SIG Sauer’s new P365 has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Out of the box, it looks like every other slim 9mm out there. The difference is that both of its magazines hold 10 rounds each. If you load a round into the chamber and carry a backup magazine, you have 21 rounds of 9mm available.
Before the P365 came onto the scene, I was trying to create a comparison matrix to help choose which slim 9mm to carry. Now that the P365 has appeared, my chart is a mess. I do not have to choose the best gun with just six or seven rounds; the best gun may have 10 plus one. To be clear, the P365 is a great gun, but it is not perfect. With that, here are some of the things I really like and one thing that bugs me about the gun.
1. Love: Simple
When it comes to defensive handguns, simple is not just good; simple is great. I just want to be able to draw the gun and squeeze the trigger in order to fire. I do not want a bunch of extra controls or features to fuss with. I want just the basics, please. Plus, I like a gun to have a clean look. SIG Sauer gets the P365 just right with its simple design and double-action-only functionality. Sure, there’s the standard exercise of loading a magazine and chambering a round, but that’s it.
Simplicity is also a function of reliability, and the P365 has SIG Sauer’s usual reliability. On its first outing, I loaded up the magazines with every form of 9mm ammunition I could find in the 9mm bin from my workshop. The 10-round magazine was loaded with everything from target loads to self-defense loads in all the typical bullet weights. The P365 fed, fired and ejected all of them every time.
2. Love: Skinny
Concealed carry guns are nothing if they are not skinny. The rules of physics being what they are, the thicker your gun is, the more awkward and potentially uncomfortable it is to carry. That is why 1911s in any size have always been great concealed carry guns, but that’s a story for another day.
At 1-inch wide, SIG’s P365 is a skinny gun, but it is not so skinny in the stocks that it is difficult to grasp and fire well. The fact that it also hides inside the waistband with ease makes it a comfortable gun. Back in the day, in order to carry 10 rounds in a magazine, you had to have a fairly chunky gun. It’s a new day.
3. Love: Great Sights
Here is the feature many have been waiting for: high-quality night sights on a defensive carry gun. Just as important is that they work during the daytime. And they do, providing a very good, very familiar three-dot pattern that the eyes pick up easily.
SIG calls them XRAY3 Day/Night Sights. These sights do their job so well that you have to actively think about them in order to realize it. In low- or no-light conditions, it is immediately evident where the sights are on the gun. It is also obvious which is the front sight because it glows a brighter green than the rear sights.
4. Hate: Short Stocks
Hate is too strong a word here, and I do realize that a carry gun needs to be somewhat short in order to conceal well, but when I grasp the P365, my pinky finger halfway hangs off the shorter magazine. The other included magazine has an extension which is a perfect fit, but I prefer the shorter one for carry. So, there is a bit of a trade-off here, of course.
When shooting the P365, I do not find the length of the stocks to be an issue. I probably like all the other features so much that I just accept this shortcoming.
5. Love: Purchase
In firearms parlance, “purchase” is a word used to describe the quality of grip you can get on a gun. It is a combination of the gun’s size and shape and how it fits given the dimensions of your hand. It is also a subjective matter. As you know, a gun that fits one person well may be a poor fit for another.
As for me, I can get an excellent purchase on the P365. This not only is a function of the gun’s excellent design, grip angle, dimensions and so forth, but it is also a result of the stock’s texture. SIG got it just right with this gun. Grasping the P365 results in my hand having really good friction. No sliding or extra maneuvering is needed to improve the purchase; you just get it when you grasp it.
With a good purchase, the spacing and dimensions are just right, and the trigger finger should rest on the side of the slide rather than on the trigger. When firing the gun, there is a short snap up, and then you are quickly back on target. When changing magazines, there is a slight change in grip to use your thumb on the magazine release, but it is an operation that quickly becomes second-nature. When you grasp the top of the slide to release it and scoop up the top round in a fresh magazine, the maneuver feels great, and there is just enough slide area to make it a sure and simple process.
Conclusion
Other things I really like about the SIG Sauer P365 are its retail price of $599.99 and the fact that you can fire +P ammo through it. There is an optional 12-round magazine you can carry as a backup. There is nothing else that I do not like.
Have you fired the P365? What is your experience? What do you love, and what do you hate?
