Question about 357sig

[ChasMack]

I don't hear or read too much on this caliber. I always see 45acp,9mm,etc. I have a Sig P250 in 45acp,9mm and 40S&W. I am wondering about getting the X change kit for the 357sig. Does anyone have any experience with the 357sig? I had to send in to Sig my 250 with the 40 S&W so they could replace the rear sight. They sent back a test target using PMC 180gr bullets...5 shots @ 15yds in a 1" group...pretty nice I thought. So I was wondering about the 357 sig....are they easy to reload, how much recoil especially compared to the 40 S&W.

 

[ny32182]

I never actually loaded it, because it turned out I never actually shot it in any quantity, but I have the dies and components and did all the research into what it would take to load it.

Basically it is a bigger pain than straight walled pistol cases, because you either have to lube it, or run it through two stages of sizing (carbide .40, then .357sig). Maybe not a huge deal if you are doing it on a case fed progressive; the first pass would just be to pull the handle as fast as possible and try to outrun the case feeder.

But anyhow... due to the short neck and OAL requirements, you also need to use 357sig specific bullets with a large bearing surface and short ogive; the vast majority of 9mm bullets will NOT work.

Then there is the rarity of the brass; if you are not shooting in an environment where you are going to get a high percentage of your specific brass back, this is going to be a problem.

In the factory duty loads, 357sig is way snappier than 180gr .40 in my opinion. I assume the same would be true between the two at any given constant power factor.

Basically, I got a gun, and all the stuff, and never actually used any of it.

 

[ChasMack]

OK thanks! Pretty much answers my question....for sure it helps me decide. I was not real keen on reloading another caliber anyway....certainly not one that could be a pain.

 

[Claude Clay]

i got EFK Firedragon 357 sig bbl for my p239/40 and dies.
the premise of the 357 sig is that a 125gr bullet fired at the same velocity as a 125gr 357 magnum revolver has the same energy...
and less perceived recoil. i found it easy to reload and much easier to control than my S&W M66, 4" and 2 more rounds.
after a while (i ran out of the 1K of bullets in .355 i had for it) i went back to the gun in 40 with 180 grain bullets

 

[EBShooting]

I have found it is one of the more difficult rounds I load. If you open the mouth too much the bullet will drop in the case. I tend to favor the 125gr FMJ-FP bullets and typically use Unique powder.

Feeds and functions reliably in my Sig P226

It is a great round.

 

[chris in va]

A guy at our matches uses a Glock 357, a smaller frame version. To be honest this thing has BRUTAL recoil and muzzle blast. I've suggested he try something in 9mm to improve his scores but to no avail. Even a 40 S&W has less blast than this thing.

 

[MikeJackmin]

If you do decide to jump on the .357 Sig bandwagon, I'm pretty sure all you'd need is a barrel rather than the whole xchange kit. It can drop into your .40 slide and it uses the .40 mags, and I believe it uses the same recoil spring as well. Might be best to double-check though.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I have a Glock 33 (357 SIG), Beretta Model 8357D Cougar 357 SIG and a Taurus 101 with a 357 SIG barrel.
All are good shooting guns.

I've only been shooting and reloading 357 SIG about a year and a half but it's become a favorite caliber.

I've loaded several thousand 357 SIG rounds (and several thousand others) this last year and I'm in the middle of loading about 3,000 more 357 SIG. Loaded a few hundred a few minutes ago.

The 357 SIG is as easy and fast to reload as any other pistol round.
I have a older Dillon reloading press. The press is a progressive with a four position shell holder.
Since the 357 SIG case is like a small rifle round and the sizing die is steel the case normally would have to be lubricated.
But to get around this all you have to do is have the first die a 40 S&W carbide sizing die. This sizes the case body.
Next die is the 357 SIG die, which sizes the case shoulder and neck.
The rest of the loading operation is the same as with any other straight wall pistol round.

SO.......loading the 357 SIG round is no more difficult, and takes the same time as loading 9mm, 45ACP, etc.

The cost is the about same, 100 grain to 125 grain 9mm bullets, small pistol primers, just a little more powder.

It is a powerful round, it's supposed to be, but it's not bad. My lady friends shoot my 357 SIG pistols. One likes them so well she is trying to talk me out of the Taurus. I don't really like the white grips but she does.

 

[OilyPablo]

BRUTAL recoil and muzzle blast

I've been shooting 357Sig in a variety of handguns for five years now. I've never once thought the recoil to be "brutal".

 

[Deaf Smith]

To me the .357 Sig, in normal loadings, is like a +p+ 9mm (and that 9mm ammo ain't cheep!)

In loadings like Double Tap it is real hot, a true .357 magnum.

Reloading? Well normally I just use 9mm for the practice ammo/gun, a Glock 26 with a AACK .22 unit in a second slide) and my .357 Sig Glock 33 is shot seldom (it's a carry gun.)

