356 TSW ammo being produced, again.
- Thread starter s537
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
I'll bet they're 'really friendly' to the consumer on their price!
The 7 boxes of the old stock Corbon 356TSW ammo I acquired recently at the Novi Mich show had Starline brass.
I bet the new stuff is Starline also but Corbon paid for a special run or had some left laying around.
ACTUALLY 356TSW IS A 9X21.5MM. IF YOU JUST BUY STARLINE 9X21 BRASS YOU'LL NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. JIM P
DWalt
Member
I was going to say the same thing. Or you could trim the Starline SuperComp 9x23 case to 21mm. It is very strong. I have always failed to see the reason for the .356 TSW. You can get equivalent (or better) ballistics from the 9x23.
The 356 TSW operates at a max pressure of 50,000 psi compared to 35,000 psi for the 9X21. It's not the same case strength wise.
I have a 9X21 RCBS trim die that I run 9X23 brass into and file down to the 21.5 mm. Works fine but is an extra step.
The max OAL on the 9mm Para, the 9X21, and the 356 TSW have an OAL of 1.16". The 9X23 Win has a max OAL of 1.30". The 9X23 will not fit in a 9mm frame.
I have always been told that the 9X23 takes a frame the size of a 1911 to work.
Last edited:
DWalt
Member
It does, is intended to work in the M1911 size frame. But I still see little purpose for the .356 TSW, as it is in no way superior to the .357 SIG.
The only thing it does better than the 357 Sig is it allows a higher capacity if you feel you need that.
The 356 TSW was designed with competition in mind and higher capacity was a big plus in that game.
Only thing?! Naw. Looks like it is also quite a bit cheaper when comparing to the other calibers high powered offerings (data at the bottom). Plus it has a bit more horsepower (also, data at the bottom)......so along with the higher capacity that's actually three things it does better. Consider as well loading it is not all that fun either, apparently. A twelve-year old could load 356 TSW what with it being externally just sort of a slightly longer 9x19, but some industry types at SHOT show said that 357 SIG is not too cooperative at times when it is being put together. So that's four things it does better? Losing count here....
The first major company that starts chambering their pistols in this instead of 357 SIG...well, the SIG round will probably lose some (or all) of it's current .02% market share. Then again with power and capacity like it is showing, 356 TSW could eat into some other cartridges market share too, plus just swapping in a 9x19 barrel and spring to plink with 10 cent nine milli reloads whenever is kind of cool.
I got the inside scoop on the CorBon test averages. One string of forty-five rounds was 1627 fps out of stock S&W 5" pistol and another string was 1485 fps from the S&W Performance Center snubbie "Pocket Rocket" which is crazy as being Power-Ported it only actually has about 1 3/4" of rifling. That is 563 fpe of muzzle energy from a snub nosed J-frame. Unreal. And then think about 676 fpe from the 5 inch barrel combined With 9x19 magazine capacity. Jeez. All things considered, 357 SIG shows up as...less than. You can still get a 40 S&W barrel though and swap it out but then even the hottest 40 doesn't seem to offer more fpe.....just .044 or .045 bigger hole, but again with less magazine capacity and higher ammo cost for the hotter loads. Numbers below show which one is boss in a small or medium frame high capacity auto....and then their is the J-frame. 563 fpe from less than 2 inches of rifling? Good grief.
Buffalo Bore 357 SIG 125 grain, $30.18 for twenty rounds
1433fps 570 ft/lbs from a 4.0"bbl.
Double Tap 40 S&W 135 grain, $21.95 for twenty rounds
1310fps 515 ft/lbs from a 3.5"bbl.
1375fps 567 ft/lbs from a 4.0"bbl.
1420fps 605 ft/lbs from a 4.5"bbl.
CorBon 356 TSW 115 grain, $20.55 for twenty rounds
1485fps 563 ft/lbs from a 1.75"bbl.
1505fps 578 ft/lbs from a 3.5"bbl.
1555fps 617 ft/lbs from a 4.25"bbl.
1627fps 676 ft/lbs from a 5.0"bbl.
Hey, I'm not faulting the 356 TSW as I really like the cartridge. To be honest, I have never loaded 115 grain bullets in either it or the 357 Sig, always 125 or greater.
Corbon's published numbers on their 357 Sig are extremely close to those you posted on the 356 TSW.
I do know that Peter Pi at Corbon really liked messing with the 356 TSW and is probably pushing it to the max.
I have had 9X25 Dillons so the 9X23 was never of interest to me.
Last edited:
Sure but you wrote 356 TSW is in no way superior to 357 SIG which is false. There may be no tangible ballistic difference between the two at max pressure however you disregard that 356 TSW offers a higher magazine capacity in identical platforms. The ammo if mass produced would always be cheaper than 357 SIG. Easier reloadability along with simpler 9mm interchangeability are advantages as well. The 356 TSW is superior in some ways! Whereas the 357 SIG offers no advantage over the 356 TSW that I can see. Except maybe a cooler name. That might be a valid point, actually......
356TSW was designed to make Major power factor safely in a 9mm sized grip frame in a game where capacity matters. At the time PF was 175, and 38 super was it. It had a slightly rimmed case that took up room. Several different 9mm sized rounds were tried like the 9X23 and 9X21. already mentioned. WHich had their starts in Europe gun laws prohibiting military calibers.
2 things killed these rounds.
IPSC and USPSA lowered power factor for major scoring to 160 and 165, and better powders came along to safely make major in standard 9mm.
2 things killed these rounds.
IPSC and USPSA lowered power factor for major scoring to 160 and 165, and better powders came along to safely make major in standard 9mm.
Last edited:
S&WIowegan
US Veteran
...and S&W never made a real commitment to enter the USPSA/IPSC market with guns usable by the Team S&W pro shooters. Roy Jinks was in charge of that team and could tell us all about it.
If you look, I did write about the capacity difference and the frame size as advantages.
You certainly are correct also about the caliber changing advantages of the 356 TSW. (I have about 6 of your barrels)
Yes, I did look, and I also saw you wrote it is in no way superior to the 357 SIG. That is incorrect. 356 TSW has at the barest minimum, cheaper brass, and a capacity advantage in a same sized magazine. You wrote it was in no way superior. This will haunt you for at least one more posted reply, and please, please, buy more of those barrels (inserted smiley). Looking at one 357 SIG advantage, currently at least a dozen handguns are sold in that caliber, whereas in 356 TSW, maybe about 2000 factory guns have been made in the last 25 years, if that. That troubles me.....as I lack the funds needed to begin producing Glock or SIG clones chambered in 356 TSW. It could take a yuge market share from more than just 357 SIG if SA or Glock or SIG or all three started offering pistols chambered for it. Yuge. But perhaps it will happen. I'm working on that too, and time will tell.
