Ounce for ounce, the Sig Sauer P365X Macro packs plenty of value as a concealed carry pistol. The Macro combines the trim slide of the original P365 and extends the grip module to accommodate 17 rounds of 9mm Luger all the while with an unloaded weight of only 21.8 ounces.
P365X Macro Features
In the video below, our own Jeremy Stone gives us his opinion of the Macro, as well as a take on the interchangeability of parts between models. He is a frequent carrier of the P365 XL and he says the chief difference between the Macro and the XL is the Macro’s use of a ported slide. The slide is long enough to accommodate a 3.7-inch barrel but is instead paired with a shorter 3.1-inch original 365 barrel. The half-inch difference allows gas to escape the muzzle and take the path of least resistance through the ports in the slide.
In short, the difference is a built-in compensator. The Macro has a higher capacity, larger gripping surface, and—in theory—less felt recoil than the original 365. Jeremy noted the lack of recoil early on, but he attributed that to the larger grip rather and questioned the overall utility of the ported slide.
The Problem With Ported Handguns
His chief concern is one many have used to criticize ported handguns. If you have to shoot and have no time to get the pistol extended onto target, some of that gas might blow into your face.
Jeremy also disliked how hot the pistol ran after only two magazines worth of rounds were fired. For everyday work, that might not seem to matter but from a training and maintenance standpoint, it can be a bear. That escaping gas is hot and it has to go somewhere. Since there is no muzzle at the end of the slide, most of that heat goes through the slide itself, while some of it is vented into the polymer grip frame. At best, you get a gun that heats up and is a lot dirtier to clean. At worst, flame cuts off some of those non-stainless steel parts, which might be an issue after prolonged use.
Does the XL slide make a difference?
Out of curiosity and functionality, Jeremy switched to an XL slide. This slide is non-ported and accommodates a 3.7-inch barrel. While you are giving up recoil control of a ported slide, you are gaining some ballistic efficiency by going with a longer barrel and some added weight which could compensate for the tradeoff.
The longer slide is available as a stand-alone offering from Sig Sauer, but it is just as easy to take the slide off an existing XL pistol and slap it onto a Macro Frame and get a pistol that is as close to duty-size while being practical for concealed carry. The only kicker is the lack of interchangeability of magazines. Macro magazines will work in a Sig 365 XL, probably because they have further to go. But the shorter XL magazines will not work in the Macro.
That difficulty aside, this Frankenstein’s monster of a pistol ran perfectly without the potential drawbacks of a standard Macro. Will Sig Sauer offer an XL pistol with a longer Macro Grip? Only time will tell!
