SIG Sauer is one of the finest pistol manufacturers in the world. Your ever-lovable Grey Beard Biker owns many P-series pistols and several of their 1911s. The P365 was released on January 8, 2018 to very positive reviews. It was a unique pistol for the legendary manufacturer of semi-automatic pistols and rifles, in that, unlike their other compact 9mm, the P938, this pistol in its stock form comes with a double-stack magazine which boasts 10 rounds. If you carry with one in the chamber, which everyone should do, this compact pistol has 11 rounds of 9mm firepower in a gun smaller than my hand.
Introducing the SAS version of the P365
SIG Sauer has manufactured the SAS version of their popular P-series pistols for years. SAS stands for SIG Anti Snag, which provides snag free draws by smoothing out the slide and the side controls. And while the P365 is the best-selling pistol in the United States, the SAS model was not released until October 2, 2019. As you will learn, this may be one of the very best, non-Legion, SIG pistols made today.
When I was looking at P365 pistols, I looked at the stand P365, the P365 SAS and their new P365 XL. My plan was to buy the standard model, because the XL was larger than I wanted for a compact carry. But when I looked down the slide of the SAS, and saw there were no standard tritium sights, I was taken aback. The P365 SAS has a unique flush mounted tritium sight which brings the sight axis down nearly to the barrel. This inevitably makes the pistol more accurate – which I confirmed on the range. It is essentially foolproof. You have the pistol lined up properly when the tritium dot appears. Granted, in a serious self-defense situation, which is more often than not at very close range, you will not be lining up the sights – you will be pointing and shooting!
Disassembly
Taking down a P365 is like every other P-series – a proverbial piece of cake. Remove the magazine and cycle the slide to eject the cartridge from the chamber (double-check by cycling the slide again – you can never be too careful). Remember, a pistol without a round in the chamber is nothing more than a damn paperweight in a self-defense situation. The next step is to lock the slide back – and the P365 SAS is different here – you use either a medium size flat screwdriver – or my preferred tool, a nickel – to turn the takedown screw clockwise a half turn. There is no takedown lever on the SAS version of the P365. Release the slide and turn it upside down. Depress the stainless-steel guide rod and spring to remove it. Lift the chamber side of the barrel up and slide it backwards out of the muzzle – removing the barrel. The gun is torn down and can be cleaned.
To reassemble the pistol, reverse these steps. The SAS takedown screw rotates automatically to the lock position when you release the slide so you can put your nickel away once you remove the slide. Cool beans!
Shooting the P365 SAS
My overall impressions were very positive with this newest offering of the P-series SAS pistol line. Sight acquisition is superb, which was a pleasant surprise. I was a bit concerned about the flush mounted sight, but it may be better than standard combat sights. Time will tell for me as I carry this pistol over a longer period of time.
I have larger hands. Other compact 9mm and .380 ACP pistols I have tried are uncomfortable for me to shoot. My hand tends to swallow these up and the muzzle lift during rapid fire often proved to cause inaccuracy for follow up shots. This was true for my last compact carry 9mm – the SIG P938. This gun was a beautiful example of what a compact concealed carry firearm should be. But it was a bit small for my hands and the muzzle lift was noticeable. The double stack magazine allows for more comfort with my gargantuan mitts and the muzzle life was much less noticeable due to the fact that SIG ported the barrel and slide on the SAS model – an ingenious idea which is long overdue for smaller caliber compact pistols or larger caliber models like my 10mm P220 SIG. Based on my search of SIG Sauer’s website, the P365 SAS is the only vented model pistol they make.
The P365 SAS proved to be both accurate and easy to shoot. Unlike most compact striker-fired pistols, this model has a very crisp trigger and operates single action only (SAO). The trigger pull weight is not listed on their website, but I would judge it to be in the 5.5-6 pound range – with 6 pounds being what other reviewers have measured. With the vented barrel, follow up shots were quite accurate.
Summary
If you are looking for a compact concealed carry pistol, I would highly recommend the SIG Sauer P365 SAS. The retail price on this model is $580, compared to the P365 standard at $500 and the XL at $590. For the extra $80, I would highly recommend the SAS because of the sights and the vented barrel. You will have to compare the size of the XL to the other P365 models to see which you like better. I also purchased the extended 12 round magazine as it fits my hands better and provides 13 rounds of 9mm power.
Until next time, ride often and keep the shiny side down!
The Grey Beard Biker™️
[email protected]
@Biker4Life on Gab
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