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Hi, I just bought myself a new Gen 3 Glock 32 (Compact .357 Sig) with a Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel. I had a nice Gen 4 Glock 19 but sold it when I figured I could basically kill two birds with one stone with the Glock 32 and get something with a lot more oomph behind it and still be able to shoot or carry 9mm when I wanted . Plus I got the Glock 32 under Glock's Blue Label Program (I'm retired Air Force) at a truly amazing price that enabled me to get the replacement barrel and basically break even. Anyway, I was just wondering what experiences people have had with the .357 Sig cartridge in terms of shootability, recoil, accuracy, etc. I'm not looking for an endorsement, so feel free to be truthful. You won't hurt my feelings. Thanks.
 
I've never personally shot it but from what I hear from folks who have is that its a little more snappy than 40S&W, it loads a lot easier going into the chamber, little louder than a 40S&W. Felt recoil I don't know of but i'd imagine a little more than 40?. For certain the ammo is more expensive (good thing you got a 9mm barrel to side step that issue) and only a select few enforcement agencies use its caliber.

I was curious to play with it myself but decided on 40S&W instead since its more readily available and its more standard use at an OK price.
 
Sky marshals use it. And so dose the secret service.
Also I here a lot of state police like it.

As to expensive?
I see 1375FPS HP Gold dot online for $19-$24 a 50rnd box.

Want 1525FPS Underwood ammo and yes. Your gona pay for it.

I daily carry a Glock 23 with 357 conversion barrel.
So Ya. I'm also a fan.:s0155:
 
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The round is very capable and you'll never notice the marginal differences in recoil/noise etc. Is it as available as 9mm or 40? No. But that rationale doesn't stop me from shooting a 257 Weatherby when performance is the goal. Get a 9mm and 40 barrel and then you can shoot whatever you find.
 
Sky marshals use it. And so dose the secret service.
Also I here a lot of state police like it.

As to expensive?
I see 1375FPS HP Gold dot online for $19-$24 a 50rnd box.

Want 1525FPS Underwood ammo and yes. Your gona pay for it.

I daily carry a Glock 23 with 357 conversion barrel. And also have a G-35 converted.
Then there is the Sig 229 357 legion.

So Ya. I'm also a fan.:s0155:

They were using it, IIRC both went back to 9mm.

.357 Sig had a good following among LE but most switched to either a bonded .45ACP or 9x19mm - even .40 is falling out of favor.

I have owned a Sig in .357 Sig back when it was fairly new, it was the wring gun for the round, IMO.

I found Glocks control .40 and .357 Sig recoil better than Sigs, both can be snappy.

My biggest gripe was ammo cost. It never caught on with gusto outside LE circles. Best deal I ever got was from Keith's in Gresham, like, 13 years ago. He had some old school Hydra Shoks, a 50 round box, for $25 - never got that sweet of a deal again.

If you reload it may get economical to shoot a lot, but you will probably get way more mileage out of that 9mm barrel.

I have thought of getting a G32 or 31 myself. If you can find one, an M&P .357 Sig is supposed to be one of the easier shooting in that round. I have not seen one in the wild, or got to try one yet.
 
I really like the round. It has a louder report than both .40 and 9mm, but not in an obtrusive way. The recoil, to me, almost felt like .45acp, though the glock I shot it out of had a ported barrel.

With that said, 9mm loadings have come a long ways and the performance vs cost does not get you anywhere. It's the same reason that .40 is on the decline; 9mm is just good enough to make the extra weight and size of the larger calibers a diminishing return.
 
I carry a Glock 31 loaded with underwood 125gr speer bonded bullets at 1500+ fps.
I don't like reloading the bottle neck cases though doable but a pain to do.
 
No. Your right about the FBI. I read they did switch back to 9mm.

Man! It's hard to stay up on these caliber popularity games. :D

I know FBI did. The thing I read was saying other fed agencies were looking to go back to 9 too. I would not be surprised if those that haven't yet do soon. And of course they need new high speed pistols, so P320s, Gen 5 / FBI gen Glocks will no doubt go with the new 9s...
 
357 Sig has better penetration against barriers like windshields/cars than 9 or 40.
Yes, it's more expensive, but as others remarked, conversion barrels are readily available. With 40 S&W mags, most take the SIG round w/o modification. So it makes sense to get a 40 S&W conversion first and save on the different mags. I have 357/40 barrels for several guns (M&P and Browning Hi-Power) and 9mm for also for the MPs. That's particularly useful if some ammo types become hard to find in the future.
 
I'm personally not a fan of .357 sig but with the availability of conversion barrels you have plenty of options.
 
I'm a big, big fan of my G33. Love the snap, love the sound. Compared to my .45 when shooting steel, the .357 gets there NOW. It's just a gratifying shooting experience and I absolutely trust the round to do whatever it has to. Best deal I got was $15/50, average about $20/50
 
My everyday carry (well, during the summer I tend toward a smaller gun, but still...) is a Glock 32 Gen4 with TLR-1HL and RMR. The 357Sig is no different from 40 in terms of recoil out of that gun. I didn't find it to be flashy and didn't find it to be much louder than, though I plug and muff when I shoot and sound isn't really a factor. I compete with a pistol and so 40 vs 9 recoil is nothing for me, so my sensation that 357Sig isn't all that recoil-rific for me may not be a reliable data point. I'm just not recoil sensitive until we get past 44Mag, at least not with full size pistols.

Since I shoot 9mm and 40 out of Glocks all the time, I don't feel any particular need to spend much time on my actual carry gun except to make sure it functions and it is zeroed for my carry load (Speer GD 125gr, of course), so cost is a total non-factor.

Essentially, the 357Sig is NOT a gun for folks with limited resources. Yes, you can change barrels and internals for a range trip, but then you're messing with your carry gun. Don't do that. Shoot it in 357Sig, clean it, put it back in the holster. And then shoot your other guns for fun and for real practice. If the 357Sig is one of your only guns, then the cost can quickly become a factor.
 
I have a P229 in 357 Sig that does truck duty and I really like the caliber. As some having mentioned here, 357 Sig is about barrier penetration so that's why I placed it in my vehicle. I don't like ARs or other rifle calibers for SD.

The accuracy is excellent and the ballistics of the round are stellar compared to other calibers. I think the recoil is softer in 357 Sig than 40, but I'm also comparing between two different platforms as my 40 handguns are a berreta 96 and a s&w 3rd gen.

As far as reloading 357 Sig, forget about it. I purchased multiple die sets, multiple powders, and never solved my problems with bullet setback. That tiny tiny neck just can't hold on to a bullet like a straight wall case. This applies to factory loaded ammunition as well!! Putting a loaded cartridge on it's nose and pressing firmly with your thumb will set the bullet back. Running high pressure loads means this is risky.

Also if you're the type that unloads your gun everyday, you really need to be cycling the rounds in your magazine to avoid issues.

I really do like the 357 Sig tho.
 

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