Since we are comparing .357 Sig to .357 Magnum can somebody please post velocities of the .357 Sig with 158 and 180 gr. bullets?
As I am certain you are aware, the 357SIG cartridge does not have factory ammunition with the projectile weights that you have mentioned. I am not too sure who is comparing the 357 Magnum to the 357SIG cartridge in this thread. After all, the cartridge was never intended to be a alternate for the 357 Magnum cartridge
At the time of its development, it was clearly stated that the intention was to provide the same performance of the number one, all time best, single shot stopping cartridge's load when carrying a auto loader. That cartridge was the 357 Magnum, 125 grain SJHP load from Remington which, on the average, moved out of a 4" revolver at 1450 FPS
Winchester's, 125 grain, SXT Ranger ammunition moves out of a full size auto loader at an average of just over 1400 FPS. The same ammunition when fired from a short barreled auto loader like the SIG P239 still moves out at roughly 1350 FPS on the average
Spears 125 grain Gold Dot leaves a full size auto loader at 1425 FPS on the average. I do not have chronograph results from the shorter guns in my notes, sorry. I guess I need to take some of the Gold Dot ammunition out with the short barreled pistols and my chronograph to correct that error
I think the designers reached their stated goal. Many Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement agencies also believe that the cartridge reached its stated goals.
The reason for the bottleneck cartridge is to provide more powder capacity while still keeping the cartridge short enough to work in 9MM sized frames. There are other auto loading cartridges capable of achieving the same ballistic goals, but they need to be chambered in longer firearms such as the 1911. This is not a good plan for Agencies which always include small males or women due to their smaller hands. Not everyone has big old paws like I do
While the cartridge was officially added to SAMII in 1994, it was actually in evaluation and development for many years before that. I was first exposed to the cartridge in 1993 when it was being tested by a State agency.