Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Ever since I first saw the Rose in January of this year, I knew SIG Sauer had set their sights on the defensive handgun market for women. “Developed in collaboration with World Champion Lena Miculek, ROSE was created to help encourage and inspire women to take on the responsibility of their own personal safety through education, training, and community.” Out of the box, I can tell a professional shooter had a hand in building this pistol. It features a built-in compensator to reduce perceived recoil, an optic-ready slide, a slim yet comfortable grip, and an accessory rail for mounting a weapon light. Also fitting to the name, the P365-XL Comp ROSE utilizes matte ROSE gold colored controls, and a rose engraved into the stippled grip.
Table of contents
SigSauer Rose P365-XL Comp Specifications:
- WEIGHT: 20.7 oz
- PISTOL SIZE: Micro-Compact
- MAGS INCLUDED: (2) 12-rd Steel Mag
- SIGHTS: X-RAY3 Day/Night Sights
- CARTRIDGE: 9mm Luger
- OVERALL LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: 6.6″
- OVERALL WIDTH: 1.1″
- OVERALL HEIGHT: 4.8″
- BARREL LENGTH: 3.1”
- FINISH COLOR: Black
- ACTION TYPE: Semi-Automatic
- MANUAL SAFETY: Yes
- OPTIC READY: Yes
Out of the Box
From the factory, the ROSE P365 includes a special edition P365 pistol, two 12-round magazines, a magazine loader, and five dummy rounds. However, the ROSE kit also comes with a custom ROSE Vaultek lockable storage case, and instant access to a complete step-by-step ROSE video training series that “allows you to learn at your own pace, along with a ROSE online community to help encourage and inspire you with help and support as you continue to grow as a more confident and comfortable shooter.”
SEE MORE: Meet ROSE: SIG SAUER’s Complete Concealed Carry Solution for Women
ROSE Vaultek
One of the most unique things about the ROSE kit is that it comes with a lockable storage case. The ROSE Vaultek is TSA-approved and can be locked using either a digital code or a physical key. An anchor cable is provided to securely tie the case to a more sturdy object. The case feels well made, and can easily fit the pistol and an extra magazine.
P365-XL Comp Rose Frame
The frame is a crucial aspect of a pistol, and the SIG P365-XL Comp stands out by offering a balance between weight and size without compromising controllability. Among Micro-Compact pistols, this model excels, providing unparalleled comfort and manageability. Moreover, the frame’s solid medium texturing ensures a secure grip, even when your palms are sweaty. As a special edition, the pistol carries the ROSE name, featuring an elegantly engraved rose on both sides of the grip, further emphasizing its unique status.
Featuring a SIG Rail, this pistol is ready to mount a weapon light as all modern defensive handguns should. The rail works as a great host for weapon lights, however, it also has enough flex that lasers will not hold a great zero. I had a Streamlight TLR-8 Sub mounted for the duration of this review and I can easily see the laser shift when applying any pressure to the weapon light due to the end of the frame flexing up and down. For those just running weapon lights, this is totally fine and of no consequence. I also typically don’t run visible lasers on pistols but thought this would be worth noting.
Sights
While the P365-XL Comp Rose is optic-ready, it also features a solid set of XRAY3 Day / Night Sights. SIG utilizes my favorite type of iron sights, a blacked-out rear with a high-contrast front sight. The green front dot provides plenty of contrast for shooting during the day. Also, both the front and rear sights have Tritium inserts that glow at night. Having sights that can be seen in every environment is a big plus.
In addition to these iron sights, SIG Sauer provides a way to mount a red dot directly to the slide. While the P365-XL Comp comes with the optic plate installed, this can be easily removed for installing a red dot. For this review, I mounted the SIG ROMEOZero-ELITE. This red dot ran without issue and held zero for the few hundred rounds I was able to put through it. While a red dot will block the iron sights, SIG incorporates a notch in the rear of the red dot which can be used as a rough front sight post in a pinch if the battery for the optic dies.
‘Slide’ That P365-XL Comp ROSE Over Here
In addition to being optic-ready, the slide for this pistol features both front and rear serrations. The front serrations are minimalist yet effective for press checks, and the rear ones are adequate when used in conjunction with a red dot.
