After having reviewed and dabbled with both the Glock G48 MOS and the Sig Sauer P365 XL, I’ve had a handful of readers ask me which one is better. That’s not an easy question to answer. They both have their individual pros and cons and share quite a few pros and cons given they are similar pistols in many ways. On top of that, I have my own biases and we aren’t all built the same. The best I can do is offer an objective comparison and offer my subjective opinions to help y’all decide who the winner is for yourselves.
In my opinion, the most obvious place to begin is with the physical comparison. In terms of dimensions, at 7.28″ long the G48 is just over half an inch longer compared to the 6.6″ long P365 XL (which I’ll refer to as the P365 from here on out for brevity). This is expected given the G48’s slightly longer 4.17″ barrel compared to the P365’s 3.7″ barrel. Measuring 5.04″ tall, the G48 is also about a quarter inch taller than the 4.8″ tall P365 when using the flush fitting 12 round magazines. They both have the exact same 1.1″ width and weigh almost the same with the G48 weighing in at 20.74 oz compared to the P365’s 20.7 oz. Even though the G48 is definitively the larger of the two guns, the differences are small enough that they may be considered negligible by some folks. Both pistols are slim, relatively easy to conceal and comfortable to carry.
Perhaps the only physical difference that may matter is the grip shape and angle. The P365’s grip is angled a bit more perpendicular to the slide and is slightly smaller. The difference is bit more noticeable with the stock P365 grip module than it is with the aftermarket Wilson Combat grip module pictured below, but it’s different nevertheless. Some folks will prefer one grip angle over the other and usually attribute that preference to feeling more natural. I’m not one of those folks. The smaller P365 grip lends itself well to allowing folks with small hands or shorter fingers to wrap more firing hand grip around the grip compared to the G48. This can help when shooting one handed, but it comes with the drawback of having less real estate to get a lot of support hand palm on the grip. I suspect the grip angle in conjunction with having a bit less real estate for the support hand palm result in what appears to be a more pronounced muzzle flip when the pistol is recoiling. Ironically the P365 seems to have an ever so slightly longer trigger reach which may be a factor for folks with a short trigger finger. Moreover the space between the front of the trigger guard and the trigger is larger in the G48 which may matter to folks who are more likely to shoot with gloves on. A final thing to note is that folks with meaty hands, like myself, are more likely to get slide bite from the G48 than the P365 thanks to the more pronounced beavertail on the P365. So while objectively speaking there is very little difference in terms of size between the G48 and the P365, the little nuanced differences may make one better over the other but those are going to be entirely dependent on the shooter’s hand morphology, individual preference, and likelihood of gloved operation.
One other difference between the two grips is the texture. The grip texture on the G48 is essentially nonexistent. So while I may have felt like I observed less muzzle flip with the G48 than the P365 during recoil, keeping a good grip on it was quite the challenge and I found myself readjusting my grip often. The texture on the stock P365 grip module is more prominent but not nearly aggressive enough to maintain a good grip without a similar level of effort. So while I want to lean towards saying the grip texture on the P365 is better, the texture combined with the recoil profile of each pistol leads me to call it a draw since the struggle to keep a good grip on either pistol felt about the same. The grip on the both pistols can be improved with custom stippling or grip tape. Additionally, the grip on the P365 can be improved with an aftermarket grip module.
Neither of the stock triggers is one to write home about. They both suffer from creep and stacking. Comparing the two stock triggers against each other I would say that the trigger on the P365 is better, but that’s not saying much. In both cases, the triggers are functional and will get the job done. At the same time, they both leave a lot to be desired. The G48 has plenty of aftermarket trigger options, like the Johnny Glocks Evolution X Combat Trigger, that will result in a much better Glock trigger experience, but as some would say, it will still be a Glock trigger. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options to help improve the trigger experience on the P365.
I believe the MOS optic system on the G48 is superior compared with the optic system of the P365. One reason for this is that the rear sight on the G48 is not part of the optic plate like it is on the P365, this gives one the ability to select from a wider array of pistol mountable red dot sights while still retaining the ability use the stock or aftermarket sights as back up sights. While the rear sights are not part of the optic plate on newer variants of the P365, the rear sight on the early variants which include the stand P365, the P365 X, and the P365 XL, are mounted to the optic cover plate. This means that if we want back up iron sights, then the optic options are limited to those optics that include rear sight notches in their design, like the Holosun 507K, 407K, or the EPS Carry. Furthermore, the G48 has healthy aftermarket support for optic plates whereas the aftermarket support in this space is virtually nonexistent for the P365.
Looking at the pistol in terms of stock magazine capacity, the P365 is the clear winner having the choice of either 12-round flush-fitting magazines or 15-round extended magazines which provide a 20% or 50% capacity improvement over the G48’s 10-round factory magazines. However, the playing field can be leveled by installing a Shield Arms magazine catch on the G48 in conjunction with their 15-round S-15 magazines.
So which one is better? Given what I’ve written about them, it might seem like I favor the G48 as the better option. That would be true if it wasn’t for the frequency of slide bite experience from the G48 given my hand morphology and because of that reason alone I prefer the P365 XL over the G48 MOS. Regardless of my opinion, it really is up to one to decide for themselves. They are both great options and very capable pistols.
My EDC is the P365XL. What is your EDC?
Most often it’s the VP9. https://unclezo.com/2022/08/19/5000-rounds-and-counting-with-the-vp9-and-rmr-combo/
As I mentioned, my EDC is a P365XL, but on occasion, I EDC my VP9. Although is is significantly larger than the P365XL, it is not really hard to carry the VP9 IWB. The VP9 is by far a more accurate shooter, not to mention it is 17+1 compared to 12+1. I can also do 15+1 with the XL, but I find that it tends to print too much in that configuration