I think putting Glock 43x MOS vs. Sig Sauer P365XL is like putting Ford against Chevy. They both lose. One just loses with a little more pizazz than the other.
I’m sure you’re here because you’re either looking for your first concealed-carry pistol or a new one.
I admit to owning neither of these pistols. I have shot them at the range and have many friends who carry Glocks and Sigs, whose guns I have also shot.
But I have had the, you would say, “pleasure” of reshooting both of these pistols recently just for craps and cackles, and I’m going to share which gun I would go with and why if I was in the market for a new compact pistol.
I’ve also shot other popular CCW pistols, like the Springfield Hellcat Pro, Shield Plus, etc. Being a gun writer means sometimes shooting firearms you’ll love, and some you could have gone your whole life without shooting. That was the Hellcat for me.
Is the SIG P365 better than the Glock 43x?
Here’s what I found when shooting and diving into these two Sig and Glock options.
Why choose Glock 43x?
Admittedly, I’ve always been a fan of Glock because they are simple and consistent. It doesn’t have much going on. It’s a block; they named it after Glock, and it goes bang when you pull the trigger—no fancy curves, nothing too fancy needed—just bang.
Their triggers are hit or miss from the factory and usually have a 100 to 200-round break-in period before being worth anything. That’s if you get that far before throwing something aftermarket on there.
This is part of the appeal of Glocks. It’s as common as a Honda Civic at the Puerto Rican parade in New York, which gives it a world of aftermarket support.
I’m Puerto Rican and from NY, by the way.
The 43x was just as good as any other Glock on the market. It did what it had to do, and it did it without any fuss. I can appreciate that.
I’m particular to the MOS variant due to the optics cut and rail space for a light, which every pistol should have regardless of the roll. The regular 43x is not something I would recommend for that reason.
One issue that I did have was the magazine capacity. Sure, it can quickly be resolved with aftermarket parts. Still, a 10+1 magazine capacity from the factory when their direct competitor gives a 15+1 magazine capacity is a half-wit move if you ask me.
Especially when the guns are damn-near identical in size.
But, I wasn’t worried about the 43x MOS going off in my pants while sitting there having sushi and figuring out where my sushi went. Not to paint a bad picture in your mind, but I carried a P320 M18 for some time, which was a worry of mine.
It wasn’t fun. I still have the M18.
Is the SIG P365XL good for concealed carry?
Sig Sauer was a favorite of mine for a long while. You and I agree that pistols looking cool are a significant factor in whether or not we swipe our card; Glock fans need not apply—sorry, guys.
My first impression of the P365 was the original non-XL version. I hated that gun more than Sicilians hated seeing rats in 1347. Everything about it was wrong. It was snappy, which is expected for a pistol its size, and my pinky hung off the end.
I will never recommend a pistol for carry if it doesn’t fit in the hand adequately. That’s just me. I’d even put it in the same category as the Hellcat, which I could have gone my shooting career without.
When the P365XL came out, I was excited to put it to the test. The 15+1 round magazine capacity with ample room for my mitts was something I could get behind.
I shot it at a Sig Sauer demo at my local gun store when it came out. It functioned fine, did what it had to, and felt right in the hand. My pinky still hung off, and I hated the trigger, as with most of the newer Sigs.
I then asked the Sig rep if I had to worry about it going off in my pants and rendering me useless for the rest of my life. He laughed. I don’t think he was too pleased, though.
On a later date, I returned to rent the pistol and put a couple of hundred rounds through so I could write a review about it. I brought my lady. She has smaller hands than I do.
She enjoyed it so much that she bought the P365 XL Rose. On the other hand, I wasn’t satisfied until I could gather more of an opinion.
Thankfully, one of my buddies has been carrying his P365XL for a long time. And the trigger doesn’t get any better. One issue he did have was the PVD coating on the pistol being weaker than my lady’s stomach when she has dairy.
Same issue I had on my M18. And I’m sure many other Sig owners can agree on this. Normal wear and tear is inevitable from constant in and out of the holster, but I do not want to see this much wear with Sig Sauer prices.
I’m a trigger snob, and I didn’t enjoy the trigger on the P365XL, along with my pinky hanging off. That was enough for me to put it down for good.
If you were going to pick up a pistol right now and you were dead set between the Glock 43x and Sig Sauer P365XL, I would go for the Glock. It’s cheaper, has more aftermarket support, and I can get my trigger fix after a couple hundred rounds, of course.
Don’t hate me, Sig guys.
Be good and take care.