My $.02...
you can make it out of .30-06, .308, .243, Detonics 451 and .44 AMP brass.
Before going any further, let me say, you keep your paws off my brass!!!
Yes, all those rounds have the same head size, and so do around a full dozen other cases, and with enough work could be convered into .45acp brass, but with the possible exception of the .451 Detonics, it isn't just a simple job of saw them off and trim them up. If you don't have the forming dies and reamers needed, they ain't gonna work. And if you are thinking of some end of the world situation (or a complete legal ban of ownership, which is the same thing) so that you have to make your .45 auto brass, if you don't have the tools needed beforehand, you ain't gonna be able to get them, so it is kind of a moot point.
As far as the .357 vs the .45, I don't think you are asking the right question. It isn't even a Ford vs Chevy kind of thing either. It's more like a 6 cylinder vs 8 cylinder engine kind of thing. Both get you around equally well, providing you can drive, and each one has it's own strengths and weaknesses.
I don't think by just focusing on the cartridge itself that you are looking at enough of the picture. Because, in addition to the round itself, there is the platform to consider. For close to a century, the 1911 had proven itself over and over as being one of the best blends of power, ergonomics, control-ability and firepower ever fielded. Only in the past couple of decades have other pistol designs, more modern, and created with the benefit of being able to look at the 1911 and the .45's historical record, been able to match or exceed the 1911 for popularity and general usage.
And the .357, for a bit over 70 years has also had a sterling record for doing everything it was ever asked to do, as well as could be done. Times change, technology changes, attitudes change. The full size 1911 was for a long time considered a large handgun, difficult to master. And the .357 magnum, in the largest heaviest frame revolvers then made was recommended only for very highly experienced shooters and men of large physical stature!
Today, opinions are somewhat different. But consider the entire package when you talk about defense. And also make sure that you consider the fact that you are talking about shooting people, so both individual anecdotes and results from shooting animals should not be taken at complete face value. People are different. Even when you shoot animals with very similar muscle and bone structure, people are still different.
Which is why I have "issues" with the whole idea of one shot stops, and any kind of "certainty" based on statistics of one shot stops has more hole in it than all the people not stopped by one shot.
Only a portion of the people who are "stopped" by one shot are physically incapacitated by the wound. The rest are either mentally incapacitated, or make a concious decision to cease what ever action it was that got them shot. And to the best of my knowledge, those details are seldom, if ever included when the results of "street shooting" are compiled.
I am not doubting the .357's effectiveness, with proper shot placement, or indeed, the fact that it can also be effective sometimes even with out proper shot placement, nor is the .45 auto any different. There is both much myth and truth about both rounds. When it comes to stopping attacking humans, both rounds are equal, in the sense that if the bullet goes where it needs to, it will do its job. They both have reputations for being effective, and deservedly so, even though they seem to go about doing it via different methods.
As far as "blowing out lung tissue, any bullet that completely penetrates the body (and passes through the lungs in the process) can blow out lung tissue, regardless of the caliber.
I have owned and shot many guns in both calibers over the years, and I have complete confidence in both.
For certain applications I would choose the .357 and for others, the .45, based on the strengths and weaknesses of the overall package, and not solely the cartridge itself.
. WHen hunting exit wounds are an important part of why and how something dies after being shot. A really big, "nasty", bleeding exit wound hast to play a role in what happens after the bullet makes it impact. Not saying it would be a lightning strike, but AS FAR AS I KNOW the 45 ACP doesn't make big and "nasty" exit wounds. Am I Incorrect? Please correct me if I am wrong.