NIB Sig SP2340, pics and range report (long).

[Cousin Mike]

Recently I had been seriously considering selling my 1911 and/or Beretta for a new Sig. It seems like ever since I got my P220 nothing else quite makes the cut. I'm also going through a fascination with the .357 Sig round, having read so much about it in the last few months. A short while ago I saw a nice group of (very) gently used Sigs with the CTC Laser grips for an incredible price at my local gun store, and I wanted a 226 in .357. So yesterday, having finally saved up the money, I march into said gun store, ready to claim my much coveted prize, only to find that they're completely sold out of the CTC models. I look for a long time, trying to find something I like, and almost bought the Equinox - but they didn't have it in .357. The salesman shows me this SP2340 creature with its plastic frame and funky little 1911-style takedown lever/slide stop, and I think, "Interesting."

The more I hold it, the more I like it. It's got alternate grips, both of which I like. It's compact, but feels nice in my hands. It's a .357 It's polymer framed, with a metal slide, and has a nice weight to it. We do the paperwork, I buy some ammo, and take it home. All mine, NIB with night sights, three 12rd. magazines and an extra grip for $549. The takedown is similar to a 1911, but the pin on the other side of the lever is tiny. The slide has to be held at an exact point on the frame to be released - 1/8 of an inch to the right or left, and it wont budge. Although it was difficult to master at first, once I figured it out, field stripping is almost as fast and effortless as with the P-series models. I oil her up, load the magazines, and go to sleep.

This morning I wake up early, ready for my local range to open. My girlfriend is as excited as I am. As fascinated as I am with the .357 Sig round, I almost forgot I've never fired one before today! I figure all the hype about "massive recoil" and "excessive flash" and "deafening sound" is all gunwriter crap: myth at best. We arrive at the range, order ammo and targets, and find our lane. We load up magazines, and select a distance of 25' to start. I load the pistol, listening to the 9mm's and .45's going off around me, mixed with the occasional .22, and wonder what this thing will sound like. I rack my slide, take aim, and

BOOOM!!!!

The sound is tremendous... The recoil is incredible - this thing kicks with authority! The flash is almost rifle-like, flaring out in almost every direction. The other lanes go quiet. I fire again. I can't even tell whether or not I'm hitting the target. I'm sweating already. No one else is shooting anymore. I'm getting dirty looks from almost all of the other people there. I keep firing until my slide locks, and pull my target back. Not a single shot in the 10-ring of a man sized target! This is unacceptable. I give the gun to my girlfriend, who has become quite a good shot in these past few months. She puts all 12 right where she wants them, although the recoil and flash shook her up quite a bit. I think the sights are off - she's left handed, and she's doing well. I'm right handed, and all my shots are about 2-3 inches high and to the left. Something is wrong.

This goes on for 150 rounds or so. I'm getting frustrated. Theres an older guy next to me punching holes in a 3" target at 50' with a 1911, judging by the sound I'm guessing he's using a .22 conversion kit. I ask him for his opinion of my new firearm and it's accuracy. He compliments my taste in weapons, and proceeds to punch one ragged 5-shot hole in one of his targets at about 40' or so. We talk, and I realize that the problem is ME. I'm anticipating the recoil, I'm flinching, my hand hurts, the noise itself is enough to fatigue a person, and I'm frustrated. All of the bad shooting habits. I take a break. I concentrate.

He gives me one of his targets. I set it out to 25', take careful aim, and fire off my magazine, and pulled back the target posted below. Not that great, but not that bad. Afterwards, the guy I talked to let me shoot his 1911 - a nice little Kimber racegun with a 3.5lb. trigger. To my amazement, that quiet little "pop" sound next to me was a full size 1911 in .45ACP! The recoil was so smooth it was rediculous... almost like a .22, or so it seemed after firing the Sig. The accuracy was amazing. The sound was so much more tolerable. I'm DEFINITELY selling my 1911 now - and buying a REAL 1911! I'm thinking a Kimber or Les Baer, unless of course I can find a true Colt 1911 But that's another thread.

All and all, this little Sig Pro is amazing. I LOVE IT! Sure the kick and the noise is massive, and the muzzle flash is truly something spcial, I love this gun! And the .357Sig is one round I can honestly say I underestimated. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't what I got.This gun will definitely be a challenge to master, but I am looking forward to it. As for the new Sig Pro, it definitely gets my recommendation to anyone who is considering it. It's a little something new with the same reliablity and performance us Sig owners/lovers have come to take completely for granted. The price is unbeatable.

What a day. A new toy I love, a new shooting buddy, and a complete renewal of my love for the 1911.

 

[SAG0282]

A good read, thanks for sharing. The SIG Pro is easily one of the best of it's type......I love my 9mm example.

 

[Daryl Licht]

Glad you like the 2340. I bought one of these almost 5 years ago, and though I own several really nice autopistols, this one is the most reliable and accurate of the bunch. I trust it more than any auto I have.

