SIG Sauer P320 Review + Video: Is A Custom SIG Sauer P320 X-Compact Better Than Stock?
- S. Ocampo
- Mar 23, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: May 10, 2023
The SIG Sauer P320 pistol has been out for nine years now. It became famous due to its accuracy, modular design, great ergonomics, and smooth trigger pull out of the box. It is one of the best pistols ever made in the world, especially now that the US military has awarded SIG Sauer a contract worth $580 million to make the next service pistol.
Although it found success from the get-go, it also suffered from a very concerning problem: accidental discharge. I read all the articles that I could find about this problem years ago, as I like to educate myself before buying any firearm. And I have to say that reading through forums isn’t as helpful because there will always be numerous people who prefer one over the other and will almost always try to thump other brands to promote their own desired firearm. However, there are also a few well-informed people there who understand the blueprint of the firearm and know how each mechanical part works. So, it is well worth noting that you have to filter what you read and look for other sources (aside from your typical forums) to find the information that you are looking for. After reading the forums, online articles, and watching videos regarding this problem, the majority of them have one thing in common: cops. As we all know, some cops are great shooters and are always practicing proper and safe handling of their firearms. And on the other hand, some of them aren’t really good when it comes to it. So take that with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if the firearm is really at fault in their respective cases. For me, I will let the Justice Department take over on this one, as they have more factual evidence than we could ever gather through the internet. However, I did find some videos that showed these accidental discharges. One was during a competition, but I really can’t say for certain that it is the firearm since I don’t know if the user did something with his handgun or not (i.e., aftermarket parts, modification, etc.). Another one was a YouTuber who simulated a drop test, and the firearm did shoot. In this particular video, the pistol has to be dropped at a certain angle for the striker to fire. Bottom line, it seems like there is a possibility that the pistol will discharge under specific conditions, but without checking the actual P320 pistol they used, it is hard to decide whether it is just that specific model, if the aftermarket modification had something to do with it, if it is a user error, or if it is a combination of all of these.
Due to this setback, SIG Sauer offered a voluntary upgrade for their P320 pistols. They noticeably modified the FCU and also added a little notch under the slide. This upgrade includes the reduction of the physical weight of the trigger, sear, and striker while adding a mechanical disconnector. What the mechanical disconnector does is prevent the striker from operating if the slide is out of battery. The old trigger has a mechanical and functional difference from the new one. The old trigger’s pull and release equate to fire and reset. The new trigger prevents it from resetting after release.
When I did my drop test with the updated FCU and slide, I did not experience any accidental discharge. But then again, my stock P320 pistol is fairly new, and I have only put roughly a thousand rounds through it. Who knows what will happen down the road? But for now, it seems like the upgrade is working for me.
Now, it is time for our test. I have a custom P320 X-Compact with a L2D Match Grade Barrel, DPM Recoil Spring, Icarus Precision A.C.E. Module, Armory Craft Lever, Armory Craft Base Plate, Gray Guns Competition Kit, SIG Sauer Pro Cut Slide, and SIG Sauer Romeo1Pro. This custom pistol has an average trigger pull weight (10 pulls) of 2 lbs. and 8 oz. Today, I will be using Atlanta Arms Elite 115GR JHP Match Grade ammunition for accuracy testing. For reliability, I will be using Hornady Subsonic 147GR JHP, Hornady Critical Duty 135GR FlexLock, CCI Blazer 147GR TMJ, Winchester Target 115GR JHP, Federal Champion Training 115GR FMJ, and Wolf 115GR steel-cased ammunition.
The target that I’ll be using for this test is from T. Rex Arms. It has a 1-inch box in the middle and a 1.5-inch (inside diameter) and a roughly 3.4-inch (outside diameter) box in the top right corner. I like using his target because it gives me the data that I want and need.
The Range
I went to an outdoor range, as I always prefer it to the indoor one. I used two of my rangefinders to accurately measure the distance. The sun was up and shining here in California with a temperature of 74 degrees Fahrenheit, a relative humidity of 45% a wind gust heading northeast at about 3 miles per hour, and an elevation of around 1,053 feet.
