Sig P365 Vs. Glock 43X — Battle of the Latest CCWs

The world of concealed carry pistols has never been bigger. In fact, I could say that every year for the last ten years and be correct. The market changes quite a bit, and fads come and go. The current fad has strayed away from the smallest gun possible with more focus on capacity. These days, it seems the minimal accepted capacity is ten rounds.

Today we are doing a little SIG P365 vs. G43X showdown. Since the Sig P365 kicked this whole thing off, it makes sense that the P365 gets to go first against its most steadfast competitors. One of the latest is the Glock 43X.

The P365 kicks the crap out of the original Glock 43. When the Sig P365 premiered, the Glock 43 ruled as king of the single stacks. Like Yertle the turtle, the king collapsed on itself when a little resistance popped up. The Sig P365 hit the ground running by being essentially the same size as the Glock 43 but packed an additional four rounds.

How does the Sig P365 stand up to the G43X? That’s the question and that we are trying to solve today with our Sig P365 vs Glock 43X bout for blood.

Why Not P365 XL vs Glock 43X?

Off the bat, I know some comments are going to pop up asking me the whys behind my logic. One of those questions will undoubtedly be why a Sig P365 vs Glock 43X article and not one about the XL series vs. the G43X? Or the P365 vs the G48?

Well, to be honest, the G43X and P365 standard models are more comparable. The P365 XL and Glock 48 are in a slightly different category in my mind. The P365 XL vs Glock 48 would be comparable. In the future, we might explore that, but for now, we are focusing on the little guys and keeping it to the P365 vs G43X.

These two guns are the more compact models. They have shorter barrels, similar ballistics, and similar handling capabilities.

Sig P365 vs Glock 43X Specs Showdown

When we look at the specs in our P365 vs. G43X, we have to keep things in context. Both guns are designed for concealed carry and as backup firearms for duty use.

As such, they tend to try to be small, lightweight, and easily concealable. At the same time, we all know that the smaller a gun gets, the harder it is to control. With that in mind, let’s look at the numbers. We all know numbers never lie y’all.

Size Matters, Boys

Guys, size matters, regardless of what they tell you. Accept it, embrace it, and pay attention to it.

We’ll start with length because we all know length is the most important thing. Sig’s P365 measures out to 5.8 inches with a 3.1-inch barrel. Glock plastic fantastic G43X measures 6.5 inches total with a 3.41-inch barrel. Sig’s more compact lengthwise, but the G43X’s barrel provides a little more velocity, and a longer barrel makes a more controllable firearm.

A Tall Drink of Water

Height is quite important as well. The Glock 43X is 5.04 inches tall and the Sig P365 is 4.3 inches tall with its flush-fitting ten-round magazine. Here is where most shooters will see the biggest difference. Both guns hold ten rounds at these measurements, but the Sig is considerably shorter.

When you carry with a focus on concealment, the height measurement matters, and a taller gun often has a longer grip. We can conceal the barrel and slide of the pistol in an IWB rig, but that grip pokes out and makes concealment a little tougher.

Sig pulls ahead in this little Sig P365 vs Glock 43X showdown.

Tipping the Scales

Both the P365 and G43X provide a lightweight platform that leans on polymer to keep things light and easy to handle. The Sig weighs 17.8 ounces with an empty magazine, and the Glock weighs 18.7 ounces with an empty magazine. The difference here is hardly discernible.

Sig P365 vs Glock 43X Features Break Down

What features matter to you? That could make a big difference when you look into purchasing your firearm. Let’s dig into the features of each gun and see if one pulls ahead of the other in our P365 Vs. G43X match.

Both include two magazines that each hold ten rounds. Glock includes a mag loader, which is nice. Sig includes a magazine with a flush floor plate and a magazine with a finger extension. Both Glock and Sig offer optics-ready options if you want to take that route.

Sig does include the very nice XRAY3 day and night sights that are made entirely from metal. Glock includes their always terrible plastic polymer sights that everyone changes immediately.

The P365 also uses the fire control unit concept that allows users to swap frames and slides to change the gun with aftermarket options. It’s handy, and I use it with a metal frame module, or an XL slide, or any combination of aftermarket parts.

The P365 magazine design allows it to be incredibly efficient. As such, you can purchase 12 and 15 round magazines that offer substantially more capacity than the Glock 43X. Even with the 12 rounder in place, the Sig P365 remains shorter than the G43X.

On the Range

Both guns provide a very nice ergonomic grip. The Sig uses a high trigger undercut and high beavertail to allow for a nice high grip on the gun. The Glock 43X’s longer grip provides a nice hand-filling grip similar in length to the famed Glock 19. Comfort-wise, both feel nice and provide sufficient texture to keep the gun in my hand and to shoot comfortably.

Both guns are more than accurate enough. The Glock sights suck but don’t inhibit accuracy. The bright Sig sights make it easy to see and focus on the front sight. Both have crisp triggers, and if I had to pick one, the Sig has a smoother trigger. The longer sight radius of the Glock 43X did make a little difference at longer ranges.

When I stretched my legs out to 25 yards, I found myself ringing a six-inch gong more consistently with the Glock 43X. Something can be said for not only the longer sight radius but, the longer grip as well. I’ve been shooting the P365 for years now but found myself hitting that 6-inch gong ten out of ten times more consistently with the G43X.

When you mix in speed, the G43X handles better. That more substantial grip gives my big hands more to hold onto, and the longer barrel helps with muzzle rise, I’m sure. The G43X delivers when you need to lay down the trigger fast with a higher degree of accuracy.

For concealed carry purposes, both guns succeed, but for our Sig P365 vs Glock 43X contest, the G43X provides a little more accuracy.

What About Reliability?

I can happily report that both guns have proven to be incredibly reliable. I’ve fired thousands of rounds through the Sig P365 with maybe a handful of malfunctions, hard primers, and the like. The Glock 43X has delivered a flawless performance in the last 450 rounds, including with various magazines and magazine extensions. This category is awash in our Sig P365 vs Glock 43X contest.

Reloading

When I started shooting and running different drills, I didn’t see huge gaps in performance in most categories. What I did see was a clear difference when it came to reloading. My big hands force me to utilize the pinky extension on the P365. When I reload the P365, I have to be observant to release that pinky, or I pin the magazine in place.

The full-length grip of the Glock 43X means no pinky to pin in the magazine. I can drop the magazine free and not have to think about it. It’s a fast, more intuitive reload and worth noting.

So Who Wins?

I found myself liking the G43X way more than I thought I would. It still runs with the single stack design, which limits its potential when facing the Sig P365. I do prefer the more efficient design of the P365 in terms of size and capacity. If I was a big Glock guy, I would go with the G43X. It delivers that stock-standard Glock experience you are well associated with. If you are looking for the smallest but most efficient carry gun, then the P365 wins. It’s a tough call, and both of our P365 Vs. G43X contestants are fantastic pistols.

Which would you choose? Let us know below!