Following Sig’s trend of late it seems to only be a matter of time before another one of their pistols is given the “Legion” treatment. From the P365’s somewhat troubled but ultimately glamorous origins the series has since exploded into different models and variations, special editions, limited editions, a .380 version, and so so much more. Now we have a Legion model to add to the rest of the P365 collection.
Marketing must have a field day with these new names and models lately, I think Sig really backed themselves into the corner with the P365 designation. Back in the old hammer-fired days if they made a different variant of an existing gun they’d just add 1 to the number. P224, P225, P226, P227… With the P365, originally part of their marketing strategy for carrying 365 days of the year, they can’t well come out with a P366 can they? So now we’re getting into some properly wacky model names, a trend which Sig has used before and many companies seem to be going nuts with lately.
At first glance I noticed two things with the mini-mouthful that is the P365 AXG Legion. The first thought was “oh, it’s a P365 Macro with an aluminum frame and that odd Legion color.” The second was how darn great the new aluminum grip module felt in the hand. It’s quite nice! If Sig follows previous habits then I would expect a P365 Macro-sized aluminum frame to be available separately at some point.
But when it comes to the AXG Legion I have to ask, why?
Take a gun which is already great for carry use. Then make it bigger, heavier, tricked out with competition features, and bump up the price. I already think a ported or compensated barrel/slide is not smart for a carry gun but why would a carry gun need a flared magwell? The Macro sized grip already holds 17 rounds in a flush mag, how many reloads would a person plan on making in a defensive situation?
But I digress. The AXG Legion can be had with a standard length slide and barrel without any porting if desired, though since Sig seems to be allergic to anything except straight triggers lately you’ll still be stuck with one unless you buy a curved trigger separately and have it installed later. I’m not sure if the mag funnel is detachable.
There is one competition styled upgrade to be found here which I am quite fond of, but I still don’t see the purpose of it in a carry gun. The AXG Legion comes with three mags which is great and all are outfitted with serrated aluminum basepads. The serrations are surprisingly useful as your palm won’t slip when doing a quick mag insert, but again I have to ask why you would need this in a carry gun? Those aluminum baseplates, just like the aluminum frame, all add weight which you will have to carry around with you. Don’t forget the seventeen rounds of hollow-points, too.
Speaking of weight, with an empty mag the P365 AXG Legion comes in at 26 ounces according to Sig’s website. Compare this to the original P365 which is listed at only 17.8 ounces. But wait, that weight helps mitigate recoil! To some extent, but are you planning on shooting it fast or are you planning on carrying it?
Speaking of recoil. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a metal framed handgun. But I quickly noticed with the AXG Legion that if your hand isn’t exactly right on the grip then the snap of recoil will jump straight through that sturdy frame into your joints. Almost immediately I felt a sharp kick in my trigger finger and on the right side of the web of my thumb until I slightly adjusted my grip. No problems then but this snappy little gun will tell you if you aren’t exactly on point with your hold.
The rest felt like business as usual. The larger grip and G10 panels were lovely, easily my favorite upgrade. If I wanted a new striker-fired range blaster I would love to combine the AXG’s aluminum grip with the brand new Fuse’s longer slide and barrel combination, I bet that would make for an awesome shooter. Just wait, one will probably be coming. If it can be another product in the P365 lineup chances are really good it will happen.
Listen, I love having options. I really do. And I get that I’m sounding critical of this gun. It confuses me, but if it hits the right boxes for someone else then more power to them! The thing which really gets me though comes straight from the product description on Sig’s website: “it is the perfection of a carry pistol, period.” To this I will never stop disagreeing. What the P365 AXG Legion feels like is a factory built competition-focused version of a carry gun meant to be used in matches, not for personal protection.
Sig themselves should know better as the closest they have to a perfect carry gun, something which is small so it won’t print, lightweight so it’s comfortable, has a good capacity without increasing its dimensions, and something which is affordable? It’s a gun which they’ve already made a few years ago.
It’s called the P365.
Well, now it’s called the “P365 Nitron Micro-Compact.” Thank you, marketing team.
At the end of the day what brings a person happiness or what they feel comfortable rocking in their holster is purely up to the person who owns and carries it, but paying almost twice the price for a bunch of features which I believe objectively make for a worse carry gun only to then be marketed as the “perfect” carry gun is, in a word, ridiculous. To me this would have all made far more sense if it made use of the Fuse’s design.
The P365 AXG Legion is a fine gun, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it and the typical level of manufacturing quality remains present. It’s everything you can get from a P365 series and a little extra, if that extra is something which you’d be looking for.
