Sig Sauer Rose Pros & Cons
Pros
- All-in-one package is great for beginners
- Ergonomics are good
- P365 platform is reliable and solid
Cons
- Price can be steep for some
- Mags are stiff and need some time to be fully broken in
The Bottom Line
Sig Sauer has wrapped its winning P365 platform in an all-in-one package that appeals to women just starting their gun journey. If you’re looking for a solid gun with a proven track record and some extras – in rose gold, of course – the P365 Rose is a great option.
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.
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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
Features
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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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.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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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.
9mm Ammo in Stock
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.
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.
Sig Sauer Rose By the Numbers
Accuracy
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
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Copied! Visit Merchant
Sig Sauer P365 Rose Upgrades & Accessories
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.
6 Leave a Reply
So worth every penny! You are getting everything you need with this kit. You even get Lena and a Rose by Sig Sauer team in their online community. You get the support from almost 15k women in that group, exclusive deals on swag, gear and events. I am even attending the next Rose Retreat in April. I love this firearm!
I got the .380 Rose for my wife because she wanted a pretty carry gun that would still look serious from the business end. We didn't have any problem with her magazine springs, maybe you just got some bad luck there. Unfortunately the dummy rounds are very cheap, the extractor tore the rims on them the first time we used them. She loves the lifepod since we have kids. It's reliable and she can shoot it well, she has small hands so the ergonomics work for her. Since she really likes the aesthetics it was worth it for her.
I'm so glad she likes it!
$949 - I see the reason for the "gold" part.
That's a lot of money for a handgun. Jacki, is it worth that much money?
What makes me uncomfortable here is that the gun is marketed to newcomers to guns; and a newcomer is not likely to know what they want or what they are looking for. I would much prefer recommending a cheaper gun to someone unless they are sure that this is a gun for them.
The gun itself -- probably not. But for the whole package, I think it is. I really like that it comes with the Lifepod because a lot of first timers don't think of things like that. So to have that ready to go is a huge win. Other than that, it's not that dissimilar from the regular P365XL Comp, other than the rose gold features. If someone already has a safe in their home and aesthetics aren't a high priority, then you'd be better off just picking up a base model P365 and calling it a day.