SIG SAUER P365-FUSE Review & Giveaway (+ Video)

An Exclusive Chance To Win A P365-FUSE With ROMEO-X Enclosed Compact Reflex Sight

Way back in January of 2018, SIG SAUER introduced the P365 at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Its immediate popularity was not just hype, as it became one of, if not the best-selling handgun for the next few years. 

These days, micro-compact, striker-fired pistols with polymer frames are ubiquitous, but at the time it was a big deal to get 10 rounds of 9mm into something the size of the P365, which SIG accomplished by redesigning the magazine itself and building the pistol around the capacity.

Since then, the P365 family has grown—some longer, some taller, optics-ready options, porting, custom shop milling, bolt-on/spray-on bling, all the tinkering you would expect. All the P365 models retained the soul of what it stood for, as well as the technical soul: the Fire Control Unit (FCU) chassis system, which is the serialized part of the firearm and compatible with P365 grip modules, magazines, slides, and barrels.

SIG SAUER P365-FUSE Details

The new P365-FUSE was originally developed under contract for a foreign police agency. The contract did not go through, but what the SIG Defense team had designed remained—a long-slide P365 X-MACRO, which was then upgraded with premium features and a SIG Custom Works slide design. The P365-FUSE was born.

It has a barrel longer than any other compact in its class (4.3 inches), but the overall length is 7.2 inches. The flush-fit magazine has a 17-round capacity, but with a height of 5.38 inches and a width of just 1.1 inches, it is small for such capacity, keeping true to the P365 origins.

The laser-stippled LXG grip module on the FUSE is similar to the Spectre Comp, combined with the P365 series magazine well found on the XMACRO TACOPS and LEGION models. It’s like SIG rubbed a magic lamp and asked a genie for a “full-size compact pistol,” and he put all the things people liked most about the P365 pistols in a sack, shook it, and out popped the FUSE.

Other features of the FUSE include a 1913 accessory rail, interchangeable small, medium, and large backstraps, a nickel-plated flat-faced trigger, a fiber-optic front sight, and a black serrated rear sight. The FUSE comes with one 17-round magazine and two 21-round magazines. 

The optics-ready (compact footprint) slide is stainless steel and Nitron-coated, a process that hardens the surface of the metal. Visually, the slide design is quite different from what I have seen from SIG SAUER in the past. The serrations are deep and aggressive, without being offensive to your fingers.

Ergonomics & Trigger Feel

The P365-FUSE felt very good. I would say I have average size hands, but I tend to like smaller grips. Of the three that come with the FUSE, the one installed from the factory is the “medium” thickness. I tried the other two, and the difference was mild, so I chose to stay with that. 

Slide manipulation was very positive with the new serrations. The very rear of the slide, past the last serration cut, is just slightly wider than the rest of the slide itself, adding a little more purchase if one were to do a “thumb and finger” grip from the back.

The undercut of the triggerguard and the overall ergonomics are pleasant, and when I wedge my hand right up tight under the P365-FUSE’s beavertail, my pinky and lower palm rest just on the top of the magazine well, which is not unpleasant.

The trigger has a little bit of take-up, a good wall, and then a little creep before the break. Measured between 5 and 6 pounds, I would classify it as decent. The nickel plating is a nice touch. 

P365 FUSE Range Report

On range day I took a variety of 9mm ammo—everything from 70-grain indoor lead-free ball to 125-grain Black Hills HoneyBadger.

The FUSE SIG sent for review came with a newly released ROMEO-X Enclosed Compact Reflex sight, which is a civilian model of the mil-spec ROMEO-M17. The model I was sent has a 6-MOA dot. 

For the weight and the size, I was expecting the recoil to be worse. I wouldn’t say that it feels like shooting a full-size pistol necessarily, but it doesn’t have the “snap” that I associate with compact and micro-compact pistols. Consequently, I was able to keep the dot in the window of the compact ROMEO-X through the firing sequence.

Overall, I found the pre-production FUSE to shoot above its weight class as far as accuracy. I think my mind was expecting compact pistol performance, but the 4.3-inch barrel did its work. I shot 300 rounds total of five ammo types and had two failure-to-feed malfunctions with Double Tap’s 124-grain ball ammo where the round stuck at the top of the feed ramp prior to chambering. A little more research would be necessary to determine what was the specific issue, but again, this is a pre-production model that I was testing. Perhaps more of a break-in period is necessary.

The Bottom Line On The SIG SAUER P365-FUSE 

The SIG P365-FUSE is definitely a “full-size” pistol from a round-count standpoint with the standard-length magazine having a 17+1 capacity. The ergonomics are very pleasant, and the controls are the right size to stay out of the way without being hard to find. I like the look and feel of the slide serrations, and the laser-engraved LXG grip module is both artful and functional. For EDC, some may want to remove the mag well if printing seems to be an issue. 

We know how SIG SAUER likes to tinker, so chances are good we will see a few other versions of the FUSE in the future.

Win Your Own SIG SAUER P365-FUSE

Specifications: SIG SAUER P365-FUSE

CALIBER: 9mm

ACTION: Semi-auto, striker-fired

BARREL: 4.3 inches

OA LENGTH: 7.2 inches

WEIGHT: 23.1 ounces (empty)

GRIPS: Laser engraved X-Grip (LXG), XMacro grip module

SIGHTS: Black serrated rear, fiber-optic front

FINISH: Nitron

CAPACITY: 17+1, 21+1

MAP: $699

URL: https://www.sigsauer.com/firearms/pistols/p365.html