A lot of .380 talk lately has got me to thinking about my favorite round, .357 Sig. I’ve been a fan for years and would carry it everyday but I just can’t afford to shoot it as much as I prefer, so I’ve been carrying 9mm for over a decade now. Still put a hundred rounds of .357 Sig or so down range every couple of months. For me it’s accurate and reliable and when I break it out I just wish I could shoot it more.
Are there any other .357 Sig fans around?
To be honest, I have never shot a .357 Sig.
I’ve never seen a .357 Sig for rent, so have never shot one either.
At one time I considered buying a .357 Sig barrel for my .40 S&W, but the price of the barrel plus higher price of ammo plus less availability of ammo made me shy away from it.
Edit: Just checked Bass Pro site - they handle 9 products for .357 Sig ammo vs. 49 products for .40 S&W
Yes, it is very scarce, particularly in actual gun shops/stores. If you’ve never shot one and you ever get the chance try it out, it’s a lot of fun to shoot and recoil is not as harsh as some say.
Looking at Winchester FMJ, muzzle energy (by my calculations) is 506 ft-lbs for the .357 Sig and 412 ft-lbs for the .40 S&W, or about 22% greater than the .40 S&W (125 grain @ 1350 ft/sec vs. 165 grain @ 1060 ft/sec)
I am guessing you have a fairly heavy gun that helps absorb the recoil?
Not particularly, a P320 Carry. I find it less harsh than it has been described is what I meant, but i’ve been shooting the round for many years. It definitely has some snap, I personally just don’t feel it to be a hinderance.
I’m a 10mm guy but don’t shoot it that much either because of price and availability of the rounds I like. I was curious about the 357 Sig but never shot one. What’s the recoil like compared to a 40 S&W in a comparable sized gun? Is it as snappy as the 40 S&W in a compact?
Scotty, I personally find the .40 S&W a little bit more snappy while the .357 Sig is more of stronger impulse if that makes sense. That being said, I’m comparing the two in 4 inch service pistols, Glock 23 vs P320.
EDC. Jeff4 puts it well, the 40 rocks the recoil impluse, while 357SIG launches firmly but doesn’t have as much projectile inertia. Still, both rounds do nicely. I buy these online for best prices, just wait for discounts or free shipping on volume.
I love mine. I put a stainless ported barrel in my (dare I whisper the word?) Glock. It works. I haven’t carried a sharp stick since.
I like it. It’s a rocket for sure.
@Gary_H, There are always fewer of us at the top, but the view is great looking down on all of you.
You are absolutely correct. I can find ammo easily, but the farther away from Winchester FMJ you get, the harder to find it gets…and the harder to pay for.
If I were only going to have one weapon, or maybe even two, I would hesitate procuring a 357 Sig. Even if money were no object, availability to find that perfect round for the gun may present a problem.
All that said and your point being valid, I think I’ll keep it. I don’t carry it now anyway.
I enjoy the .357 Sig. I have a Glock 32 Gen4. Please remember that a .357 Sig is a 10mm casing bottle
necked down and then you have 125 or 135 g HP or Flat Top Round. Great Round and powerful too.
You asked a question concerning .40 and the .357 SIG. I like the .40 caliber and I carry a Glock 32 Gen 4
.357 SIG, also. 4" Barrel. The .40 caliber I have a P320 Full .40 that has a 4.7" Barrel. It maybe a great idea
to use a .357 SIG in a firearm at least with a 4" Barrel, because the casing on that is 10mm and bottle
necked down and a little shorter, but packs a punch of over 1300 FPS and over 400 lbs. of force. Cost is HIGH. Like many of our ammo, you will pay a lot for the larger rounds, but like Christmas shopping, you can find cheaper ammo for practice and the big stuff for protection. Please practice. The Glock in compact and sub compact are harder to handle on recoil, but it is fun to have it.
Try MIDWAY, Sportsman Guide, Bud’s Gun Shop on ammo off the net one day.
Bill
Yes, you need to have a good grip position with a 357 Sig, but the same goes for any strong round (even down to the 9mm). This is not a 454 Cassull (handled properly,
it’s manageable also). It won’t hurt you.
Depending on the frame it’s applied to, it can be flippy or easily managed; the same as with many calibers.
My point is that price and available variety may be the greater concern unless the shooter has trouble handling recoil and muzzle rise on a 9mm or .40 S&W.
I’ve always wanted a bottlenecked handgun caliber. I almost bought a 400 corbon conversion barrel a few times for my G21. I couldn’t justify the ordeal of finding ammo. Same reason I didnt buy a 10mm back then. (During AWB) Last year I bought a G29 and it is the greatest thing. Maybe I’ll get that conversion barrell some day.
I forgot about the .40 super…
@Brian1 Now .40 super is hard to find.
I couldn’t find a .40 super conversion barrel anywhere last night. I was gonna give it a try, too.
That may turn out to be a fruitless search, but it’s worth a try. Ammunition is scarce and expensive too.
One of may carry weapons is an H&K P2000SW which is basically a 9mm. I have an additional slide and barrel for it making it a .40SW. I also have a .357Sig barrel for it–the TRIFECTA. If I’m in need of ammo–and they’re out of 9mm or .40SW, I’m still good to go with the .357Sig. I like the way it fires. Pretty hot.