Is the .357 Sig slowly dying?

[ajgranda]

Hi,

I just found out that H&K is no longer offering the .357 in any of their guns. That's a shame. Has the popularity of this round reached its peak and now declining?

Thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[sgb]

Yeah it's headed to obscurity.

[OldVet]

Possibly. Manufacturors are only going to produce what sells. Like the .41 Magnum, there's a following but not enough to spur most gun makers to continue to keep a production line going. The .357 is a good round, highly potent, but the high cost of limited ammo choice plus the increased difficulty in reloading makes it a less than popular round.

[azchevy]

Only due to ammo costs... it will stay around. Just be a niche caliber that only certain people can afford or want to afford like the 10mm. With the increase of ammo prices... more people are gravitating towards 9mm and .38 again.

[shootslow]

I don't think people realize what a great defensive round the 357 sig is. Too bad it is so expensive to buy ammo. From what I hear the air marshalls use that round exclusivly because it will not go through the aircraft while airborn and when it does hit it spreads out considerably more than the 40 S&W.

[sgb]

I don't think people realize what a great defensive round the 357 sig is. Too bad it is so expensive to buy ammo. From what I hear the air marshalls use that round exclusivly because it will not go through the aircraft while airborn and when it does hit it spreads out considerably more than the 40 S&W.

[Aaron1100us]

We need to get more people to realize how great the 357 SIG is. Hope it never dies out, would be ashame.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk

[AZ Hawk]

Hmm, I don't see how the .357 SIG is "slowly dying," when it;

(a) was not popular when first developed and has gained in popularity each year, albeit rather slowly,

(b) is being picked up by a few agencies each year,

(c) hasn't been dropped by any of the agencies that have picked it up, and,

(d) has received glowing reviews from every agency that has picked it up.

So, HK has dropped it. Glock won't, SIG won't, S&W probably won't, and beyond that it really doesn't matter. The vast majority of American LEA's use Glock, S&W and Sig; HK really isn't all that popular.

[OldVet]

I don't think people realize what a great defensive round the 357 sig is. Too bad it is so expensive to buy ammo. From what I hear the air marshalls use that round exclusivly because it will not go through the aircraft while airborn and when it does hit it spreads out considerably more than the 40 S&W.

Just about anything will penetrate aircraft skin, but contrary what the movies show, it just punches a hole and air leaks out. No one get sucked out thru a bullet hole. The actual pressure differential is quite small.

[oneshot]

Hmm, I don't see how the .357 SIG is "slowly dying," when it;

(a) was not popular when first developed and has gained in popularity each year, albeit rather slowly,

(b) is being picked up by a few agencies each year,

(c) hasn't been dropped by any of the agencies that have picked it up, and,

(d) has received glowing reviews from every agency that has picked it up.

So, HK has dropped it. Glock won't, SIG won't, S&W probably won't, and beyond that it really doesn't matter. The vast majority of American LEA's use Glock, S&W and Sig; HK really isn't all that popular.

^^^^^I'm in this camp^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

on this one.
I don't think it will go away, but I am suprised that it is going as slow as it is.
My prediction, is that, once these agencies that have begun using it, start to let the general public see how it performs in actual incidents, I think it will take off.
Will it ever be as huge as 9mm or the .45,,,,,,,,,Probably not, but I think it will grow to something larger than it is currently.

S&W has discontinued the M&PC .357 sig,,,,,for now.

If ammo was on par, or maybe within a few cents per round or 9mm I would have went with it for sure, and was still flip-flopping just recently over this issue, as believe it offers greater performance over 9mm, .40, and perhaps even .45.
End of rediculous musings of a fool!

[dukalmighty]

Just about anything will penetrate aircraft skin, but contrary what the movies show, it just punches a hole and air leaks out. No one get sucked out thru a bullet hole. The actual pressure differential is quite small.

IIRC the pressure inside a pressurized aircraft at altitude is only around 15 psi.Texas DPS uses the 357 sig,I have thought about getting a 357 sig barrel for my sig 229,since I do reload I could afford to practice fairly cheap

[ks kid]

Duke you are right depending on the size of the aircraft. The concern with any hole punched through an aircraft is cracking from the hole and with a thin skin, tearing becomes an issue at altitude.

[onacoma]

IIRC the pressure inside a pressurized aircraft at altitude is only around 15 psi.

I'm still trying to figure out if we're talking Air Frames, Air Marshalls, or .357 Sig.

For those worried about depressureization, here are the numbers:
0-sea level = 14.7 psia
8000 feet (normal cabin pressure) = 10.9 psia
30000 feet = 4.36 psia

So the differential is ± 6.6 psia and we can look at SouthWorst 737 when they have a section of blow off due to metal fatigue or the Aloha Airline 737 when the entire top of the fuselage came off on an island hop. Don't get "SUCK-IN" by moive hype! Remember to put your mask on first and then help the others around you!

Now the Hawk has diss my HK, but the reasoning is this, an LE can purchase a Glock for ± $300-$400 vs a HK weapon for LE "Large Volume Only" of ± $600-$700. Retail is upwards of $850.00 on an HK. HK was selling more 9mm and 40 S&Ws so manufacturing a limited run .357 Sig barrel is more costly.

I reload .357 Sig for training or run my 40 S&W barrel. As for SD rounds I don't see Winchester or Speer limiting production. However I do hoard when I see a sale! Just for my retirement!

[GoBigOrange]

I find it to be an interesting caliber but I have not seen enough evidence it performs so much better than other more affordable calibers. In others words, I have not seen enough evidence of performance to justify the ridiculous cost.

I know it is a great caliber, but 9mm and .40S&W work just fine for me personally.

[czman2006]

From what I've seen and heard about it the .357 Sig will become a niche round, as stated above. Next will be the .45 GAP, IMHO.