{"id":95941,"date":"2020-04-04T09:41:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T13:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=95941"},"modified":"2025-11-12T12:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T18:45:04","slug":"sig-p365-vs-glock-43-vs-sw-shield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/sig-p365-vs-glock-43-vs-sw-shield\/","title":{"rendered":"9mm Micro Shootout – Sig P365 vs. Glock 43 vs. S&W Shield"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>21<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Everyone at the Shot Show in January had to stop by and see the new Sig P365 Micro-compact pistol; it was the talk of the show. Sig had made the leap into the deep end of the pool to compete with the well-established pillars of the micro market, the Smith & Wesson Shield, and the Glock 43 9mms.\u00a0 It certainly looked and felt good, and it held more bullets than its rival competitors, but looks are sometimes deceiving.<\/p>\n

\"9mm<\/a>

All three Micro-Compacts proved accurate for their size, these are more than point and shoot guns.<\/p><\/div>\n

The true test is when you put a product side by side with its competitors and see how they stack up. So after a not so patient wait to get the newly popular P365 it’s time to get down to the range, scales and numbers to see how it does.<\/p>\n

The Basic Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Measurement<\/strong><\/td>\nSig P 365<\/strong><\/td>\nGlock 43<\/strong><\/td>\nS&W Shield<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length<\/td>\n5.82<\/td>\n6.31<\/td>\n6.25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Height (including sights)<\/td>\n4.31<\/td>\n4.25<\/td>\n4.62<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Width (widest point)<\/td>\n1.11<\/td>\n1.36<\/td>\n1.03<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grip Width (average)<\/td>\n.99<\/td>\n.92<\/td>\n.94<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight (oz)<\/td>\n18.5<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n20.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The numbers above clearly show that Sig has produced a product that is within the same size and weight arena as its competitors. These measurements were made with the shortest, non-extended magazines that are offered for each gun.<\/p>\n

\"9mm<\/a>

Thin is important when you tuck this in your waistband each day. So where did they hide all those extra rounds in the SIG?<\/p><\/div>\n

These numbers pretty much deal with how well these little guns are going to carry on a day to day basis. The Sig is small when compared to the length on both the other guns and solidly stands with them in the weight, width and height numbers – they gave up little to the competition in basic design.<\/p>\n

Deeper Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The numbers in the table above are usually all you really get, but when comparing these 3 guns it\u2019s worth getting a little more specific. All these guns have a different feel when in the hand and shooting, and after all how well you shoot a gun is usually about how naturally it fits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Measurement<\/strong><\/td>\nSig P 365<\/strong><\/td>\nGlock 43<\/strong><\/td>\nS&W Shield<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grip Length (front strap)<\/td>\n1.93<\/td>\n1.78<\/td>\n1.77<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grip Circumference (narrowest)<\/td>\n4.75<\/td>\n4.87<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grip Depth (front to back)<\/td>\n1.75<\/td>\n2.2<\/td>\n1.92<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Back strap to front of trigger<\/td>\n2.64<\/td>\n2.61<\/td>\n2.69<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trigger Weight (pounds)<\/td>\n5.1<\/td>\n6.25<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sight Radius<\/td>\n4.85<\/td>\n5.17<\/td>\n5.26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is where Sig\u2019s P365 starts to pull away from the pack for me. The Sig, while being very short in height overall has the longest front strap on the grip, allowing the shooter to get a better handle on the gun.<\/p>\n

\"9mm<\/a>

Trigger guard designs play heavily in length of front strap on the grip, influencing how grip fits your hand. The greater undercut of the P365 trigger guard adds to the overall design and control.<\/p><\/div>\n

It also has the smallest front to back measurement of the grips, resulting in the smallest circumference, making the gun fit well in smaller hands. The well stippled little grip is easy to get a hold of and hang on to while shooting. Larger hands may still like the Glock or S&W better; but are you willing to settle for the lower capacity?<\/p>\n

The distance of the reach from the back strap to the trigger is relatively equal for all 3 guns. However, the pull weight to break the trigger on the P365 came in about a pound less than either of the two other guns and had very little over travel.<\/p>\n

A one pound trigger pull difference might not seem like much but it\u2019s significant on a percentage basis and was noticeable while shooting groups. Would this difference be noticeable under stress in a hostile encounter – maybe, maybe not?<\/p>\n

\"9mm<\/a>

S&W had the greatest sight radius due to rear sight reaching to the back of the slide. Glock had the longest barrel of the test guns.<\/p><\/div>\n

The P365 did have the shortest sight radius as expected since it had the shortest overall length. However, it appears its short barrel wasn\u2019t too detrimental as the P365 ended up with some small groups while doing accuracy testing. The lighter trigger and good sights seemed to help those groups along.<\/p>\n

Comparing Trigger Mechanisms and Pulls: Glock<\/mark> 43 vs. M&P Shield<\/mark><\/h2>\n

When examining the triggers of the Glock<\/mark> 43 and the M&P Shield<\/mark>, the differences in design and functionality become evident, influencing the shooting experience.<\/p>\n

Trigger Mechanisms<\/h2>\n