.357 Sig opinions

Going the route of the .40...?

Pfft!

The .40 is a great cartridge, and the "Men's Tee" isn't going anywhere.

As for the .357Sig?

Have a 5.3" LWD .357Sig Bbl. for my G23 .40's - and shoot S&B 140 gr. FMJ-FP and HDY Custom 147 gr. XTP at 1300+ fps as a field loads.

Basically a point-blank 9mm Euro at 200 yards.




Red
 
I kinda like the 357 Sig cartridge, but it really doesn't accomplish anything more than a 9mm+p+ will accomplish.

At least the .40 will offer a heavier slug than the typical 357 Sig or 9mm+p+ round.
 
The 357Sig is a very good caliber for what it was meant to do, also it has the benefit of being able to easily converting to a 40 S&W, so it's basically a 2 in 1 gun, as others mentioned the only "real downside" is 40 S&W mag capacity.
 
I do not have a semi specifically dedicated to 357 Sig. However I have 4 40s and three of them have a 357 Sig barrel and a 9 mm barrel and mags.

One of the 40s (FNS 40) rides in my truck with the 357 Sig barrel.

I like the 357 Sig and the 40.

The first time I shot 357 Sig was in the FNS 40 with a 4" barrel. The round is very accurate. I shot it that first day out to a tree at 100 yards. Shocked me that I hit just a couple of inches away from where I was aiming. The round has a very straight/flat trajectory. It is loud and it does have a large flash.

I have a 50 foot back yard range and do not get to shoot beyond that. Actually, this thread reminds me that I need to cycle through some 357 Sig ammo and I may do that tomorrow.

For riding in my truck, I used Underwood 125 gr bonded JHP and I have some 147 gr Underwood that I have never shot.

Three of my 40s are 3 in 1 guns.

OP get a 357 Sig barrel and there are chances that the 357 Sig will work in your guns 40 S&W mags. Mine do, however I have lots of extra mags.
 
I kinda like the 357 Sig cartridge, but it really doesn't accomplish anything more than a 9mm+p+ will accomplish.
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Underwood is a trusted manufacturer of higher-powered ammunition. Here is a fair comparison.


9mm +p+ 124 grain Bonded Jacket Hollowpoint

Listed velocity: 1300 fps

357 Sig 125 grain Bonded Jacketed Hollowpoint

Listed velocity: 1475 fps

One is clearly more powerful than the other. Let's also not forget that the .357 Sig is built for that kind of pressure. The 9mm +p+ is really pushing the envelope for what 9mm pistols can handle. Even if your particular pistol can handle it, can it do so on a regular basis? How much extra wear and tear is involved?

If you want to launch this kind of projectile from a semi-auto at speeds in excess of 1250 fps, .357 Sig is the way to go.
 
I agree with Cosmo, there really is no comparison.

The question one should ask is: is 357 SIG the best cartridge for the application.

Application is everything IMO.
 
One is clearly more powerful than the other.
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Well, sorta, on paper anyway. Going strictly by the numbers on paper, one has "a bit" more power, but its really nothing major. But, if youre going strictly by the numbers, the 357SIG does win in the math department.

Let's also not forget that the .357 Sig is built for that kind of pressure.
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While I agree, thats true for most of them, but I think what's being missed here is, with 9mm, you dont have to practice with +P+ to remain proficient. There is really little difference in how the gun shoots with standard 9mm, and +P+ (or 357SIG for that matter). We arent comparing the difference in .38 wadcutters vs 357mag full power loads here.

I had a Glock 31, and I have a number of 17's. My one 17 has at this point probably double plus the number of rounds of +P+ 9mm through it than my 31 had 357SIG through it, yet my 17 only shows some minor finish wear on the underside of the slide, where the 31 was battering itself to death shooting 357SIG. So there are exceptions to the "made to handle" thing. The 31 never showed signs of stopping the battering, where the 17 is still chugging along without issue, and after 140000 rounds of standard, +P, and +P+ 9mm, is still only polishing the finish on those two spots on the slide.

