Is it worth buying something in .357 SIG?

I hope it's not the case because I'm planning on getting a Sig 229 in .357 caliber for my future purchase.

Laura

Heck yeah it's worth it, if you want it!

However, from a purely pragmatic position I would say that I see little to recommend it over the 10mm. It's more scarce, harder to reload, and doesn't offer any advantage in either cartridge count (since it uses the same diameter brass prior to the bottleneck) or energy.

The 9x23 Win however - now there's a cartridge worth talking about!

ETA: Lest I sell the .357SIG short, it has an OAL that fits in some of the smaller frame handguns that allow use of the longer .45ACP, etc. So if you have smallish hands, it may be just the ticket.

I wouldn't worry about parts in the future; I think that all the pistols chambered for .357SIG use common parts from the .40S&W platform. I wouldn't swear to it, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit to find that you could swap a .40S&W barrel in for your .357SIG barrel and go shoot. It's possible that even the magazines are the same, just with different markings (perhaps different magazine followers). Even getting a new barrel if that were to become necessary might be possible by rechambering a 9mm barrel, especially if it were a slightly overbored example.

357 Sig just barely beats 9mm +p. In fact many loads overlap hotter 9mm performance. Many of the better 9mm loads beat 357 mag with 124/125 gr bullets from shorter barreled revolvers if that is your goal.

I cannot see giving up the mag capacity for virtually no gain in performance. And pay more for ammo while doing it. If you can find any ammo.

S & W does not list any .357 Sig in M&P line any longer. I was considering that caliber for my next purchase. But….......

I really like the Sig 357 cartridge. I packs more energy than a 9, 40, & even 45 if you believe the numbers. It's definitely better at penetrating hard barricades. BUT even exotic Sig 357 rounds don't pack as much energy as some 357 mag SD rounds. One major advantage of the cartridge is its bottleneck case. Pretty much guarantees proper feeding.

Do some research on your own. Folks here are biased, including me. Depending on the 40S&W pistol you have, you could just swap barrels (if available) and start shooting 357 Sig or vice versa. Lot's of people do just that. Get a G31 and practice with a drop in 40 barrel.

...and no, it isn't a dying cartridge by a long shot.

IMO the .357Sig gives you all the disadvantages of the .40S&W and none of the advantages. Why not just buy a .40S&W and if you decide you want to shoot fast .355 diameter bullets get a conversion barrel for cheap 9mmPara. If you decide you need to shoot slightly faster .355 diameter bullets you can get a conversion barrel for more expensive .357Sig.

Do not buy a 357 Sig and do not shop online for ammo.
You should stick with 9mm, 40, 45 and limit yourself to the ammo you can find from driving all over town.

I like the 357 Sig, but not everyone is willing to shop online for ammo (so inconvenient ) or pay a little more for a little more performance.
Why try to convince them otherwise?

Here is chrono data from my pistols (not a program), 5 shot average:

Glock 32:
Winchester Ranger T 125 gr. @ 1,334 fps / 494# KE / PF 167
Speer Gold Dot 125 gr. @ 1,344 fps / 501# KE / PF 168
Federal HST 125 gr. @ 1,358 fps / 512# KE / PF 170

Glock 23:
Federal Hydra-Shok 180 gr. @ 969 fps / 375# KE / PF 174
Remington Golden Saber 165 gr. @ 1,048 fps / 402# KE / PF 173
Winchester Ranger T 165 @ 1,146 fps / 481# KE / PF 189

Glock 33:
Winchester Ranger T 125 gr. @ 1,280 fps / 455# KE / PF 160
Speer Gold Dot 125 gr. @ 1,284 fps / 458# KE / PF 161
Federal HST 125 gr. @ 1,315 fps / 480# KE / PF 164

Glock 27:
Federal Hydra-Shok 180 gr. @ 940 fps / 353# KE / PF 169
Remington Golden Saber 165 gr. @ 1,028 fps / 387# KE / PF 170
Winchester Ranger T 165 @ 1,113 fps / 454# KE / PF 184

My bad, I posted data using ammo that may not be available at the local Mart; but, I don't limit myself that way.
http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/pistol/357sig/
http://ammoseek.com/ammo/357sig

jmr40 said:

357 Sig just barely beats 9mm +p. In fact many loads overlap hotter 9mm performance. Many of the better 9mm loads beat 357 mag with 124/125 gr bullets from shorter barreled revolvers if that is your goal.

I cannot see giving up the mag capacity for virtually no gain in performance. And pay more for ammo while doing it. If you can find any ammo.

Click to expand...

Are you sure about that?
9mm +P generally is 115gr@1235fps and 124gr@1180fps out of a 4" barrel at 38500PSI.
38 Super is 115gr@1280fps and 125gr@1230fps out of a 5" barrel at 36500PSI.
357SIG is 115gr@1550(?) and 125gr@1350fps out of a 4"(?) barrel at 40000PSI.

