Sig Sauer P365 Rose Review: Best Women’s CCW Pistol?

Sig Sauer’s P365 burst onto the scene and turned the concealed carry market on its head with its micro design and increased capacity. The company has steadily introduced new models over the years and, in 2023, unveiled the Rose…a gun targeting female shooters.

Teaming up with renowned competitor Lena Miculek, the Rose took the P365XL Comp and revamped it with some rose aesthetics and an all-in-one kit that looked promising for new shooters.

I first encountered the Rose at SHOT Show 2023 and was less than thrilled that another company was marketing a “pink” gun at women. But after firing some rounds, I left impressed with its performance…so impressed I requested one for testing.

After a few hundred rounds downrange and some time concealed carrying the Rose, I have since changed my tune on this pink gun. So, keep reading to find out what sets the P365XL Comp Rose apart and what features won me over.

Why You Should Trust Us

Jacki Billings delved into the world of guns while earning her black belt in Yongmudo. Armed with a degree in journalism, she’s penned thousands of articles for the gun industry for almost a decade – reviewing and testing hundreds of products to help readers find what works and what doesn’t.

She is a certified National Rifle Association Pistol & Refuse to Be a Victim instructor and spent several years as a certified concealed carry handgun instructor in Colorado and Tennessee.

Most importantly, she’s a gun girl who loves nothing better than testing guns and gear out at the range.

Sig Sauer Rose Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Striker-fired
• Overall Length: 6.6”
• Barrel Length: 3.1″
• Width: 1.1″
• Height: 408″
• Weight: 20.7 oz
• Capacity: 12+1
• Ships With: (2) 12-round mags, mag loader, Vaultek Lifepod Pistol Safe, dummy rounds
• MSRP: $949

Features

• XRAY3 Day/Night Sights
• Integrally compensated slide
• Optics ready (Shield RMS-c footprint)
• Rose gold accents

Sig Sauer Rose Background

The P365XL Comp Rose was born from the popular and successful P365 platform. Sig’s P365 revolutionized the concealed carry industry with impressive capacity and ergonomics. The platform quickly became the go-to concealed carry option for many gun owners.

Developed alongside World Champion competition shooter Lena Miculek, the Rose is a little bigger (and a little pinker) than the standard P365 with elevated features, opting for the P365XL as its base.

Its premise is to offer an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use platform for shooters that’s ready right out of the box.

Who Is It For?

The Rose is a great option for beginners or seasoned shooters who want an all-in-one package, more or less.

Shipping with two mags and a Vaultek Lifepod Pistol Safe, the Rose package immediately sets users up for success with everything they need to start their home defense, concealed carry, or gun-owning journey.

Coupled with access to training videos and the Rose online community, it’s an easy entry point for those testing the firearms waters.

Additionally, the Rose XL-Comp is also a good option for seasoned concealed carriers who want a little more than just a standard black P365 and prefer something with a bit more pizazz. 

Fit & Feel

Let’s get this out of the way…yes, it’s pink or rose gold, as someone pointed out in the comments of an older SHOT Show post unveiling it.

While I am opposed to the idea of throwing pink on a gun and marketing it towards women, I decided to give the Rose a shot because of its ties to the P365 platform – a gun I know to be a solid performer.

When the Rose arrived and I opened the box, I will admit I was impressed by the overall aesthetic. It is a nice-looking firearm, and if you don’t want to be stuck with the standard all-black or coyote tan of most guns, this is a nice alternative.

The Rose brings a laser-engraved grip module and an integrally compensated optic-ready slide. While I am not big on the laser-engraved Rose emblem, I get the style Sig was after and can appreciate a stylized approach.

The Rose feels good in the hand, though I will admit the grip felt a little small width-wise for my hand. Its controls are all placed well, and I didn’t struggle to change mags or release the slide. They also had a nice tactile response, so there was no question about whether I engaged them.

