SIG SAUER P365 – Top Handgun 2022 – Here’s the Top 10 List

58 Comments

1. Okay, so, does anyone out there own a SIG P365? Which one? How do you like it? Like I said in the article, I’m interested in their 380AUTO (P365-380).
   —
   What’s your preferred ‘compact’ firearm in 380 for concealed carry?

   1. I like the old Walther PP in any caliber, from .22lf to .380 ACP (9mm Kurtz), including the .32 ACP, which was its original, as it is so well balanced, points naturally, and is very dependable and accurate. I would then choose the PPK .380 ACP, if I could not get the longer PP.

      Smooth design, without anything to catch at your clothes, its slim profile, and compact, solid steel, construction, along with its FIXED, motionless, barrel, with its longer sight radius, makes it easy to hit what you wish, as much as you wish, for a life-time. Couple with a nice set of Pachmayr grips, and magazines with the pinkie extension, and forget lasers in exchange for tritium sights…and done.

      Learn to shoot in low light conditions at 20 feet and how to deploy and shoot when the target is directly upon you, in contact, or within 12,” of you. Just remember to withdraw the arm you are pushing the bad guy away with, hopefully to prevent yourself from being stabbed, before shooting, to be sure you do not shoot it…as this will happen in the all the excitement.

      If at home, I just use my Ruger 9mm, P95 from a shoulder holster, with two extra, full-capacity, mags.

      1. Walther PPS 9 is my preferred pocket pistol. Use the extended magazine which gives the pinkie finger a good purchase and eight rounds. Great shooter. Very accurate.

         Just purchased a Walther PDP 9 and a Delta Point red dot sight.

         You mentioned pocket pistols. I wear Duluth Trading Company firehouse work pants almost every day. The pockets are 11 inches deep. The deep pockets hide even a full size semi-auto like a
         Walther PPQ M2, but not a S&W 686. One can carry lots of tools in a pair of those pants. May have to buy some suspenders to keep them up though.

         Sig P365 is on the list. I have three beautifully reliable Sigs. Price point is higher than Walther or HK. Quality of Sigs are outstanding.

         The new compacts have stunning magazine capacity. For me , it comes down to which one I shoot the best.

   2. I bought the Sig P365 and the Sig P320 in 2022.
      Both are excellent pistols.

      I almost bought a Glock 43 and a Glock 19.

      Out of the box, the Sigs have better triggers than the Glocks.
      Better sights, too.

      A Walther PPK/S in .380 was my preferred carry gun for years, but now, I carry the P365 in 9mm instead.

      1. I love my ppk/s. I carry a SxW shield in 9 mm as a daily carry because it’s lighter than the ppk but keep the other in my backpack for a backup

   3. The trigger is really smooth on the SIG 365s. They do shoot well, but do not think I will replace my G17 MOS for one any time soon. 380 ammo is overpriced, and you can get good quality 9s in small packages, such as the Glock 43x and 48.

   4. I have a Smith and Wesson M&P 380 bodyguard for my conceal carry. Nice weapon. It is small and light, but not too small. At 15 yards I can put the bigger share of shots in the black, so accuracy is good. I definitely like it.

   5. I have one, manufacture date of august 2018. Bought new, love the size and sights. Trigger is better than many.after 300 rounds, I have still only carried my Glock 26 it’s been almost 5 years.reliability issues

   6. Ken J.: i had a sig p265, DA. only, i believe that the 365 is also DA only? i sold mine, it was ok, did not have any problems with misfires etc. but just really needed the semi-auto. i have the sig p938 nightmare. i really like it, not any problems with shooting and no misfires/ejection problems yet. most of my mags for it are sig original mags, bought a name brand i can’t remember the name of for my kimber .45 ultra carry 2 and it had feeding problem, i bent one of the lips in and it shoots ok now, but i only use that mag for target practice.

