.357 Sig.......tell me about it. Seems to be related to Bigfoot somehow

[JohnSutton1980]

I purchased a brand new Glock model 32. It is a compact chambered in 357 Sig. I chose this one as most will know, with a Glock 23 barrel installed it becomes a 40 s&w handgun. No other changes are needed. A company named Lone Wolf Distributors and many others make a 9mm conversion barrel. Grab a few cheap Magpul G17 mags and your good to go. Also there are several companies that make a 22lr conversion kit for Glocks.  So for about 1000.00 bucks, I have a gun that will shoot 4 different calibers. I could have gotten the Glock 23 and did the same thing.  I'm 100% satisfied with all of my purchases. The weird thing for me is finding ammo for the 357Sig. I know it will be expensive compared to 40 or 9mm. I guess with the TWRA and Virginia State Police using the round in their service guns, I thought the round would be easier to find around Knoxville. I had hoped to carry the Glock 32 in OEM form and use the 357sig for personal protection. To do that I would need to get accustomed to shooting it. That is the challenge! It has been described to me as a 40 case with a 9mm bullet with the powder charge of a 45acp. While I will continue to carry my S&W M&P45c as a defense weapon, I will continue my search for accessible 357sig ammo. Do any of you have experience with this round? Do you like or dislike this round? If it were you, would you carry this round or the 40s&w round? Any info you have on this round is helpful. Currently I have a 20rnd box of Speer Gold Dot PP ammo. I didn't want to burn through it until I have replacements. Tell me your experience please

[Patton]

I have shot a lot of 357Sig in duty sized weapons and carried one on duty for a very short period.  I will say this, the 357Sig round has got to be the most accurate round I have ever shot in duty size pistol platforms.  I have heard others say the same who have had extensive time with the 357 Sig cartridge. Yes, I shot tighter groups with a Glock in 357Sig and tighter groups with a Sig in 357Sig over their 9mm counterparts. 

However,  there was always a slight bit more recoil with the 357Sig, but it didn’t effect accuracy. I don’t believe I ever thought it was as snappy as some people say 40S&W feels to them, but I don’t find 40S&W hard to shoot. The 357Sig always gave you the worst features of the 9mm with the worst features of the 40s&w. You get 40S&W capacity with .355-.356 diameter bullet. You don’t even get the cheap ammo advantage both 40 and 9mm offer. 
 

If you are a hand loader, the bottle neck 357 case is a little bit more difficult to handle. Nowadays, I wouldn’t bother with handloading 9, 40, or 357 Sig. I would just practice with factory made 9 or 40 in the appropriate barrel.

I have not seen a single 357sig come through the local police academy since I have been instructing over the last two years. We do have a couple of small local agencies still using the 357sig in SE TN, or we did the last time I heard. The Chattanooga Housing Authority officers still have Glock 31, but there are plans to go to 9mm in the next two years. I know Meigs County and Decatur had 357sig Glocks the last time I asked, but this is roughly 60 officers total between the three agencies.  The TWRA is also planning a transition to 9mm Glocks.  I believe they, unlike THP, are going to do a pistol optic at the same time.

[Patton]

This is not what you want to hear. The Gold Dot 357sig has long had a reputation for not feeding well in Glocks. That has not been my experience, but it has been reported enough that I tend to believe it to be actual experiences.  I know THP mostly used Remington in their Glock 31 and Glock 33. I never heard of any ammo related failures in the Sig p226, p229, or p239.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

I've shot a fair amount of CCI Gold Dot .357Sig in G31 and G33 and never had any issues. I carried that for a couple of years and do not remember ever having any type malfunction. Not saying it CAN'T happen, I'm saying in my Gen3 31 and Gen2.5 G33 it has not happened. 

[leroy]

To add to Brother Patton's excellent post, I'll offer the following:

The 357 SIG wuz the first polymer pistol ( .a Glock 33. ) I ever owned.  I found it to be superbly accurate and easy to carry. 

I have handloaded for the SIG too.  Not too bad if everything is adjusted right.  My loads were always heavy loads of AA 9 and the 125 grain SIG bullet...

