357 SIG M&P

[Atlanta_SW40]

I'm sorry if this is a re post. I tried the search and didn't come up with anything.

Does anyone own a 357 M&P? Can someone give some insight as to the advantages/disadvantages of the 357 vs the 9mm/40cal/45?

Also is there a compact version?

Sorry once again if this is a repost...just looking to get edemucated

 

[ab4ka]

I love shooting the .357SIG caliber. I've had a couple of Glocks in that caliber and they were the bomb, although I always had a .40S&W conversion barrel for them as I could shoot .40 a lot cheaper than .357. I'd love to find a .357 barrel for my M&P40.

As far as benefits, it's definitely a powerhouse when compared to the 9mm, but I don't think there's any real advantage over the .40 (and .45 I just don't know).

 

[SWAT Lt.]

IMO, there is no reason to buy a 357 SIG M&P over one in 9/40/45 unless you just want one (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that). Ammo is often harder to find than the others, and it is often more expensive than the others when you find it (the 9mm is the most economical).

The 357 SIG does well but it is not a death ray, regardless of what you may hear, and it experiences failures to stop like everything else. I have heard it said with the 357 SIG you get 9mm performance with 40 caliber recoil and increased muzzle blast.

I have owned 357 SIG caliber guns inthe past and they are fun to shoot. If I were only able to have one M&P it wouldn't be in 357, I'd go with the 9mm or .40.

It's your money, get what YOU want because it's important that you are happy with your purchase. I am sure you'll enjoy whichever M&P you decide to go with, they're great guns. Good luck with your decision!

 

[eod354]

It takes a lot to impress me anymore and I never really considered a M&P until shooting one in .357 sig lately.

We shot a Kevlar vest and for what it's worth, the .357 sig from the M&P outerformed all other rounds for expansion and BFT indicated by the depth of the round into the vest. A.357mag from a 4" ruger revolver penetrated the vest, but the 357 sig, although trapped by the vest, expanded very well, quite a bit more that he .40 and the 9mm.

The 357 sig was very pleasant and was easy to shoot well.

I just ordered a M&P357.

 

[Ted Sheckler]

The 357 SIG does well but it is not a death ray, regardless of what you may hear, and it experiences failures to stop like everything else. I have heard it said with the 357 SIG you get 9mm performance with 40 caliber recoil and increased muzzle blast.

I love when people say you get 9 performance with .40 bark. Look at the specs for a .357 sig vs 9mm124+p and .40 165 in Federal HST.

 

[SWAT Lt.]

I'm not talking about ballistic charts, which are misleading. Terminal ballistics, ie. what bullets do after striking the target, are very similar between a 125 357 SIG and a 9mm 124+P. At least, that has been the case in the ballistic gel testing I have witnessed (which also matches what others have reported). I've not seen any shootings with the 357 SIG, but reports by those that have indicate it is about as effective as the other service caliber rounds using good ammo. Maybe you have conducted ballistic gel testing, or have documented information from actual shootings that contradict that. If so, please share it with us as I like to stay current, not to mention learn like everyone else.

Both have the same diameter bullets, weight is within 1 grain of each other, and muzzle velocities are within approximately 100fps of each other. That extra 100 fps does nothing but increase muzzle blast and recoil. Penetration and expansion characteristics between the two are quite similar when using similar bullets (i.e. Gold Dot).

If you like it, great, it should work well for you. But, don't be mislead by all the hype. It's no more effective than any of the other service calibers using quality ammunition.

 

[Swabby]

From everything I have read, it seems to be a very good personal defense round. I do not think a thug would immediately disintegrate into a pile of ashes, if shot, but he would most likely have to stop and reassess the situation for sure. I have not had the chance to shoot an M&P in 357 Sig, but I do love my M&P40. The only problems with the 357 Sig, as listed above, are price, load choices, and availability. Every Walmart I go into seems to have two boxes of 357 Sig in Winchester White Box. But what happens after those two boxes are gone? What I mean is, will this hot, relatively new caliber stand the test of time? And, what if your particular gun does not like Winchester White Box ammo? I live in a state where gun shops are plentiful, but I realize some others aren't as fortunate. Now that the ammo blitzkrieg is pretty much over, you can find 9mm and 40 S&W almost everywhere. You may have a tougher time finding a variety of 357 Sig to choose from. Either way, definitely stick with the M&P. 9mm, 357 Sig or 40S&W, you can't go wrong.

 

[Bigpoppa]

I like the 357Sig round alot. It is my EDC in a full size M&P357Sig with Crimson Trace laser grip. I can easily keep 4-5 rapid fire shots in a 3inch circle @ 7yds. I have read on many accounts the most self defense situations happen at 7yds. or less. I also have a 40S&W barrel which I use from time to time and load some 165gr HST Federal hollow pts or the new line from Winchester called PDX1 Supreme elite also in 165gr.The M&P eats all of them without a hiccup what so ever.

