I was toying with the idea of buying a 357 Sig for the last few years but never ran up on one for the right price. Then they were discontinued.

I have been in the “no buy” mode recently unless it was very unique.

Well, thanks to my friend/enabler WCCPHD notifying me, and it being a lousy rainy day, I ventured about.

I bought my third Sig handgun and first 357 auto of any manufacturer.

The local cop shop had three NCHP 357 Sig handguns in stock, ANIB. Three mags, all the paperwork and box. Looks like the factory oil on it as well.

They sold out while I was waiting on the paperwork.

I have a bunch of NY-1’s and a CHP 4013TSW. Now a LE handgun from my adopted state.

$550+ tax OTD.


Now, back to “don’t buy unless unique mode”.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Very nice! You’ll love your new P239. I’ve got three...one in each caliber, but the .357 Sig is my favorite.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

The Sig P239 is a fine handgun. I have two, a .40 S&W and a .357 Sig.

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I use this DeSantis holster for my Sig P239 pistols and a Don Hume JIT belt slide. I don’t have the JIT here to check the model number.

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I have the same DeSantis holster for my P365.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

You got a deal. Used they are selling for more than that regularly, particularity in 357Sig. Very nice, I love mine.

Just FYI, the magazines are NOT the same for the 357 and 40. The 357 have a ridge toward the front in which the necking of the 357Sig round rides. You can use 40SW magazines but they are more prone to jamming with 357Sig rounds than the genuine 357Sig magazines.

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Who watches the watchers?

Caught a deal in 2018 on a Certified Pre-Owned Sig P229 .40S&W, standard DA-SA-Decocker German-made model. LE trade-ins run through the factory and returned to as-new condition, in box with 2 mags and factory one-year warranty. Just under $400 delivered to a local FFL. (MSRP at the time was $1087 for a new one). These so-called "Red Box" guns are still reasonably available, but prices have been going up over the past year or so.

I have toyed with the idea of adding a .357 Sig barrel, available for $120-$130 or so. Nothing else needed, uses same mags and springs, basically a drop-in part. Several of the other Sig pistols offer the same options (most of the .40S&W pistols can easily convert to .357 Sig with only another barrel).

Interesting, but that would be another caliber needing ammo, brass, reloading dies, bullet mold at a time that I am downsizing and trying to simplify.

I had 2 P239s in 9mm, then a .357 showed up at my LGS, great deal and I found a .40 cal barrel for it. A week later a P229 in .357 showed up, LOL, already stocked that caliber, so I jumped on it, picked up a .40 cal barrel for it also.

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SWCA #2817

I own one .40 S&W and one .357 sig....... a Sig 229 ... with 2 barrels and half a dozen mags........ after Sandyhook I was able to buy .357 sig and .40 when my calibers of choice 357 mag, 9mm and .45 were off the shelf.........got a stash of .40 and sig...... my last ditch stash if SHTF,

mt advice buy it if you can,,,,,,, insurance !!

The Sig P239's were not the only NC SHP Guns that the dealer had. They also had P226's. The P239's were issued to the SHP's Governor's Security Detail. The P226 was the standard issue to uniformed Troopers.

And in defense of the allegation that I'm an enabler for Ladder 13, I'm just catching up to his evil enabling.

Without further ado:

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Bill

Also very nice. The 40SW is a drop in barrel for that one and the mags are 357/40 for the P226/9 models.

Oh, and on the P239 - you can drop in a 9mm barrel and use a 9mm magazine with it. CDNN has threaded 9mm 239 barrels for $89 currently......

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Who watches the watchers?

Very nice! I’ve become a big fan of that bottlenecked round. I have a 320 that I sent back for the trigger upgrade. It came back with a .40 barrel somehow. I called Sig and they sent me a new .357 barrel, so now I have a quick change convertible.

Anybody who thinks there’s no real difference between a 9mm and a .357 Sig has not shot them side by side.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Oh nooooooo, don’t make me go back there.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

CDNN had those red label 229’s and 226’s for awhile, now gone.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

One of my favorites is my P229 - the sights are from Millett.

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OP, if you get a desire to try a set of those finger grip rubber Hogues I have a set somewhere that left me less than impressed.

