In praise of the .357Sig!
WOW! What a rollicking discussion!
As someone else noted, the OP was asking only why the round is not more popular for competition! I think that was answered quite well by several contributors.
One thing that many can’t seem to agree on is the power of the .357Sig. The best response I saw was that it was intended to give performance near the 125-gr .357 Magnum load in a shorter barrel, 4”, I think. It clearly does that.
I see “Colt SAA” has contributed to this discussion. In another one, he related what longer barrels do for the round, and it is astounding, to me. So, while a 4” barrel may have been the goal, a 5” or 6” barrel really steps up the power, far more than for any 9mm. I am currently waiting for a 5” barrel for my Sig P226 X-5 All Around.
A former employer had been issuing 9mm Berettas and Sigs, issuing +P and what I think was +P+ ammo, and we were all quite happy with them. Many liked the .40S&W when it became available.
Some of us, and I was one, did not like the .40 and never shot it particularly well. Still don’t. I’m told that’s because it has a significantly different “pulse.” OKtherethen. Whoopdeedoo.
The armorer and training officers did comparisons of the 357Sig to 9mm+P and +P+ (I think). They conclusively demonstrated that the 357Sig shot appreciably flatter and delivered better penetration at distance that 9mm+P. I was one of many who found we could shoot the .357Sig better than the .40S&W. I qualified with it in a P229, equaling my performance with the 9mm P228 and +P ammo.
I still have a P229/357Sig, and one with the .40S&W barrel, so I can shoot them side by side. I always do better with the 357Sig. Get out to 25 meters or so (sorry, I had a metric employer) and I do WAAAY better with the 357Sig. I watched one guy lean his Beretta 96/357Sig against the windshield post of a Land Rover and hit beer bottles at more than 35 meters.
The fact is, ammo of all calibers has been improving and I’m not convinced that the 357Sig in a short barrel gives any real advantage over modern 9mm+P. Put it in a Beretta 96 with a 357Sig barrel, however, and the increased performance eclipses pretty much everything except the true .357 Magnum. Same for a 5” M&P and, from what “Colt SAA” says, the Sig P226 X5. I’d love to try it in a 1911 frame.
I used the round in competition because it was what I carried. I can’t reload it worth a cluck so since retiring and losing access to free ammo I buy it in 500-round packs from Georgia Arms.
