.357 SIG ::love it or hate it?

[enluzenment]

I'm in the market for a new poly striker and have had my heart set on a Walther PPQ in 9mm. However, I just read an article in the new Handgunner mag about the .357 SIG round and the Glock 32 in particular. It got me thinking about maybe going that route whether its the 32 or something else. Does anyone here shoot .357? Do you like it? Have you shot it and hated it? Despite the obvious drawbacks of price and availability what are some pros and cons of the round?
All input appreciated.

 

[oppo]

I have an M&P in 357 Sig and I really like it. It is gaining popularity with law enforcement partly because it performs very well at penetrating hard barriers. At the same time, it doesn't have anexcessive penetration on soft targets, human tissue. Another minor advantage is the inherent reliability of bottleneck cartridges.

What I like is that is hotter than a 9mm but is almost as cheap to reload because it uses the same size bullets.

Also, even factory ammo is much less expensive than it used to be if you shop around. IIRC, you can buy online for $14-$15 per box of 50. My reloads cost me $6.50 per box of 50 for jhp.

 

[Maxx2893]

Haven't shot it yet, But would love to. Will definitely be paying attention to this thread.

 

[TheFuzz]

I had a .357 Bar-Sto conversion barrel for my .40 Sig P226 that I ran extensively. You're basically shooting a 9mm bullet with a .40 powder charge behind it - very zippy round with great expansion. Texas DPS/Rangers have been using Sigs chambered in .357 for over a decade with great success - I've heard anecdotes that refer to getting hit with a .357SIG round as the firearms equivalent of getting struck by a bolt of lightning.

That being said, it's a SNAPPY cartridge. They have some oomph behind them, even more so than the .40. It was ok in a full size P226, but I would imagine in a smaller gun it would be a real handful. I personally don't have anything in 9mm or .40 anymore, as I sold everything and standardized all of my pistols to .45 to minimize all of the calibers I had laying around.

Bottom line - .357SIG is a great round, but it's snappy and more expensive than its more common counterparts. Not as expensive as it used to be, but if you're pinching pennies at all that would be something to consider. If you reload you can reduce those costs and also work up loads that aren't as potent for range use. If you want the best of both worlds and like Glocks, buy a Glock 22 and a .357SIG conversion barrel for it. Magazines and internals are the same since the rear of the case is the same size as the .40. Same thing with the Sig P226 - mine ran flawlessly with both barrels.

 

[Zembonez]

Only issue I have with the .357 Sig is that ammo is less readily available than a 9mm / .40 / .45 (which are literally everywhere)

 

[Arckadian]

.357 Ammo is hard to find then?

 

[TheFuzz]

It's more common today than it used to be, but still harder to find than most.

It's not as bad as .45GAP...nobody uses that one.

 

[Arckadian]

what is .45GAP?

The reason I asked about the .357 ammo was I see a lot of it at the Gun Shows here in OOOOtah....

 

[SilvrSRT10]

what is .45GAP?

The reason I asked about the .357 ammo was I see a lot of it at the Gun Shows here in OOOOtah....

They're talking about the .357 Sig. Not the more common standard .357. Two different animals.

 

[Arckadian]

apperently I am uneducated here what is the difference?

 

[TheFuzz]

Yeah, important point. .357SIG is a semi-auto pistol round.

.357 Magnum is a rimmed revolver/lever action rifle round.

Two very different things.

.45GAP is a .45 caliber bullet in a shortened case. Kinda like the .45 equivalent of 9mm vs .380ACP - same size bullet but a shorter case and less powder behind it. It was designed so that they could fit a .45 caliber cartridge into a 9mm/.40 size frame. A solution looking for a problem, IMO.

 

[SilvrSRT10]

You might find this interesting as well.

 

[enluzenment]

Thank you to Fuzz for some insight into shooting .357sig. I'm still unsure but im starting to sway back the ppq in 9. However, i do have a range nearby that rents handguns, they have a fairly good selection, i'm gonna try and get there this week and see if they have anything in 357 that i can put a few boxes thru. I hate buying anything that i havent had a chance to try. Unfortunately in the firearms world "test driving" isnt an option at the gun dealer. That's why it's so important to have forums like this in the gun community to share HONEST information about firearms, ammo, equipment, and gear etc. These are things that we are betting our lives on so having real talk with real people rather than reading or watching marketing campaigns from manufacturers is truly vital. This forum is off to a good start and I hope to see it keep growing. Annnnyway I'll end my soapbox tangent there, just know that anybody that takes the time to respond to my questions that it is appreciated and ill contribute wherever i feel i can help as well.:High 5:
p.s. kudos to SlvrSRT10 for posting those ammo charts, i have a feeling those will help a lot of people going forward.

 

[cce1302]

I don't love or hate .357 sig. I think it's a decent idea, and it's pretty good for a caliber for semi-autos.

I like .357 mag better for now, since it's more versatile and fits in revolvers

 

[SWSS]

informative thread. this site has a lot of info and so little time to read it all.

 

[oppo]

I am thinking of switching to these for my carry ammo. The bonded bullet is a Speer gold dot.

http://www.underwoodammo.com/357sig125graingolddotjacketedhollowpointboxof50.aspx

 

[GLOCK V]

Yeah, important point. .357SIG is a semi-auto pistol round.

.357 Magnum is a rimmed revolver/lever action rifle round.

Two very different things.

.45GAP is a .45 caliber bullet in a shortened case. Kinda like the .45 equivalent of 9mm vs .380ACP - same size bullet but a shorter case and less powder behind it. It was designed so that they could fit a .45 caliber cartridge into a 9mm/.40 size frame. A solution looking for a problem, IMO.

then you got your .45 long and .45 ACP..LOL.

 

[oppo]

http://m.sportsmansguide.com/Produc...&cjadvid=1522857&cjadv=cjtsgusa&tab=1&a=97229

 

[enluzenment]

As far as .45 goes. I would tell a novice that if someone mentions a .45 round in the context of semi auto pistols that 99% of the time they're referring to ACP.

 

[TheFuzz]

As far as .45 goes. I would tell a novice that if someone mentions a .45 round in the context of semi auto pistols that 99% of the time they're referring to ACP.

Safe bet. The .45GAP seems to be unpopular and isn't all that common.