SIG SAUER’s new P385 introduces a separate 9mm pistol platform with a modular fire control unit and a trigger shoe featuring what SIG calls a patented, flush-faced Trigger Block. That trigger is one of the first things experienced SIG owners will notice: the standard factory P320 and P365 triggers do not have a comparable trigger-face safety. Five versions are planned.
The P385 also accepts standard P320 magazines, according to SIG, while offering different grips, two approaches to compensation and a recoil system built into the grip module. SIG unveiled the MACH3D, COMP, FULL, CARRY and COMPACT at its SIG NEXT event, with store availability planned for this fall and early winter.
A Different Trigger for SIG’s New Pistol
On the P385-COMP product page, SIG calls the new fire control unit specific to the P385 platform and describes its patented Trigger Block design as providing a consistent trigger feel, crisp break and tactile reset. SIG’s feature image shows the central block sitting flush with the face of the trigger shoe.
The trigger-face block is a notable departure for shooters accustomed to the P320 and P365. It functions as a passive trigger safety: the central portion must be depressed before the trigger can move rearward. That is distinct from the optional manual thumb safety, which SIG says will be available on every P385 model. SIG’s product description does not provide a mechanical diagram or establish how this design performs in independent safety testing. The new trigger deserves scrutiny on its own terms, especially from owners who have followed the debate over the P320.
SIG has not said the new P385 FCU can be installed in a P320 or P365. The expressly stated crossover is the P320 magazine. Owners should not assume the FCUs, slides, grip modules or holsters interchange just because the pistols share magazines.
MagStraps, Recoil Dampening and the P385-COMP
According to the P385-COMP product page, interchangeable MagStraps change grip circumference in small, medium and large sizes and allow a change in grip length from a 17-round to a 15-round flush-fit configuration. Laser-cut ReActive texturing covers the grip for added contact and control.
The company also gives a more useful explanation of its SIG Recoil Dampening System, or SRDS, than it did in the launch release: SRDS is integrated into the grip module and is intended to reduce shock transferred to the shooter. On the COMP, it works alongside an integrally compensated Nitron slide and a low bore axis. SIG says the combination reduces muzzle movement and helps the shooter recover the sight picture during rapid fire. The COMP has a 4-inch precision barrel, a SIG-LOC Pro optic-ready slide with aggressive serrations, fully ambidextrous controls and textured thumb supports. SIG says the slide release is shielded to help prevent shooter-induced malfunctions.
Those are SIG’s design and performance claims, not results from an AmmoLand range test. The company’s release claims at least 20 percent less muzzle rise, depending on the P385 model, but does not identify a comparison gun or test conditions. SIG separately claims more than 30 percent less muzzle rise from the MACH3D compensator.
Five P385 Models, Two Compensator Designs
The P385-COMP and P385-MACH3D are the two compensated guns in the launch lineup. The COMP uses an integrally compensated slide over its 4-inch barrel. The MACH3D has a MACH3D compensator-equipped 4-inch barrel. SIG’s booklet lists one 17-round and two 21-round magazines with each; the COMP product page also lists a configuration supplied with three 10-round steel magazines.
The uncompensated P385-FULL has a 4.7-inch barrel. The P385-CARRY uses a 4-inch barrel. Each is listed with one 17-round and one 21-round magazine. The P385-COMPACT also has a 4-inch barrel, but uses a shorter MAGSTRAP grip and ships with two 15-round magazines. In other words, SIG’s listed Compact configuration shortens the grip, not the barrel.
All five models are listed as SIG-LOC Pro optic-ready, with fully ambidextrous controls. SIG says buyers will have black or coyote brown versions and a choice of a model with or without a manual thumb safety. The supplied announcement and product material do not give a complete price list, dimensions or unloaded weights for the lineup.
For existing SIG owners, the most consequential questions are how the flush-faced Trigger Block feels and functions in actual use, how much SRDS changes the recoil impulse, and will the new trigger makes it way to the older P320? P320 magazine compatibility is already confirmed. We will test the rest at the range when we get a P385 in for testing!
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.
