.357 Sig

[rosewood]

It is not as great a loss as people expect.

Using the 125 grain Ranger SXT as an example, the projectile leaves my SIG X-5 Allround at 1,392 FPS while when fired from the short barreled SIG P239 the projectile only drops to 1,321 FPS. That is about a 5% drop in velocity with a 30% reduction in barrel length

That 1,321 FPS is still noticeably faster than a 124 grain 9MM+P Ranger SXT loading leaves the P239 (sorry I can not find my 9MM notes at the moment. Memory says it did not break 1,200)

This is pretty much the same argument that folks make when discussing the 357 Magnum and 38 Special from short barreled firearm. A faster cartridge is always faster no matter what the barrel length you are using

Chronographs

Using Bluedot powder and a 124 XTP, seems like max load of BD is hitting just over 1200 FPS from the 3.5" 6904 and 3913 barrels. Heck of a muzzle flash though. Fastest load I have found in the 9mm with a 124 grain. Still can't touch the Sig though.

Rosewood

 

[Heymatt]

Well, they had more available. Looks like they got a load from a LE dept. that was clearing out old stock. Box was spanky new, specs show 1300fps and 500ft/lb energy. Store showed $19.99 per 50 rd box, buy the case of 500 rds and get extra 10% discount. Works for me!

 

[Echo40]

.357 SIG is a criminally underrated round with a fair amount of misinformation surrounding it, the most common being that it's really no better than 9mm +P or +P+, but the reality is that as long as it's not being downloaded, it not only leaves 9mm +P+ in the dust, but will rival anything but the hottest .357 Magnum factory loads.

Does it lose velocity out of shorter barrels? Of course, but between your typical 3.5" and .4.5" barrel the amount of velocity lost is negligible at best, maybe 50fps on average.

Granted, I've heard rumors that factory loaded .357 SIG has been loaded a bit weaker over the years, but I'm not convinced that it's accurate when the closest thing to "proof" I've seen is cheapskates on YouTube shooting a single round across the chronograph in the dead of Winter and comparing it to the results of an older video which was filmed over the Summer a year or two earlier using a completely different chronograph.
Not to go off on a tangent here, bit it annoys me to no end when folks decide to cheap out on ammo tests by only shooting a round or two at most, then calling it good enough. Make it a proper 5-shot average or don't bother. It's like, I know .357 SIG ammo is expensive, but it ain't THAT expensive.

Last but not least, I'd hate to go there, but... There are folks online who carry 9mm yet are evidently extremely insecure about it, so they feel the need to reassure themselves that it's not only perfectly adequate for self-defense, (which it certainly is) but the absolute best round available and that everything else is somehow inferior. These are the folks who seem the most apt to push the narrative that .357 SIG is no more powerful/effective than 9mm, yet somehow inexplicably manages to produce harsher recoil, concussion, and report. So these folks will happily cherry-pick any bit of information they can to push their narrative and therefore they'll jump all over the cheapskate YouTube single round ammo tests with underwhelming results.

 

[tlawler]

That is what I use. Works great with a truncated bullet or a XTP. Round nose bullets ain't worth a dang in a .357 Sig. Found Gold Dots don't crimp as well. And the Lehigh don't have enough bearing surface to get a good purchase on that short neck. Seems like to get a good crimp, the bullet has to be seated out too far on the 357 sig and it won't fit the magazine then.

Rosewood

I just picked up a whole bunch of these 124 gr. Montana Gold .355 JHP’s really cheap…less than $.09 each…I’m going to try them out in .357 Sig and see how they work. I’ve had good results with a 124 gr. lead .355 TC bullet that I powder coat and these have a very similar profile.

 

[rosewood]

.357 SIG is a criminally underrated round with a fair amount of misinformation surrounding it, the most common being that it's really no better than 9mm +P or +P+, but the reality is that as long as it's not being downloaded, it not only leaves 9mm +P+ in the dust, but will rival anything but the hottest .357 Magnum factory loads.

Does it lose velocity out of shorter barrels? Of course, but between your typical 3.5" and .4.5" barrel the amount of velocity lost is negligible at best, maybe 50fps on average.

