.357 sig vs. .357 magnum

[wvshooter]

Isn't it true that these two rounds use just about identical grain weight bullets pushed at almost identical muzzle velocities. If that is so then wouldn't the .357 sig be just about the best possible choice for a self defense round, assuming your choice is a semi auto instead of a revolver. If I'm not mistaken I think these two rounds can be loaded to about 1,400 fps.

What are the downsides to using .357 sig?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[HotGuns]

I personally dont see any.

Some cant stand the muzzle blast of the Sig, but even it is no comparison to a fulll house .357 Mag

I have the Sig P226 in .357 Sig. I love it.

[Philbert]

About the only downside v. a .357mag. is the .357Sig ammo is just a bit pricier, and more difficult to find on the local level unless you mail order it. It IS a great round, no doubt!

[Pete Zaria]

According to this page: http://www.reloadammo.com/357sig.htm
you can indeed get .357 sig bullets in the same general weights as .357 Mag rounds, going similar velocities - but the .357 Mag still has the edge.

Of the loads on that page, I'd be interested in trying these:

115 grain XTP or JHP over 8.0 gr. of Bullseye for 1,435 FPS
147 grain Hornady XTP over 5.8 gr. of Unique for 1,110 FPS
147 grain Hornady XTP over 13.0 gr. of H110 for 1,250 FPS (max load)

I don't have reloading equipment, but used to have access to it when I lived with my parents. My dad's favorite load was, IIRC, a .357 Mag 110 gr. JHP over Unique, right around 10 grains of it, for about 1,750 fps out of a 6" barrel. I doubt you could quite match that out of a .357 Sig.

My opinion... The .357 Sig looks like a nice compromise between a magnum "fast-and-light" type cartridge and semiauto convenience. .357 Sig seems to be a good penetrator, and has a pretty healthy ft/lb of energy rating - better than that of the 9mm and in the upper range of (but within) the .40SW's capability. There are, obviously, more powerful auto cartridges available, like the 10mm, 10mm Glock, etc... and I'd wager .45 ACP +P can get equal these energy levels too, but haven't researched it.
The downside? Ammo is harder to find and more expensive than more common calibers (unless you intend to reload). If I was buying a handgun, I'd probably be looking at .40 or .45 instead simply because of the ammo price - but if you have the cash, or reloading equipment, the .357 Sig is a very attractive cartridge.

Hope that helps.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.

Edit: I was googling this, just for the heck of it, and found a few interesting things:


http://stevespages.com/page8f357sig.html - This guy got a 125gr going 1384 FPS to penetrate six water jugs, or 36" of water... that's impressive.

[SIXTO]

The 357 Sig is a great round, no doubt about it. They downsides are it is expensive, tougher to shoot, and hard to find sometimes.
When a properly selected 9mm, 40 or 45acp is readily available, the 357Sig is not such an attractive caliber.

[HotGuns]

When a properly selected 9mm, 40 or 45acp is readily available, the 357Sig is not such an attractive caliber.

You are forgetting the "cool" factor.
Not everybody has a .357 SIG.

[SIXTO]

You are forgetting the "cool" factor.
Not everybody has a .357 SIG.

Good point... but I think I would score higher in the cool factor for having plenty of ammo on tap, and some cash left in my pocket.

[AZ Husker]

Kinda hard to compare a .357 Sig to a .357 Magnum. Auto vs Revolver. There is no doubt that the Magnum round is superior to the Sig when you consider the options with quality, long barrel revolvers. I'm an auto fan, but still have to give credit where due.

[Shizzlemah]

The rounds (sig vs magnum) are pretty close balistically if you look at 125gr bullets out of 3.5" barrels.

The wheelgun has the advantage with heavier bullets, and also has the market cornered on barrels over 4"

The .357 sig is pretty close balistically also to the .38 super....

I love the sig, carry it in two guns. It it the most accurate auto pistol cartidge that I've ever shot. Pretty impressive energy in a semi auto pistol too. You'd need a full-tilt 10mm to top it.