My favorite feature of this pistol is the integrated compensator that is machined into the slide. This design totally avoids the function issues that are known to plague many aftermarket compensators. Being uniquely cut into the construction of the slide it can never come loose. SIG also states that this compensator reduces muzzle flip “by nearly 30%.” While I could not measure this, I can say with certainty that the recoil of this pistol is very manageable. It shoots soft for the Micro-Compact size, and neither my wife nor a friend’s 10-year-old daughter had an issue shooting it.
Controls
Featuring matte ROSE gold-colored controls, this pistol showcases a small flair for its special edition status. My wife is drawn to these accents, while I can appreciate them as well as SIG’s restraint from doing anything over the top or outlandish. The P365-XL Comp utilizes an ambidextrous safety, that can be easily activated once the slide has been racked. The slide stop is also easy to reach and manipulate for both my wife and my hands.
Trigger
SIG uses an X-Series straight trigger in this pistol. It has a small shoe at the bottom which helps with consistently locating my trigger finger in the same spot. When running the trigger, the slack is smooth and consistent. Once I pull through that, there is a well-defined wall, which then leads to a decent amount of creep or “squish” before the pistol actually fires. I measured the pull weight to break right between 4.5-5.0 pounds. After the shot, there is a short and positive reset that puts the trigger right past the wall and ready for the next shot.
Accuracy
One of the biggest challenges to subcompact handguns is the ability to shoot them well. However, the SIG P365-XL Comp was quite easy to shoot. My main issue with this pistol was the trigger. While it performed flawlessly, the slight creep after the wall made shooting tight groups difficult. Using various common self-defense ammunition from Hornady I was able to get around 1.5″ groups from 10 yards which is more than adequate for a carry gun.
ROSE Performance
To find out how this pistol performed for this review, I had to burn hundreds of rounds of ammunition which was provided by Ammuntiontogo.com. They are the official ammo sponsor for this SIG P365-XL Comp review and offer a wide selection of competitively priced ammunition. For this review, I purchased a case of 115gr Blazer ammo. Although I live in the same state, I placed the order and was surprised to receive it on my doorstep 3 days later. Easy to use online website, quick shipping, and competitive prices. Go check them out!
Now back to performance. Throughout this review and the hundreds of rounds I was able to put through this pistol, I had ZERO failures or malfunctions. I just took the pistol out of the box and started shooting it without even adding a drop of oil. The majority of the shooting was with Blazer 115gr and 124gr FMJ which all ran without issue. The Hornady ammunition also ran great and varied in weight from 100gr to 147gr. The compensator makes this pistol quite controllable and easy to shoot. It ran much flatter than I was expecting, and I could place all 12 rounds on a C-zone steel silhouette at 15 yards in approximately 2.3 seconds. From shooting at a distance to burning it down up close, the SIG ROSE ran great.
Shown below is a short video I made shooting the SIG P365-XL Comp Rose:
Holster Options
While having a solid shooting pistol is important, keeping it on you and carrying it daily is even more important. A holster was not included, but this pistol is ideal for concealed carry, and the BlackPoint FO3 light mounted holster was the perfect fit. Also, BlackPoint is one of the only manufactures I have found that makes a holster for the Streamlight TLR-8 weapon light/laser. All in all, this P365-XL Comp Rose equipped with a weapon light in a concealed holster is a great combination. Draws were easy, and the holster is highly customizable to fit your specific needs.
Summary of the P365-XL Comp ROSE
Overall, I am highly impressed with the ROSE P365-XL Comp. It has all the modern features I demand from a defensive handgun such as red dot compatibility, and a way to mount a red dot. It also utilizes an internal compensator which reduces recoil by 30% and keeps this micro-compact handgun shooting very flat. Throughout my testing, I experienced no malfunctions and achieved adequate accuracy on paper targets. The SIG Sauer P365-XL Comp ROSE has an MSRP of $899 for the complete kit which comes with a custom ROSE Vaultek lockable storage case. In my opinion, this is a worthy investment for those seeking a reliable optic-ready firearm with a touch of flair.
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