Get a Grip - a rundown on grip modules for the Sig Sauer P365
It wasn’t supposed to be this way, and it wasn't my intention to be one of those guys that has that one thing in every color. Low and behold, I have find myself with (6) P365 Pistols.
Let me tell you how I got here.
I was/am a 1911 guy. I loved the classic look, the history, and the overall swagger I think they have. Eventually when I moved from Texas to Tennessee, I was down to owning a single pistol, a Remington R1, Government full size, 1911 in .45 ACP. I love that gun, but it was a bit large to be carried comfortably. I ended up going through several different guns from a J-frame .38 special Smith & Wesson revolver to a M&P Shield 2.0 Performance Center (a great gut as well). As much as they all worked well enough for concealed carry, it wasn’t until I got my first P365 (that I picked up on a whim when I saw a great deal on gunbroker), that I finally felt I had found a platform that was going to work for me.
That gun taught me all about red dot footprints, proprietary rails vs 1913 standards, and the overall practicality that comes from a modular fire control unit. I was on optics planet one day and saw the Sharps Bros grip, and noticed it was metal. My old fud brain, said just like a 1911, and money was spent with little other consideration. Oh boy, I had no idea the path that would take me down before it was through.
When the grip arrived, I noticed how chonky it was (1.5” width in comparison to the factory 1”). Damn if it didn’t solve almost all the perceived snappiness from such a little subcompact pistol. Then SIG released the X-macro, and before I knew it another Sharps was at my door. It was only then I started doing some research online and realized there were other options too. One by one they arrived, and I bought FCU’s online, used P365s in local gun stores, and with spare parts kept assembling whole new guns. I figured I’d sell the ones I didn’t like, and that’d be it. Problem is, I like them all.
Also somewhere along the way, I realized I couldn’t find any holsters to carry my perfect carry gun. That sent me down another rabbit hole, watching YouTube videos and stumbling through the process many times over as I learned how to block out guns for a holster that looked good while also being comfortable and snapping a gun into place for a confident carry. I modified molds for P365’s to handle the clearance needed for gas pedals found on some, and then I was proud enough of my work to post some pictures on reddit. The never realize how many people had a grip module and struggled to find holsters for them. Sure, some of the big companies now make a few, but back when these things were first gaining traction with shooters, not much was out there. So my little hobby became a different hobby (learning to do a website, photoshop, blogging, etc). It’s actually relaxing to make the actual holsters now vs doing the other stuff. All of this was to say, I make holsters for these grips if you find yourself in need, and if you just want to know a little about the grips, I’m going to lay out my thoughts on each below for anyone wanting to know the differences between them.
My Icarus and one of my Shrps are the XL Size, all the others are the X-Macro Size:
SIG AXG (Gen 2) w/Hogue grips [Middle Left]
This is my most often carried gun. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite - although I do like it quite a lot. I just shoot it better than any other pistol I own. I can’t explain why, I just naturally shoot better with this gun. Where I like the thickness offered by some of the others, I like the thinness of this grip equally as much. FCU was hard to get installed, but it’s tight and solid.
ECM R11 [Top Right]
This thing is nice, like really nice. It was also the most expensive out of everyone listed here. It has great ergos, a great mag release, nice trigger undercuts, and its width and weight make it feel just high quality and solidly built. The weight and width also make me carry it less.
Icarus EVO XL
I go back and forth on whether this or the ECM has better ergos. I can’t decide, but these are really good. Feels great in hand, and is aggressive with the curves and angles. It’s thinner than the ECM and Sharps, and is really easy to shoot well. The only issue I have when carrying is the aggressive beavertail cuts into my gut.
Mischief Machine Commander (Gen 1)
Being a 1911 guy, I love looking at this thing. I just wish I shot it better. Its ergos aren’t as good as some of the others, but the grip angle feels natural. The width is middle of the pack. I do love this thing too, it’s just not my favorite in comparison to the others listed. Still would recommend to folks interested, they have also made a new generation 2 I have yet to hold.
Sharps Bros
The standard. Plain and simple, first one I had, and I feel like it might be middle of the pack on everything, but it has no glaring flaws. Thicker than a snicker at 1.5” wide, I love it paired with my short slide on the XL size, but the X-Macro size I have paired with a Sharps Bros comped slide and a tuned spring kit is like butter it’s such a smooth shooter. I have had to send each one of mine back to Sharps for a fix, but both times, no questions asked I either got mine fixed or a new one shipped immediately. I will say the 1913 rail is not perfectly to spec, and I’ve participated in a reddit thread where others had mentioned this issue as well. No matter, I’m still quite happy with both of mine.
So there you go, shoot me an email if you have any questions.
Baron
DudeBro in Charge
www.dudebrotactical.com