   7. I, as well as my wife, have the Sig P365XL 9mm as a daily carry. I couldn’t be happier with it. Keep in mind that I grew up on Glocks, my father was a Sheriff growing up, and have always preferred them until the P365XL came out. The P365 was great when it came out but I felt the grip was a little short. Obviously I wasn’t the only person thinking that, because the XL came out about a year later.

      One thing I will say is that I only have 9mm pistol caliber handguns. I find that it is the “best of all pistol calibers” when it comes to the balance of stopping power, weight and affordability.

      I will also mention that the round I carry in it is the Pilgrim Ammo 9mm+P, as it feels like firing a .380 round but has the power of a .45 ACP.

2. Ole Blue likes the XD 45acp the most.
   Now if I could only afford ammo for his hobby.

3. My wife finally found her favorite handgun for her small, arthritic hands: Smith and Wesson 380 EZ. It is a single stack weapon that fits her hand and she can operate it without difficulty or pain. I am also experiencing the changes related to aging and I soon may be selling my 357 magnum revolvers in the near future. (S&W 686). Years ago, I bought a Ruger P90 high capacity 9mm for bedside storage for things that go bump in the night. We have mounted weapons lights on the things we reach for first.

   Problem is these days with 2 new kittens in my house, there is almost always something going bump in the night. (safety note: The laser pointer I use with my kittens is NOT the same one used on my weapons)

   1. I will second the review on the S&W .380 ez. It has a lot of features for people with less than ideal hands. Easy to use slide and the magazine has an assist button on the side to help lesson spring tension when loading.

4. I have a P-365X 9mm with a Holosun red dot and I like it a lot. It’s very compact even with the red dot and less jumpy than my .380 Ruger LCP. The LCP is nice and inexpensive and it’s tiny. I still carry it from time to time when size matters most. This reminds me to get out to the range.

   1. I carry the lcp also at times. Sometimes I don’t want to dress to the gun and I have a pocket holster for that one

5. There are P365 models with a manual safety. I think it’s an option on all of them.

6. I live in Canada, so my choice of handgun is very simple. I can’t have one.

   1. Time for yall to fix that and make Trudeau and his cronies room temp.

7. Ken,

   I’ve pretty much settled on my older Gen 1 Ruger LCP .380 as my full time pocket pistol, but in my experience, you never go wrong buying a Sig. I’ve owned several over the years. Shot untold thousands of rounds through them, never a single malfunction…none, zero, zilch.
   In my old age, I pocket carry. Some things I consider important for a pocket carry pistol, in no particular order of importance…..
   Must be small enough to not draw attention, light enough to not sag your breeches, smooth with no ridges to snag your clothes on the way in or out. No external safeties, long double action only trigger somewhere between 5-8 lbs…and of course, work every time you pull the trigger.
   As for the .380 acp cartridge. I could care less if it will stop and charging grizzly or a meth head having a psychotic episode. Those encounters are outliers at best and good results slim no matter what cannon you choose to carry. What I do know from experience, it will stop a feral dog, at least two coyotes I’ve encountered, a coupla coon and possum. They all knew instantly that their day was ruined. Pretty sure any one hit with it will seek better environs…
   I have no experience with the P365, but it appears to have a double action only trigger. If it’s anywhere close to being as smooth as the Sigs I’ve shot having the DAO trigger, it will be smooth as silk.

8. Damn
   I only ‘handled’ 1 of the top ten.
   .40 and .45 models.
   Think I’ll be okay with what I have….

   Axe, maul, various arrow tossing things…
   steak knife(s), dogs with ‘tudes. Land owner with a ‘tude….
   etc.

   Tired of being a pissed off citizen…..makes me look bad.

9. H&K USP 45
   H&K 45C Tactical
   Para-Ordnance P-10 .45 Warthog

   A 9mm will kill them but a .45ACP takes their soul.