Ammo costs can be a bear when compared to the 9mm, but by reloading I can practice with the.357 nearly as cheaply as with the 9. Much bandwidth has been devoted to berating the .357 Sig round. I like it and do not intend to give it up.

As for the noise, the .357 Sig is an attention getter. I ended up next to a guy at an outdoor range once who was shooting a S&W Model 29. After the first mag from my 2340, he looked over and asked "What the **** is that thing?"

Enjoy it. It's a great pistol.

 

[aguyindallas]

I have a SigPro 2340 in .40 that I bought about 6 years ago. It has been a great gun. Although its really the bastard Sig, I have had great success with it. It has had only a couple malfunctions, which I will blame on limp wristing, not the gun. I have carried it quite a bit and find it hides just as well as any other mid size pistol out there.

Great gun. Good find and I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

[Newton]

The SigPro is a great gun, but to be honest it sounds like you've bitten off a little more than you can chew with the .357SiG - don't worry, a lot of others have too, it always makes me sweat when I shoot that caliber.

I'm trying to stick with 9mm and .45ACP from here on in, they just make so much sense.

Good luck with the mastering thing though, good post

 

[antsi]

Wow. I like your writing style and I got a few chuckles out of your range report, but I just haven't had that kind of experience with 357 SIG.

Some of the effects you mention I think are exaggerated by shooting in an indoor range. The sharp "crack" report of 357 SIG seems especially penetrating inside a concrete box, and the muzzle flash looks brighter in the usually dim lights inside an indoor range. Also, the muzzle flash varies considerably with different ammo brands.

Keep at it. Maybe try shooting at an outdoor range or try a different brand of ammo until you get used to it. When you get used to it, I think you will find it a lot more shootable (although maybe not nearly so entertaining).

 

[Cousin Mike]

Hate to bring a thread back from the grave, but I'd like to thank you guys for your advice (and compliments on my writing ). Recently I've become somewhat proficient with my little .357Sig, and I have to say I've come to love the caliber itself as well. Ammo can cost an arm and a leg sometimes, but being that this is my carry gun of choice for hot weather, I think it's worth it to practice as much as possible. When I first posted this thread, I had just come home from my range - I'm not even sure I had washed my hands. I was really excited, and felt I had an almost religious experience - and that range trip sticks with me to this day.

The very next time I took it to the range, I found the .357Sig round quite manageable in terms of recoil. The noise, to me, was and is still very impressive, albeit probably the effects of shooting at an indoor range. Flash is just cool if you ask me, but my range/practice loads don't flash nearly as much as the Winchester 125gr. JHP's I keep for home defense. It still gets me a lot of dirty looks at the range, but it strikes up just as many friendly conversations with the more experienced shooters, so I consider it a worthwhile trade. I took a friend to shoot it recently, he found it overwhelming as well. I think when we go back later today, he might have a similar experience, and find that he's not as scared of the round since he now knows what to expect.

Accuracy can still be an issue, especially after 150 rounds. This thing tires me out quickly. Once I start to experience a little bit of shooting fatigue, my shots consistently go about an inch high and to the left of what I'm aiming at. Since this is consistent at 35', I figure this isn't too much of a problem since 1" high/left = heart or lung shot when aiming center mass. Also, given the size of my apartment, that's about the farthest away I could ever expect to shoot in a real life SD situation at home.

What I learned that day, what I'm reminded of everytime I shoot, is that even though I am a decent shot, this thing we are all committed to is a lifelong thing. I've also decided to keep my 1911 - which has proven to be just as accurate for me as any of my other guns. The thing is, all of my guns are more accurate than I am - which is what I try to remind myself when I have a bad shooting day. Before, I just knew my 1911 was an inaccurate peice of junk, because I couldn't possibly be shooting that poorly.

Now I know that even with my few years of shooting experience, I'm still a VERY young shooter. When I shoot poorly, I take deep breaths, remember my bad habits (I still tend to flinch and anticipate when firing some of my less "hand/wrist friendly" weapons after quite some time) - and try again. I do think I'll sell my 9mm for another .45 or maybe a .40, but those are more for SD reasons (I personally don't trust it to do the job like a .357, or .40+ sized round). All in all, This little thing has become my favorite gun. And the .357Sig round is, after a little practice, everything I wanted in a SD/HD round.

I look forward to buying a new, full-sized P-series Sig in .357 soon.

 

[Falconeer]

I look forward to buying a new, full-sized P-series Sig in .357 soon.

Woot! Let's hear it for the 357 Sig round and the Sig pistols! My CCW gun is a P229 in that caliber. As was mentioned eariler in the thread by Daryl Licht, reloading signifigantly cuts down the expense. Montana Gold Bullet sells 125grn FMJ bullets for $66/1000. A project I want to work on is to work up a recipe that emulates the Speer 125grn Gold Dots (what I carry CCW) in my practice ammo.