During the ammo drought, my SIL found 3 boxes of ".357". Trouble was, the bottle neck cartridges wouldn't fit in his 686, lol, gave them to me. That was my motivation to pick up the P239. For a while that and .22 short was all there was on the shelves.
Like Bam-Bam said insurance!

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SWCA #2817

I have two P-239's, both 9mm. I'm not seeing a problem with any of the cartridges the P-239 was offered with. It's my understanding that a barrel swap is all that is necessary to convert to 40 S&W. 9mm is it's it's own frame and internals.

P-239 will become a classic in about 5 years. 357 Sig will die out but a re-loader will always have a classic pistol. Sig dropped the ball when they dis-continued that pistol. It's a masterpiece of engineering.

I paid $600 for the one I bought this year and I'll buy another if I can find one at that price.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Wasn't the .357 Sig designed to emulate the “Hammer of Thor” Federal 125 grain JHP .357 magnum round, but in an auto loader with greater magazine capacity?

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No school like the old school.

I think that was it's billing. Lots of LE agencies got sucked into the marketing. Lots of agencies got sucked into the 40 S&W billing also. I think most of the P-239's on the surplus market are .357 and 40 because that's what LE wanted 10 years ago. I think some still use it. Neither of those have any great advantage over the 9mm so LE is going with the biggest bang for the buck these days.

Notice that the military never embraced either the 357 or 40 cartridge, but we're going into the weeds here.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Wait! Has SIG dumped their .357altogether or in some models?

No P-226 .357's?

Anyone know what TX DPS issues now? Dallas PD also allowed .357 although 9mm was std.

Which other major agencies had .357 SIG's?

I know the round was rough on guns. That the problem?

I got a 239/357 in '08 and another in .40 in'17. Got a 357 barrel from BarSto for it. I put the Sig 357 barrel from my old one in the .40 and it sits by my bed with a CT lasergrip. I'm still trying to fit the BarSto in my old one. I won't trade it for anything striker-fired that Sig makes today.

A local sporting goods chain had a clearance on 357 mags a few years ago and I cleaned them out $5 a piece. Forget how many off the top of my head but I think maybe a dozen without getting up now to go count. Got 3 .40 mags.

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9tenz

The P239 and .357 play very nicely together. Mine is now #2 in my carry lineup behind the P320 in the same caliber.

I recently received a beautiful crossdraw holster and crossdraw mag holder from Privateer Leather.

Yours looks really nice, and the NCSHP logo is very cool. Will this be a carry pistol? There must be an urge to keep it NIB, but they're great shooters.

I just pulled up comparable loads between Underwoood 9mm and .357 Sig. There is no comparison between the rounds. Even +P+ 9mm ammo is less powerful.

1. TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Bullet Weight: 124 Grains
Bullet Style: Nosler Jacketed Hollow Point
Case Type: Ducta-Bright 7a Nickel Plated Brass
BALLISTICS INFORMATION
Muzzle Velocity: 1150 fps
Muzzle Energy: 364 ft lbs

2. TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Caliber: 357 Sig
Bullet Weight: 125 Grains
Bullet Style: Brass Jacketed Hollow Point
Case Type: Ducta-Bright 7a Nickel Plated Brass
BALLISTICS INFORMATION
Muzzle Velocity: 1475 fps
Muzzle Energy: 604 ft lbs

3. TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Caliber: 9mm Luger +P+
Bullet Weight: 124 Grains
Bullet Style: Speer Bonded Jacketed Hollow Point
Case Type: Ducta-Bright 7a Nickel Plated Brass
BALLISTICS INFORMATION
Muzzle Velocity: 1300 fps
Muzzle Energy: 465 ft lbs

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No school like the old school.

As stated here

http://smith-wessonforum.com/140995336-post12.html

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

I bought this P229 in .357 Sig in December 1994 and later added a .40 S&W barrel. I have used the two calibers interchangeably for almost twenty-six years. The pistol has functioned flawlessly and accurately with either round. It is one of my favorite handguns to shoot. Click on the photo for a better look.