Now, it is time to shoot. First, I went for a reliability test since I wanted to warm up the barrel for the accuracy testing later on. I spent over 300 rounds in 2 hours warming up the barrel. I did not experience any failures with this particular pistol. Everything worked like it was supposed to. I saw a good amount of dirt building up inside, but it was not enough to compel me to clean for the accuracy testing.
Accuracy Test
I sent twenty rounds through my target, and all of them were within an inch of the widest end of the hole at 10 yards. No flyers. Please see Figure 1.2 below.
Since I am using Atlanta Arms Elite ammunition, I went ahead and adjusted my red dot sight (RDS) to change the point of impact (POI). This is the first time that I have used this match-grade ammunition, so I need to make some adjustments by sending eight rounds through the target. As you all know, different ammunition will have different velocities, drop rates, and POI in relation to our point of aim (POA). See Figure 1.3 below for my new zero.
At 25 yards, I can barely see the 1.5-inch box in the top right corner. My 3 MOA RDS is set to the lowest setting, so I can be more precise, but it is still covering most of the 1.5-inch box at this distance. With my astigmatism not helping and my one good, clear eye (one is farsighted, and the other is nearsighted), I took five shots anyway. Please see figure 1.4 below.
I got three inside the 1.5-inch box that measures 1.3 inches from end to end and two inside the 3.40-inch box (outside diameter). I am unsure if the two outside corners of the 1.5-inch box are flyers. All I know is that I did not flinch at all. But then again, I would rather take responsibility than blame it on the ammunition. I cannot neglect the fact that my eyes aren't the clearest out there, so I will leave it as it is. If I can be honest, the lower right might be because I was aiming there instead of the center. It is really hard to tell where the point of aim is from this distance because the smear and sunburst that my astigmatism is causing on the red dot are prohibiting me from getting a clearer picture of my target. Regardless, I will still measure this because that's how it is supposed to be. Overall, the measurement of the five shots that I took from end to end is close to 3.75 inches at 25 yards.
Performance
This pistol is a pleasure to shoot. With the DPM Light Recoil Spring installed, racking the slide back is easy. The felt recoil is almost nonexistent, which is particularly important if you are using an RDS. I always had a better picture of my target without much deviation from the recoil or muzzle flip. This allowed me to reacquire my target and take my follow-up shots quickly and efficiently. The extended mag release from Icarus Precision helped me change the magazine rapidly without breaking my grip. The baseplate from Armory Craft worked pretty well, as it dropped the magazine (during release) faster than the stock baseplate. Their take-down lever is well-built, and it is not protruding in any way. It gave me enough room to grip the lever and control the recoil better without being too massive. Also, thanks to Gray Guns competition kit, the trigger feels great and is polished. The trigger pull is light enough to prevent me from twisting or jerking the firearm as I fire the round. The Pro Cut slide was so easy to grab when racking the slide. I did not experience any difficulty with it. The Icarus Precision Grip Module is very comfortable to use. I will cover more on this under ergonomics. And lastly, the Romeo1Pro tracked very well. It didn't give me any issues as far as reliability is concerned. The buttons are easy to use. The adjustment counter doesn't have any clicks to it, but I still find it easy to zero my RDS. It hasn't lost zero since I installed this optic. I've probably fired over 800 rounds with this optic alone, and it's been outstanding so far. I didn't use the shroud that came with it since I have never dropped any pistols that I have ever used for over a decade now. Using a holster with this setup is not grueling, and it did not pose any hindrance. Generally, I am very happy and satisfied with the pistol's performance. I don't think I can ask for more out of this.
Conversely, if I am going to nitpick something, that would be the barrel fit to the slide. Since this is a drop-in barrel, there is a left-to-right (nothing on front-to-back) eccentricity, as I can very slightly move it without the magazine on. If I am going to guess, there is probably 1 mm of play or less. But like I said, if I have to pick something, that would be it because that is the only thing that I could ever find for this specific pistol.
Ergonomics
The Icarus Precision grip module has a metal frame. It is completely different compared to its original polymer frame that comes standard with the P320 X-Compact. The cutouts are well thought out because, as soon as I wrapped my hands around the grip, my fingers just fit perfectly into the grooves. It felt like the grip was made exactly for my hands. I did not feel any uneasiness during my whole session. I can keep holding this with absolute comfort and no difficulty at all. The texture of the grip and the trigger guard is very good. It provides an outstanding amount of traction, and best of all, I always feel positive control over it. The extended magazine release allowed me to use it without breaking my grip. The slide release lever is easily accessible. Putting on a light attachment is easy, and the switch can be activated without changing your grip. The beavertail helps control the recoil and is a welcome addition, especially if you want to reacquire your target faster.