As I said before, Ive been on both sides of this little argument, and while I like the 357SIG, I personally just dont see the "math", here, and from all angles, not just the paper velocity numbers.

If you like 357SIG, Im sure it wont let you down, if you can afford the ammo these days, and youre well practiced with it. Truth be told, if you buy the same model gun in 9mm, and use it in practice, youre going to be ahead, both in skills and money, and I seriously doubt you will notice any difference in shooting them.

Or you can keep it simple, and just use 9mm guns, and keep +P+ in your carry gun.
 
I don’t like to shoot +P+ in my 9MM pistols. While a good quality pistol may stand up to it for a while, I don’t know of any pistol that is specifically designed to withstand a steady diet of +P+ ammo. I believe +P+ will eventually take its toll on a 9MM pistol. If I need more power than 9MM, I would rather shoot .38 Super or .357 Sig in a pistol that was designed for the cartridge.

The .357 Sig is my favorite carry round. I wonder how many of those being so negative on .357 Sig have actually owned one?
The sole negative I can see for the .357 Sig round is the lack of variety in available factory ammo. It’s one cartridge that you need to reload to get full enjoyment of it. But, being a reloader, I can practice with .357 Sig and it’s no more expensive than 9MM. Also, each of my Sig pistols is easily convertible to .40 S&W or 9MM if I choose to do so, which I often do.
My P239 is the most versatile of my Sigs. I can go from 9MM to .40 S&W or .357 Sig with a simple barrel swap.
The larger P229 and P226 pistols can easily swap .40 S&W and .357 Sig barrels but to change them to 9MM requires a slide swap as well. Sig makes a caliber conversion (entire top end) for that purpose.
 
Bottom Gun said:
I don’t like to shoot +P+ in my 9MM pistols. While a good quality pistol may stand up to it for a while, I don’t know of any pistol that is specifically designed to withstand a steady diet of +P+ ammo. I believe +P+ will eventually take its toll on a 9MM pistol. If I need more power than 9MM, I would rather shoot .38 Super or .357 Sig in a pistol that was designed for the cartridge.

The .357 Sig is my favorite carry round. I wonder how many of those being so negative on .357 Sig have actually owned one?
The sole negative I can see for the .357 Sig round is the lack of variety in available factory ammo. It’s one cartridge that you need to reload to get full enjoyment of it. But, being a reloader, I can practice with .357 Sig and it’s no more expensive than 9MM. Also, each of my Sig pistols is easily convertible to .40 S&W or 9MM if I choose to do so, which I often do.
My P239 is the most versatile of my Sigs. I can go from 9MM to .40 S&W or .357 Sig with a simple barrel swap.
The larger P229 and P226 pistols can easily swap .40 S&W and .357 Sig barrels but to change them to 9MM requires a slide swap as well. Sig makes a caliber conversion (entire top end) for that purpose.
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If I want 9 mm and I want fast, I too would rather shoot 357 SIG from my P229s than 9 mm +P+, and I do have a 9 mm caliber X-change kit for those pistols.

But I do not see many posters in this thread being "so negative" regarding the 357 SIG round, unless not gushing over it as some type of "wonder cartridge" is being negative.

Most of us who do shoot 357 SIG have mentioned its accuracy and flat trajectory as well as potentially better barrier penetration.

On the other hand, compared to 9 mm, 357 SIG does have more perceived recoil and less magazine capacity.

Compared to both 9 mm and .40 S&W, 357 SIG is louder and creates more muzzle flash. And for those of us who do not reload, it is undeniably more expensive to shoot.

Compared to .40 S&W, 357 SIG JHP projectiles typically have a smaller expanded diameter and create crush channels in tissue of smaller volume and slightly smaller diameter.

