Right now, it would be tough to name a hotter niche in the handgun market than slim, subcompact semi-autos. The P365 was SIG Sauer’s (SIG) big splash at the 2018 SHOT Show. The market rewarded SIG’s thought process by making the P365 one of the bestselling handguns in the US every year since. This trend seems destined to continue with new P365s arriving steadily. For example, SIG Sauer introduced its P365 ROSE series, with the latest edition being the 380 ROSE in .380 ACP.
The SIG Sauer P365 380 ROSE
The SIG P365’s success has much to do with its being as thin and compact as many single-stack designs. However, it still offers double-stack capacity. This is reinforced with minimal operating controls, an above-average trigger, superior iron sights, a high cartridge capacity-to-size ratio, and relentless reliability.
Always pushing the envelope, SIG is either introducing new variants of already successful weapons or bringing new designs to life in the quest to scratch everyone’s “itch.”
The P365 pistol product line-up serves as proof, with sixteen (16) P365 models presently available. It has solidified SIG HQ in Exeter, NH, as ground zero in the current handgun universe.
What Are the ROSE Models?
The SIG P365 ROSE models are P365s explicitly directed towards female shooters. Team SIG shooter Lena Miculek, eight-time World Champion and whom many consider the best all-around female shooter alive, offers her significant clout to the ROSE project.
There is more to the P365 ROSE than just purchasing a handgun with female-driven artistic gestures. A P365 ROSE arrives as a kit, including a Vaultek pistol safe, dummy rounds, and quick start QR code access, with Lena inviting female shooters to join the ROSE community.
A card from Lena welcomes new P365 ROSE owners with a QR code, giving them access to a video series. The series demonstrates basic operation techniques and shooting drills conducted by Lena to familiarize new owners with their P365 ROSE. You also get access to the ROSE Facebook community, where thousands of ROSE owners share their experiences and journeys.
The SIG P365 ROSE’s purpose is more about community and encouragement than anything specifically different about the P365 ROSE handgun. Yes, the matte ROSE-gold controls- takedown lever, slide release, trigger, and safety—along with the slide’s backplate and slide engraving—are eye-catching. There is also a distinctive, and very functional, rose pattern stippling laser-engraved on the grip.
However, the ROSE program’s goal is to give women the benefit of someone like Lena’s experience and training in a welcoming, comfortable setting.
ROSE Gold Path
The path to this article is personal and not merely an assignment. One day in passing, my wife, Jackie, commented about one of her friends receiving a P365 ROSE and what a nice-looking handgun it was. The ROSE aesthetics had worked their charm. Thirty-plus years together creates a challenge for finding worthy Christmas gifts. The SIG ROSE offered me my chance.
Years previously, I had gotten her P365 9MM. Handy to carry does not translate into comfortable to fire. Though counterintuitive, a sub-compact pistol chambered in the less robust .380 ACP may be a better option for many. Frequent range visits showed she found larger-frame handguns easier to shoot more accurately. No surprise here.
However, she preferred and appreciated the compact P365 9MM due to the convenience offered by its size. The opportunity to surprise her for Christmas and give her another option with the P365 380 ROSE seemed to be preordained.
My wife immediately noticed that the ROSE-colored safety lever on the P365 380 differed from her 9MM P365. I commented that she could leave it down and not engage it, and she responded that she liked its presence. Kudos to SIG for picking this as an appealing option with the ROSE program.
We made sure safety manipulation was a priority during our subsequent range sessions. The first started the day after Christmas. Always nice when your gift is well-received.
The P365 380’s optics ready slide arrives with XRAY3 Day/Night sights and 2-10-round flush fit magazines with optional 12-round also available. The P365 9MM magazine is dimensionally the same and will lock into the P365 380. However, SIG has installed a small spacer at the rear of the .380 ACP magazine follower to accommodate the slightly shorter .380 ACP rounds better.
Running the SIG Sauer ROSE
The SIG P365 380 ROSE presented no challenge in manually racking the slide. Front and rear serrations assist in providing good purchase on the diminutive slide. My only comment from our range experience would be that magazines are stiff and not easy to get fully loaded.
Do not expect to get the slide lever to release the slide when an empty magazine is left in place. Along these lines, when a fully loaded 10- or 12-round magazine was inserted, and the slide sent forward, a hand bump on the rear of the slide was sometimes required.