Granted, I've heard rumors that factory loaded .357 SIG has been loaded a bit weaker over the years, but I'm not convinced that it's accurate when the closest thing to "proof" I've seen is cheapskates on YouTube shooting a single round across the chronograph in the dead of Winter and comparing it to the results of an older video which was filmed over the Summer a year or two earlier using a completely different chronograph.
Not to go off on a tangent here, bit it annoys me to no end when folks decide to cheap out on ammo tests by only shooting a round or two at most, then calling it good enough. Make it a proper 5-shot average or don't bother. It's like, I know .357 SIG ammo is expensive, but it ain't THAT expensive.

Last but not least, I'd hate to go there, but... There are folks online who carry 9mm yet are evidently extremely insecure about it, so they feel the need to reassure themselves that it's not only perfectly adequate for self-defense, (which it certainly is) but the absolute best round available and that everything else is somehow inferior. These are the folks who seem the most apt to push the narrative that .357 SIG is no more powerful/effective than 9mm, yet somehow inexplicably manages to produce harsher recoil, concussion, and report. So these folks will happily cherry-pick any bit of information they can to push their narrative and therefore they'll jump all over the cheapskate YouTube single round ammo tests with underwhelming results.

Well said!

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I just picked up a whole bunch of these 124 gr. Montana Gold .355 JHP’s really cheap…less than $.09 each…I’m going to try them out in .357 Sig and see how they work. I’ve had good results with a 124 gr. lead .355 TC bullet that I powder coat and these have a very similar profile.

I would suggest you compare those bullets side by side with the Hornady 124 (or 125) gr JHP bullets (XTP or HAP) or the SIG (Sierra) V-Crown 124 or 125 gr as far as bullet profile vs. length.

I'm pretty sure almost all 124-5 gr JHPs will work just fine with 357 SIG, but seeing how far the actual shoulder is from the base can avoid any serious concerns regarding OAL and proper crimping.

Please let us know: pehaps on the Reloading forum...?

Cheers!

 

[Catfish18]

I carried and shot a 357 Sig for about 12 years, Glock 32... it is better than 9mm in every way, except 1.... it is LOUD.

I'm carrying a 9 these days, but only because the M&P 2.0 isn't offered in 357 Sig.

When you start shooting through car doors and windshields, the 357 Sig leaves the wonder 9 in the dust, even 9mm +P+.... that extra 50 to 100 fps makes a difference on hard barrier penetration.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

 

[LVSteve]

Not surprised that stuff is loud running at ~40k psi. I do like the performance numbers, but I like my hearing too much to risk that as a self defense round.

 

[cometpx4]

New .357 Sig Revolver

Just saw the prototype. Looks just like the 9mm 2" 686 PC except it has an all steel cylinder instead of titanium. It also has a 2.5" barrel ( similar length to their newest 19 2.5 carry comp).
Tried to give them money for the prototype because on this one I am all in.
Plan is to release at 2024 shot show. If this one doesn't get the .357 Sig guys (of which I am one) nothing will.

 

[glider1]

The Texas Rangers did have 357sig in their issue guns. I think they have changed because of cost but a lot of Rangers still use 357Sig in their personal weapons. That's good enough for me!!!

 

[WCCPHD]

NC State Highway Patrol has carried .357 Sig for many years, but are now in the process of changing to 9MM. Their tests showed it performed in a superior manner through window/windshield glass and through car doors.

They are changing only because .357 Sig ammo is next to impossible to get.

On a side note about the S&W M&P. The NC SHP bought these guns in .357 Sig and they never could get them to "run." S&W bought them back and discontinued that caliber. Don't know why, just never worked.

 

[Echo40]

What I've always found peculiar about the M&P357 and the stories of how they just couldn't get them to run properly is that every civilian I've ever heard from who owned one or otherwise converted their M&P40 to .357 SIG reports that they've never had an issue with theirs.

So either civilians simply haven't shot their M&P357s (or converted M&P40s) enough for the issues to manifest, or otherwise their was simply user error involved with the police officers causing their M&P357s to malfunction (limp wristing, perhaps?) and when Smith & Wesson got them back finding no discernable issues they just decided to go ahead and discontinue the line due to low sales.

That being said, if anyone here owns an M&P357 (or converted M&P40) with a high round count, then I would be most interested in hearing their experiences, seeing as I've heard nothing but positive feedback from civilians who shoot .357 SIG out of their M&Ps, but then again, I've never heard from one who shot tens of thousands of rounds.

