It seems like I don't see many pistols chambered in 357sig locally and few ammo choices are available locally as well. Has this round petered out? It seems pretty cool academically. I've wondered why it's not more popular. Do you think it will be like the 10mm and enjoy a resurgence in popularity or was it a bad idea from the beginning?
Is the 357sig fading into obscurity?
- Thread starter Ocraknife
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Evil Monkey
New member
it never was mainstream to begin with, lol. 
I don't think it's going away anytime soon. Even if there aren't many guns sold chambered for it, the fact that it can be shot from any .40S&W gun with just a barrel change will make the lack of new dedicated guns in that caliber less important than it otherwise might be.
It was never going to be a super-popular mainstream cartridge, but I think it still fills a niche that some people will find very attractive.
It was never going to be a super-popular mainstream cartridge, but I think it still fills a niche that some people will find very attractive.
Cheapshooter
New member
Was it ever anything more than a failed attempt at an answer to a problem that didn't exist?
Deaf Smith
New member
Didn't fail. 125 gr jhp at 1600 from a GI 1911 size gun ain't a failure.
And a 125 gr jhp at 1400 from a 1911 commander size ain't one either.
The move to the 9mm is about economics and not about their ability to end fights.
Deaf
And a 125 gr jhp at 1400 from a 1911 commander size ain't one either.
The move to the 9mm is about economics and not about their ability to end fights.
Deaf
Cheapshooter
New member
It's a fail when it isn't generally accepted buy the purchasing public. Some small niche may feel like light bullets at speed of light velocities make a gun invincible. Most realize that with all the modern bullet technology, there are plenty of existing rounds perfectly capable of the SD roll.
An answer for a problem that doesn't exist.
An answer for a problem that doesn't exist.
silvermane_1
New member
^ interesting evaluation Cheapshooter, however a 9mm can not replicate the 125gr, 1450 fps 357 mag out of a 4" bbl performance without being at least +p(and even then it's a bit of a stretch) , where as the 357sig was designed to do just that, so you're statement of "An answer for a problem that doesn't exist" is a bit thin, razor thin.
ligonierbill
New member
It's certainly an interesting round, and as others have stated, its purpose was to duplicate the performance of a 4" revolver firing the classic 125 .357 Mag round. High velocity rounds are not magic, but they penetrate barriers, like car windshields, better than heavier slower rounds. Think Highway Patrol.
Based on an earlier discussion, I had to go try this out for myself, meaning buy stuff. Both commercial (Hornady) and my loads shoot as advertised from my 4" GP-100, exceeding 1,400. The 357 Sig will too from my G23 with an OEM barrel, but it throws the brass into next week and doesn't function well. This using published loads. Commercial ammo (Federal and Speer) works well, but the Federal is going about 1,350 and the Speer just over 1,300. Someone else may get different results. Now, I know some folks are juicing their 9x19 to pretty high levels, but mine run 200 fps less than my Sig rounds, so there is some advantage. I'm still fooling with it.
But law enforcement has standardized on the .40 S&W, and some are going back to the 9. So the Sig has and probably always will see limited use. My CCW instructor was a local cop whose jurisdiction issued 357 Sig pistols. He was good with it (although at heart he's a 1911 guy), but was not at all happy about the ammo cost. He had to buy his own practice ammo.
I enjoy working with 357 Sig, but if I carry the Glock, it's the .40 barrel. And mostly I carry a small 9 mm.
Based on an earlier discussion, I had to go try this out for myself, meaning buy stuff. Both commercial (Hornady) and my loads shoot as advertised from my 4" GP-100, exceeding 1,400. The 357 Sig will too from my G23 with an OEM barrel, but it throws the brass into next week and doesn't function well. This using published loads. Commercial ammo (Federal and Speer) works well, but the Federal is going about 1,350 and the Speer just over 1,300. Someone else may get different results. Now, I know some folks are juicing their 9x19 to pretty high levels, but mine run 200 fps less than my Sig rounds, so there is some advantage. I'm still fooling with it.