 

[Atlanta_SW40]

This is all good and helpful information! I have been looking to get a M&P compact and when looking around noticed the 357sig was significantly cheaper than the 9/40/45. I have been calling around my area to see if I could find some ammo and it is sparse at best....but I've been having that same problem with 40cal ammo and there are a ton of gun shops/ranges around me. I'm almost at the point where I'm going to be strictly purchasing ammo over the internet mostly due in part to the fact I can't even find a standard white box of Winchesters anymore.

 

[markush]

I don't know if you are aware of this but you can purchase a M&P40 and an extra barrel in .357SIG and it drops right in...no need to change recoil springs or magazines. I bought my .357SIG barrel from Midway for about $80.00. There are even 9MM conversion barrels for the 40 pistol...this would required 9MM mags though.

One thing to keep in mind is that the point of impact is different between the .40 and .357. At 7 yards 180gr .40 impacts approx. 1 1/2" higher (top right group) then 125gr .357SIG. Since this photo I have hand polished the .357 barrel to a high shine with Mothers Mag Polish...it looks good and helps to make sure I do not use a wrong barrel/round combination at the range.

 

[Atlanta_SW40]

So from what I understand I can get a 40cal M&P and drop a 357 barrel into it and fire 357 rounds...but I cant get a 357 M&P and drop a 40cal barrel and feed 40 cal ammo in the clips?

 

[SWAT Lt.]

You can buy a 357 and get a 40 barrel, or vice versa, and use the same mags. The only difference between 357 SIG & .40 M&Ps is the barrel. They may shoot to different points of aim though.

 

[maxthedog]

I have a M&P 357c that is my usual carry pistol. I also own a XDm40. From a firing feel point of view, they feel about the same leaving the gun, but the 357 does have a little more barrel flash than the 40. I bought the 357 because it was hard to get the 40c and I liked the feel of the compact. I also knew that I could get a replacement barrel if I didn't like the 357 ammo.

Doing some 5 round firing tests with one then the other gun, I place them pretty much identically on the target at 8 yards. As I mentioned above, I may pick up a 40 barrel for the M&P as 40 ammo is more prevalent in the stores around here right now. I'd also be able to test how much different point to aim is for the different calibers.

 

[Atlanta_SW40]

I also was looking for a sub compact 40, looking mostly at the M&P..I also looked at the sc XD 40. I came across an increadible deal for a NIB 357C which is what started my query. I just might have to get it and then get the 40cal barrel with some of the money i saved on it so I have the option to fire both..I currently own one 40cal so it would be easier to just have consolidated ammo for both.

 

[BigRich315]

I also was looking for a sub compact 40, looking mostly at the M&P..I also looked at the sc XD 40. I came across an increadible deal for a NIB 357C which is what started my query. I just might have to get it and then get the 40cal barrel with some of the money i saved on it so I have the option to fire both..I currently own one 40cal so it would be easier to just have consolidated ammo for both.

One bonus to that is that Midway and others have factory 40c barrels starting at about $66. The only supplier I can find for a factory 357c barrel is THE factory, S&W.

 

[uphollavalanche]

.357 target ammo

Try these sites, they have relatively good prices of .357 ammo:
SurplusAmmo.com, Affordable Ammo
357 Sig Ammo | Bulk .357 Sig Ammunition For Sale Cheap

I seem to find it for about .36/round. Anyone know of a better place?

 

[Krull]

I don't get all the snobbery against the .357 Sig,to me you're getting the equivalent of 9MM +P without being an overload (yes I know the Sig is a hot round anyway) and,to my mind,it's like the .22 WMR out of a short barrel i.e. the .22 mag you get full power .22 ballistics,and with the Sig I'd bet my Glock 33 is at full power 9mm levels~seems like a win to me.

I'm planning on getting a Glock 31 I think,I like the round that much.

 

[austintexas]

I bought a S&W M&P compact in 9mm it shot very well, very accurate and then I bought the .357 Sig in the compact. I like them both and the only down side on the .357 is that it is a booger to load magazine with the neck style cases. I reload for both and have one box of serious ammo for each pistol.

SCWA 892

 

[k2ue]

I have been a 357SIG shooter since I got tired of lugging 45ACP ammo in a course that fired 2500 rounds over 3 days, 5 years ago. The surprise was that recoil and muzzle flip was much lower, yet energy was higher. I have 40S&W barrels for all my 357SIG guns, but seldom use them, as the recoil and muzzle flip are noticeably greater -- more like 45ACP.

It should be noted that if you reload, 357SIG costs no more than 9mm, since bullets are a major cost, and bullet weights are comparable to the 9mm. I reload to full factory velocity, yet case life is excellent, and available powders can give very low muzzle flash for low light training.

I have been able to find new practice ammo at $300/thousand all through the ammo shortage period, up to the present.

 

[RichardC]

The 357 SIG does well but it is not a death ray, !

...IS, too!