10. First rule of a gunfight: “Have a gun!” Food for thought: Cost of the handgun, caliber-what do the local police carry? Then ask yourself what will I be out-of-pocket in terms of mags, holsters, accessories, etc. Then comes the elephant in the room: Training. Can you handle the firearm safely and effectively?
    I was a Peace Officer for over 30 years in SoCal. I also have all my NRA credentials. Train and practice should be the mantra. Not only how to shoot but when to shoot, is a critical component of any training regimen. Focus on mindset and situational awareness. A person with a .22 can be more effective than an blowhard with a .45 if that person is aware, trained and has access to the means of self-defense. Bleib ubrig.

    1. DTW,
       Very true. Every Saturday I shoot matches in Steel Plate Challenge, 3 Gun, Steel Plate dual as well as lever action silhouette and bench rest silhouette. Learning to keep moving, shooting while moving, smooth mag changes, clearing jams, shooting off hand and understanding the difference between cover and concealment can make the difference between living and dying.

       Too many people buy a gun, shoot a box or two of ammo that the gun store clerk recommended and never understand how to really operate it or what ammo works best. Your training and discipline will kick in if ever needed and if you haven’t trained you’re pretty much SOS especially if your threat(s) have.

11. Don’t matter what it is, if it has sights and a trigger and ammo I’m good 👍

    1. Exception to every rule, HighPoint! Give me a bent rusty butter knife instead. LOL

       1. Jimmy…I don’t own one but know several people that have High Points bouncing around in there toolboxes on their four-wheelers that claim they shoot every time you pull the trigger and to not let the chipped paint patina fool you.

          Ever been in a gunfight with a butter knife? Neither have I. What value is found in “cheap” guns? Well, for starters, that’s all some folks can afford. For another reason, there are numerous such guns available today that are both accurate and reliable and fully capable of saving your bacon.

          Started my granddaughter shooting a Heritage Barkeep .22 revolver when she turned 10. She became amazingly proficient with it in a very short time. The little revolver has never had a misfire, she methodically puts all shots into an 8″ square out to 15 yards with it, fixed sights and a barrel only a little over 2″. I believe I gave $159 for it new.

          I believe she’s better off totin’ it than a rusty butter knife…but maybe I’m wrong. I know one thing, she wouldn’t trade her gun for anything in my safes.

12. Sigs have VERY nice triggers. Not a pistol guy, but I’d have to stick with one NOT on the list, Taurus G2. If you’re comfortable with it and can hit with it, it’s all good. Maybe I just got lucky and got a good one (G2).

    1. I have three Taurus g2s, they all shoot very well and downright comfortable,I have a sig320 for about 8 years and it’s a keeper. Don’t let a low price on the Taurus slow you their quality and finish is top notch. My top 10 would always include Taurus.

13. The 365XL is a great pistol. Standard 12 rd mags and an extension add on gives you a 15rd mag. Trigger is flat faced in the XL and smooth in action with minimal creep for a clean break. A short reset eases follow ups. The XL has more bbl length and helps keep muzzle flip tamed. I’ve shot everything through ours here on the farm from cheap Eastern Crapistan junk ball to 147 gr +P from Buffalo Bore and have never had a single malfunction.

14. Couldn’t agree more with those sticking with whatever they shoot well, stick with that. Debates on brands is pointless. The Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 is the household favorite here. Now, the debate on iron sights versus red dots seems to be the latest debate.