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About the Author: Mark Kakkuri is a nationally published freelance writer who covers guns and gear, 2nd Amendment issues and the outdoors. His writing and photography have appeared in many firearms-related publications, including the USCCA’s Concealed Carry Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @markkakkuri.
Discover how you can join more than 200,000 responsibly armed Americans who already rely on the USCCA to protect their families, futures and freedoms: USCCA.com/gunsamerica.
I own a variety of different firearms. My preferred carry is my M17 in the colder times of the years (OWB w/coat).
This past week we (my wife and I) tested the p365. Liked it so much, we both purchased one. She got the manual safety and mine is the FDE.
The short grip issue is due to the fact it is a “micro compact” carry. Not to hard to guess that the grip is short. Sig offers a 15 round extended …. extended magazine for the P365.
Personally I think people should buy what works for them. But if you don’t give the P365 a chance. Then it is your lose.
Fantastic firearm.
My summer carry gun has been a Sig p938 IWB for the last 3 years because it’s so small and accurate. In the colder months I carry a XD mod 2 45 auto 3.3″ under a jacket with it’s short 11 round magazine. This summer I may replace the p938 with a new p365 if all the problems have been fixed the extra 3 rounds would be nice to have. The P365 looks to be a bit larger than my P938 so I’ll need to test drive one before I add it to my collection.
What is the single action poundage on the 365—double is 7 lbs.
It is stricker fired. No double action or single action.
I have the Glock 43 and the Shield, The Sig 365 blows them away HANDS DOWN, (thats coming from a die hard glock fan)
The magazine capacity alone is key, Not to mention the amazing sights and the amazing trigger (ALL stock by the way) NONE of which the shield or the glock come with. Its accuracy is amazing I am not bothered at all by the short grip, Glock 26/27/33 are the same way. Sig does make a 12 round mag which makes it pretty close to a full size grip.
Its a great gun
I agree, I am a die hard glock fan but this is the first sig I have been excited about. Sig is a huge innovative company and with the P365, they hit it out of the park home run. I have a Glock 19, 29, 26. I heard about the b.s. issues and really looked into it and I am so glad I bought a P365 NRA edition. Got 3 magazines, 2 ten rounders, one flush fit and other with pinky extension as well as a 12 round magazine. Best decision I made for a ccw. Now I carry it everywhere except federal buildings.
The winner of my seven-gun test two years ago was the XDS (beating the Shield, G43, LC9S, PM-9, P290 and PPS). Today I pitted the XDS (mod. 1) against the P365. XDS won on quality (and loading) of mags, and its superior trigger. Sig mags were sharp-edged and a bi+<# to load, one requiring disassembly and deburring before the follower would move below the mag lock cutouts and allow for loading more that 3 rounds. The XDS also had the advantage of getting a full front grip with a Pearce extension on the 7-rd mag, and having 8 and 9-rd mags available. The Sig will benefit greatly here with its 12-rd mag. The Sig trigger was hateful; 7 lbs??? More break-in and a vigorous $0.25 trigger job will hopefully make it tolerable.
The 365 won on shot grouping, which was one of the XDS's strong suits in my first test. 4 1/2" v. 6" at 10 yards with three brands of 115gr ammo.
With the improvements made in the new XDS mod. 2, I'd say that if I needed to replace my XDS original, an extra one to three rounds in the 365 isn't significant enough to divorce me from a Springfield.
The range I am a member has one for rent. The grip even with the magazine in is so uncomfortable I cannot imagine shooting this three finger gun. I am at a loss why the did not go with a longer hand grip as this is one of the few narrow profile Sig Arms designs ever. They could have added 1/2 and inch to that narrow handle and that gun would still be smaller than the Shield series with even more rounds like maybe a full 15. For all the hype it receive I am truly disappointed and expected much better.
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Because it is a deep conceal pistol.
Because someone has to make a gun for smaller hands, good gun for woman. if you really want a longer grip, buy the 15 mag.
This article got me interested so I went to a store, Scheels if it matters. Looked at it, liked it, bought it. I have it at home now, but I haven’t shot it yet, the magazine is so hard to load. I put eight in one mag using the speedloader for my Glock 19 but that was completely unsatisfactory. I have an Uplula ordered, which should be here next week.