Bill

I picked up a red box 239 in 40 S&W for $425 right before the pandemic. Managed to get some spare mags for good money too. But a 357 barrel has become rarer than Hen's teeth. The few you see on ebay are going for damn near what I paid for the gun. When Sig discontinued the 239 and stopped supporting them with any parts the prices on everything shot into the stratosphere.

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Mike—I was stunned by the difference when I looked at the actual Underwood numbers. With standard loadings the Sig round has a 60% advantage, and even with a +P+ (Whatever that is) 9mm it’s still almost a 25% advantage to Sig.

Those are amazing pistols. Congratulations.

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No school like the old school.

Nice wood, Hogues?

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Mike,

I think that you will like the 239. That is what I got for my mother-in-law to carry.

Once upon a time, I had the Sig trifecta - 226, 229, 239 - and all had dual barrel setups. Sadly, I had a weak moment and sold all the 357 sig, 40 S&W, and 10mm stuff. Now the only Sigs around are 45 ACP and 380 (p220 Compact Carry SAS, and p238).

I would jump at another p228 two-tone....or maybe a p229, but in 9mm.

The logo is too cool for words

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On the Oak Savannah

CDNN had loads of red box Sigs at great prices but no 357’s if I remember, or I would have bought one.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

I like the sigs.I was able to pick-up a .357sig bbl and mag for the 40sw 239 and a 40sw bbl for the .357sig 229.I was under the impression you couldn't swap in a 9mm bbl for either until reading this thread and thought about looking for a couple of bbls but I have enough others in 9mm

Nice, I like that two tone.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

About 15 years ago I picked up a really nice Crown Vic to use with my ham radios; they're already wired for sound and this car looked almost new. Shortly after I started driving the thing I discovered there was a whole stigma about them, because 99% of the population saw them as police cars.

I took steps to make it less police-y but that didn't seem to matter; got the stink-eye from gang members in Tacoma and the Tacoma PD.

Anyway, I had been out of town for work and when I get back I had to hit the freeway to drive home. There's a long climb uphill after you leave the SeaTac airport getting on I5 South and I put some foot into it, almost immediately reaching and passing the 60MPH speed limit, and got pulled over by a Trooper who was driving south on the highway. He didn't radar or laser me or anything, just noticed a shiny silver unmarked Crown Victoria passing him from the onramp... with authority...

Dude seemed really put out. Demanded to know where I got the car.

There are times in life when one needs to suppress one's smart**** and this seemed to be one of those times. The first answer that came to my head for the question, "Where did you get this car!?" was, "I got it off the last cop that stopped me to ask me stupid questions." Seriously, it was on its way up and in my mouth when I forced it back. (I told him some police agency auctioned it off)

Sort of the same conversation I see with these police logo pistols.

Concealed means concealed. But I hear you.

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Who watches the watchers?

That's a nice looking gun, I think I would have jumped on it for $550.

I am not a fan of the caliber, but still don't think I could say no to it...

I'd keep it NIB

I had a Sig 239 in .40 for several years. One thing I like about it from a practical carrying perspective is that the relatively massive slide gives the gun the appearance of a full-size pistol if you have to point it at someone, but the slim single-stack grip makes it more comfortable to carry concealed, especially IWB, than a lot of compact pistols.

And on a side note, that NC SHP logo is the most elaborate I can remember seeing on a gun.

My neighbor offered me a Glock model 33, in 357 sig. he told me it was too much for his arthritic hands. I’m strictly a wheel gun guy so I don’t know much about he guns. I’ve read it’s a pretty hot round, the game warden service uses it exclusively here in Maine. I was wondering if you could change the barrel out like a sig. anyway I told him I’d think about it. Any info would help.

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Bob
Sic Semper Tyrannis

Kind of like why I like the Beretta 92 Compact Type-M 8+1 single stack.

Thou the scalloped back strap on newer guns and ultra-thin G-10 grips really improves the grip on the newers compacts w/ 15+1

Glock 40 cal. barrel. (G-27) is just a drop in exchange. You can also put a stiffer recoil spring in to reduce the impulse you feel on firing it.

