Sig Sauer P365 Fuse

The longer slide length appealed to me, so I decided to use this as a test bed for how superior the Macro-sized P365 might be to the XL sized grip module. I did run the Fuse grip module with the XL top end for a direct comparison but we will focus on the Fuse for most of this update.

It took me 2 tries of 2 rounds each to get the Romeo X Compact sight adjusted for 25 yards. The Fuse seems to shoot about the same size groups as the XL does, which is pretty good. The trigger has a hitch early in the travel after the wall and is otherwise the same as my XL guns.

The gun is, of course, very thin. Because of the slide and grip length, I expect a bigger gun when I pick it up. The slide is slightly thicker than a Hi Power, with a blockier but dehorned profile. The Hi Power is actually shorter from the top of the slide to the bottom of the grip, though it is thicker through the stocks and holds 13-15 rounds to the Fuse’s 17. I find the thickness of the Hi Power through the stocks and the svelteness of the slide much more pleasing to my eye but performance matters more than looks, probably…yes, yes it does…probably. The Hi Power, with its very slight weight increase (32 vs 23 ounces), also has far less felt recoil and the more hand filling grip makes it much easier to control.

I had a practice session the week prior with the P365XL and had been carrying it off duty to prepare myself for the Fuse’s first range session. I hoped that the added mass, though slight, would tame some of the snappiness of the P365. I did not find this to be true. I shot the gun stock, with the XL top end, and even put the Fuse top end on the Boresight XL grip module. For me, they all had the same approximate level of recoil/ muzzle flip. While the 365XL with the Boresight Razorback grip module shoots like a bigger gun, the Fuse is a bigger XL and does not shoot like a full size or compact gun.

These are light guns and easy to carry and remind me of a test Steve did with his Lightweight Springfield 1911 from the Custom Shop. We compared it to steel frame 1911s and found that the difference in times for “street” purposes was not likely to matter but that it took far more concentration to wring the most out of the lighter gun. The P365 family is similar. They are thin, lightweight guns and require more effort to get max performance than a larger, thicker, heavier gun.

I could really see that shooters with small hands or short fingers with big palms would enjoy the short trigger reach on these guns. We all enjoy the lighter weight and thinness in the waistband.

However, I hear rumblings of substituting these for full size guns in full size gun roles and I cannot agree with that idea. All of the admittedly informal tests I have run with smaller shooters firing lighter, thinner guns with smaller grips has shown that they shoot the bigger guns better, even though they do not fit their hands. Many smaller shooters also have less grip and wrist strength, making the lighter snappier guns even more unpleasant for them and leading to issues with shot/ recoil anticipation. This is not always true but it is one reason that many smaller statured shooters love the Hi Power when they pick it up and shoot it. The grip size and trigger reach are good and there is little felt recoil.

There are a large number of aftermarket accessories for the Fuse/ Macro grip modules. I think that, for me, adding a much larger backstrap and some texture would make the gun shoot better than the XL. The optic seems good, so far, and the gun was reliable for the admittedly small number of rounds I put through it (500).

If you like the P365 guns and want to standardize on the series, then I can readily see the Fuse being a good choice for having a larger option, especially of you want the sight radius with iron sights. With all the accessories, holsters, spare parts, and readily available spare guns, this is a smart choice.