Thread: .357 sig?

just lookin for opinons on this cal. for a self defense/a bowhunting side arm i want to know how it compares to a 9mm,.40,.45acp/gap i'm just into less popular side arms my carry gun right now is a glock 20 10mm and i love it.

.357sig is a little 'snappier' than .40 cal.... and fun to shoot, didn't seem to catch on very well. Nice thing about it, however, if it becomes fairly difficult/expensive to obtain ammo... you can always swap the barrel and shoot .40 caliber.

I'm not ballistics expert, but .357 has decenctly high velocity, and hits with more energy than .40 or .45acp ...you're putting down less lead, however.

I'm sure other will chime in with more info.

.357sig is basically like shooting 9mm +P+.

I've got a Glock 23 with .357sig conversion barrel, it's fun to shoot but not enough for me to get into it big time.

Originally Posted by cw009

More like 9mm+p+++

I've been shooting them since they hit the market. It's a great caliber in an auto because of high capacity, more reliable feeding, and no overwhelming recoil. It's great and maybe better than most any other standard defense caliber at defeating hard barriers. That is including 10mm. I'm a fan of 10mm though too

I can attest to the .357 sig making swiss cheese of a vehicle. I also know it's ability on a human.

When shooting 125gr it actually creates more power than .357 mag out of barrels less than 5-6". That is not to add that the revolvers don't count the chamber/cylinder along with the barrel. Basically you get smaller handguns creating a lot of power when shooting .357 Sig. My Glock 33 with a 3.5" barrel chronographs 125 gr over 1300 fps, while the 6" in my 35 clocks over 1600. The round just wants to go!

What round are you shooting for self defense?

Stick with your G20.

Originally Posted by stmcelroy

.357sig is basically like shooting 9mm +P+.

..I can honestly disagree, and say that it's much more than that.

Originally Posted by cw009

More like 9mm+p+++

I've been shooting them since they hit the market. It's a great caliber in an auto because of high capacity, more reliable feeding, and no overwhelming recoil. It's great and maybe better than most any other standard defense caliber at defeating hard barriers. That is including 10mm. I'm a fan of 10mm though too

I can attest to the .357 sig making swiss cheese of a vehicle. I also know it's ability on a human.

When shooting 125gr it actually creates more power than .357 mag out of barrels less than 5-6". That is not to add that the revolvers don't count the chamber/cylinder along with the barrel. Basically you get smaller handguns creating a lot of power when shooting .357 Sig. My Glock 33 with a 3.5" barrel chronographs 125 gr over 1300 fps, while the 6" in my 35 clocks over 1600. The round just wants to go!

I agree completely with the feeding, capacity, and power. It's been proven in my eyes. I concur.

In terms of penetrating hard barriers, how do hollow point rounds compare to FMJ rounds in this regard? i was under the impression that this shouldn't be an expected result, even with .357 Sig HP rounds...

Lastly, what about barrel length? I was considering a P2000SK, but I felt that the barrel length, chambered in .357 Sig, would be relatively counter-productive. Wouldn't a barrel that short lose much of it's potential velocity over, say, the full size P2000?

With that said, finding ammunition is a pain. Still, many handguns have replaceable barrels that are directly interchangeable with .40. I need to buy one so I can save money for practice.

Still, greatest round for my applications.

Originally Posted by stmcelroy

.357sig is basically like shooting 9mm +P+.

no.

Federal 125gr .357sig is rated at 1350 fps, and 505 ft/lb energy.... show me 9mm +p+ that does that!

The 357 is a good round, one of the best things about it is the ability to have a 40 by just changing barrels. It is more like the 38 supper than a hot 9mm, but is limited in bullet weight. It is a good SD caliber but the 40 makes a better woods gun with it heaver bullet weights. For the price of the a barrel you have two guns in one. JMHO

P-40 with both a .40 and .357 SIG barrels. The .357 is snappier than the 40. As to ballistics and defeating hard barriers that will depend on the round being shot more so than the caliber.
When I carried the KT I always used the .357 barrel and rounds.

The "Trade Rating" is low by 3
Not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
WAC member
SWWAC member

357 Sig was made to mimic 357 mag, but out of a semi-auto.
It does so well!!!
I regularly carry a G33, because it has 2x the capacity if a similar sized revolver, with longer barrel length(=more power+capacity
And then if the stuff really hits the fan, you can slap a 22 rounder in it!

interesting reading i found, although its more about the speer gold dots. one thing i found suprising is that the 9mm +p expanded to the greatest diameter, and still penetrated

Tactical-Life.com » Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points

Just get the conversion barrel. How can you go wrong for $109.95?

You should be able to run 357sigs just fine in your G20 mags too.



Oh yeah....and then you can buy up all my ammo if I ever sell my P226.

Click HERE to see a repost of the results from another forum.

For about $100, you get an extra caliber, and a 30% firepower upgrade...
Can you really do that with most other guns...?

I started with an M&P40, then bought conversion barrels for 9mm and .357SIG. I really like the .357SIG. It's recoil seems better to me than the .40--to me the .40 "pops" more whereas the .357SIG is more of harder push back, its' flat shooting, and it penetrates barriers well. I would think the SIG round would be better vs. animals due to penetration, but I have no direct experience. Good luck.

I agree with those who say get the conversion barrels, I love the ability to shoot 3 calibers out of one pistol (had to get 9mm mags, obviously).

At 1350 fps a 125 gr. sighted in at 25 yards. will drop only 3.03 ins. and drift in a 10 mph. wind 2.19 ins. at 100 yards...now that's impressive. I have a P 226 with a 5 in. extended and ported barrel, and it really shots! The porting makes it a pleasure to shoot. It's my all time carry gun. Bought the gun the first year it came out, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Originally Posted by YFZsandrider

Federal 125gr .357sig is rated at 1350 fps, and 505 ft/lb energy.... show me 9mm +p+ that does that!

American Eagle Ammunition

Pay attention to the first line under 9mm;

9MM 115 Gr. GDHP 1400 fps 500 ft/lbs 26.65

Then show me where you can buy the .357Sig ammo for $26.65/box of 50,...

Originally Posted by Jamie6.5

American Eagle Ammunition

Pay attention to the first line under 9mm;
Then show me where you can buy the .357Sig ammo for $26.65/box of 50,...

I think the poster was clearly pointing toward the 125gr variety. Heck, I can find some 9mm that'll do 2300fps if you go light enough.

And yes, 357sig defense rounds can found for about the same price as 9mm (see here). Where you take a hit is when you go shopping for range ammo.

Originally Posted by Spec.-K

For about $100, you get an extra caliber, and a 30% firepower downgrade...
Can you really do that with most other guns...?

Fixed

Originally Posted by HahnsXD

Fixed

...Really?