Feasibility of conversion barrels with today's market?

[tops]

If I decide I need another caliber, I buy another pistol in that caliber. It gives me a great excuse to add to my collection.
SWCA 892

And if the one pistol with a bunch of barrels breaks you don't have a gun but if you have another complete gun in a different caliber you can still shoot. Larry

 

[Jessie]

I don’t think you’ll gain much ammo availability with the .357 Sig. it is an interesting cartridge and will give you another level of performance.
I did it for a couple of mine but I have to admit that I haven’t shot that caliber much yet and that’s because of price and LACK of availability.
So, if you have the bucks and the desire, it’s there to do.

 

[Ziggy2525]

If I decide I need another caliber, I buy another pistol in that caliber. It gives me a great excuse to add to my collection.
SWCA 892

I'll be a bit of a contrarian. A year ago I picked up my .40 P229 Redbox (factory refurbished) for $400. At the time a factory refurbished 9mm P229 was going for around $800 - if you could find one. A new bottom end 9mm P229 was just under $1000.

Seemed to me to be a better financial choice to get the refurb'd .40 and add a $200 9mm conversion barrel so I have a $600 9mm gun that will also shoot .40 than to spend $800 on the refurb'd 9mm gun that only shoots 9mm.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[steelslaver]

I think you would be better off getting a gunthat fires the most common ammo and getting a lot of it. Say a 9mm which I have non of BTW. If I bought a 9mm and 5,000rounds of ammo and 10,000 bullets, primers and powder I would be better off than buy a 40 and a kit to convert it to 357 sig. (mm ammo will always be around. IF the SHTF there will be 9mm larger than anything else. Military and police round. Things like the 357 sig will dry up first, why heave a conversion for it. Better off spending the cash on primers, then powder then lead.

In rifles 223 and 308 will last the longest, why have a conversion to say 243. 243s are great guns, but there are thousands more 308 and 223 rounds out there,

Plus, with powder and primers you can cast and reload hand guns nearly forever. In rifles it is harder to get that top end performance. I do have a plan for an end of ammo big game gun. A 350 Remington mag shooting 200 gr lead. A 305 necked up to 35 cal would be great. Lots of brass you could use and loss of velocity could be made up with by using heavier bullets.

 

[Practical]

The local Sportsman's warehouse for a time only had 357 Sig, 10mm and shotgun ammo in stock along with other hunting ammo.

The store was outside Rochester, NY.

All handgun ammo except exotics like buffalo bore and 32 short and the 357 sig and 10mm were sold out.

The largest quantity of ammo they had were 200 round packs of 10mm.

In my area the COMMON calibers are non-existent from 22 on up.

The only thing you can buy lately is what were formerly exotic calibers, hunting ammo and 22 magnum and 17 caliber rimfires.

Having a 357 sig barrel would be a good thing or a Glock 20 or 29.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Personally I would not convert to a 357 Sig. I did once. The caliber is awesome to shoot. But even several years ago it was hard to find. And expensive.

If I convert to anything it would be a 22LR.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

After chasing down the parts and effort, I do not know that a barrel conversation is much cheaper than another gun. But I suppose it is all in what is fun for you.

 

[reddog81]

Even today Ammoseek.com .40 S&W has a larger selection and better prices vs. .357 Sig. You could just buy 8 boxes of .40 S&W with the $150. Once you buy the .357 barrel you'll need to keep a stockpile of 2 different calibers and .357 is pretty much always going to be more expensive and harder to find.

Unless you just want the .357 Sig...

 

[robvious]

I too am a fan of conversions... but "in todays market" you may be too late to take true advantage of the option... it will hopefully give you options in the future... so go for it

 

[NJM15]

.40 to Sig .357

Greetings! Often, we tend to see members encouraging the purchase of cartridge conversion barrels in the event of an ammo shortage, much like we are witnessing now.

Currently, I have a certified pre-owned Sig P229R in 40 S&W on the way, and I am toying with the idea of getting a conversion barrel in 357 Sig. My online source for ammo (for when I purchase ammo) has been out of 357 Sig for at least three months, and is expecting a shipment sometime in September. Granted, the barrel would only cost about $150, but I was wondering, in the various parts of the country, how available has 357 Sig been?

Is the rationale for having a conversion barrel on hand holding true with today's shortages?

As always, thanks for your opinions!

I have a barrel to convert my M&P 40 to .357 Sig works great I reload , and have more .9mm bullets than .40's
On my 226 Sig mk 25 I have the .22 factory conversion to use the over abundance of .22's I have

 

[NJM15]

I shoot .357 sigs they were rather expensive when they were available, hate to see the prices now !

 

[BearBio]

I went to 40 S & W from 9mm for better knockdown then got a 357 Sig barrel and fell in LOVE!!. My G22 and G27 have both 357 and 40 barrels, my G22 also has a 9mm.

Everybody says 357 Sig is hard to find and expensive==I have found just the opposite; Easy to find, available and not too expensive. Have to look around. I carry Underwood in my 357 Sig and my 10mm. 180 JHP for people and 220 or 250 gr hard cast for bears in the 10mm and 124 in the 357 Sig.

Back to the original subject: I have lots of ammo and the extra barrels are a lot cheaper than new guns!

 

[uncleted327]

Get the conversion barrel, 357 Sig is a great caliber and even in todays ammo crazed environment I can find it regularly. I wish I could find a conversion barrel for my Sig P239. Sig stopped production of both the gun and all parts suddenly and now if you are lucky enough to locate a barrel people want as much as the whole gun cost...

 

[FUBAR-M1A]

I bought a Glock 22 and then bought a Lone Wolf 9mm conversion barrel & Advantage Arms .22lr kit so I can shoot 3 different calibers.