Sig Sauer 365 vs Tara TM 9X: both 9mm handguns
By MARJ LAW
Some of us remember the ad for cigarettes suggesting they were better because they were “a silly millimeter longer.”
I guess they meant you’d get more smokes for your money.
Bigger and heavier is generally considered better for handguns, too. This is because, according to thegunzone.com, “The weight of a handgun can influence accuracy to some extent. A heavier weapon may reduce muzzle flip and enable more controlled shooting, potentially enhancing accuracy.”
Another reason a heavier gun may be more accurate is that, according to Outdoor Hub: “a heavier gun will deliver less pain and movement to the shooter’s hand. That’s not only comfortable but creates a host of benefits including getting sights back on target faster and being able to fire multiple shots quickly in a controlled and accurate fashion.”
Again, the longer handgun will have front and rear sights further apart. “This measurement, called sight radius, is a big deal for repeatable precision,” continues the article on Outdoor Hub.
And one more reason to think the longer, heavier handgun will be more accurate is that there’s more surface area for your hands. “The more surface area there is to hang on to, the easier it is to manage something,” the Outdoor Hub maintains.
Finally, The Gun Zone discusses shorter-barreled handguns: “Shorter barrels can indeed increase perceived recoil, due to the higher pressure generated when burning powder in a shorter distance.”
All these thoughts add up to, if you’re shooting handguns, the larger, heavier gun with the longest barrel will probably shoot more accurately than a smaller handgun.
Joe and I are visiting the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range on Wednesday morning around 10 a.m. We are about to shoot the Sig Sauer P365 and the Tara TM 9X: both 9mm handguns. Which one will we find more accurate?
To me, this is a no-brainer. Tara is quite a bit larger and has a longer barrel than the Sig.
Tara is 5.47 inches tall. Sig is 4.3 inches tall. Tara is 7.3 inches long, while Sig is 5.8 inches long. Tara is wider too, at 1.18 inches and Sig is only 1 inch wide. And heavy? Tara weighs in at 28.22 ounces and Sig is much lighter at 17.8 ounces. Big difference!
So, Joe and I decide to shoot at two different targets. The one on the left will be for the Tara and the right target will show how we shot the Sig. Joe plans to shoot five shots at each target and I’ll shoot three shots at each.
Just to become re-familiar with each handgun, I look at their sights. Tara has three big white dots: two in the rear and one in the front. Sig’s sights have two tritium dots in the rear and I don’t see them well in daylight. However, the front sight is very bright. It is a tritium vial surrounded by a bright green circle. It should be very easy to acquire the target with such a brilliant front sight.
As each year passes, I grow more and more happy with large white dot sights. However, today, the Sig’s bright green front sight is pretty nice too. I guess they’re about even when it comes to sights.
I hold each gun. Yikes! Tara is almost quite twice as heavy as the Sig! That’s a lotta gun! If what I’ve just read is true, then Tara will have more surface area to hang on to.
But wait! Wait! I can get a grip on the Sig. Even though the gun is over an inch shorter in height than Tara, the Sig’s grip is really fine for my small hand. Yes, it is double stacked, but in a zigzag fashion, so that there is only one round at the top of the magazine. This allows the top of the grip to be narrow, and there’s a corresponding indent on the frame for your shooting hand thumb.
And does the grip’s shortness give a case of pinky dangle? Not for me. All my fingers are securely on the grip. For Joe’s big hand, yes, pinky is only half on the grip.
Will trigger pull make a difference as to accuracy?
When I get to shoot my three rounds with the Tara, I squeeze the trigger. And squeeze. I’m about to look at Joe to ask: “What’s the problem?” when all of a sudden, the gun fires. Man, that’s a long trigger pull. But it’s not going to get the best of me. I shoot two more rounds into the target. At least I hit the target, but what a trigger pull!
Joe shoots both guns and finds the Tara’s trigger to be long as well. We both have to get used to that long pull. The FIREARMBLOG.COM says that one of the “benefits us using long, heavy triggers … forces the student to be purposeful about each pull…” It goes on to refer to Tara’s DA trigger as “the thinking man’s trigger,” being a trigger “that’s purposely ponderous.”
Compared to Tara, Sig’s trigger is light, smooth, and crisp. (Later, at home, Joe uses the Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge. After three pulls each, the Tara averages out at 7.12 pounds and the Sig 4.14 pounds.)
Between our eight shots, we get seven in each target at 21 feet.
Despite the bigger size and weight difference, we shoot both handguns equally well. Now, what’s all this about size making a difference?
Does this mean the bigger gun is better?
Size is often just one guideline when choosing a gun for accuracy. And generally, the larger, heavier gun with the longer sight radius should shoot with greater accuracy.
But then, other factors can come in to play as well. Are you looking for a target gun? A carry gun?
It all depends on the user. As the Gun Zone says: “Shorter barrels provide greater maneuverability, making them easier to handle in tight spaces and quick to draw. Additionally, they can provide better concealability…”
Shooting well depends on personal preference as to: sights, grip, weight, recoil, and trigger pull. Yes, I had been expecting the larger Tara to shoot more accurately than the Sig.
Good thing we didn’t place bets.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.