This lessened as the range session progressed. My own experience and reading of other articles would indicate this is a break-in issue and will resolve itself.
Feeding the ROSE
Premium self-defense loads tested with the SIG P365 380 ROSE included Hornady 90-grain FTX, Black Hills 90-grain JHP, 100-grain FMJ, 60-grain HoneyBadger, and Winchester 95-grain PDX1.
Range evaluation consisted of establishing reliability first, then getting into combat accuracy and handling. Several magazines’ worth of ammunition was spent engaging plate racks and steel targets.
A few hundred rounds were fired during our first range session. .380 ACP pistols have a reputation for being finicky with their ammunition diet. The SIG P365 380 ROSE handled all the ammunition listed without issue.
.380 ACP ammunition has benefitted greatly from recent advantages in bullet and propellant advances. The Hornady Critical Defense 90-grain FTX .380 ACP is a great example of this. Hornady utilizes propellants that minimize muzzle flash while maximizing velocity.
The FTX bullet is the result of much research into what a bullet designed for personal defense should consist of. Bullet profile ensures reliable feeding, and the polymer nose guarantees proper expansion no matter the medium the FTX passes through when striking its intended target.
The Black Hills Ammunition 60-grain HoneyBadger load is another premium defense .380 ACP option. The HoneyBadger is a solid copper, non-deforming, non-fragmenting projectile with wide, sharp flutes. It is designed to penetrate through barriers that cause other hollow points to fail.
Testing has proven that the fluted solid copper round penetrates deeper and generates a greater wound channel width. This is important in a self-defense pistol round.
The ROSE In Hand
The SIG P365 380’s ergonomic design produced minimal felt recoil and ease of getting multiple shots off quickly, even with the handgun’s lightweight and dwarfish footprint. I did bring along her original P365 9MM for direct comparison purposes.
One of the videos I took while on the range with my wife shows her saying how much she liked the P365 380 ROSE after a successful run on a plate rack located 10 yards away. The P365 380 ROSE’s superior ergonomics, trigger, and sights are an asset in producing better-than-expected performance and accuracy.
Not ROSE-Colored Glasses
The SIG P365 380 ROSE’s strong suits are its lightweight and compact dimensions ensuring it is always present. With the P365 380 ROSE, you don’t feel you are compromising on performance, as often results from other micro compacts. Trigger, sights, and capacity are all present.
Speaking of capacity, the P365 380’s 10-round flush fit magazine is a significant improvement over most other micro-compacts on the market that offer six rounds. It rivals some full-size models when the optional 12-round magazine is used.
The handy nature of the SIG P365 380 ROSE makes it indispensable and unable to leave the house without. This is exactly what I wanted for my wife.
In hindsight, if the P365 380 would have been initially available I would have purchased it for my wife. However, I have no complaints as now I have the opportunity to reacquaint myself with 9MM P365 with my wife taking to the P365 380 ROSE.
The SIG Sauer P365 380 ROSE is a well-thought-out approach to firearm ownership for women. A Vaultek safe, dummy rounds, and, most importantly, access to a community of like-minded people for training/guidance are superior to just walking out of a gun shop to figure it out on your own.
For more information, please visit SIGSauer.com.
SIG Sauer P365 380 ROSE Specs
| Caliber | .380ACP |
| Magazine Capacity | Arrives with 2-10 round magazines |
| Barrel Length | 3.1-inches |
| Overall Length | 5.8-inches |
| Sight Radius | 5.1-inches |
| Height | 4.2-inches |
| Width | 1.1-inches |
| Weight Empty | 15.7-ounces |
| MSRP |
Performance
| Black Hills 60gr HoneyBadger | |
| Velocity Average | 1094fps |
| Accuracy Average @15 Yards | 1.25” |
| Winchester 95gr PDX1 | |
| Velocity Average | 821fps |
| Accuracy Average @15 Yards | 1.5” |
| Black Hills 90gr JHP | |
| Velocity Average | 903fps |
| Accuracy Average @15 Yards | 1.75” |
| Hornady 90gr FTX | |
| Velocity Average | 886fps |
| Accuracy Average @15 Yards | 1.33” |