But law enforcement has standardized on the .40 S&W, and some are going back to the 9. So the Sig has and probably always will see limited use. My CCW instructor was a local cop whose jurisdiction issued 357 Sig pistols. He was good with it (although at heart he's a 1911 guy), but was not at all happy about the ammo cost. He had to buy his own practice ammo.
I enjoy working with 357 Sig, but if I carry the Glock, it's the .40 barrel. And mostly I carry a small 9 mm.
I don't if the 357sig was intended to be a solution to a problem, I don't know the history that well. That said I guess it could be said that some wanted the .357 mag performance with more than 6 or 7 shots. It seems to have solved the capacity problem. However, it could be that the .38 Super was already doing that 60 years earlier - I don't know if the ballistics are the same but it seems like they should be close-ish.
Just a thought
Just a thought
The .357SIG is a niche round, and probably always will be, even though some agencies have adopted it. 9mm, 40S&W and .45acp are far more common. It's a great round for shooting into vehicles because of the speed, and it seems be gaining popularity with the handgun hunting crowd. Your Glock 20 is very versatile in terms of caliber, you can drop in a .45acp barrel from a G21, and get conversion barrels for both .357SIG and 40S&W. 357SIG and 40S&W mags are the same, followers are slightly different. Dillon also offers a 9x25 based on the 10mm, and you can get 6" hunting barrels and complete long slide uppers also. The 9x25 will push a 90 grain bullet to 2,100 fps.
Onward Allusion
New member
Probably going to be relevant as long as Sig, Glock, & S&W are still around. It has always been somewhat of a niche cartridge but like a couple of others have said, all it takes is dropping a barrel into a .40S&W and maybe a stiffer recoil spring to get the pistol to run 357 Sig. Heck, it's not even a conversion barrel.
Personally, I love the round. Hard hitting and much more reliable in feeding. Slap a G22 lower into a Mech Tech 357 upper and you got a carbine that can easily do 100 yards with just a few inches of drop with the energy of a 40 from a pistol. Heck, I even got a S&W SIGMA in 357 Sig!
Personally, I love the round. Hard hitting and much more reliable in feeding. Slap a G22 lower into a Mech Tech 357 upper and you got a carbine that can easily do 100 yards with just a few inches of drop with the energy of a 40 from a pistol. Heck, I even got a S&W SIGMA in 357 Sig!
Cheapshooter
New member
If a ultra high speed 9MM round for your G20 is the goal, why go with the 9X25 Dillon LITE (357 Sig)? Just get a 9X25 Dillon barrel, and get 1700fps out of a 125gr. bullet.
Probably going to get one some day for my G20sf when I get bored with other rounds.
http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=948
Yes, you can buy a conversion barrel. I don't believe there are any special conversion mags relating to a Glock 20, however.
Rather than converting a gun designed for a 10mm, I'd consider getting something like a Glock 31 instead, which is what I did.
I haven't heard of manufacturers ceasing production of .357SIG and it's still readily available for sale.
Cheapshooter
New member
The exact "problem" that didn't need a solution!
Bottom line, it's hard for it to fade when it never shined.
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I bought a P229 SIG package during the AWB period that included a Bar-Sto .357 SIG barrel.
I found the barrel to be quite useful as a trade for 10 excellent condition FAL mags.
As an ironic note, I found that .357 SIG rounds ALMOST chamber in an 8mm Jap pistol. I said almost. I believe that they could be resized and/or swaged slightly in 8mm Nambu dies and would work.
I found the barrel to be quite useful as a trade for 10 excellent condition FAL mags.
As an ironic note, I found that .357 SIG rounds ALMOST chamber in an 8mm Jap pistol. I said almost. I believe that they could be resized and/or swaged slightly in 8mm Nambu dies and would work.