shout out to Phillip over at Goodletsville Gunshop for letting me know this one showed up.

https://www.sigsauer.com/p365-xmacro-tacops.html

Context really is everything, so I'll start there. I researched and bought this handgun as an EDC option with an Optic. I have carried a CZ P-07 for more than a decade now. On hot days, or when I'm being lazy, I take a Ruger LCP2 in .380. I was really looking for something in between those form factors that's optic ready. Why an optic? Because I've never owned one on a handgun and it's something interesting to learn. But it has to work and it has to work for me... I have thousands of rounds down range with that P-07 and to replace it as my EDC will take a special kinda pistol. So I'm gonna be tough on this Sig.

The "Unboxing"

I was very impressed that it came with 4 mags and tritium night sights out the box. That almost makes the Sig price tag sting a bit less. I found the night sights to be usable. Not super bright, but they will work. It also came with a decent enough mag loader. Being an Maglula guy, I won't use it, but it's a nice gesture and I can throw it in my go bag as a backup. The last of the most notable extras is a set of 3 grip backstraps. I may try these out, but for my hands, I like the ones that came attached.

I'm not sure what Tetris master Sig hired to package this thing. I have no clue how they got everything in this tiny case. I left out the part where it also has the obligatory safety lock and a chamber indicator on top of everything else above.

As for the pistol itself, it's extremely comfortable. It's noticeably thinner than any compact size handgun I own but not so small that it's awkward to grip. The trigger is responsive, not a heavy pull and a short reset. it won't win any awards but for a defense pistol it will work fine.

My only real complaint about the build quality is the mag well (and it's a small complaint). This is a new metal magwell that they created for this model and supposedly will sell separately later on. It's held on by one screw and I don't feel like that was enough. Granted, I haven't taken it off or tightened it to investigate yet. But you can wiggle it slightly back and forth and when gripping the gun, you can feel it move up and down a bit. Here again, a very small complaint and perhaps I just need to tighten it up.

Range Day

Let's start with the advertised magazine capacity. 17 rounds is fully doable and the mag accepts it. However, manual loading stops being pleasant around the 15 round mark. 16 and 17 would either require a lot of arm strength, cleverness or a mag loader. I chose the mag loader.. Maglula Uplula for the win! I plan to keep all 4 mags loaded to loosen up those springs.

So I loaded up the first mag with 17 rounds, slapped it into the gun with the slide closed and then racked the slide back. "thunk" the magazine fell right out of the bottom. Well that's a bit embarrassing.... slap it in again and it's still not set. Smack it again like it insulted me .... and now we're seated. Great! From here I grab the slide with a reverse grip ( bottom of my hand toward muzzle, thumb and index gripping the slide) and give it a rip... The slide moves halfway back, my hand flies off, and I almost hit myself in the chest. Holy cow, I have never seen a slide this tight before!! After some testing. it's 100% that 17th round. if you load up 16, no problems at all. You CAN get it to rack with 17 but it takes a full hand grip and a hefty amount of force. As a test, I told @BigKto head over to my lane and shoot it while i checked out one of his collection. He came back and said "I loaded a mag and it just fell out... didn't like that at all". For frame of reference, we're not little dudes, so you really do have to give it a good thwack. If you've ever owned or operated a Springfield XDS .45, you'll know what's up.

Let me note at this point that I realize it's a new gun. Mag springs are new, sliding surfaces haven't worn. I get it, I'm almost positive that over time it will loosen up. I've only put 125 rounds though it. But I do think this is EXTREMELY worth noting because a lot of folks may buy this gun for self-defense and attempt to use it as advertised out of the box.... which has some kinks.

Fortunately, shooting it outweighed the issues I faced with mag capacity. It's a great shooter. I was a tad left on most of my shots but very, very consistent.  The jury is out to determine if that's me or if the sights need drifting. We will know soon enough. A tad to the left in this scenario means that I was about 1/4 inch to the left at 7 yards. More than effective for a duty role. I don't shoot to the left on any of my CZ's though (just sayin...), but that's a different animal.