One benefit of the bottleneck cartridge is the inherent feed reliability. You are chambering a .355" round into a .410" hole....

Drawbacks - well the ammo isn't cheap. Not particularly expensive either. And it can be really tough to find any ammo at all. I'm in a town of 50,000 people, and It's 70 miles to the nearest store that carries .357sig ammo. Selection? Just be grateful that there is any. Mail order ammo or reload your own. At least .355 x 125gr bullets are very plentiful!!

[HotGuns]

All other things aside....the ammo that you carry is the cheapest part of the equation.

So, it costs you a few cents more. Its really not that big of a deal. If you have to cap somebody, your ammo costs will pale in comparison to your lawyer fees.

[dr_cmg]

Drawbacks - well the ammo isn't cheap. Not particularly expensive either. And it can be really tough to find any ammo at all. I'm in a town of 50,000 people, and It's 70 miles to the nearest store that carries .357sig ammo. Selection? Just be grateful that there is any. Mail order ammo or reload your own. At least .355 x 125gr bullets are very plentiful!!

Where I come from anyplace that has 50,000 people is not a town. I live in a town. Almost 4,000 people. It's 30 miles to Walmart and it carries .357 SIG. I agree it can be expensive. When I started 50 rounds of WWB FMJ cost more than 100 rounds of WWB FMJ 9mm. I did bump into a great deal at Sportsman's Guide. I bought Triton JHP in 100 count loose pack boxes for $10 each. Of course I bought couple thousand rounds. I used it for practice ammo. I don't have a .357 SIG pistol right now, but expect to get another nest year. I still have several hundred rounds to break it in with.

[BikerRN]

One of the things I look at when considering a new pistol is "ammo availability".

Since none of the local agencies around me issue .357 Sig it can be hard to find a "decent" selection of ammo in the various gunstores around here. I can get 40 S&W ammo all day long, and have a good selection to choose from, since it's what is issued to the local constabulary here.

As many of you know, I'm a wheelgun fan. The .357 Sig was designed to mimic the .357 Magnum in one load only. There are many other loadings for the .357 Magnum than just the 125 Grain JHP. The .357 Sig doesn't come close to the potential of the .357 Magnum nor does it handle the loads that a revolver can.

My personal feeling is this, if you want .357 Magnum ballistics, get a .357 Magnum.

Biker

[Duisburg]

All other things aside....the ammo that you carry is the cheapest part of the equation.

So, it costs you a few cents more. Its really not that big of a deal. If you have to cap somebody, your ammo costs will pale in comparison to your lawyer fees.

+1 to that!

[SammyIamToday]

Imo, 135gr .40 S&W rounds do just about everything that .357 sig does for less price.

[aus71383]

Another opinion here - The .357 Sig is expensive. It also has quite a limited range of bullets that can be used with it. You wouldn't want to go bear hunting with a .357 Sig.
The .357 Magnum has about the same power as a .357 Sig when using factory 125 grain ammunition. For me, the similarities end there.
Here's some numbers:
.357 Sig DoubleTapAmmo
115 grain Gold Dot 4" barrel 1550 fps/614 ft/lbs
125 grain Gold Dot 4" barrel 1450 fps/584 ft/lbs
147 grain Gold Dot 4" barrel 1250 fps/510 ft/lbs

.357 Magnum DoubleTapAmmo
125 grain Gold Dot 4" barrel 1600 fps 710 ft/lbs
158 grain Gold Dot 4" barrel 1540 fps 688 ft/lbs
180 grain WFNGC 4" barrel 1300 fps 676 ft/lbs
200 grain WFNGC 4" barrel 1200 fps 640 ft/lbs

These are not your average factory loads...these are loaded to their potential. The .357 Sig comes as hot as it gets from the factory. The .357 Magnum factory loads are at the bottom end of what the .357 Magnum can do.

....IMHO

Austin