If you want to convert to 9mm you need a third party 40-9mm conversion barrel and 9mm mags (G26) the G26 9mm barrel will not just drop in (outside diameter is too small for slide).

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Who watches the watchers?

Congratulations on the new addition

The P239 and 357SIG cartridge are made for each other.

The pistols handle the cartridge well, are reliable and extremely accurate

My first interaction with the cartridge was in the Mid 90s. I was working out in Dallas County and Texas DPS was selecting their new duty weapon. I was fortunate to be able to shoot the then mostly unknow cartridge. Admittedly it was in the P226 and P229 as the P239 did not yet exist

Several years down the road DPS adopted the P239 for use by various units. The P239 with the 405 property number is my DPS autoloader

While all of my P239s ae chambered in 357SIG, I do have a factory 9MM threaded barrel that I pull out for the suppressor from time to time
The cartridge is also exceptional in the P229 pistols not matter if they are alloy or steel framed

Since the P229 and P226 have the same capacity with this cartridge I never really fell for the bigger pistol. Though I did pick up a P226SCT chambered in the 357SIG it carried two extra rounds in the longer magazines and it shipped from the factory with four of them

Now it is not just SIG that offers this cartridge. Many Smith & Wesson's have also ben chambered for the 357SIG. The first on was the 357SIGMA. Yes a SIGMA. The M&P is available in 357 SIG in both the full size and the compact. How about a Performance Center Shorty 357? HK has offered several autoloaders in this chambering including the USPc, P2000 and P2000Sk

If you are a hand loader, once you have some brass, the 357SIG is hardly more expensive to shoot that the 9MM. Pretty much, it is just aa little more powder

When fellow Forum members from here or the SIGForum meet up with me at the range. The 357SIG that puts the biggest smile on their face it eh MP5/357

This little guy is my biggest generator of cartridge casings that need to be loaded .

30 rounds on target in just about 2 seconds.

In regards to the P239 magazines. Obviously the 357 marked magazines can not load the 40, but the 40S&W marked magazines function 100% with 357SIG ammunition.

Now some of the Agencies had SIG make 357SIG magazines that held one extra round. When we got these they were just bulk packed in heat sealed bags all in a big box. I traded out my 7s for the 8s

In addition to the longer floor plate, the magazine bodies have an extra witness hole for the eighth round. These agency magazines are also phosphate coated for corrosion resistance instead of the shiny blued mags that come with the commercially sold P239s. I really like the way the pistol feels with the 8 round magazines

YES, I am a Big Fan of this cartridge and the firearms that chamber it

If you do not own one, find a buddy that will let you tri his . . . . You will be a convert

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"Acta non verba"

With all the .357/.40 conversion talk:

Anyone looking for a new P229 .40 cal barrel, my LGS has had one on the shelf for a long time. PM me and I can give you the phone number.

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SWCA #2817

That’s some collection up above ^^^^^

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

You ought to see his HK collection. Colt saa always turns me green with envy.:-)

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9tenz

OP you will love the P239. I have two a .357 sig (my retirement present to myself - we carried P226 after our S&W 65s) and a 9mm DAK I picked up used. The Hogue grips make ALL the difference in the shoot ability of the gun. Both have XS big dot sights. I ran both in a week long class at SIG and not an issue. The recoil springs do compress and should be checked. Grab some spares while you can. Slide rails and external barrel like to be well lubed in my experience.

I am a big fan of the P239. I have been carrying mine (9mm) for some time now. I did find the factory grip a bit skinny for my hands and did not want the Hogue rubber grips, so I modded one of those slip-on grip thingys I had laying around and it works like a charm.

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Even older, even crankier....

So foolishly I went back. They had some NCHP P226’s. I looked at the one in the cabinet and balked, it had some scratches.

I asked if there were any in the back. Yes, I’ll bring out three more said the nice employee, you get to handpick.

Showed my ID and CHP and walked out a few minutes later.

Other than the grips, which may clean up, the Sig is pretty spotless.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Mike you need to change your firm name to Ladder357Sig.

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No school like the old school.

When I find some ammo I wasn’t quite prepared for two 357 Sigs.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Need some?

"One" of my 357 Sig's.

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RIP Shipmate