15. Ken, In purchasing the new pistol in 380, Is this going to be a weapon that can be reached and used by your wife as well? If this is to be a “pool weapon” kept in a known location where all responsible adults in the home can reach for it there are different considerations to be taken into account. In my home, I let my wife make that decision as the muzzle blast, recoil and flash of a 9 mm compact pistol is too much for her to handle. (arthritic hands also make racking the slide a painful ordeal on a cold day with a 9 mm). Among my growing number of fellow “senior citizens” the 380 is gaining a larger following with each passing shooting session. Many of us older folks have arthritis in our hands. When I take people out shooting a handgun, I bring out a variety of handguns with a variety of ammo. (38 Special using 158 grain bullets and 110 grain bullets. 45 acp using 200 grain SWC bullets and some 230 grain hardball loads. 9 mm in 115 grain bullets and 124 grain bullets. 380 acp using 90 grain bullets). Lighter bullets have less felt recoil and are more comfortable to fire for extended time periods. To Romeo Charlie: I love my match grade 1911’s in 45 acp but between the pistol and the ammo load out, it gets awfully heavy after a long day. I still carry a 38 special snubnose Ruger LCR. I carry lighter bullets in this revolver these days 110 or 125 grains. Comfortable to carry and shoot. (I can hit a target the size of a compact disc at 10 yards both strong and weak hand firing). My practice load is a 105 grain cast lead bullet using a good sized charge of Red Dot.

16. I’ve carried my S&W .38 cal., 5 round, Chief’s Special for over 50 years now.
    Always did the job.

17. Question for the pistol guys: The wife can handle a 5-shot ruger revolver, the hammerless model, in .38. She practices with wad cutter ammo. I’ve noticed a significant difference in shooting larger grain bullets in this revolver. She can handle those too, even the +p, but she doesn’t like it.

    I’m hoping, in a stressful situation she won’t even think about the difference in recoil. She actually enjoys shooting with wad cutters, so that’s almost exclusively what she practices with. Am I wrong to have this little revolver lay sleeping with BIG ammo in it?

    1. Plainsmedic:
       A replay from an Ole Fart that likes to go boom boom occasionally.
       Two options, first : find a defensive load with the same loads as the “Wad Cutters” second: Just keep the “Wad Cutters” loaded all the time.
       Most don’t think a Wad Cutter is good defensive load… all I know is I sure as HELL would NOT like being on the down range end of 5 of those little bastards…..
       Please remember, one needs to be comfortable with what yhey are carrying.

    2. Plainsmedic,

       My personal opinion is that she would be better off using the wadcutters for defense as well as practicing. Lotta things come into play when choosing a round for the .38 spec, especially the shorter barreled snub nose. Recoil, muzzle flash, and the effect of the bullet design on flesh.

       Anecdotally, over the years, many law enforcement officers found that the wadcutters they used at the range for qualification were more effective stoppers than the bullets they were issued for duty. I believe that the legendary “Jelly” Bryce, still considered the deadliest gunfighter in law enforcement history, used the .38 spec wadcutter exclusively.

       Even at the relatively low velocities of factory target wadcutter loads, they perform well in the FBI type gel-tests. Good penetration, with permanent wound channels larger than round nosed bullets and hollow point bullets that fail to expand. They are consistent in performance and accuracy…and of course, have lower recoil.

       For what it’s worth, my snub-nosed .38’s are loaded with wadcutters from my loading bench. The speed loaders are loaded with semi-wadcutters only as a compromise for quicker reloading.

       My loads consist of 148 gr double ended wadcutters at around 850 fps and 100 gr double ended wadcutters at around 950 fps. A bit snappier than the factory offerings that run in the lower 700 fps range.

       ***
       [ insert link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadcutter ]

    3. I have no problem with her shooting wad cutters. Depending on the barrel length even with a plus p a hollow point is probably not going to expand. The smaller weight bullet might penetrate better from a smaller barrel

18. I’ve got two on the top ten list. The Sig P365 (exactly like the picture above) and the Springfield Hellcat.

    I’m ex-military, with multiple combat deployments. I’ve carried and fired lots of weapons over the years.

    Of the two, I gravitate more toward the P365. The Sig is a great gun. It’s roughly the same size as the Hellcat, but it seems much more concealable. Also, it’s very accurate. I have pretty big meat hooks – I can palm a basketball one handed and pick it up off the floor. But the P365 just fits – it shoots like an extension of my arm. It’s very natural feeling in the hand.

