357 Sig

[rednecksport]

What are yalls feelings on this caliber . My wife just bought one .

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ASSA9]

Its basically a 9mm mag.
Try to stick with the 125 grain bullets because they are
the ones the rounds were designed around.
IE the .45cal was made to shoot the 230 grain
the .357 sig , the 125 grain
I had a GLOCK G33 and it shot great but it was too
expensive for me to feed and I shoot the 9mm and
.380 better so I sold it .
but as I said its a great round IMO.

[kdydak]

Well I have no basis to comment on caliber effectiveness but having bought glock 32 (.357 sig):

FMJ Ammo has gotten expensive. Before shipping I can get 1k 9mm for ~210. 1k 40sw for ~270, 1k 45acp for ~310. 1k .357sig is 400+

.357sig kicks like a pack of angry mules. My hands would hurt after 100 rounds downrange. If I fired in quick succession I would start to loose proper grip on the gun with my supporting hand after 2-3 rounds (the gun would rip itself away from my supporting thumb)

Shooting one handed (wound drills) was pretty sad. Shooting weak (one) hand was a total disaster.

After trying some offhand shooting I put in .40sw barrel and it is an order of magnitude more manageable for me
(I like .45acp in glock 30sf even better from grip and recoil perespective).

So at least for me the .357sig did not work out.

[ASSA9]

.357sig kicks like a pack of angry mules. My hands would hurt after 100 rounds downrange. If I fired in quick succession I would start to loose proper grip on the gun with my supporting hand after 2-3 rounds (the gun would rip itself away from my supporting thumb)

Shooting one handed (wound drills) was pretty sad. Shooting weak (one) hand was a total disaster.

I did not feel that badly about the .357 sig,but in the end I did
feel like I would be better off with the 9mm. but I must say the
same thing about the .45 cal. and the .40 . the 9mm just fit
me better.
In the end your wife will have to be the judge of what caliber
she can handle and bigger is better.
I,ve seen a 65 year old woman shoot a .45 as well as I shoot
my 9mms so just let her find out what works for her.

[Colin]

I find for longer range shooting, it's excellent, I just started reloading my own so i can adjust the power and recoil. I am having a hard time finding JHP up here so I will keep my .40cal barrel in my 229 for HD and shoot the 357Sig at the range. If you shoot indoors with it, except to see everyone gathering around you.

[NativH]

I find that my G32 doesn't kick near as hard as my G36 or Kimber Tactical Ultra II with +P 45 ACP's. Sharp kick but not hard IMHO, and totally controlable even one handed. In fact, when I leave town on business, the G32 is beside my wife on the nightstand with 14 rounds (13+1) of Double Tap 125 gr. That would stop anything short of a bull moose and we don't have those in Houston.

One of the flatest shooting pistol rounds I've ever used and I would guess I could hit at over 100 yards if need be. I don't have that feeling with any of my 45 ACP's (not that I recommend even considering shooting that far in any defensive situation). We have gangs in Houston and you never know when a gun fight could turn into a protracted situation where distances start to lengthen out but you must still stay in the fight.

I am a believer in kinetic energy and the 357 SIG has that down in spades. Guess that is why the DPS carry's them.

[AZ Husker]

From Double Tap: 125gr Gold Dot, 1450fps, 584 ft/lb
Amazing load!

[rednecksport]

we got her out and played a little , and I think I am going to like it, Momma might have to go back to the gunshop, I think this M&P compact has found a home, On MY Right Side at about 3:30. LOL

[Bad Monkey]

From Double Tap: 125gr Gold Dot, 1450fps, 584 ft/lb
Amazing load!

I haven't tried it yet but DoubleTap has some amazing loads in other calibers too.
Their 135gr .40 S&W Nosler: 1420fps 605 ft/lbs from a 4.5"bbl.
Their 135gr 10mm Nosler: 1600fps / 767 ft.lbs. out of a Glock 20

To the OP, I haven't shot .357Sig but my brother carries a Sig 229 in .357Sig as a duty firearm and has had lots of praise for the round's performance in the field. It's hard to ignore the price issue though.

[Thanis]

IMO, best SD semi-auto handgun round. It is the round used by the U.S. Secret Service (who as an organization is more concerned with performance than round costs).