A couple of comments. There’s a sharp corner on the bottom rear of the grip, where it presses into the fleshy part of my palm beneath my pinky finger. I hope the recoil doesn’t drive it into my hand too painfully. My Glock 43 is more rounded there.
The trigger is nice. Not as nice as the Sig single action triggers, but what is? This striker trigger is really nice right out of the box, comparable to my well broken-in Glock 43. When my Sig P365 trigger gets broken in as much as my Glock 43 is, it should be like ice sliding on ice.
The sights. The sights suck. Oh, they’re fine in bright light when you can see them, and they’re fine in total darkness when the tritium turns on. But when it’s dark, but not dark enough for the tritium to glow visibly, these black sights are impossible to see. Trijicon night sights are outlined in white and are much better.
Everyone is raving about the ten round magazine except me. I carry a Glock 43 and I think six is plenty, but I’m willing to be convinced if I’m wrong. I’ve never had to fire it in self defense, although I did save myself once by merely brandishing. I would be very interested in a study or a survey or something, to determine how many shots are fired in a typical self defense situation.
After waiting about 6 months, I finally got my P365. Besides the fact I finally got my P365, I had the added joy of having purchased it for $529.99 from Cabela’s on a sale in early summer. (No, that sweet deal is no longer anywhere to be seen.) The best news, however, came when we (my entire family) sprinted to the range to try it out, fully expecting to love the size but anticipating decreased accuracy over our P250C. Boy, were we surprised! This thing can lay down some really nice, tight groups.
A lot of guns get hype when they are announced and the reviewers first get their hands on them. Some live up to the hype; many do not. The P365 does not only live up to the hype – it exceeds it. Good grip, especially for a micro, very good trigger, easy to maintain, great factory sights, and an otherworldly ability to place accurate shots from such a small weapon all combine to make this gun the best conceal choice on the market.
You may have to wait awhile to get one because SIG has discovered making them faster than people want to buy them is an impossible task, but place your order and wait. Micro-carry bliss is only a few months away…
Great Gun, but one drawback not covered here or anywhere else: the high(er) capacity magazines are very tough to load after about five or six rounds. Understandable, given the need to cram 10 or 12 rounds in a five or six round package. But this definitely warrants a magazine loader for Range Day.
Now, please do the same in 40
I picked up my P365 in July after reading al the stories about how Sig dropped the ball on the first generations guns and made corrections. What can I say, the little gun works the way it’s suppose to for me. M wife loves the little gun an shoots it well. I let my Glock loving buddy shoot it this past week and he also loved it, especially the trigger. Zero malfunctions thus far. Folks tend to forget about the other big companies that have recalled their first production guns and had to rush for fixes. Springfield comes to mind when the XDS’s first hit the market. Now, I’m a big Springfield fan also and my daily carry is a XDS in 45 acp. As soon as I get more range time I will be changing over to the P365. Not a trust issue with the P365 quality, but I will make sure I am more in tune with the P365 before I carry it.
You can’t say you dislike the short stock, then say the extended magazine makes the fit perfect, then say you prefer the perceived fault . Major contradiction.
I had this exact thought too when I read that part. You can’t say you don’t like that your pinky hangs off the end but then not want use the extended grip… unless the author is saying that’s a shortcoming of every gun in this category, which then I could understand. But if that is the case, then he shouldn’t be listing that as a negative in this article, as his readers are using his analysis to compare to other CCW sub-compacts, not full size pistols. And that mark would be a negative for every gun with this size stock… it’s like saying I prefer this 6″ ruler to this other 6″ ruler… doesn’t make sense.
I want to like this gun. I just don’t trust my life to it. Maybe in the next year or two, but there are plenty of other viable options out there that are absolutely reliable.
I’m thinking of buying one and would love to hear you expand on this comment… “not sure I trust my life to it”
I\’ve been a revolver guy all my life. My first service weapon was a J frame 36! And though I toyed with semi autos, LCP, Glock 42, 43, M&P Shield…etc, wanting something small and easy to carry, I was still a revolver guy. But an incident a couple of years back left me wanting an IWB weapon with more than 5 rounds. But it had to be small, as with age I developed \”dunlaps disease\”. After a Glock Armorer, and \”dyed in the wool\” Glock guy raved about the P365, I took a chance. It has only been out of my holster long enough to put about 500 rounds down range, everything from the cheapest, dirtiest bargain table stuff to Critical Duty – not one hiccup! This is a phenomenal weapon, accurate, well thought out and a joy to shoot! I am now a Sig fan…too bad they don\’t make a revolver!