    The Hellcat is only slightly less comfortable than the P365. However, in my hand, less accurate. It’s funny, I have more range time with the Hellcat then the Sig, but the U sight on the Hellcat is (in my opinion) hard to shoot accurately with. It’s great for close range shooting, but at 15 or even 20 yards it’s difficult to stay on target with multiple shots. At least for me.

    Less kickback with the P365 too.

19. I like my Springfield XDs most…I did some trigger work (powder River), but otherwise just play with them, and the good news…I don’t mind them getting dirty or scratched if I have to ditch it or roll on the ground with it. I sure would not want to do that with my Kimber or Combat Wilson…though I would if I had to. All of the above are great on target to 50 yards…the Kimber and Combat to 100 yards.
    As to Wad Cutters…I keep my .38 hammerless as my concealed carry because I can shoot right through the dang handbag without worrying over a slide malfunction. I use wad cutters for practice, but keep it loaded with +p hollows. I do use those for practice on occasion just to remind myself of the punch.
    I trust my XDs over my Glock mostly because if you have a sore wrist or arm (recovering shoulder) the XDs are more forgiving of poor isometric tension…fewer malfunctions.

    1. pioneer woman,
       Thanks for your female perspective. Despite what the woke folks think, there are definitely physical differences. Just want to give my “old girl” whatever is needed. I kinda like her. Ultimately her decision, but she values my opinion. We’ll discuss it (again) the next time we shoot.

20. I confess I’m a Glock fanboi. Got the 43(2), 43X, 48, and 34 (for fun). I own one Sig. A 225 circa 1983 Made in Germany. If it weren’t for the weight I’d CCW this old-timer. It is just flawless and sick accurate. I switch between the 43 and 43X for daily carry. I carry every where except the post office and Fed building. Because, you never know.

21. Are any of you Sig owners having trouble with the magazines? Several decades ago, I remember hearing and reading about having trouble with magazines on some Sig handguns. Hopefully, this problem got fixed with the introduction of the 365 series.
    Cost of magazines/replacement magazines became a factor for some police officers who had to practice shoot and move drills along with combat reload drills. Dropping a partially loaded magazine on concrete topped off by stepping on them makes me cringe knowing that cops do not get paid much to begin with. Some factory replacement mags cost as much as $80 per mag (for Berretta, HK, S&W and Sig).
    Due to cost of magazines alone, I saw many cops switching over to the Glocks due to cost of replacement magazines and ready availability. Gunmag Warehouse has filled this niche quite well these days.

    1. calirefugee: i have the sig p938 nightmare 9mm. i have 4 mags, all sig original and so far in past couple years no problems with feeding. as i mentioned earlier i got ong mag, can’t remember the name of it for my kimber ultra carry2 and i had to bend the lip in on it, it was letting bullits out, was not holding them in, after that it worked good, but use only as target practice. don’t want to get in situation with it and it messes up and messes me up too.

    2. Calirefugee,

       The problem with Sig mags that you mentioned was a short-lived blip. Occurred when Sig really caught on with police agencies across the country and their contractor for mags in Italy couldn’t keep up with demand and Sig subcontracted some production out. I, and other Sig users learned real quick, if the magazine wasn’t stamped “Made in Italy” not to trust it. To my knowledge, Sig quickly shut down the suspect mag production, ending the problem. It sorta coincided with the Clinton “high-capacity” mag ban. Factory “law enforcement only” mags were extremely hard to find due to increased demand for Sigs by law enforcement agencies and the requirement that all new pistols be shipped with 10 round mags.