In short, the SIG is, indeed, everything claimed for the 9mm and lots more... As I remember, the chronograph said about 1300 to 1350 fps...

The SIG is a powerful, accurate pistol cartridge that was designed to provide 125 grain 357 revolver loads in a semi auto pistol.  The SIG did that very easily.  It's a shame it didn't stay longer as a LE or defence cartridge... It fell pretty to " the next new thing " marketing game and the lie that a 9mm is the same thing.  

Leroy...

[Erik88]

1 hour ago, Patton said:

This is not what you want to hear. The Gold Dot 357sig has long had a reputation for not feeding well in Glocks. That has not been my experience, but it has been reported enough that I tend to believe it to be actual experiences.  I know THP mostly used Remington in their Glock 31 and Glock 33. I never heard of any ammo related failures in the Sig p226, p229, or p239.

Does THP still carry .357 SIG Glocks or have they switched to something else? 

[Patton]

11 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

Does THP still carry .357 SIG Glocks or have they switched to something else? 

They have Glock 45mos, without optics, and Glock 43x. 

[JohnSutton1980]

2 hours ago, Patton said:

I have shot a lot of 357Sig in duty sized weapons and carried one on duty for a very short period.  I will say this, the 357Sig round has got to be the most accurate round I have ever shot in duty size pistol platforms.  I have heard others say the same who have had extensive time with the 357 Sig cartridge. Yes, I shot tighter groups with a Glock in 357Sig and tighter groups with a Sig in 357Sig over their 9mm counterparts. 

However,  there was always a slight bit more recoil with the 357Sig, but it didn’t effect accuracy. I don’t believe I ever thought it was as snappy as some people say 40S&W feels to them, but I don’t find 40S&W hard to shoot. The 357Sig always gave you the worst features of the 9mm with the worst features of the 40s&w. You get 40S&W capacity with .355-.356 diameter bullet. You don’t even get the cheap ammo advantage both 40 and 9mm offer. 
 

If you are a hand loader, the bottle neck 357 case is a little bit more difficult to handle. Nowadays, I wouldn’t bother with handloading 9, 40, or 357 Sig. I would just practice with factory made 9 or 40 in the appropriate barrel.

I have not seen a single 357sig come through the local police academy since I have been instructing over the last two years. We do have a couple of small local agencies still using the 357sig in SE TN, or we did the last time I heard. The Chattanooga Housing Authority officers still have Glock 31, but there are plans to go to 9mm in the next two years. I know Meigs County and Decatur had 357sig Glocks the last time I asked, but this is roughly 60 officers total between the three agencies.  The TWRA is also planning a transition to 9mm Glocks.  I believe they, unlike THP, are going to do a pistol optic at the same time.

Mr Patton!!! Wow that’s great info! I am grateful! I have some unrelated questions as I am assuming a lot and I have a nasty habit of doing that. I assume your an instructor. I have recently moved back to TN from Virginia. With the way the world is today I have been feeling under trained. With only beginner and advance handgun glasses. I have been trying to find defensive active shooter training. I’m certain our law enforcement officers receive this training at some point. Perhaps they call it by another name. I have the fear of freezing say if I were at Walmart with my family and an active shooter situation occurs. Do you have any recommendations for this style of training? I live currently in Greenback until my home is completed in Podunk TenMile and would have access to Chattanooga and Knoxville areas. Thank you!

[JohnSutton1980]

I have often thought of doing reloading. I have a historically been impatient and worry I would do it wrong or not with the great care and attention to detail as I’m assuming it requires. I’m not sure with the 357Sig round would be the round to learn on.

[Ray Z]

Have not reloaded any bottle neck pistol rounds in my 60 some years of reloading. But many 308, 30/06, 22-250. Just trim to length, and follow the direction. Even went so far as to anneal  some cases to see if they lasted any longer. [ Not worth the work for pistol ]

 

[Patton]

Welcome to TN.  With the exception of close family and friends that I take to the range occasionally, I generally train law enforcement that work for my agency and cadets that come though the local police academy. I have no clue where to even send people around your parts. 

It’s not the best time to get into handloading.  It may be worth it for someone doing it for precision rifle loads, but not worth it for high volume, common caliber pistol loads. 