The trigger feels crisp. It's nothing to write home about but it has a positive break and a short reset. I will need to get used to the flat trigger, but I didn't find that it was distracting for me.

Recoil was manageable. The platform is large enough to not feel "snappy". On a side note, a guy at the range let me shoot his hellcat and I gotta say... I'm glad i went with the Sig. I didn't shoot it well at all.  It's not apples to apples with this form factor.. but that was initially on my list, so I chose well.

Final Thoughts

Despite my initial interactions, I'm still happy with the purchase. Nothing was game breaking. Worst case scenario, I could just load 16 rounds in a mag and ignore the tension issues.

Unfortunately my Holosun 507k-GR showed up a day later, so I'll need to go set that and shoot again... darn my luck, back to the range.






 

[BigK]

1 hour ago, NoBanStan said:

My only real complaint about the build quality is the mag well (and it's a small complaint). This is a new metal magwell that they created for this model and supposedly will sell separately later on. It's held on by one screw and I don't feel like that was enough. Granted, I haven't taken it off or tightened it to investigate yet. But you can wiggle it slightly back and forth and when gripping the gun, you can feel it move up and down a bit. Here again, a very small complaint and perhaps I just need to tighten it up.

Careful torquing that screw down. I know this one guy that broke a hex wrench off into his CZ Scorpion recently. I'm sure you're smarter than him though.

[BigK]

1 hour ago, NoBanStan said:

Range Day

Let's start with the advertised magazine capacity. 17 rounds is fully doable and the mag accepts it. However, manual loading stops being pleasant around the 15 round mark. 16 and 17 would either require a lot of arm strength, cleverness or a mag loader. I chose the mag loader.. Maglula Uplula for the win! I plan to keep all 4 mags loaded to loosen up those springs.

So I loaded up the first mag with 17 rounds, slapped it into the gun with the slide closed and then racked the slide back. "thunk" the magazine fell right out of the bottom. Well that's a bit embarrassing.... slap it in again and it's still not set. Smack it again like it insulted me .... and now we're seated. Great! From here I grab the slide with a reverse grip ( bottom of my hand toward muzzle, thumb and index gripping the slide) and give it a rip... The slide moves halfway back, my hand flies off, and I almost hit myself in the chest. Holy cow, I have never seen a slide this tight before!! After some testing. it's 100% that 17th round. if you load up 16, no problems at all. You CAN get it to rack with 17 but it takes a full hand grip and a hefty amount of force. As a test, I told @BigKto head over to my lane and shoot it while i checked out one of his collection. He came back and said "I loaded a mag and it just fell out... didn't like that at all". For frame of reference, we're not little dudes, so you really do have to give it a good thwack. If you've ever owned or operated a Springfield XDS .45, you'll know what's up.

Let me note at this point that I realize it's a new gun. Mag springs are new, sliding surfaces haven't worn. I get it, I'm almost positive that over time it will loosen up. I've only put 125 rounds though it. But I do think this is EXTREMELY worth noting because a lot of folks may buy this gun for self-defense and attempt to use it as advertised out of the box.... which has some kinks.

Fortunately, shooting it outweighed the issues I faced with mag capacity. It's a great shooter. I was a tad left on most of my shots but very, very consistent.  The jury is out to determine if that's me or if the sights need drifting. We will know soon enough. A tad to the left in this scenario means that I was about 1/4 inch to the left at 7 yards. More than effective for a duty role. I don't shoot to the left on any of my CZ's though (just sayin...), but that's a different animal.

The trigger feels crisp. It's nothing to write home about but it has a positive break and a short reset. I will need to get used to the flat trigger, but I didn't find that it was distracting for me.

Recoil was manageable. The platform is large enough to not feel "snappy". On a side note, a guy at the range let me shoot his hellcat and I gotta say... I'm glad i went with the Sig. I didn't shoot it well at all.  It's not apples to apples with this form factor.. but that was initially on my list, so I chose well.

