I've been wanting for a while now to scratch the 357Sig itch, and I came across a very reasonably priced M&P357Sig Compact that I bought on an impulse.
Congratulations
That is a great little compact. I used to carry one in my ankle rig as a backup to my full size.
BTW, those easily use the full size magazines. X-grip has a spacer for them that makes them even more comfortable with the longer magazines
I have been shooting and hand loading this cartridge since the mid 90s. 93/94 I was working Dallas County and ended up meeting some of the Texas DPS guys that were evaluating the cartridge. I fell in love, the only other big thing at the time was the 40S&W which fell short for me as a 10MM Auto shooter
Back across the decades, if you bought full cases of ammunition, 357SIG was about $1 per box more expensive than the comparable 40S&W offering. I can not comment about today since I have not looked at prices.
I buy full cases because almost every time I have hosted a visiting Forum member, we have taken my MP5/357 SMG out to shoot along with other firearms. The SMG eats up 500-1000 rounds during each visit
This puppy will put 30 rounds on target in about 2 seconds and everybody does a few mag dumps the first time out
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6wMRqxaxiI[/ame]
In my 357SIG handguns I carry the 125 Speer Gold Dot or the 125 Winchester Ranger. Both were issue ammo at one tome or another. I feel 100% confident with either loading.
I still have a case (+/-) of the Remington 150 JHPs, but those were for suppressor use in the MP5
If you decide to hand load this cartridge, there are a few idiosyncrasies that are cause by the short neck and I can help you avoid these issues
I use a 5 station progressive.
Station one is a 40S&W carbide sizing die for the body (and decaps)
Station two is a 357 carbide sizing die that then just need to work the neck and shoulder (plus prime)
Station three flares the neck (and drops powder)
Station four seats the projectile
Station five collet crimps the projectiles
Even with both carbide dies in the press, I give the brass a spritz of Hornady One Shot case lube to reduce sizing friction. About every few hundred rounds I spritz and hand mix the brass
Because the neck of the 357SIG cartridge is so short projectile shape is very important. Many 9MM projectiles will not work because of their long ogive. There is not enough neck tension to hold the projectiles. This is why there are 357SIG specific bullets out these these days
However, the Lee Collet Crimp die makes a much larger sampling of projectiles feasible in this cartridge. This die creates a factory style crimp and does not require a cannelure in the projectile, the die will create it's own
Most all of the XTPs work superbly.
Because of the collet crimp, I have a 90 grain JHP that leave my SIG Allround at just over 1700 FPS. This is probably the load that I have the most fun with
DO NOT try forming 357SIG brass from 40S&W. Internet Urban Legend that the 40S&W is the parent case of the 357SIG is not correct. Brass formed this way will be .010 too short. That just makes the neck tension issue worse and creates a very poor crimp.
