Any fans of 357 sig?

Jester · 02-01-2002, 12:01 PM

I was recently introduced to the 357 sig. Had alot of fun shooting this round...more than I can say about other relatively new pistol rounds.
What are pro's & con's of this caliber? What is best platform for this round (Glock, Sig, Beretta, Springfield XD)?

Fred · 02-01-2002, 03:56 PM

Won't argue best platform, since that is very subjective. Suffice it to say that I shoot .357 SIG in both a Glock 33 and SIG P229, and would agree with you that it's a lot of fun. I have .40 barrels for both for added versatility.

alaska1993 · 02-01-2002, 04:25 PM

It's an excellent cartridge. The only drawback is the price of ammunition.

Jester · 02-01-2002, 05:49 PM

Alaska -
From what I've been told, reloading 357sig is a challenge as well...finding dyes, etc. So, nice cartridge, but not user friendly?

Fred · 02-01-2002, 06:29 PM

I'm not Alaska, but will jump in here since I do reload for it. The .357 SIG round is a little more difficult to reload than a straight wall round. Have to use steel dies and lube the brass (unless you have the bucks and buy carbide from Dillon for about $110!), and you have to pay special attention to bullet selection. You need a bullet that has a long bearing surface so you can get a tight grip with the very short grip.

Slower powders work better than faster powders. Most important thing for me is to make absolutely, positively sure that the bullet is held securely by the neck. This is one round where the potential for bullet setback is a real concern.

JiminCA · 02-02-2002, 11:01 PM

I've shot a full size custom and a Brown bobtail in .357 sig. Both shot beautifully. The 1911 is definitely the best platform that I've shot it in.

Bought a G32. A bit snappy and quite a bit of muzzle flash, but lots of power.

I like it. I intend to get a bobtail in 357 sig someday.

Frank237 · 02-04-2002, 01:52 PM

Personally I like the cartridge but reloading does take a small amount of extra care versus a straight walled case. Speer markets a 125 grain HP specifically for the SIG round, they work great. I have only used the dillon TC dies in a 550B but no problems so far.
I don't think its a lot different as to recoil or muzzle jump compared to a .40 shooting lighter weight bullets. Recently shot SIG, Glock, HK, Beretta side by side, forty and the .357 and in a few cases you had to check the markings after shooting to tell what caliber you shot, not a lot of difference, at least to ME.
Ammo surely is tougher to find in mainstream outlets, especially here in rural America. And it appears to be about 15-20% more expen$ive than comparable .40 S&W ammo. Hopefully this will go down in a few years as the cartridge become more popular.

I started my LE career carrying a 4" M-19 and 125 gr .357 mag loads. Put simply....THEY WORKED! The thought of a nice auto, with hi-cap mags with the same ballistics, though easier to control with modern powders producing less muzzle flash....a win/win situation in my mind.

FN

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02-01-2002, 12:01 PM	#1
Jester Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 362	I was recently introduced to the 357 sig. Had alot of fun shooting this round...more than I can say about other relatively new pistol rounds. What are pro's & con's of this caliber? What is best platform for this round (Glock, Sig, Beretta, Springfield XD)?

02-01-2002, 03:56 PM	#2
Fred Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 169	Won't argue best platform, since that is very subjective. Suffice it to say that I shoot .357 SIG in both a Glock 33 and SIG P229, and would agree with you that it's a lot of fun. I have .40 barrels for both for added versatility.

02-01-2002, 04:25 PM	#3
alaska1993 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 124	It's an excellent cartridge. The only drawback is the price of ammunition.

02-01-2002, 05:49 PM	#4
Jester Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 362	Alaska - From what I've been told, reloading 357sig is a challenge as well...finding dyes, etc. So, nice cartridge, but not user friendly?

02-01-2002, 06:29 PM	#5
Fred Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 169	I'm not Alaska, but will jump in here since I do reload for it. The .357 SIG round is a little more difficult to reload than a straight wall round. Have to use steel dies and lube the brass (unless you have the bucks and buy carbide from Dillon for about $110!), and you have to pay special attention to bullet selection. You need a bullet that has a long bearing surface so you can get a tight grip with the very short grip. Slower powders work better than faster powders. Most important thing for me is to make absolutely, positively sure that the bullet is held securely by the neck. This is one round where the potential for bullet setback is a real concern.

02-02-2002, 11:01 PM	#6
JiminCA Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 169	I've shot a full size custom and a Brown bobtail in .357 sig. Both shot beautifully. The 1911 is definitely the best platform that I've shot it in. Bought a G32. A bit snappy and quite a bit of muzzle flash, but lots of power. I like it. I intend to get a bobtail in 357 sig someday.

02-04-2002, 01:52 PM	#7
Frank237 Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 106	Personally I like the cartridge but reloading does take a small amount of extra care versus a straight walled case. Speer markets a 125 grain HP specifically for the SIG round, they work great. I have only used the dillon TC dies in a 550B but no problems so far. I don't think its a lot different as to recoil or muzzle jump compared to a .40 shooting lighter weight bullets. Recently shot SIG, Glock, HK, Beretta side by side, forty and the .357 and in a few cases you had to check the markings after shooting to tell what caliber you shot, not a lot of difference, at least to ME. Ammo surely is tougher to find in mainstream outlets, especially here in rural America. And it appears to be about 15-20% more expen$ive than comparable .40 S&W ammo. Hopefully this will go down in a few years as the cartridge become more popular. I started my LE career carrying a 4" M-19 and 125 gr .357 mag loads. Put simply....THEY WORKED! The thought of a nice auto, with hi-cap mags with the same ballistics, though easier to control with modern powders producing less muzzle flash....a win/win situation in my mind. FN