The slide itself moved well on the frame and didn’t require any extra lube to make it easier to rack. That said, the Rose is still a dressed-up P365, so don’t expect the same ease as you’d get with something like a Smith & Wesson Shield EZ – built to accommodate racking issues.

Speaking of ease, there was at least one area where difficulties reigned, and that was with the included mags. These mags were stiff…so stiff that even my Maglula couldn’t cram more than five rounds in them.

I tinkered with them for a few, convinced I would end up having to disassemble them at the range – not my preferred environment for working on guns.

As a last-ditch effort, I used the mag loader Sig included in the box and jammed that sucker down as hard as I could, with my entire body weight…which worked. A slight give and the spring eased, and I could fully load my mags.

After several years working with guns, push comes to shove; I could have taken the mags apart and troubleshot a stiff spring. However, this package is marketed towards newcomers, and I doubt they would have the knowledge or confidence to do the same.

In fact, they might just give up and only load to 5 rounds, defeating the purpose of a 12-round mag. As such, I would have preferred the Rose came with mags that were ready and able to take 12 rounds with minimal effort on the user’s part.

Admittedly, this is a minor gripe because it all worked out, but it feels worth mentioning based on the target audience.

Aside from that, I had no other issues with comfort or ergonomics.

How Does the Sig Sauer P365 Rose Shoot?

I put over 500 rounds through the Rose, using Remington and Fiocchi FMJ and Hornady Critical Defense JHP to get a feel for how the gun performed with training and defensive ammo.

I expected the Rose to do well, given its connection to the P365 series, and was not disappointed.

I started with Fiocchi 115-grain FMJ at 3 yards with just the iron sights to get a baseline. The Rose handled well, landing shots where I intended. The XRAY Night/Day Sights provided on the Rose work well in drawing the eye and standing out against targets.

While tinkering with the Rose, I also popped on the Holosun 507K-GR X2. The Rose comes optics-ready, so you might as well try it with a red dot, right? I opted for the green version since I have pretty bad astigmatism. Despite my best efforts, I still experienced a starburst pattern in the reticle (damn you, terrible eyesight), so I eventually went back over to just using irons.

After working through a couple of boxes of the Fiocchi, I backed out to 5 yards and switched to the Remington 115-grain UMC. Again, the Rose did well in landing shots where I intended. Due to the XL design, I had plenty of grip space and the extra weight helped manage the recoil.

Once more, I backed the Rose out – this time to 7 yards and switched to Hornady Critical Defense 115-grain. In my experience, if a gun is going to choke, it’s usually going to do it on JHP rounds. But the Rose continued to spit rounds downrange. I went through about 100 rounds of JHP with no stoppages.

In fact, during my entire time shooting the Rose, I saw no stoppages or malfunctions whatsoever. I even dug out some older ammo I had sitting in an ammo box for well over a few years, and that didn’t even stop the gun.

As I mentioned earlier, the Rose comes with an integrally compensated slide. What does this actually do for performance? Theoretically, a comped slide will reduce muzzle flip by diverting gasses. This means less muzzle flip and an easier time getting those follow-up shots on target.

In practice, I found that Rose did just that. It shot incredibly smoothly, and my shots tended to stick close together.

Concealed Carrying with the Sig Sauer Rose

The Rose XL-Comp’s micro pistol build lends itself to concealment. I prefer a slightly larger gun to teeny-tiny ones when concealed carrying because I find it easier to access and easier to manage recoil.

The XL design of the Rose is a great in-between size – slightly smaller than a Glock 19 but bigger than the Sig P365. I carried it in the appendix and IWB positions using Rounded Gear holsters, including their leggings, which have belt loops for a belt+holster combo.

I typically carry in the AIWB position, so I felt most comfortable with the Sig here. The grip is textured but not enough to cause discomfort, and it rode well in the holster during my testing.

Again, the P365 platform was designed around concealed carry, so it’s no surprise that the Rose fits neatly into this arena.

Overall, it worked well during my testing, and I can confidently recommend it as a CCW gun.