I find you critics have little to no experience with all the good CCW offerings available now , nor do you own or have even fired the Sig P 365 .I happen to own a collection of firearms and appreciate each one , and it’s manufacturer for what it is . I have fired and spent time with most every capable CCW avaiable as well . However , in my humble opinion , nothing compares to the Sig P 365 , Period !
Yes , I am a Sig fan , after handling countless firearms , have found I appreciate most all Sig firearms over most others . That is not to discredit my appreciation for other great firearms such as the CZ 75’s , H&K USP’s , John Browning anythings (Hi-Powers) , S&W M&P’s , Walther’s ,Kimber’s , Glock’s and more . I appreciate the less popular such as Star BM , Sar 9’s , Macarovs , Takarovs , and any well made and dependable offerings .
By the way , for those of you that continue to compare and refer to your Sig P 250 , P 290 and P 320 as the better hammer fired action as to the P 365 striker fired action , it is my understanding that all those are striker fired . The P 365 just has a lighter trigger pull with a quick reset liking to a newer Sig SA/DA trigger .
I stand behind my opinion that the P 365 does not suffer the numerous faults described and therefore unreliable . I feel it to be the new standard , not to mention the most complete pistol and best CCW available for size , round capacity , and Sig dependabality at this time .
The hammer fired Sig’s have always been my favorites (ie P 220,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,232,238,938, etc) especially the newer ones with the quick reset trigers . FYI for a fair and inexspensive fee you can send your earlier ones to Sig for the QRT upgrades .
The P320 is a striker fired pistol.
Over 2000 rounds in mine before i got rid of it. I very much disliked the p365. Shot ok…carried like crap. It’s grip heavy and flops away from the body. Sharp edges. Super light nice trigger with no safeties makes for a great range queen. I always practice carry with an empty chamber and trigger cocked with constant practices of brandishing and holstering. Thank God I did. Somehow on my shirt was a long tangley hair that pulled the trigger while holstering. Not good. This gun needs a trigger dingus badly. They also need to add slightly more girth to the handle. In my subjective opinion anyway. Though my wife carries a p365-380 it stays in a purse always and doesn’t come out. If your moving your gun around a lot or taking it out to drive often; i suggest the manual safety at least simply for holstering. It’s what the 365 should be. A 380. The g43x carried significantly better. It’s the weight distribution and rounded edges. I’m no glock fan though. I now carry a p938 legion. Hands down a better carry gun. I’ve read some questions about how many rounds are typically fired in a self defense situation. It’s 3. Folks act like they’re going into battle lol. Capacity queens unite. If your going into battle please don’t bring your pistol. They’re all abysmal ballistically speaking. The 365 is not the best cc gun. It shot well enough, definitely not for bigger hands, the recoil is the same as any pistol of the same size, it was extremely reliable. No hiccups in 2000rds. The 43x handles much better and is substantially safer. The 938 is the safest and offers conditional carry options based on threat level. I have kids that are always crawling all over me and beating me up ha ha so a safer gun is necessary. To each his own though.
I have been a 1911, 45 caliber fan since the early sixties. Today’s modern 9 mm ammunition has definitely changed my opinion of 9 mm. I have been a sig fan since carrying the P220 on duty for many years. Not a malfunction of any kind in the entire department forever. But now the P365 has caught my attention and I acquired one a couple of months ago. Sig kno9 this one out of the park. Bitch you about the grip all you want. Your hand absolutely locks on to it and doesn’t let go. Show your little pinkie may either hang low or completely off of the grip. I fail to see the downside.
I have carried and instructed in law enforcement for many years. This doesn’t make me the world’s foremost authority but it does give me good experience at defensive shooting and concealed carry. I don’t know of any gun that fits that bill better then the Sig Sauer P365.
6’3” 285, appendix carry 365 twelve round mag, fits hands, concealing no problem, installed a machined striker just because, have had zero problems before or after, primer smear very minor, not unheard of on small guns and short slides!
Seriously doubt authors hands larger than mine, and if you’re gripping with the pinky finger that’s poor technique on any handgun!
