P320 NITRON COMPACT

P320 NITRON COMPACT.

The Sig Sauer P320 Compact is a modular-framed, striker-fired pistol designed for versatility and customization.

It’s got a lot of interesting features and supports the Sig Sauer reputation for reliable and quality firearms.

But is it worth buying? The U.S. Army bought a ton of these for service in a full-sized capacity–of course, heavily modified for combat conditions. Here’s what we can tell you:

Accuracy

This gun is very accurate. Right out of the box, the P320 averages 1.5-inch groupings at anywhere from 7 to 25 yards, slow-fire.

There is very little recoil, which is surprising considering it can feel a little top-heavy until you get used to it.

You may have to allow yourself some time to adjust to the 6’oclock hold as well, especially if you are used to shooting with a more angled grip, like with a Glock.

The photoluminescent sights provide an accurate sight picture and allow for precise shooting in low-light situations.

The RX model also comes with a great red dot optic, Sig’s Romeo 1.

The Sig P320 is amazingly reliable.

After over 500 rounds and a wide variety of ammo—including Hornady TAP, Winchester White Box, and Blazer Brass FMJ—there were no misfires or jams.

Testing out all the frames with hollow and plink ammo has proven you can count on this gun to fire consistently and without issue.

I really like how the P320 handles. It’s lightweight, if a little top-heavy, and is easy to maneuver between targets.

The RX Carry model is great for concealed carry, and the potential for customization on this pistol means it can be customized for almost every shooter’s needs.

The P320 is a technically a chassis gun with a series of interchangeable grip frames or a Sig X-change kit. You can change out the caliber, barrel, grip, and slide for the entire series—excluding the .45 ACP—to fit your needs and specifications.

So, if you don’t like the grip, or decide you want a to try out another caliber, the P320 provides an alternative to buying a completely different gun.

Even with all the customizations available, the P320 remains fairly simple in its design.

The magazine release is reversible, the slide lock and disassembly lever are easy to use and there isn’t an external safety.

Trigger

The trigger seems to be the only point of contention for the Sig P320. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just going to come down to preference.

The trigger on the P320 is a wide, single-action trigger that breaks cleanly at around 5.5 pounds with a smooth reset.

There’s no stacking and some overtravel that could affect accuracy, so you may have to make some adjustments if the trigger isn’t a fit for you.

Magazine & Reloading

Sig Sauer packages these guns with two 15-round mags for the compact model and 17-round mags for the carry.

These steel mags are easy to load and smoothly drop free when released. Another great thing about the P320 is that its magazines are exchangeable with the P250.

Length & Weight

The P320 is only 7.2-inches in overall length, 5.3 inches tall, and 28 oz when loaded. It’s small, compact, and has a sleek design. No matter your application, this gun won’t weigh you down.

Recoil Management

The high, vertical grip, high bore axis, and undercut trigger guard all contribute to excellent recoil management in the P320.

With the custom grip models available, there’s no reason you should have trouble keeping an accurate sight picture between shots or have the gun jerk out of your grip.

The Sig Sauer P320 Compact is a great gun for anything from concealed carry to competition shooting. It’s accurate, reliable, and primed for customization.

If you are looking for a unique and dependable handgun, you can’t go wrong with the P320.

The P320 Carry and compact models are purpose-made concealed-carry pistols.

The relatively short length of the slide means that they’ll work for any standard position for IWB carry: 3-5 o’clock or appendix position.

Unlike most of Sig Sauer’s pistol line, the P320 is striker fired. In keeping with good sense for a carry gun, it has no external safety or any other superfluous external controls.

Yet another reason to consider the P320 Compact or Carry is its modular chassis system.

The serialized component is not the frame lower, but the chassis that rides inside of the un-serialized frame.

This means that you can swap out frames to fit your hand size (sm, md, lg)—even going from full-size to subcompact—and even changing from 9mm to Sig .357 to .40 to .45ACP without changing from one serialized gun to another.

I think this is a wonderful system for a modern firearm.

Sig P320 Carry Specs:

• Chambering: 9mm
• Length: 7.2”
• Height: 5.5”
• Width: 1.4”
• Barrel: 3.9”
• Trigger: ~5.5 lb.
• Sights: SIGLITE® Night Sights
• Safety: n/a
• Weight: 26 oz.
• Slide: Black, Nitron® finish
• Capacity: 17+1
• MSRP: $628

Shooting the P320

For the purpose of this review I shot the Carry model 9mm, which has the compact slide and the full-size grip. It’s all but identical to the compact model (only 2/10” difference in overall height).

The Carry model does, however, get 2 extra rounds in the magazine as compared to the compact model.

The first thing I noticed is that although the P320 is a striker-fired gun, it is configured like a hammer-fired pistol, with the beavertail and high bore axis.

Given this configuration, I was worried that it would display undue muzzle flip while shooting. I found that while there is more muzzle flip than say on a similarly sized Glock 19, with its low bore axis, the P320 wasn’t so bad.

The most significant difference here from what I’m used to shooting is that the grip angle on the P320 is more vertical than that on a Glock.

It’s the typical Sig grip angle, similar to a 1911.

This meant that my well-drilled point of aim had the muzzle pointing below proper position and it took me a few shots to remember to adjust so that my press-out placed the sights in proper alignment.

Once I did, though, shooting the P320 was a nice experience, especially due to the excellent trigger.

Comfort, Controllability, & Capacity

The grip of the P320 is rather substantial. It feels a little fat because it is more rounded on the sides than most grips.

Even with the full-feeling grip, my medium-sized hand has no trouble getting a good position on the trigger.

I found it to be quite comfortable. Of course if you don’t like the grip size, you can always change the frame for a larger or smaller one, at minimal expense.

There is a bit more muzzle flip than I find on most striker-fired pistols, but by resting my support-hand thumb forward on the takedown lever I found it easy to control the recoil.

I had no trouble shooting strings of several shots in quick succession and at multiple targets, so there are no control issues with this gun.

With 17-round magazines for the carry model and 15-rounders for the compact, the capacity is right in line with what I’d expect.

Interesting to note that the carry model grip is only 2/10” taller than the compact model, but you get 2 extra rounds in the mag.

Components and Features

The trigger on the P320 is without a doubt the best I’ve felt on any polymer, striker-fired pistol. If I could get this sort of feel and action into my pistols, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I’m guessing some folks will enjoy the absence of a trigger-safety sticking out from the shoe, giving the trigger a more comfortable marriage with your finger pad.

The frame of the Sig P320 is kind of awesome. Because of the modular chassis, you can change out frames for grip size, color, model size, and even chambering without changing (serialized) guns.

Frames are available for about $46 in three colors: black, flat dark earth, and OD green; and each is available in small, medium, and large sizes to fit your preferred grip size.

For an armorer/tinker like me this is a wonderful and compelling innovation.

More stuff to play around with! I note that the frame texture is quite mild, so like all other polymer pistols it’ll be useless if your hands are sweaty or bloody. Stippling is required.