Just noticed this morning that S&W has a M&P 357 listed as well as the M&P 357 Sig model. What's up with this? Is this 357 Auto the old 357 automatic cartridge of years ago made for the 357 Auto Mag from their necked down 44 Auto Mag cartridge? If so I seem to remember that was a very hot round with all if not more of the punch of a hot loaded 357 magnum revolver.

So what gives here? Has S&W jumped on the old cartridge or has S&W just decided to bring out a new M&P to compete with the Desert Eagle 357 that shoots the 357 revolver cartridge?

Finally if M&P 357 shoots standard 357 revolver round why hasn't anyone reported about the pistol here? Or have I just missed the reports?

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Cranky Old Retired USN Guy

Most likely it is being mis-reported. The only 357 loading I am now aware of in S&W autos is the SIG round.

I would love to see the .357 Mag round come back in autos

Well there are actually two M&P .357 rounds, the old .357 Remington Magnum for the M&P revovlers and the .357sig for the autos. The .357Sig is a .40S&W necked down for a 9mm bullet. The .357sig is suppose to match the old magnum performance in a auto pistol, it might be close in certain weights. One advanage to the cartridge is that a barrel swap in a .40S&W pistol will allow the use of the .357sig, same mags and recoil spring is used. Most companies don't like advertise others that's why you don't see them add the "sig" to the listing.

I think the difference in the names are just so S&W doesn't have to put another companies name on their gun or advertisements. You will see this a lot with 40 S&W from other companies as well. Just look up the specs for the Glock 22, which is a 40 cal.

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J.D. Roy

Well S&W websight also list a 357 Sig M&P auto (not talking revolvers) and a 357 Automatic in the M&P automatic pistol. They have different SKU numbers between the 357 Sig M&P auto pistol and the 357 M&P auto Pistol.

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Cranky Old Retired USN Guy

I see what you mean. Looking in the catalog they are both .357Sig. It appears that M&P357 206302 does not have a mag safety or lock where M&P in .357Sig 209002 is the MD compliant version with a mag safety and internal lock.

Yes, it does get confusing because there are at least 6 or more variations to each gun, 10rd/15rd, IL/no IL, Mag. safety/none, 3-Dot/N.S., etc.

Sure does, on the revolver side the website used to list the 686P as being a Ported model like I had for a while and traded off. It was marked on the box as P and on the website it listed 686P as Ported and now they list P as a Plus model being a 7 or 8 shooter.

My 686 5" Unfluted is not identified as a plus model on the label, just 686 5" barrel with SKU 150181 for the gun. It does not say unfluted or plus for the 7 hole cylinder. But when I called S&W that was correct info for the gun and S&W matched the ser # with SKU as being what I had in the box 686 plus 5" unfluted cylinder revolver.

Even my "big book of S&W I take with a grain of salt these days, IMHO anything made by S&W after WWII is not to be strusted as a "Rare" gun because S&W says only x number made or whatever. If I see one I like and have never seen one like before I jump on the gun and pay the price or pass because it is priced way out of reason. Such as the 610-2 3" Lew Horton model, (crazy) people are paying $1000 to $1200 for used and $1200 and up for NIB guns. Not me.

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Cranky Old Retired USN Guy

That's it, though my M&P357 does say 357SIG on the barrel, as it should, for obvious reasons. There are no .357 Magnum M&Ps.

This is nothing new as we all remember that S&W disliked to mention the C word, and instead of stamping 45 Colt on their barrels, they frequently simply stamped ".45 CAL." In turn, Colt usually labeled their .38s simply .38 Special, not .38 S&W Special.

I do believe the literature that came with my M&P does use the term "357 Auto," but I don't have it here and can't be sure.

"One advantage to the cartridge is that a barrel swap in a .40S&W pistol will allow the use of the .357sig, same mags and recoil spring is used."

No change to the extractor is necessary, just swap the barrel and go?

That's it, the same basic case just necked down to hold the 9mm bullet. Same overall length as the 40S&W, higher velocity with the lighter bullet. You'll see most mags are stamped 40/357 from the factory.

The M&P is chambered for the .357 SIG round, which is essentially the same as a 9mm +P+.

I know what a 357 Sig is, I was shooting them several years ago. Had a problem with set back at the time and like 10mm better, switched back.

The question was did S&W make a automatic that was 357 Mag, not 357 Sig, pay attention please. Now we have discovered that S&W didn't make a 357 Mag, but just a couple diversions of the same caliber 357Sig and calling it different names etc.

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Cranky Old Retired USN Guy

NO. S&W did NOT EVER make a semi-auto (or an automatic for that matter) that was chambered for the .357 Magnum revolver round.

Well found out what I was looking for. Be nice if Smith did come out with a M&P that actually was a "real" .357 Magnum.

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Holeshot 308