Not everyone has gorilla-size hands like you…as average people are only 5’8”-5’10” believe it or not…with women even shorter…
most of us can actually get all 4 fingers on the grip of a regular-size handgun.LOL
Mike said the newer guns come with the 12 rd. mag. I just bought one made in June with the new gray box and it did not come with the 12 round mag. I have not fired it but love the concept . I think Sig should go to a steel striker instead of the MIM version to cure the striker breakage problem . I have several other Sigs and love them. I have been a Glock fan from the beginning and carried a G43 for 2 years and have been carrying a Sig 938 till the 365 came out. I had to wait till after the recall . I have never had a problem with any of the guns mentioned. Sig, please fix the striker problem .
The only sig P365 that comes with a 12 round magazine would be the NRA edition. You get 3 magazines. 2 10 rounders, one with extension and other flush fit. The 3 magazine is your 12 rounder. The whole set comes in coyote tan.
SIG365 = “Watchlist Status”. This gun needs @12 months to clean out the bugs. This is not to say it’s a ‘bad’ design but one that needs an “Engineering cleanup”. This is very common in software design and even some hardware such as first generation vehicles with abrupt new model changes.
Once stable it is still a tough sell for the price. The last five years has given us some very respectable products from Glock, Smith, and even the inexpensive Taurus PT111G family. Note that all these units had some bugs in the first year offerings but have all become trusted products. SIG will clean things up but needs some time.
Taurus trigger is no contest for SIGs. Also, the 365 is similar size to the 43, but ammo capacity of the 26. That\’s a game changer. None of the others really compete in specs. Some preferences, maybe. That\’s it.
I’m a big Sig fan but I have to see the 365 up close and handle it a bit to see why I would give up my 320 sub-compact for it. The 320 is pretty small, it just looks to have a little fatter grip frame. But I like that because I have big hands. The 320 holds 12+1 all the time and can go 15+1 using the compact mags. The price is pretty much the same, both have night sights. The 365 might be better for my wife than me. Wait and see I guess.
Frankly I’m disappointed in the Sig product development. After the fiasco of the Sig P320 “drop” fire…and the subsequent “voluntary” return to the factory, one would have thought Sig would have sent the Sig P365 out the door with zero “issues”. The “primer” drag/mark is something I have never seen/experienced with my personal guns or military…I won’t buy one until that is fixed. Also the guy shooting nearly 1000 rounds through a P365 experienced a total “dead trigger” in the final magazine…uh, explain that one! He’s sending it back to Sig…from whence it came. One option I would like is a gun without the ubiquitous rail…for a “pocket size deep carry” gun, I find the rails useless, especially the “Sig-only” rails. Full disclosure…I began carrying a Sig P220 20 years ago, my bedside gun is a P228 with Surefire light, I now carry a Sig P320C & P320SC 9mm and I’ve never experienced a failure to feed/fire/eject of any kind in any of the center fire Sig guns. Call me a “fan-boy” if you like, but I’ve had nothing but success with the center fire Sig guns I’ve owned.
I can relate to the authors “hate” of the stock/grip length. BTW he also says “Hate is too strong a word here,”. Again I get and relate to the statement.
I have several compact and sub compact pistols. Khar CW 45, Shield 9mm and Taurus 709 Slim. In my ham sized grip only the Khar gives me enough grip for all four fingers, without the use of a base extension. I’m able to shoot all three just fine without the extensions. So the the real issue is operator comfort. For me I’m less comfortable carrying concealed with the extended mags in the grip. Although you can bet that my spare mag(s) will be the ones with the extension.
To me my confidence in my shooting skills (along with the fervent hope that they may never need to be called upon) with the standard mag vs. my concern of printing or exposing my pistol due to the extensions shape and predilection to make itself apparent, in my mind if nowhere else, determine my decision on how I carry.
I recently bought the Kimber Micro 9 as I was looking for a smaller carry. It is a very nice looking gun but my accuracy with it was not what I was wanting. I had been waiting for the P365 to come out but got impatient and bought the Kimber. Then not too long ago a buddy of mine came over to shoot and brought over his P365 and I got to shoot it. It was at that moment I decided I would be purchasing one as well. I was seeing the accuracy I had hoped for with my Kimber.
I just recently received my P365 and I love it.