    3. Cali……..never ever had sig mag nor any gun problems, this goes way back to 1979, when i first had my FFL and took in a browning BDA IN 9MM, (for those of you who never knew, browning developed the current sig p226 and decided about that time I guess to stay with the high power and sig took over) I loved that browning wish I still had it, since that time took in many sigs and never ever, saw, heard, and personally had any problems other than keeping them. I am one of those people who can shoot an sig, but not a Glock. I have been around seven decades plus and watched police agencies transition from one gun to another, example the smith 39 9mm, personally did not like that gun, next was the beretta 92, I did not care for the fit or balance, but to each their own. When I started for being a LEO wheel guns were king of the depts, my age is showing 😆

       1. A very long time ago, when I was first working with the L.A. Police and the L.A. Country Sheriffs, the S&W Model 19, .357, and was the most common, and I believe the CA. Hwy Patrol liked the old, 5 screw, Model 27, .357.
          Kinda thought the autos at the time were not as good as those revolvers. It was a time, when we carried those Detective Special “Snub nose” .38s under our arms and thought we were cool if we had speed loaders, instead of a few loose rounds in our pockets.

          I had an aluminum frame, S&W Mod. 37 airweight, .38 spl., snub, which I carried concealed for a year into some of the worst places in L.A.. I didn’t dare practice with it…as the pistol felt more like a toy and I was afraid its lite construction would be prone to “wearing out,” if I shot it all the time. I figured a new pistol is going to be just fine, and I didn’t want to make it “sloppy” from use, and be forced to carry the heavier weapons. So, I never shot, or practiced, with it. It’s a Smith, it’ll be okay, right?

          WHAT A STUPID IDEA THAT WAS!!

          After I stopped working undercover, I finally went shooting with friends and took the Mod. 37 out to plink a few rounds with it. To my horror…the weapon failed to discharge three of its five rounds on the first triggering around cylinder! It seems the trigger main spring was LOOSE, its screw backed out, and it no longer was powerful enough to slam the hammer down properly. The light strikes not allowing the primers to be impacted hard enough by the firing pin to work!

          Nothing will get you killed faster…than a malfunctioning weapon! All that time, in all those horrible places, and all my confidence in the face of challenge…and my primary weapon was faulty! I had a panic attack, right then.

          Naturally, I learned my lesson…and was just lucky my stupidity didn’t get me killed.

22. Concerning the discussions on Wad Cutters in a .38.
    I can tell you from experience that they do a ‘Hell of a Job’ on whoever they come in contact with.
    I would never hesitate to use them as a defensive load.

23. My EDCs are a Ruger LCP MAX .380, 10 rd mag; Sig. Sauer P365 SAS 9mm, 10 rd mag, or my S & W model 60 Chief .38 Special J frame revolver. I love the Sig Sauer but quite frankly would not recommend the SAS model as the sights are almost worthless.

24. With changes in legislation in some states, owners of handguns which have high capacity magazines are finding out what Californians have lived with for decades: #1 a semiauto pistol’s reliability is dependent upon having a good quality magazine. #2 If you practice a lot, magazines can become broken. Give me grief if you feel like it but I generally do not drop the magazine on the ground during drills. (as noted above, when a magazine costs $80 or more per item, I cringe when I see a magazine getting abused or damaged). I will tolerate a lecture by the range master or training officer. They will not buy me a replacement magazine of good quality. #3 If you find yourself in a state that passed a magazine limit, Tuck the high capacity magazines away and use them 1-2 times per year for function firing only or for primary carry. I would purchase 2 or 3 “standard/legal” capacity magazines for which I would use for practice at a range for weekly practice. I live in Oregon where just such a law was recently passed and this state has a lot of new gun owners now. #4 I have small hands for a dude so that means the guns that fit my hands and point well are mostly single stack magazines. The high capacity handgun in my home resides near the bed with the attached weapons light. It is too big and bulky for EDC. It is reassuring to have 10+ rounds with 2 more mags on standby.

25. P.S. Does your current EDC have a magazine safety? If no, Your autoloading pistol is a fine single shot weapon. If yes, Your autoloading pistol is rendered inoperable. (this is a safety feature for some LEO’s that end up in a wrestling match with the suspect).