The three disadvantages of the round are:
#1 It is not a round easily reloaded (if you are into making your own rounds).
#2 The round costs more then others (and sometimes hard to find at retail).
#3 Slightly more of a concern with slam back / set back issues (though almost everyone should have that concern). Make sure to rotate rounds.

The number one problem with the round is cost. The 9mm conversion barrels + 9mm mag is a good idea to save on range costs. Another good idea would be to buy a 40 S&W barrel to help save at the range and offer caliber choices if the .357 Sig become more difficult to aquire. I have purchased an Advantage Arms .22 LR upper to help with round cost (and found it also assists in other shooting skills with my Glock).

The .357 Sig owner can state with confidence their firearm provides a unique mix (though admittadly subtle in most SD situations) of feed reliability, power, inherently accuracy, and round capacity.

PS - 125 GR. FMJ Winchester makes a good target round. Their is nothing very special about the 125 GR. FMJ Winchester other then it compares nicely to my choice in .357 Sig SD ammo, 125 GR. SXT Winchester Ranger. One other round I have started to like in .357 Sig is the 140 GR. FMJ Sellier & Bellot. It is also a little hotter then other .357 Sig rounds. In theory, the 140 GR. FMJ Sellier & Bellot might be a better woods round (if you wanted / had to use a .357 Sig in the woods). I'm also looking into 147 GR rounds for woods, but honestly, the .357 Sig is about SD, not woods carry).

...357sig kicks like a pack of angry mules. My hands would hurt after 100 rounds downrange...

No way. If you can control a 9mm +P, the .357 Sig round provides just as much (maybe less) recoil. It is as much recoil as a .40 S&W or .45 ACP, just different. I flinch a little with 44 Mag out of a 5" revolver (I'm working on it). I doubt I will ever shoot a .357 Mag out of a light weight revolver again (after three rounds I had enough). I'm not a tough guy when it comes to recoil. However, I have shot 100+ rounds of .357 Sig in an hour and only stopped because that is all I had (other then the rangers I keep for SD).

...One of the flatest shooting pistol rounds I've ever used and I would guess I could hit at over 100 yards if need be...I am a believer in kinetic energy and the 357 SIG has that down in spades...

+1

I find for longer range shooting, it's excellent...

+1

...357Sig as a duty firearm and has had lots of praise for the round's performance in the field. It's hard to ignore the price issue though.

+1

[yesicarry]

Personal opinion ? Nice round. Gonna be hard to find when cr*p hits the fan though.. At least 7.62, .45,.40,9mm.,12 Ga, .22 will be able to be found. Cant see spending all that money on something hard to feed when you need it.

[Jim Downey]

I like it, and the data from our tests confirms that it is an impressive round. If I'm not carrying my Para 12.45, I want to be carrying my Steyr .357 Sig - either large and slow or small(er) and fast is a good solution for 'social work', as far as I'm concerned. But yeah, price of commercial ammo in .357 Sig was one of the reasons for my getting back into reloading.

Jim D.

[scottc]

I was looking at a website that said a 90 gr 357 sig travels at 1715 fps. Anyone else see that or know if that is true. I am pretty much set on a Glock 32 but was curious about this info.

[Fastball]

I've had my 229R in .357 for over a year now. Normally I carried an Officer's model in the summer and my Delta Elite in the winter, (both customized nicely). I considered myself rather proficient with both my Colts, but since I bought the Sig....,well,......whether it's the cartridge or the 229R, I have never shot a more accurate weapon out of the box.

The recoil is maybe less than 45acp through my little Officer's model and I find it very easy to handle one handed. I truly feel that if I could only have one caliber in pistol, the .357Sig is the real deal for me.

BTW, I've been seeing, (and have purchased), 1000 rounds of Speer Lawman FMJ for less than $300 at local gun shows. Just last weekend I saw it for $289, but I already have almost 2000 rounds on the closet.

Here's some more reading material;

.357Sig Data

[AZ Husker]

I was looking at a website that said a 90 gr 357 sig travels at 1715 fps.

I don't think I'd want to go all the way down to a 90gr bullet. The 125 is blasting out at 1450fps and the big 147gr at 1250.