At the risk of sounding like a broken record, SIG Sauer broke out their big brains with the wildly successful P320 and P365 families of pistols. Not only were they designed to be modular, with serialized fire control units in their grip modules, SIG also supported third-party companies in developing accessories for them. This created a robust aftermarket and ecosystem around SIG’s handguns.
One of the most significant modifications you can perform on your SIG pistol is to swap out the factory polymer grip module for an aftermarket one. Sharps Bros makes a range of metal grips to trick out your P320 or P365; shown here are two of the latest variants of their Improved Grip Modules.
The P320 grips come in two colors, while the P365 grips can be had in X/XL and X-Macro sizes in various permutations of color, grip panels, and with or without manual safety. Not only do they look sharp, they offer a number of benefits over the original polymer grip.
Sharps Bros machines them from billet 7075-T6 aluminum; those for the P365 have steel lug inserts for durability, like SIG’s AXG Legion. You’ll notice that added heft and stiffness compared to polymer when sending rounds downrange. On our scale, the Sharps P320 grip weighs 7.6 ounces, compared to a factory M18 grip at 3.5 ounces and SIG’s AXG at 8.2 ounces. Their X-Macro grip weighs 5.8 ounces, versus 2.5 ounces for a factory unit.
The grips are carefully shaped and contoured to provide enhanced ergonomics and control. The front and back straps are checkered, increasing grip without being aggressive. The models highlighted here come with nice Brazilian cherry wood grip panels; the P320 grip can also be ordered with Wenge wood grips. For the P365, there’s a wide selection of optional stocks made by VZ Grips and Burkett Family Customs, in various sexy colors and textures, carved out of wood, G10, carbon fiber, and even exotic materials.
The factory P365 grip maximizes concealability with its 1-inch width and slim contour, but sacrifices some shootability, especially for those with larger hands. Sharps tips the scales in the other direction, better filling the hand with an extra 0.3 inch of width. On the other hand, the P320 is a service pistol; our M18 measured a chubbier 1.34 inches wide.
So both SIG with the AXG and Sharps actually slimmed it up a bit, a bit under and over 1.3 inches, respectively. Sharps took it one step further, digging out the grip at the base of the beavertail by 0.2 inch compared to factory — think of it like a built-in short reach trigger.
Moving forward, the ergonomics gravy train continues with the trigger guards, undercut aggressively to get your firing hand as high as possible and shaped concavely on the bottom for your support hand. Additionally, the P365 grip has Gas Pedal thumb rests on both sides of the frame for better recoil management and an index point — and yes, the Gas Pedal moniker officially applies as Sharps licensed the design from GoGun.
At the muzzle end, both dust covers sport Picatinny rails to mount your favorite weapon light. Sharps added an extra slot on the P320.
Installing your fire control unit into the grip modules is as easy as you’d expect it to be. Sharps added another nice touch to their P365 grip, incorporating a tapered, threaded rear pin to secure the FCU — so you don’t have to fuss with a punch and also get a nice snug fit.
At the range, the Sharps Bros grip modules worked very well, with excellent ergonomics and enhanced shootability. The P365 grip is a little chunky compared to a factory gun, but it still conceals fine — it’s a reasonable trade-off for what you get in return.
It won’t fit in a regular P365 holster, but the Sharps website has links to compatible holsters from companies like TXC, Tier 1 Concealed, Tacrig, and MIE Productions. The P320 feels great and shortens reach to the trigger as a bonus. If you’re looking to upgrade your P365 or P320, check out the Improved Grip Modules from Sharps Bros.
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