At least according to: http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/205.pdf and http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/specifications/Velocity_Pressure_CfPR.pdf

These are also just what SAAMI states. If you look at what competitive IPSC shooters are doing for Major power factor in Open pistols, they're pushing 9x19mm pressure to very high levels but they're also using specialized pistols that can take the pressure, probably something your run-of-the-mill plastic framed 9x19mm pistol wont do well (they do it because the brass is cheap and many people just throw it away).

If you really want to compare the fast 9's, you have to take into consideration bullet weight, barrel length (base of chamber to muzzle end), internal pressure, rifling type, and chamber dimensions (tight, loose, ramped barrel?). Any comparison that doesn't involve all three of these variables is flawed because it will throw off the results if not equal. The ballistics by the inch website does a pretty good job at comparing cartridges, but even their tests can be off if a cartridge is downloaded by producers due to stupid design features like unsupported chambers (1911, old Glock 40S&W).

9x19mm has the least amount of case capacity when comparing it to other (non-blowback 9mm calibers) and will lose out due to pressure when all other variables are equal. It's the least expensive center-fire pistol caliber, that's for sure, but it's the short player at a basketball game when you're talking velocity/pressure

357 SIG is good if you want a small frame pistol and don't mind decreased capacity. Reloading for it is more challenging from what I understand but there is once-fired brass available on the secondary market for it.

For the last few weeks it's been on the shelf at our local walmart. First time in at least a year I've seen it.

The SIG P229 in 357 SIG was an absolute tack driver. The weight of the gun assisted greatly with the recoil. Do it!

I say get it but I already own. 10mm

I was quite enamored with the 357SIG for a number of years, and had a half dozen or so guns in the caliber.

Once I came to realize it really didnt do anything better than 9mm +P+, and the price of ammo (and components) for some reason all of a sudden took off, I opted to get out of them and went back to 9mm. I havent regretted the decision.

357SIG is an interesting round, but its really just another round that performs basically the same as the others.

Im not sure if its a fluke, or Natchez is just crazy, but I got a mailer from them the other day, and they were getting $45 a box of 50 for Speer Lawman! 20 round boxes of Federal Hydra Shoks were $67.50!!!

.45 acp always used to be the top dollar stuff. Looks like thats changed.

The .357 Sig was interesting to me for about 10 minutes. Then I looked at the price of the ammo compared to the realistic possibilities of actually needing the extra ~150 fps. Oh, and .357 Sig practice ammo compared to 9mm? The .357 Sig died a quick death for me that day.

I wouldn't get it. The 9 will be easier to get ammo for.

I reload so I passed on the idea of fooling with rifle loading processes in pistol calibers. But if you like a .357 Magnum (and I do ) get the barrels ( if you can). You can shoot 40 and carry .357 sig.

I don't personally use the 357 SIG, however, it's an option. 38 Super has the advantages of both but isn't suited for shooters that want to go to Walmart to pickup ammo (if it's there?). Every independently owned gunstore I've gone to has had it and 357SIG too. Reloading is where it's at, components from .380, 9x19, .357 SIG, and .357 MAG can be used.

Ive reloaded quite a bit of 357SIG, and its really not a big deal, one extra step if you use a .40S&W carbide sizer.

Use a powder like AA #9, with a load that is basically a compressed load, and the bullet setback issue isnt an issue.

Bullets are somewhat caliber specific though, and you are limited in what you can use. The 125 grain 357SIG bullets are more along the lines of 147 grain 9mm bullets profile wise, and that was the only 9mm bullet I had any luck with in the 357SIG. Even then, I didnt find them to shoot very well. 357SIG bullets were also usually more expensive, and often harder to find, even on line.

I checked with my LGS this morning,I can pick up a .357 sig barrel for a G32 for $145 and run it in my G23 without changing anything, I can even use my .40 mags. I'm going to do this just for the heck of it, if i like it i will buy some dedicated .357 mags with the correct follower to use , if not i will chunk it in my glock box and call it a learning experince

The magazines are interchangeable between .357 Sig and .40 S&W they use the same follower, they are just marked one or the other.

well thats good news on the followers , I may have to buy some diffrent colored mag floor plates for my extra mags though , i have a G19 and the G23 and if I add the .357 barrel i will dedicate a couple mags to the caliber(I'm just anal that way) then i can seperate caliber at a glance by color

I have a P226 in 357sig. It is accurate and fun to shoot. I like the round, it's a Lil expensive but an overall good round.
You can pick up a conversion barrel if you have a pistol in 40s&w. The mags are interchangeable.

.357 sig is basically a 9mm +P+ driven at stupid high velocity. You retain the smaller grip size of the 9mm/.40 and don't step up into 10mm or .45 ACP grip size. I personally find that it has less recoil then a .40 S&W though it is louder and has more muzzle flash. In general is there a "need" for it compared to 9mm? Not really, but to be honest driving a quality 9mm bullet like a Gold Dot or Ranger XT 300-400 FPS faster is not a bad thing. If you can live with the decreased capacity I do think there is some additional terminal ballistic benefit to be had.

-Jenrick