 

[LVSteve]

My money would be on underpowered practice ammo being to blame.

 

[colt_saa]

The Texas Rangers did have 357sig in their issue guns. I think they have changed because of cost but a lot of Rangers still use 357Sig in their personal weapons. That's good enough for me!!!

ALL of Texas DPS were issued 357SIG firearms for Many, Many years

That was my first exposure to the cartridge back around 93/94 just a few years before the SIG P226 and then the P229 were adopted as the issue guns. Probably 10 years later the SIG P239 was adopted for those that needed a more concealable firearm.

DPS goes through more than 2,000,000 rounds of ammunition annually for training and qualifications. The bean counters eventually won

Around 2012 DPS switched to the M&P in 9MM but those issued 357SIG firearms had the option to continue carrying that firearm. The SIG P320 in 9MM is the current issued DPS sidearm

Texas Rangers have always been encouraged to carry personal firearms and a 1911 has probably been the most commonly seen pistol over the last 80 or 90 years.

BTW, this is the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Texas Rangers

 

[Echo40]

Huh, 1911? But Walker Texas Ranger carried a Taurus PT92!

 

[WCCPHD]

What I've always found peculiar about the M&P357 and the stories of how they just couldn't get them to run properly is that every civilian I've ever heard from who owned one or otherwise converted their M&P40 to .357 SIG reports that they've never had an issue with theirs.

So either civilians simply haven't shot their M&P357s (or converted M&P40s) enough for the issues to manifest, or otherwise their was simply user error involved with the police officers causing their M&P357s to malfunction (limp wristing, perhaps?) and when Smith & Wesson got them back finding no discernable issues they just decided to go ahead and discontinue the line due to low sales.

That being said, if anyone here owns an M&P357 (or converted M&P40) with a high round count, then I would be most interested in hearing their experiences, seeing as I've heard nothing but positive feedback from civilians who shoot .357 SIG out of their M&Ps, but then again, I've never heard from one who shot tens of thousands of rounds.

Don't know, but there was enough of a problem with the NC SHP guns that S&W took them back and bought Sig P229's for the agency to settle the issue. And then S&W discontinued them.

 

[kmyers]

The .357 SIG is a great caliber and one of my favorites. I picked up a SA XD in the caliber 20 years or so ago and loved it. A plus then was as noted that it was the issue caliber for DPS here so ammo was plentiful and I have always picked up some when I find it. SWMBO here got me a conversion barrel for the M&P .40 I bought back many years ago which works great.

 

[31FordA]

My first .357 Sig was an evidence room P229 I bought from my local cop store. Terrific pistol, great to shoot, amazingly accurate. Ammo became very costly however, and when offered way more than I paid for it I sold it. Immediately regretted it. A few years later the same cop shop had 1,000 rd cases of Speer Lawman .357 Sig for $200. They also had Glock 32’s for $459. I bought the Glock and every case of .357 Sig they had. The Glock isn’t as nice as the Sig, but it works just fine. I carry the Glock, loaded with GoldDot (another lucky ammo deal provided me a bunch of it) whenever I have to go to Philly. I won’t be selling the Glock, and at some point I’ll get another P229. A P239 in .357 Sig would be nice too have also.

 

[Racer X]

My first .357 Sig was an evidence room P229 I bought from my local cop store. Terrific pistol, great to shoot, amazingly accurate. Ammo became very costly however, and when offered way more than I paid for it I sold it. Immediately regretted it. A few years later the same cop shop had 1,000 rd cases of Speer Lawman .357 Sig for $200. They also had Glock 32’s for $459. I bought the Glock and every case of .357 Sig they had. The Glock isn’t as nice as the Sig, but it works just fine. I carry the Glock, loaded with GoldDot (another lucky ammo deal provided me a bunch of it) whenever I have to go to Philly. I won’t be selling the Glock, and at some point I’ll get another P229. A P239 in .357 Sig would be nice too have also.

first thing I did when I bought my P229 in 40 was to buy a .357 Sig factory barrel.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I have one S&W 357 SIG factory barrel, a 2nd 4.25" from Stormlake, a KKM for my Compact 1.0 & an EFK Fire Dragon for the FN FNX-40...

Needless to say, I'm a big 357 SIG fan: I actually once bought two boxes of factory 125gr Gold Dots!

Cheers!