I could reload it, plenty of brass and yes a spare .40 S&W set of carbide dies.

Oh, and also it's very easy to buy a .40 S&W barrel, say Lone Wolf, with the supported barrel that helps with Kabooms, No spring changes needed nor magazines.

Anyway I am very happy with my Glock 33, 32, and 31. Yep I have all three plus .40 S&W barrels.

Deaf

 

[Rob G]

I don't reload for my 357 Sig so I can't comment on that but I do shoot it quite a bit. I've found it's a very easy to shoot round and not at all harsh on recoil. I shoot it out of an M&P compact originally chambered in .40 and so I've been able to directly compare the two rounds out of the same gun. The 357 Sig is a louder round but the .40 is actually the snappier of the two. In terms of overall recoil they're probably about the same but since I don't like snappy rounds I prefer the 357 to the .40. In terms of ballistics it's a really flat shooting round, for a pistol, and it's the easiest handgun I own for hitting longer range targets.

I can't say that it's a round for everybody but I've really come to love it and for me it kind of fills that niche between 9mm and .45 a little better than the .40 did.

 

[Eb1]

I would say like the other here. Not being straight walled, it is a pain to load. Also you could just buy Federal 9PBLE ammo for you 9mm, if you have one, with is a 115 grain HP +P+ and have the same cartridge IMO.

 

[jjones45]

357 sig is an interesting caliber as I had one when I had a sig p229. the ammo was harder to get a hold of and more expensive as well. the recoil was manageable in the p229 platform but def had more snap and muzzle blast than the 40 s&w. this led to me purchasing a 40s&w barrel from sig which I shot a lot more. when I decided to carry tho it was always the 357 sig because that caliber has some great ballistics with the capacity you get. then my buddy wanted a 357 sig so he got a glock 32 while I got a glock 23. the recoil and muzzle blast was a nightmare out of that 32, although it definitely turned a few heads at the range. as a result he ended up getting a 40s&w barrel from glock to shoot with also. I would not recommend this caliber in a sub compact to compact polymer handgun. my buddy is also a reloader as I am not (yet) and he said it was a nightmare to reload for the above reasons in the pryor post. if I did decide I had to have this caliber again I would opt for the sig p226/229 platform as those shoot this caliber best imho. sig designed the caliber so go figure


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[Phaedrus/69]

I don't have any experience with the .357 Sig but I've long been intrigued by it. On paper it's a great looking round. Certainly it's pretty darned close to an autoloading .357 Magnum with the right loads. The only problem from my perspective is that there aren't a lot of guns chambered in it that I really want. A 1911 would be great, and I suppose there's probably one out there in .357 Sig but I haven't seen it. Probably most people getting a 1911 would opt for 9x21 or 9x23. There are Glocks and Sigs chambered for it but I don't really care for any of them. I don't like the ergos or trigger of the Glocks and I don't like SA/DA pistols very much. HK makes/made some but only the USPc and P2000 iirc, and both those are a bit on the small side; if I get a .357 Sig I would like something with a bit longer barrel.

A BHP in .357 Sig would really float my boat. So would an HK USP or P30LS. The BHP would be possible with a new barrel, I suppose, but HK doesn't make either of those guns in a .357 and aftermarket barrels don't have good track records in them for that round.

Apropos of nothing I will probably be buying a .400 Corbon barrel for my USP45 Tactical. Not the same thing of course but a similar philosophy.

 

[Snowdog]

I don't reload for the 357 Sig, but have toyed with the idea. If it were not for Buffalo Bore, Underwood and the like, I would have been loading for it already.

The 357 Sig has some punch when loaded to potential. Underwood loads their 125gr Gold Dot to an advertised 1475 FPS. Many folks are saying these estimates are conservative with some reporting numbers approaching 1550 fps. 650 ft/lbs is a bit more punch than you'll get from any 9mm +p+ (though you lose magazine capacity in exchange).

I don't find the 357 Sig to have objectionable recoil at all, but it's a noisy round for sure.

 

[armsmaster270]

About 10 years ago I bought a Sig 226 in .40 at the same time I bought a spare barrel in 357Sig. I used the .40 barrel with Winchester Ranger LE ammo. After a while I bought 10 boxes 357Sig Speer Gold Dot LE ammo and it hasn't been a .40 since. The Sig 226 in 357Sig is my main Carry Gun. It shoots flatter than the 40 and is more accurate in my pistol.

 

[OilyPablo]

Sig makes a 1911 in 357Sig. Nice shooter. P229 and P226 are nice.

I really also enjoy my Glock 20 with 6" 57SIG barrel. Not harsh, and 6" seems to match the round quite well. Still wanting a 357SIG carbine!

