If you’ve ever raised a dog, you know that puppies start with puppy chow and big guys get adult dog food. Is there a reason guns should be any different? An odd question to ask but SIG Sauer is living up to their name of being a full systems provider. They unveiled their new ammunition which is carrying the namesake of their new gun. SIG P365 Ammo is specifically designed to be used in smaller handguns and to help address the weaknesses smaller pistols have. That’s not all it does though.
Train and Defend
The new P365 Ammo is divided into two categories, the training ammo, and the defensive ammo. Both types are designed to mimic each other. The training ammo handles precisely like the defensive ammo concerning recoil, velocity, and point of impact. A shooter should never know the difference between the training and the defensive ammo.
The benefits of this system are vast. The shooter can train affordably with the FMJ loads and honestly train like they will fight. They will know exactly what it will feel like to fire a defensive round after every training trigger pull. SIG wasn’t the first to invent this system, and we’ve seen companies Winchester do it as well. They are the first I’ve seen a focus on it for small guns though.
I will say it works. I’ve gone through 100 rounds of the defensive ammo, and 100 rounds of the training ammo. They feel and function identically. I loaded a few magazines in a staggered manner going training, defensive, training, defensive, so on and so forth. I could never identify a difference between the rounds. SIG did an excellent job ensuring the P365 ammo was consistent.
Accuracy and Reliability
I’ve had zero reliability issues with the 200 rounds of P365 ammo. The ammo performed flawlessly. Accuracy wise the ammo performed proficiently. I personally hate judging accuracy regarding, “Look how small my group is.” Accuracy is subjective to the shooter’s skill level. I know my skill level, and judging it against what I can do the ammo performed very well. There were no crazy flyers or inconsistent groups in my Modern Warrior T1 target.
Accuracy was consistent between both loads and groups sizes were remarkably similar between both ammo types when comparing 5 shot group sizes.
P365 Ammo in the P365 (and others)
This ammunition is designed specifically for small guns and to address their weaknesses. The first is slightly reduced recoil. The P365 is already an outstanding firearm concerning recoil reduction due to its excellent ergonomics. However, you can feel a noticeable difference in recoil as well as muzzle rise. I get a few rounds through a variety of guns and felt the most significant difference in my little Ruger LCR 9mm. That thing bucks and jumps with standard 115-grain FMJ rounds, the SIG P365 ammo was significantly more manageable.
To achieve reduced recoil and muzzle rise the ammo is loaded a little light. The 115-grain rounds reach 1,050 fps and have a muzzle energy of 282-ft pounds. Compared to a standard 9mm 115-grain JHP like the Ranger it’s a little slow. The Ranger loads reach 1,225 FPS and hits with 383 ft. Lbs of energy. The SIG P365 ammo is roughly the equivalent of a Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special round.
Last Notes
The SIG P365 ammo is perfect for those who want and need something that’s a little more controllable. If you are a little recoil sensitive, or just want to maximize the control over this gun, it will work for you. The ability to train with ammo that’s exactly like your defensive ammo gives you an excellent edge when push comes to shove.
