For the last five years, the Sig Sauer P320 compact has been one of the top choices for concealed carry holders. So it might surprise you that I have never actually shot one until recently. I have never gravitated toward Sig handguns for my own personal use, but I was excited to try out the P320. Fortunately, the Guns.com warehouse had one in stock so I could get this proverbial monkey off my back.
Initial Impressions
I immediately inspected the P320 upon its arrival from Guns.com. I was pleasantly taken back at how balanced it was and how intuitively it pointed. Next, I got in a few quick dry fire reps on a cardboard target. The bore axis on the P320 seemed high but I was able to build a very aggressive grip due to the high beavertail. The trigger take up was short and upon running the slide I noticed that the trigger reset was even shorter. Everything seemed on point for the makings of a great shooting handgun, but dry fire and live fire can be two very different experiences.
When I arrived at the range for my first session with the P320, I loaded up all three mags with Aguilla 9mm 117gr to their max 17 round capacities. Running all three mags in rapid succession would give me an idea of any quarks or skeletons that might be in its closet. After the third mag ran dry I had a nice neat pile of brass on the ground and a tight group on the cardboard target that was about seven yards away.
The P320 is a great place to start if you are new to concealed carry or handguns in general. (Photo: Ben Brown/Guns.com)
Around the fifth mag, I started to notice that the recoil impulse was a bit unusual. The P320’s slide seemed to move at a slower rate compared to other handguns. There was hardly any “snap” to it. It was very easy to keep on target when stringing multiple shots. Typically guns with a higher bore axis yield a much different experience when it comes to recoil management but the P320 continued to impress me with its “shootability.”
After 300 rounds the P320 was hot, a bit dirty, and had made it through the range session without a hiccup. Now, this is in no way a reliability test but this does give me some confidence if I wanted to choose the P320 as a carry gun. I am also confident that if the P320 is properly maintained there is no reason that reliability would continue with extended service life.
Room to grow with the P320
The P320 is a great place to start if you are new to concealed carry or handguns in general. Sig has made this gun one of the most modular handguns available. The “subframe” which contains the trigger is the serialized part. This means you can take the subframe out of the compact and drop it into the full-size frame. You are essentially buying one gun that can be turned into three different guns.
I have never gravitated toward Sig handguns for my own personal use but I was excited to try out the P320. (Photo: Ben Brown/Guns.com)
Because of the popularity of the P320, aftermarket holster support is plentiful. I used a Hazmat Holster NV3 for IWB carry for the duration of this review. With a barrel length of 3.9 inches and a weight of 26 ounces, the P320 was very comfortable to carry. You will be hard pressed to find a handgun that has 17+1 capacity in this size package.
Conclusion
I am kind of disappointed I had waited this long to try out the Sig Sauer P320. It might not be for everyone but it has a lot of the characteristics that the market desires from today’s polymer striker fired handguns. You can find the Sig Sauer P320 and others like it on the guns.com website. I am glad this one was in the warehouse to try out. It is now a pistol I can start recommending to people.
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