The difficulty seating a mag aside, that is one sweet shooting handgun. It's WAY WAY more comfy to shoot than my compact P365 is. That longer grip will help a lot with consistency and accuracy since the trigger guard won't be digging into your middle finger so badly. The difference in felt recoil is much better due to a full paw on the grip too.

One of the things the Europeans do that I don't like is they seem to put oversized trigger guards on everything. I get it, they think we all live in the Alps and wear ski gloves when we shoot, but I think I've worn a glove one time in my whole life for maybe one mag. It wasn't for me. I'd rather have the grip space back.

I ain't gonna lie, I liked shooting your P-01 better, but I'm always gonna be partial to a good SA/DA trigger. Made me wish I'd brought my P-01 instead of my P365. LOL

[hipower]

On 2/27/2023 at 8:10 AM, NoBanStan said:

You probably don't remember me, we met at a Shoney's meetup years ago,  but I think the last pistol i wanted (CZ P-01) you sold right as i first met you. Now a 365. hah

This had to "come back around" as they say. Old man's thought processes are slow these days! Yes I do remember that meet. I kept thinking your handle was familiar.

I'm still a CZ fan,and have a few still lying around. I'm strongly thinking that as the money becomes available, I'll go after another 365, probably the XMacro or Tacops.

So it wasn't too big a loss. 

[hipower]

32 minutes ago, BigK said:

The difficulty seating a mag aside, that is one sweet shooting handgun. It's WAY WAY more comfy to shoot than my compact P365 is. That longer grip will help a lot with consistency and accuracy since the trigger guard won't be digging into your middle finger so badly. The difference in felt recoil is much better due to a full paw on the grip too.

One of the things the Europeans do that I don't like is they seem to put oversized trigger guards on everything. I get it, they think we all live in the Alps and wear ski gloves when we shoot, but I think I've worn a glove one time in my whole life for maybe one mag. It wasn't for me. I'd rather have the grip space back.

I ain't gonna lie, I liked shooting your P-01 better, but I'm always gonna be partial to a good SA/DA trigger. Made me wish I'd brought my P-01 instead of my P365. LOL

CZ75 P-01, and Omega...can't beat them!

[NoBanStan]

46 minutes ago, BigK said:

Careful torquing that screw down. I know this one guy that broke a hex wrench off into his CZ Scorpion recently. I'm sure you're smarter than him though.

Probably not

[FrankD]

On 2/24/2023 at 4:49 PM, Smith said:

I have the P365 xmacro and really like it. I to would have preferred a full length barrel minus the comp, but as TGODavid said, it works well. I have the Holosun 407k on mine.

For carry ability, I did go with the Wilson XL grip, 12rnd mags with Magguts +2 extensions. Carries very well this way and I have the xmacro grip and 17 round mags for when I go open carry or don't mind the grip printing a little. 

I do wish they would make an XL or standard grip module with a picatinny rail like the xmacro. I really like my Olight PL-mini 2 with this setup. I added a Tactical Development rail to the XL grip, but finding a holster is near impossible.

As far as shooting, I shoot it as well as my G19's if not better and they all have trigger enhancements. I seem to pick up the 407k easier on the P365 than on the G19's with 507c's . Despite having a smaller window.

Mckinatec holsters have a Mini-2 with Tac Dev rail as an option.

[JustEd]

Had two P365's.  One bought myself, other from friend who passed away. Both nice guns.

Try locking the slide open before inserting a full magazine into the grip.  Then just slingshot the slide to release it or, if you want to look like a rookie, use the slide release

The mags do get easier to load as they are cycled.  Eventually you should be able to put a full mag in on a closed slide without slapping it so hard.  The Hellcat mags seems easier to me, jmo.

All in all, sounds like a great purchase.  Now, get a Holosun kx2 for it.  Make sure any holster you get now will work with a red dot mounted.

Enjoy!