None of these points are matters of opinion. Whether or not they represent drawbacks depends on your situation and what you are trying to achieve.
 
I had a Glock 31, and I have a number of 17's. My one 17 has at this point probably double plus the number of rounds of +P+ 9mm through it than my 31 had 357SIG through it, yet my 17 only shows some minor finish wear on the underside of the slide, where the 31 was battering itself to death shooting 357SIG. So there are exceptions to the "made to handle" thing. The 31 never showed signs of stopping the battering, where the 17 is still chugging along without issue, and after 140000 rounds of standard, +P, and +P+ 9mm, is still only polishing the finish on those two spots on the slide.
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This has more to do with the gun than with the round. When Glock initially introduced it's guns in 40 S&W and a four years later in 357 Sig they rushed them into production. Glock chose to use the same strength recoil springs in the 40 S&W guns as they did in the 9mm guns (with a slightly heavier slide as I recall). They essentially took a 9mm gun and placed two more powerful rounds in the gun. Both rounds in Glocks developed a reputation for battering themselves. It became a factor in earlier retirement of Glocks from law enforcement use than for their guns in 9mm. That may have changed this, I understand, in the last decade or so. So the durability of the Glocks with 40 S&W and 357 Sig may have been resolved.

On the other hand when Sig introduced their guns in 40 S&W they took their time to build a gun for it. Their durability with both rounds has been, reportedly, greater at least in the decade or more after initial introduction.

The difference, over a variety of bullet weights, is clear both on paper and in actual use. The 357 Sig is more powerful. Also recoils more.

tipoc
 
Overall the 357 Sig is a good round. Particularly if you have a 40 S&W already.

But, as stated, there are real reasons it is not more widely used.

tipoc
 
This has more to do with the gun than with the round. When Glock initially introduced it's guns in 40 S&W and a four years later in 357 Sig they rushed them into production. Glock chose to use the same strength recoil springs in the 40 S&W guns as they did in the 9mm guns (with a slightly heavier slide as I recall). They essentially took a 9mm gun and placed two more powerful rounds in the gun. Both rounds in Glocks developed a reputation for battering themselves. It became a factor in earlier retirement of Glocks from law enforcement use than for their guns in 9mm. That may have changed this, I understand, in the last decade or so. So the durability of the Glocks with 40 S&W and 357 Sig may have been resolved.
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Since 357SIG and +P+ 9mm are rated basically the same pressure wise, I would think my 17 would have shown similar wear as my 31. It hasnt, and not anything close. Differences in the pressure curves, cycling impulses maybe? I dont know. I do know my one 17 has a lot more +P+ 9mm through it than my 31 had 357SIG through it though.

Not sure if Glock got things figured out or not, but the 9mm's seem to handle the higher pressure fine, and thats with a stock RSA.

Other than some wear on the anodizing on the frame rails, I never had any real wear issues with my SIG's in the caliber. Those guns also had a lot more rounds through them than my 31.

As far as recoil goes, I really never noticed much if any difference between the two, especially when fired from the same type/model gun. The thing that was more noticeable to me with the 357SIG, was the bark/muzzle blast.

Comparing 125 grain 357SIG out of the 31 and 127 grain +P+ out of the 17, I seriously doubt you could tell which was which if someone handed you one and didnt tell you what it was. The blast would be about the only giveaway.
 
As far as being "built to handle it", that is a generalization. I remember discussions about .40 S&W being rough on guns back in the day. There was always a question of whether a particular handgun was designed around 9mm and then offered in .40 or if it was really designed for .40 S&W. On an individual basis, some guns are more robust than others. In general though, 9mm +p+ is at the far end of its intended spectrum and .357 Sig is not.

As far as math versus reality, is 100-200 fps a big deal up over 1200 fps? Is there a big difference between 9mm +p+ and .357 Sig on bad guys, game animals, or meat targets? I don't really know.