Gun Tote’N Mama Sling Waist Pack

In addition to carrying AIWB, as I normally do, I also had the opportunity to test it alongside an off-body holster — the Gun Tote’N Mama Sling Waist Pack. This cowhide leather is not only a looker but also conceals a compartment with a holster for your gun. Not to mention, it was specifically designed to be used with the Rose.

You can wear it a few different ways — crossbody, front or back, or on your waist as a fanny pack. The hook-and-loop on the holster pocket allows you to adjust the holster as needed to get the drawing angle you need. Drawing was pretty intuitive, and the zippers move with ease, allowing you to get your hand into the holstered pocket.

Additionally, the purse offers RFID-blocking technology, so your cards are safe. I found the purse to be roomy and capable of holding the Rose, small wallet, keys, and iPhone. My only criticism is that the holster didn’t play well with a Holosun red dot installed.

Other than that, the GTM Sling Waist Pack is a super cute and easy way to carry your Rose if you prefer off-body. But like any off-body carry method, you have to keep it on you at all times — NO EXCEPTIONS.

What Sets It Apart?

What really sets the Rose apart from competitors and even Sig’s own P365 line is the complete approach to firearm ownership it provides. It’s rare to see a company get users set up from the get-go with things like dummy rounds and a nice pistol safe like the Vaultek, so Sig offering these in a nice package is pretty impressive.

Though I’ve been in the shooting world for a while now, I can still appreciate the idea of a gun coming with all the accessories you need to get up and running – including training videos from a World Champion. The concept definitely makes firearm ownership less intimidating and opens the door for newcomers to hopefully continue their training.

By the Numbers

Acccuracy: 5/5

The Rose performed like every other P365 I’ve tried, hitting where I needed at 3, 5, 7, and 10 yards.

Reliability: 5/5

I ran a few hundred rounds of Remington FMJ, Fiocchi FMJ, and Hornady Critical Defense JHP with no issues.

Customization: 4/5

Built on the P365 platform, it can accept the same aftermarket accessories as the standard P365XL Comp. That said, new versions are constantly coming out, and I don’t personally prefer tinkering with my CCW guns all that much.

Ergonomics: 4/5

The grip was a little thin for me and my longer fingers, but if you have a smaller hand, the P365 Rose works extremely well. Its controls are easy to reach and use. Also, mags were a bit tough to load on the onset, so I knocked a little off for that.

Value: 4.5/5

It’s pricier than just the base P365, but you are getting a whole lot of extras – including training tutorials, a pistol safe, two mags, a loader, and training rounds — and that’s on top of a pistol that is comp’d and comes with an optics ready slide. If you’re looking for a good bang for your buck, the Rose provides.

Overall: 4.5/5

Sig Sauer P365XL Rose Upgrades

I always suggest a good pair of eyes and ears to start, and, of course, I am partial to Pew Pew Tactical’s own ShellShock Ears and Eye Combo.

Since this gun is optics-ready, I also think it’s worth grabbing a red dot. For this review, I used the Holosun 507K.

Finally, for concealed carry I suggest a few things. I prefer the Rounded Gear P365XL Holster. It worked well for the gun while I tested it out.

I also tested Rounded Gear’s Tactical Beltloop Leggings and, if you want leggings, these certainly work.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, I also tested Gun Tote’N Mama’s Sling Waist Pack, which worked well as an off-body option.

Final Verdict

From a pistol safe to training caps, Sig Sauer equips its Rose with everything you need to start your firearm journey. Not to mention, the whole package is backed by a solid, proven pistol design.

The ability to add a red dot when you feel ready is a plus, and though some might not dig the pink accents, it does spice up the boring, everyday black we’re used to.

Sig truly offers a true all-in-one package that adopts a user-friendly, non-intimidating approach that any shooter – newcomer or otherwise — can appreciate.

What do you think of the Sig Sauer Rose? Let us know in the comments below. For more guns geared towards gals, check out our guide to the Best Handguns for Women.

Latest Updates

November 2024: Added Gun Tote’N Mama Sling Waist Pack