TFB Review: P365 Romeo-X Compact Slide Assembly

A few weeks back I took my concealed carry pistol to the range for some much-needed practice. When I drew and acquired a sight picture, the only thing that went through my mind was “what the hell is that thing.” I had been shooting red dot sight-equipped pistols exclusively for months on end. In the time leading up to this practice trip, I had shot a few steel challenge matches, USPSA matches and took a course – all with red dot equipped pistols. The thing in my sight picture happened to be a steel sight post. Whether I liked it or not, the caveman tool sitting on the top deck of the slide turned out to be jarring.

ROMEO-X COMPACT (Open Emitter)

The open emitter version of the Romeo-X Compact was the first version of the Romeo-X Compact released by Sig. The optic boasts a much stouter housing than previous pistol-mounted red dot sights offered by Sig. It has everything you could want in a modern pistol-mounted red dot sight, but is an open emitter design. The most important factors for me in considering this optic were the option for multiple reticles, shake awake (called MOTAC by Sig), the side-mounted battery and the low deck height that allows co-witness with standard iron sights. I was really happy to find the glass and reticle were very distortion-free. The Romeo-X compact is also fully assembled in the USA by robots if that’s important to you.

Slide Assembly

The optic comes pre-mounted to a new slide assembly. The slide assembly contains the striker, extractor, backplate, XRAY3 Day/Night sights and springs, etc. It basically comes with all internal parts but does not include a new barrel or recoil spring. I like the fact that the optic comes pre-mounted. This means the optic is torqued to spec, and does not require any type of adapter plate. I also don’t need to worry about finding the right size screws to fit the optic. The standard iron sights are very low in the optic window and could be used to co-witness in an emergency.

The installation was a breeze. It was as easy as field stripping the pistol for cleaning and reassembling. I lubed the slide, installed my original barrel and recoil spring, popped it back on the frame and headed off to the range. At the range, I was hitting steel targets on a plate rack at 25 yards. I’m not sure if I got lucky or not, but my sight required no adjustment. I was back in my comfort zone and shooting with the same sight picture I had been accustomed to. The reticle was very bright, and I had no issues picking it up in the Texas summer sun.

I’ve been carrying the optic-equipped pistol for several months now, and noticed the open emitter design does have a few downsides. Lint loves collecting deep on the back side of the lens, at the hardest places to reach. Although very unlikely, mud or snow could block the emitter rendering the optic inoperable. Also, they are shaped like little buckets and catch absolutely everything. On the upside, they are usually more affordable. Also, there is only one glass lens to worry about scratching, dinging or cracking. Sig has recently launched a new version of the Romeo-X compact that is enclosed if that's your jam. I have not seen Sig offer a slide and optic assembly for the enclosed optic at this time, but that doesn’t mean they won’t offer it in the future. This is just my personal speculation though.

The biggest driving factor for me purchasing this combo was I was able to save a lot of money by bundling the slide and optic combo, and the fact that I did not have to wait for several weeks to have my current slide cut to fit an optic. If I purchased the optic and slide cut separately, I would have had to wait to receive the optic before sending my slide out for milling service. My preferred slide milling company currently has a 2-4 week lead time for optic cut, plus another 2-4 weeks for nitride finish. It was worth it for me to buy the combo and have my favorite concealed carry pistol back in service as soon as possible.

I also still have the iron sight slide in case I want to go back, or use a holster that isn't compatible with optics. I don’t think having the slide custom milled would provide that much of a better optic fit in this scenario, as the optic is mounted pretty deep and tight in the slide, and there is no need for an adapter plate. I was also able to find the slide and optic assembly at a lower price than what it would cost for the milling service, refinishing and romeo-x optic separately. Please keep in mind I bought this combo before the Romeo-X Compact enclosed was released. I have since seen the open emitter version on sale for great prices, so your experiences may differ.

Other than having to clean the lint out of the optic, I have had no issue with it. I leave the reticle on the 32 MOA option so that it is easier to pick up on pistol presentation if I haven’t shot or dry fired the gun in a while. I try to practice dry fire at least once a week, and the dot has always woken up and appeared in the sight window. It’s summertime in Texas, and I've put it away covered in sweat more times than not, and have seen no rust or optic performance issues. It seems to be pretty squared away and reliable. I think the only negative I can give is the fact that the adjustment screws are star shaped, so you will need to keep the special tool with you at the range if you want to adjust the zero.

I like the fact that the optic is American-made and super robust. I like the warranty Sig Sauer provides if anything were to ever happen to the optic. I like the fact that the optic was installed by the factory, and I don’t have to worry about if my optic screws are torqued to the correct spec. It’s also a great feeling that I now have a brand-new factory slide with less than a few hundred rounds on it. I have no buyer's remorse and would buy it over again, however, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t an inclination for me to join the cool kids club with a Romeo-X enclosed optic. I’m sure I could probably convince my significant other I need an enclosed optic when she sees her Q-tip stash disappearing.