.357 Sig Worth it?

[Shadowrider]

Here's the problem I have wrapping my head around the 357 sig debate. Most say "it's not any better than a 9mm +p". But if a 9mm +p is way better than a standard 9mm, even though it's only going 150-200 fps faster, then why isn't a 357 sig even better, since it's going 150-200 fps faster than a 9mm +p?

It is. The .357 Sig was designed to duplicate the excellent 125 grain .357 magnum load. In that role it falls short but just barely. In full size guns it's stellar. In the shorty compact guns, not much different than your 9 +P. I would have no problem with one but I would consider it a SD gun only. Reloading for it is going to be a bigger PITA than I want to mess with. That short neck and it's neck tension issues.

 

[Shadowrider]

That's why my 9mm SD ammo is +P+.

We can argue the best caliber all day, but the fact is that .357 Sig is a good SD round, and ammo seems to be around when others are scarce.

For the $70 price of another barrel, to me, it is a cheap investment for another caliber option.

One thing that has not been brought up about the .357Sig is barrier penetration.

If a bad guy is shooting at you from behind a car door, for example, it might just make a difference.

I had an interesting discussion with a THP officer a few years back. Couple of troopers had a run-in with a meth'd out trucker. It turned into gun play and one of the THP officers had a Sig .45 and the other had a Sig .357. The .45 made it through the door and it's glass but didn't have enough left to finish the job. The .357 Sig had no problem with it.

 

[AKguy1985]

I had an interesting discussion with a THP officer a few years back. Couple of troopers had a run-in with a meth'd out trucker. It turned into gun play and one of the THP officers had a Sig .45 and the other had a Sig .357. The .45 made it through the door and it's glass but didn't have enough left to finish the job. The .357 Sig had no problem with it.

That is why the OHP issues the .357 sig. It works well against automotive barriers.

 

[MoBoost]

9mm is not in the same ballpark as 357Sig, but you should compare it to 40 S&W - and 357Sig falls short on ALL counts.

357Sig is a gimmick (I feeling de ja vu here) - it was designed AND named for no purpose but sales.

 

[O4L]

9mm is not in the same ballpark as 357Sig, but you should compare it to 40 S&W - and 357Sig falls short on ALL counts.

357Sig is a gimmick (I feeling de ja vu here) - it was designed AND named for no purpose but sales.

To each his own.

Like I said, we could argue all day.

 

[deli_llama]

it may fall a little short compared to .40, but I don't feel it is as hard to handle, or as snappy as .40. I think handle-ability makes up for the slight ballistic trade off. Of course, this is my opinion only. YMMV

 

[MoBoost]

but I don't feel it is as hard to handle, or as snappy as .40.

I am sure it has to do with bullet weight - standard 40SW load is 180gn, 357Sig - 124gn: shoot some 135s out of 40 - and you won't be able to tell the difference.

I think handle-ability makes up for the slight ballistic trade off. Of course, this is my opinion only.

You sound like a true 9mm man (like me) - I haven't found a round is a fair trade-off to 9mm handle-ability, capacity, energy and cost. When .30 Luger got necked up - IMHO perfect handgun cartridge was created.

 

[JD8]

Bottleneck increases long range ballistics at the cost of short range energy - exactly the opposite of what pistols need.

That's an interesting theory. Problem is that energy isn't compromised with the .357 sig at short distances all things being equal.

 

[tul9033]

Holy cow! Shoot a box of .357 Sig before deciding. The stuff is HIGH pressure. If you think .40 is snappy, .357 Sig is .40 on steriods in the snap department. Don't forget the muzzle blast, I can't stand to be by one. It's like a sonic boom. Be sure and double up on the ear pro!

 

[MoBoost]

That's an interesting theory. Problem is that energy isn't compromised with the .357 sig at short distances all things being equal.

As a matter of fact, if you look at most factory loadings 357Sig is quite a bit more energetic!

The only explanation is 357 Sig loaded MUCH hotter than 40 S&W. I don't know why - but that's the fact.
Most 357Sig loads run right at the SAAMI limit of 40,000PSI, while 40 SW is just at 30,000 PSI.

Theoretically - necked down case will have less powder capacity for the same bullet weight (smaller case AND bullet taking up more space), therefore for the same pressure and same weight larger caliber will shoot faster = more muzzle energy.