 

[JRWhit]

I had the same urges for a 357sig. After doing a lot of searching I too was disappointed with available platforms. That's when I started to turn to 38 super.
Available in a wider array of platforms, most importantly to me a 1911 platform, I started comparing the two cartridges. The ballistics of the straight walled 38 super are nearly identical to the ballistics of the 357 sig. Cor Bon's 125gn loadings show 1350 mv for both 38 super and 357 sig as one comparison.
I would assume the 38 super is slightly easier to load for and would have longer brass life.

It's on the list.

 

[kneesus]

It's hot, but it's really expensive. Over penetration might be a concern as well. I prefer .40 because it's cheaper.

 

[CDW4ME]

The 357 Sig has more blast than a 40 S&W.
Blast is different than recoil.

Shot out of same size pistols, the 357 Sig has less recoil as determined by the power factor calculation.

5 shot Chrono averages out of my pistols:

Glock 23:
Winchester Ranger T 165 @ 1,125 fps / 464# KE / PF 186
Speer Gold Dot 155 @ 1,171 fps / 472# KE / PF 182
Winchester 180 JHP @ 977 fps / 382# KE / PF 176

Glock 32:
Winchester Ranger T 125 @ 1,340 fps / 499# KE / PF 168
Speer Gold Dot 125 @ 1,334 fps / 494# KE / PF 167

There is an "apples to apples" comparison that included a softer shooting 180 gr. 40 S&W.

The 357 Sig produces less recoil than the 40 S&W.

I do consider the 357 Sig a pain to handload; however, I wouldn't carry 357 Sig handloads anyway given the availability and performance of the two premium factory loads I tested above.
I got a 5 shot average of 1,315 fps out of my Glock 33 with 125 gr. factory Gold Dot ammunition.
Staying just barely under (about a tenth of a grain or two) the maximum published load for AA#9 my handloads "only" averaged 1,246 fps.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I got a 5 shot average of 1,315 fps out of my Glock 33 with 125 gr. factory Gold Dot ammunition.

That is about like a 2 1/2 Combat Magnum with 125 gr magnum loads. Tough gun to shoot one handed fast but you can shoot a Glock 33 fast (I have all thee, 31, 32, and 33.) And yep, I have several snub Combat Magnums.

And one can always do most of their practice with a Glock 26 9mm and then pack the 33, which is what I do.

Deaf

 

[CDW4ME]

That is about like a 2 1/2 Combat Magnum with 125 gr magnum loads. Tough gun to shoot one handed fast but you can shoot a Glock 33 fast (I have all thee, 31, 32, and 33.) And yep, I have several snub Combat Magnums.

And one can always do most of their practice with a Glock 26 9mm and then pack the 33, which is what I do.

Deaf

The last time I shot double taps with a shot timer, my 2nd shot follow up averaged .35 sec* with the model 33, two hand hold & factory ammo.

I think I averaged .31 sec using the Glock 26 (a whopping .04 - four hundredths second quicker) loaded with +P ammo.

*That 2nd shot average follow up time is based on:
-A 6" circle is placed on a larger target at 6 - 7 yards.
-Both the 1st and 2nd shot must hit that 6" circle for the pair to get averaged.

This is a stricter standard than just hitting inside the "coke bottle" or 5 zone on a B-21 target; my split time would be considerably lower if I based it on a larger target area like that.

 

[tomrkba]

I have shot 357 SIG out of the P229 and the Glock 32. The P229 was fun to shoot and dime group accurate at 21 feet. The Glock 32 was pretty wild and caused wrist pain. I would choose the P229 or P226, or any other metal frame gun, over a polymer gun for 357 SIG.

 

[Deaf Smith]

CDW4ME,

1/3 a second is plenty fast for self defense. Gamers go faster but that is cause they play a game. Same for their transition times. You have to identify what you shoot first before you jump to a transition and just blast away.

In self defense you first have to identify the threat(s), decide what to do, and then do it. And then once the firing starts it takes a bit of time for the bullets to take effect so sending out 5 or six a second is, well, good way to waste ammo.

And as you showed, accuracy is very important and yes it should be stressed. Does not matter if you carry a 5 or 15 shooter.

Deaf

 

[M2 Carbine]

A few choreographed loads.

Glock 33
My light reloads using 100 grain .380 plated bullets and 10 grains of Blue Dot.
1213 FPS.


Glock 33
Factory loads.
Bitterroot Valley using Speer cases and 125 grain Speer Gold Dot bullets
1317 FPS


Taurus 101 with 357 SIG barrel.
My light reloads using 100 grain .380 plated bullets and 10 grains of Blue Dot.
1304 FPS

Taurus 101 with 357 SIG barrel.
Factory loads.
Bitterroot Valley using Speer cases and 125 grain Speer Gold Dot bullets
1406 FPS.


I have a few more factory loads and reloads to chronograph.


I'm not much of a Glock fan but every 357 SIG round I've shot in the Glock (and the Taurus and the Beretta) has been right accurate in the G33.