.357 sig or .40 cal carry pistol

[Ivan4x4]

I,m thinking of getting another carry pistol , my current EDC is a colt defender .45acp , I,m very partial to the .45 acp but I want to have another caliber pistol to mix things up, can you folks give me your opinion on the pros and cons of the .357 sig and .40 and also which auto pistol should I look into, I,m looking for a 3" to 4" barrel.
Thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Bonehead55]

I am a 45 ACP man all the way and then I talked to a couple of the Secret Service that guard ex Pres W in our office building. They all carry the 357 Sig. Go figure.

[archer51]

I can give you some pro's for the .40 cal. Ammo is cheaper and more readily available. More guns available in .40 than .357 Sig. No advantage in number of rounds you can carry with the .357 Sig (same casing, just necked down). My EDC is a CZ75 P-06 .40 cal, factory mags are 10 round, but MecGar makes a 12 round that operates flawlessly in it.

[XD 45]

A glock 23 .40

[BadgerMan]

I have an M&P in .357 Sig and love it, that being said a .40 will do just fine, I suppose it depends on which you prefer the feel or ballistics of. .40 is bigger and cheaper and there is no capacity trade off, but if you like light and fast with snappy recoil and a lot of noise and blast then the .357 sig is for you.

[Warmon]

Get both. Sig 229 or HK P2000SK can be had in combo units with both 357 and 40 barrels included.

[Soular]

Get a Glock or Sig and a 2nd barrel for ~$100. Done deal.

You will find great arguments for either round, there is no clear winner. They are both adequate as far as pistols go :)

[Derrin33]

Both are great rounds. I choose .40 due to the price and it's easy to find. But, like another poster said, I will buy a .357 Sig barrel for my G27 and G23 just cause I can!!

[retsupt99]

Maybe not what you want to hear, but at today's cost of ammo...why would you want to 'mix it up'...stick with your .45, and stock up on ammo, while you still can.

OMO

[pogo2]

I've read what I could find about the comparative ballistics and gel testing of .40 and .357 Sig, and can't see any advantage in the .357 Sig over the cheaper and more available .40. To confirm this, you should study the websites for Federal HST and Winchester Ranger ammunition.

As for gun choices, there are lots of good alternatives in .40 caliber with barrel lengths from 3 to 4 inches. I'd look at Sig P239, Sig P229, H&K USP 40c, H&K P2000sk, Glock 23 and Glock 27. I have a couple of these, shown below:

[scottc]

+1 on the buy a weapon that you choose with a barrel for both 357 and 40

[Eagleks]

I think you'll be happy with either one. From what I've seen ... people who like 45's, really like .357's more that the 40's... but it's all a personal choice thing.

Go shoot both.

[AZ Husker]

Heavy and slow or light and fast...same debate between many close calibers.
Personally, I love the sizzling .357. 1450fps & 584ft/lb with a huge power factor.
I've got a 9mm conversion barrel for cheaper practice.

[atctimmy]

.40 S&W has a very high one shot stop percentage. It has a great track record on the street and ammo costs about a third less then .357 sig. Go with the 40!

[mpd563]

.40 S&W has a very high one shot stop percentage. It has a great track record on the street and ammo costs about a third less then .357 sig. Go with the 401

+ 1 on the .40 Same capacity as the .357 Sig, less muzzle blast plus it has a higher "Taylor KO value" which is a "killing power" formula. It scores the .357 Sig at 8 and the .40 S&W at 11.