Just a side note: since this is a metal frame, when the weather is cold, especially around the winter season, the grip module can and will feel cold. But honestly, that doesn’t bother me. When your life depends on it, the last thing you’re going to worry about is the temperature of your frame.
Appearance
First impression? It looks very clean. The edges and cutouts make it appear more aggressive. The SIG Sauer Pro Cut Slide combined with the Icarus Precision grip module made this pistol look amazing!
Customization
Unlike when it first came out, nowadays it is fairly easy to find aftermarket parts for a P320. Almost all the companies that I checked have parts for it. Although it is not comparable to other older-generation pistols, there are still quite a lot of them out there, and I believe that it will only get better as the years go by. Because the P320 is a modular pistol, you can do anything that you want. All you have to keep is the FCU, and you can go build your specification according to what you want and desire. This is how I did mine, and I am very happy with how it turned out.
Conclusion
I would grade this particular custom pistol a solid 9.48 out of 10, considering that it performed very well for a compact model (not even a full-size firearm). All I can say is that I am really impressed and very satisfied with the performance. There is a learning curve, though, since the pistol has a higher bore axis. But after that, it will deliver an outstanding performance one bullet after another. The recoil is negligible. I can get back to my target quicker and shoot with confidence. The trigger is smooth like butter. There is a very small amount of takeup, but as soon as you hit the wall and the shot breaks, everything feels refined. There is no post-travel, and the reset is short. This allowed me to send multiple rounds in less than a second, but my groupings also increased considerably at 10 yards. But then again, I only did it for fun, and all ten rounds are still within a 6-inch radius of the center mass.
It is also worth noting that throughout the test, after over 350 rounds today, I did not experience any kind of failure. My setup may differ from yours, but if the performance is the same across the board, I would recommend this version of the P320. It is definitely better than the stock version. Just keep in mind that this kind of trigger pull weight is very low for EDC. If you’re comfortable with it, go for it. If not, I would suggest staying with a 4 lb. trigger pull weight or above. Also, if you like to put one in the chamber for your CCW and you are still uncomfortable with it but would love to stick with the P320, I suggest getting one with a thumb safety mechanism like the M17 (full-size) and/or M18 (carry).
In closing, I strongly believe that the pistol can be more accurate than what the result showed today since I am not a great shooter. But in the right hands, I am sure that this particular pistol will perform better without any reservation.
TEST RESULT
Reliability: 10/10
There were no failures after using Atlanta Arms Elite Match Grade ammunition during the accuracy testing. There were no failures after using Hornady, CCI, Winchester, Federal, and Wolf ammunition throughout the reliability tests.
Accuracy: 9/10
The pistol is exceptionally accurate for a compact model (3.9-inch barrel) without any gunsmith involvement during the assembly process. Devoid of a ransom rest, this compact pistol performed more than my expectations.
Performance: 9.6/10
I would have given this a 10/10, but since I want to be very picky about it, I will remove some points since the barrel isn't fitted perfectly. But then again, this is a drop-in barrel, and you really couldn't ask for something better since the left-to-right movement is only by a millimeter or less. And because of that insignificant discrepancy, I will only remove 0.4 points to be fair. Apart from that, this pistol performed very well, without a doubt.
Ergonomics: 10/10
The Icarus Precision Grip Module fits like a glove. The grooves and cutouts are perfect for my large hands. My fingers fit perfectly under the trigger guard. The grip is well-textured and provides better traction. I did not feel any discomfort while shooting this pistol.
Appearance: 9.1/10
Looks are debatable since people will have different tastes. But this is one of the best-looking modern guns that I have ever used, so I have to give it a thumbs up.
Customization: 9/10
These days, you will find a lot of companies making aftermarket parts for the P320. Several of them are very reliable and reputable.
Overall Score: 9.45/10 ★
★: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. EDITOR'S CHOICE.
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