26. I have a bunch of Sigs. Including a stack of P320 that I never got the free dropsafe upgrade to. I have several Subcompact in both 9mm and 40SW (discontinued when the P365 came out).

    Sig has the patent on doublestack-singlestack magazines so no one else is going to compete in grip to capacity ratios.

    The P365 is great, but they keep making bigger models which they aren’t really suited for.

    They muddied the P320 and P365 ecosystem when they started having X and AXG and Macro and XL and and and. So now you have to be a little more careful when moving your FCU around.

    The modular Sigs have slightly higher bore axis which some are sensitive to. Other than that, they’re like a Glock only better with a Sig tax at purchase.

    If you want to buy Sig magazines either buy factory or Mec-gar.

27. Reply to Pinky: yes! I have had very good luck with the Mec-gar magazines I ordered for my Ruger P 95. They work good and they are over 10 years old. These are high capacity magazines so if the new law ever passes/gets out of the courts here in Oregon, I will not be able to purchase them.

28. Reply to Ision: Thank you for sharing your scary story about your Smith and Wesson handgun. I was just coming of age to go through academy when Smith and Wesson was going through difficult times being owned by foreign companies/going through chapter 11 process. The agencies I worked for had official policies and guidelines dictating what we were to carry. As rookie cops, that short list always had Smith and Wesson as the primary choice. My mentor officers loaned or gifted me their old revolvers as I took on riskier assignments because they knew these items worked. I bought a S&W model 66 after I had a number of years on the job and I had a number of suitable duty weapons and EDC guns. It was manufactured during the time S&W was owned by Bangor Punta and the mainspring was weak or untempered. (same problem you had Ision). The revolver was taken to a gunsmith and the springs throughout were replaced. It worked fine after that.
    Many lessons to be learned here: Chief one being, before you tuck it into your holster, take it to the range to make sure it works with live ammo. I suspect most on this site are shooters and users. (versus collectors) When I holstered a weapon for on duty use, I fired at least 200 rounds through it prior to carrying. If it was in the shop for spring replacement/repairs, same thing: I went to the range to make sure it works prior to holstering.

    1. Most people didn’t realize that Bangor Punta was an anti-gun organization, which found itself with a controlling interest in Smith&Wesson, and this caused them intense establishment stockholder grief!

       One can wonder if they deliberately allowed their pistols to be manufactured a little more carelessly, or if certain important screws were just not torqued properly at the factory.

       In my entire life, I had never had a new weapon…from ANY maker…fail to fire premium ammo out of the box, like that Mod. 37! I have had antique weapons, like .45LC Peacemaker Colts fail due to internal spring failures. But, one expects this sort of thing with a pistol made in 1873.

       Yes. It was scary…and I was not lying about having a panic attack, either.

    2. Calirefugee, Ision,

       Interesting conversation. I purchased several S&W revolvers during the early 70’s (I believe Bangor Punta owned the brand between 1965 and 1981). All of the ones I purchased were top quality, never any problems at all with one exception. That was a special commemorative edition marking the 100th anniversary of the Dallas Police Department, a Model 66-2 made in 1981. Poor overall workmanship. Never shot it, gave it to my oldest son. My understanding at the time was they were toying with the idea of getting out of the civilian market altogether and concentrate on government contracts.

       The only problems I ever saw with the trigger springs came from owners who backed off the tension screw to lighten the trigger pull (pretty common practice back then) and failed to use lock-tite to keep it from backing too far out under repeated use (not trying to equate that user error with y’all’s experiences).

       1. I never backed out the tension screw on my Mod. 37, but this is exactly what someone had done to this revolver, and this caused the malfunction. I just tightened this screw down fully…and the weapon functioned as it was supposed too. I sold that pistol at the very next gun show.

