357 Sig performance

fed_wif_a_sig said:

One thing I have learned recently is that the 357 Sig is nothing but a 125gr 9mm bullet on a bottle necked 40 case. Theory sounded good, but after this review I'd prefer a 200gr 45 (da flying ashtray) or atleast a 115gr +p 9mm.

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Your preferences are certainly yours, and you are entitled to them, of course. Damning the 357SIG on the basis of one shooting, with extremely limited information, is a bit of a stretch, though. Particularly since nothing about the ballistic performance was unique to the 357SIG.

The scene of the shooting, in the jetway, was very close quarters with lots of exposed metal trim (an assumption from my own observation of jetways, and the included photographs of the scene). High energy perforating and grazing shots are going to ricochet and fragment if they hit exposed metal of sufficient hardness, regardless of caliber or weight (within reason). I have experienced bullet fragments flying back from downrange targets at indoor ranges, with fragments ending up behind the shooting line and booths. It is not surprising, at least to me, that fragments could end up behind the FAM positions in the confined space of the jetway.

Casings were found in very close proximity to the suspect, as well as at the opposite end of the 60-ft jetway. Alignment of the hands and wounds was consistent with the hands holding a backpack. The JHP bullets penetrated a lot of material and who knows what else, like the plastic Coke bottle. Might the JHP's have closed up and acted as ball rounds? Yes. Do ball rounds overpenetrate? Yes, frequently. Were the perforating shots possibly rounds behaving as if they were ball rounds shot from point blank range? Possibly, we don't know. Is the phenomenon of JHP rounds closing up and acting as ball rounds unique to the 357SIG? Not at all.

At least one of the perforations, based on the coroner's diagram, shows a shot penetrating the trapezius muscle near the AMC joint. This is only a couple of inches of tissue, at most. I respectfully submit that any round from 9mm standard on up, shot from close quarters, hitting this area, would perforate and continue traveling until it embedded itself in something or fragmented on impact, as would grazing shots that grazed the arm and hand, but did not penetrate the torso. I think this would include slower rounds like a 200gr .45, and faster rounds like a 115gr 9mm, but that's JMO.

With respect for your experience and opinions, I disagree with your conclusions regarding the 357SIG, based on this report. A 124gr 9mm +P+, or 125gr .357Mag, or 115gr 9mm +P, or 200gr .45acp might have performed similarly from similar distances with similar placement. Any of these rounds, penetrating a narrow cross-section portion of the body, would be likely to overpenetrate, given normal performance/penetration expectations. Even premium JHP's, when encountering multiple layers of heavy fabric, like ballistic nylon used in backpacks and multiple layers of clothing, may fill up, close, and behave as ball rounds. The majority of the shots on target penetrated and remained in the body. A few perforated narrower sections of the torso, and overpenetrated. A few grazed the extremities and missed the torso altogether. None of this seems peculiar to the 357SIG.