Shot the pistol, wonderful to shoot. Hard to find one to buy. To the person shooting Remington ammo, all Remington is very filthy.
Great gun .in 380 but I am waiting for it in 9mm?
What are you talking about? It IS 9mm…
The “negative” for the gun being too “Short” ( top-to-bottom) is a head scratcher. There are both normal-baseplate mags available as well an extended baseplate version/12 rd version. Choose. On the contrary, the short height makes this now a viable gun for comparison to the competition….as gun “height” is what makes a gun “print” when carrying concealed. More so than “length”. This is where the Shield falls short being 4.6″ tall. The Kahr CM9 (4 inches) Glock 43 (4.3″ ) and now this Sig (4.3″) makes the package work. Short height is not a negative. Choose the baseplate/mag you wish that answers either the concealability question or pinky-finger question.
Mark: You reference it in your footnotes, but complain about the grip length, showing the std, flush 10 rounder In your pictures. Sig has made 12 round mags for P365 now for nearly 6 months. They do come with newer 365’s and have a nice pinky extension and add ~1/2” to the grip. I find it a great setup as I have large hangs as well. I have found myself going for my P365 more often than my G43 the past month I’ve owned it. Out of the box, I think it’s a better gun than my ZEV43 at nearly 1/3 the price. At 13 total rounds, it’s Browning High Power/near G19 capacity, in a micro carry gun. I’m not a Sig fan boy, but what’s not to like. In my view, it is the best carry gun performance/value as of July 2018.
The issue for me with IWB carry was the rough texture grating my side. This issue was corrected with a set of Talon stick on grips. I have had zero other issues with this pistol and love it, love it, love it.
Thanks but I will stick with my P250 and P290. Hammer fired and no issues.
Are you not aware that both the P250 and P320 , are striker fired ?
Not sure what gun you’re referring to Wayne but the P250 is a hammer fired gun with a very long revolver like trigger pull.
The Sig P365 has a few issues that Sig needs to fix. The gun itself is a great product. One of the issues is primer printing – the firing pin drags across the primer. There have been several reports of the firing ping breaking and the trigger spring breaking. Sig will of course fix these but that makes the gun unreliable. Until Sig fixes these I will continue to carry my G43. The P365 is on my list to buy but once Sig fixes these issues,
I’ve read of this so-called issue and, after examining my spent brass, can find no trace of firing pin drag. Had mine for about six months and couldn’t be happier. My G43 was great but the 365 blows it away.
Over 1000 rounds of all kinds through since I bought mine several months ago. Zero failures to fire, eject, or otherwise function. I carry this in the Sig IWB holster. It is, in a word, awesome. I’ve read a lot of reviews and comments. I’m going to stand by my own experience. Sig did a great job with this pistol. Reliable, accurate, rugged.
The author doesn’t like the short length of the grip because his pinky finger falls off, but doesn’t like the extended mag because of “concealed carry.” C’mon. SIG gave you both options-short ot long-and you’re not happy with either?
Have fired 500 rounds utilizing four different loads without a hiccup. My little finger hangs off the short magazine, as well, but when shooting, it’s a non issue as far as accuracy is concerned. The magazine release is not perfect, as it does require a grip adjustment, but everything else works to perfection. Amazing pistol!
My question is does the P320 mag fit and function in the P365?
No. P320 Mags are not compatible with the P365
You’re being sarcastic, right?
The machining on the rear portion of the slide looks sloppy. Come on Sig. Judging by their rolling corrections to the striker and trigger spring design, Sig rushed this to production without doing due dilligence. It’s a great idea for increased capacity though. I’ll be interested to see how the other players respond, especially Walther.
I have two of them (one for my wife). This is the pistol to sell your Glock 26 for. I love the trigger in addition to the characteristics you mentioned. I don’t love the slide catch. I have a hard time getting a two handed grip that doesn’t cause the slide to close after the last round. My wife has RA and she can actually rack the slide on the P365.
Completely agree on all accounts.
I did have two failures to eject on the first 150 rds. I took it home and cleaned it and will test again. My guess is that it was the preservative applied to the gun that caused the failures. Used Remington 115 grain UMC for initial test.
Trigger safety and standard rail would be nice changes.
This is a sub compact carry gun . You want a full size rail on it?