          I then over compensated by carrying a Model 27 .357….which is a giant pistol…and looked like I was trying to copy “Dirty Harry.” It never failed and it never missed. But, I never had to use it in the field, or take it out of his shoulder holster. But, I am certain…some people just saw that monster under my coat…and it was enough to keep things “nice.”

29. Dennis, I came of age to go to my first academy several years before Gaston Glock brought to market his first model #17 around 1986. The history of reliable sidearms for US lawmen and foreign armies are a series of breakthroughs by inventors. I was fortunate enough to bear witness to the Glock making inroads into the US market. Being a uniform patrol officer gave me the incentive and insight to having a reliable weapon at my side. I also had the reluctance to the assurances of the range officers and armorers at the time because this was after the Ichord Hearings on the in-field failures of the M-16 in Viet Nam. I looked at the Gun rags put out by Peterson Publications but I found more information from Business Insider magazines on the companies making the guns I was ordered to carry and the purchasing decisions of the departments I was working in or applying for. For all of these reasons, I switched my major from forestry to Economics. The only other people that were honest with me about the quality slide of S&W products were the gunsmiths that serviced my weapons and replaced parts and springs. They were the ones that told me to buy Ruger firearms back in those early days of my career. (maybe a little rough on finish, not very pretty but they always go bang when they are supposed to)

    1. Calirefugee,

       When I hired on, the issue weapon for Dallas was the heavy barrel mod.10 4″. The approved handguns were S&W, Colt, and Browning in “/38 spec or larger”, this included the 9mm. Off-duty approved weapons “of reputable manufacture in .32 caliber of larger”. The high number of malfunctions being experienced with the Colt 1911’s resulted with a revolver only edict for a few years, followed by a move to semi-autos, spear-headed by an offer by H. Ross Perot to bankroll a study of suitable weapons by our range personnel and pay for new semi-autos for the 500 most senior officers at the time.

       At the time, after testing all the possible choices, the range master approved the Sig 226, Beretta 92, and Glock 17 and 19. I was one of the officers selected to test out all three. After the testing, and being in the top 500 in seniority, I got to choose which of the three I wanted as a gift from Mr. Perot. I chose the Sig 226 for my personal carry (the most expensive of the three at the time). Surprisingly, the department also chose the 226 for issue to the rest of the department.

       Might shock some Glock fans, but the department, about a year after going to semi-autos, took Glock off the approved list due to a high malfunction rate (mainly among female officers, traced to “limp- wristing”). Couldn’t just target female officers, so they just denied the option to all.

       I was the first officer on the department to transition to .357 Sig after the range master convinced the city council that it was just a 9mm with a different name…not some vicious powerful cartridge like a .44 or .45.
       I opted for the Sig 229 in .357 Sig (at my own expense). Sig traded me even with a new 239 in .357 with night sights when I retired.

       Ruger never was approved by our department. Probably because our armorers all had to go through each approved weapon’s armorer training course requiring considerable time and expense and travel paid by the department.

30. I was fortunate to have reliable side arms when I worked as an LEO. I saw many other brands on the rise as I worked with a revolver on my side and as a back up weapon. I had trouble with the S&W Chief Special 5 shot snubnose due to light hammer strike in the stainless version. (despite replacing the main-coil spring). The gun would work as long as you cocked the hammer manually.
    I upgraded to the hammerless Ruger LCR when I worked private security and for increased number of rounds, I carried multiple handguns falling back on the New York Reload. It took years to find a reliable compact sidearm. These days, buyers have many options.
    I inherited many blued Chief Specials over the years from retired cops on hospice. (Including my 2 mentors). They tested their guns prior to holstering and they all worked well (no light hammer strikes/they all went bang when they were supposed to). As a hospice nurse that spent his early years doing car stops, we understood each other. All beat cops know why you carry a back up weapon and why you carry one or have one nearby on your time away from work. Old cops helped me out when I got started decades ago and had difficulty finding a reliable side arm. I was honored to be able to help them in their last days.

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