I'm just a fan of having the right tool for the job. I like 9mm for what it does with normal 9mm ammo in small-to-medium semi-autos. I like .357 Sig for what it does in a full-sized semi-auto with decent recoil mitigation. One is good for around town on a normal day and the other likes to take hikes in the local woods. :)
 
Cosmodragoon said:
As far as being "built to handle it", that is a generalization. I remember discussions about .40 S&W being rough on guns back in the day. There was always a question of whether a particular handgun was designed around 9mm and then offered in .40 or if it was really designed for .40 S&W. On an individual basis, some guns are more robust than others. In general though, 9mm +p+ is at the far end of its intended spectrum and .357 Sig is not.

As far as math versus reality, is 100-200 fps a big deal up over 1200 fps? Is there a big difference between 9mm +p+ and .357 Sig on bad guys, game animals, or meat targets? I don't really know.

I'm just a fan of having the right tool for the job. I like 9mm for what it does with normal 9mm ammo in small-to-medium semi-autos. I like .357 Sig for what it does in a full-sized semi-auto with decent recoil mitigation. One is good for around town on a normal day and the other likes to take hikes in the local woods. :)
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Well that would depend on the foot pounds of energy more than velocity althought the two are related, but it's the "foot pounds" that kill though, and the 357 Sig has more ft. lbs. of energy than the 9mm +p+ IIRC.
 
Well that would depend on the foot pounds of energy more than velocity althought the two are related...
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I was assuming similar mass and shape. That's why I used the 124 and 125 grain bonded jacketed hollowpoints from Underwood in my previous post.

Someone had suggested that the 100-200 fps extra velocity (and correspondingly higher energy) was more notable on paper than in real life. The best way to check that would be to compare them in similar firearms either on well-constructed "meat targets" or via handgun hunting.
 
Well, it's been a month since this thread was started and I'm glad to see its still generating great discussion. AAAAAAANNNNDD! I have an update.

Just ordered a 229 Enhanced Elite from gunsmidwest.com for $673. $14 shipping and 2.5% on the card. Happy enough with the deal. Was going to hold out for a Legion, but for another $400+, I just didn't see the value in it. Cool pistol, but I don't care if I get a coin in my pistol case. Try to post a pic when it shows up.
 
Well, it's been a month since this thread was started and I'm glad to see its still generating great discussion. AAAAAAANNNNDD! I have an update.

Just ordered a 229 Enhanced Elite from gunsmidwest.com for $673. $14 shipping and 2.5% on the card. Happy enough with the deal. Was going to hold out for a Legion, but for another $400+, I just didn't see the value in it. Cool pistol, but I don't care if I get a coin in my pistol case. Try to post a pic when it shows up.
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But in what caliber?????
 
I own a couple of 357Sigs and still like the round. However, since I bought my Dan Wesson Valor in 10mm it is an instant favorite of mine, especially with full power loads like Underwood. It has different recoil impulse from my 1911’s in 45ACP. Doesn’t seem as snappy. Really digging this pistol....
 
Sorry disseminator, .357 Sig was ordered. Plans include a .40 barrel in the near future.

Longshank, you are right up my alley. I'd like to add a nice 10mm to my collection. Look at the Dan Wessons quite a bit every time I'm on the CZ web site. .357 Coonan will find its way home to me eventually as well!
 
Sorry disseminator, .357 Sig was ordered. Plans include a .40 barrel in the near future.
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Sweet, you'll love it. I use my 357 SIG mostly for a backup while hunting and stick to 9mm for self defense. It's a great little round.

I have a Glock 20 and MUCH prefer the 357 SIG for anything I'd use the 10 for. The 125 @ 1500 FPS in the SIG is as good as anything the 10mm has to offer IMO. If I need more power than the 357 can deliver, I'll carry my 629. I am thankful I got the 10mm though as it got me started as a re-loader which is very handy when you like to shoot as much as I do.

;)
 
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