[E4 No More]

6 hours ago, JohnSutton1980 said:

It has been described to me as a 40 case with a 9mm bullet....

This is not correct. It is a 10mm case that is shortened and necked down to a 9mm. The pressures are too high for a .40 caliber case. It adds around 200 fps over the 9mm. There is no way I'd carry a .40 caliber handgun for self-defense.

[JohnSutton1980]

37 minutes ago, E4 No More said:

This is not correct. It is a 10mm case that is shortened and necked down to a 9mm. The pressures are too high for a .40 caliber case. It adds around 200 fps over the 9mm. There is no way I'd carry a .40 caliber handgun for self-defense.

Yes I have learned that when you hear something on the internet, realize the person is probably just repeating something they heard on the internet. It’s getting hard to find people that want to share real life experiences. Very easy to find people who like to repeat things without verifying if it actually true or not first.

[JohnSutton1980]

2 hours ago, Patton said:

Welcome to TN.  With the exception of close family and friends that I take to the range occasionally, I generally train law enforcement that work for my agency and cadets that come though the local police academy. I have no clue where to even send people around your parts. 

It’s not the best time to get into handloading.  It may be worth it for someone doing it for precision rifle loads, but not worth it for high volume, common caliber pistol loads. 

I lived here before. Seems like about 10-12 years ago. Work likes to up root me every now and then. But now I am done! I’m here till the wheels fall off!

I will continue my search! I do thank you for your info.

[Thursty]

I'll add in, I found the recoil of the 357 SIG to be pretty comparable to the .40. Close enough for me to practice with. 

[ehull20000]

I had a Sig 229 in 357 Sig. Great gun and a great round. It became too expensive compared to 9mm so I traded it off.  If you have deep pockets it is a good cartridge. If you don’t I would focus on something else. 

[JohnSutton1980]

12 hours ago, ehull20000 said:

I had a Sig 229 in 357 Sig. Great gun and a great round. It became too expensive compared to 9mm so I traded it off.  If you have deep pockets it is a good cartridge. If you don’t I would focus on something else. 

If heard that from folks that have actually used it! I have search several shops and find that it’s pretty difficult to find. When you do find it, generally it’s in HHP not FMJ. The cheapest I have found around Knoxville is about a dollar a round. 

[Guest]

Several years ago, I stumbled into a good deal on a Gen 3 G32C (that "C" part is important!), once I shot that plain, bone stock Glock, I became so in love with that round out of that platform it was not even funny. That is the most effective integrally compensated pistol I've ever shot. It just stays flat, and spews the hate with a sharp crack and a straight back push. Just a hot 9? Sure, shoot both at a steel plate at distance and give me your perception then. Now admittedly, it did help a great deal that Target Sports USA was running a price of about 14.99 for 50 rds of Speer FMJ and 19.99 for 50 rds of Speer Gold Dot, so I now have about 3 50 cal cans full of various .357 Sig to shoot out of that G32C and a Gen 3 G35, with a KKM barrel in .357 Sig. Another amazingly accurate 3 caliber capable pistol (also grabbed a KKM 9mm conversion barrel)

[eRay]

Ammoseek.com shows 357 Sig brass cased FMJ practice ammo for 46 cents per round and Speer Gold Dot for 70 cents per round. I seldom buy any ammo locally for any caliber these days.

[JohnSutton1980]

52 minutes ago, OMCHamlin said:

Several years ago, I stumbled into a good deal on a Gen 3 G32C (that "C" part is important!), once I shot that plain, bone stock Glock, I became so in love with that round out of that platform it was not even funny. That is the most effective integrally compensated pistol I've ever shot. It just stays flat, and spews the hate with a sharp crack and a straight back push. Just a hot 9? Sure, shoot both at a steel plate at distance and give me your perception then. Now admittedly, it did help a great deal that Target Sports USA was running a price of about 14.99 for 50 rds of Speer FMJ and 19.99 for 50 rds of Speer Gold Dot, so I now have about 3 50 cal cans full of various .357 Sig to shoot out of that G32C and a Gen 3 G35, with a KKM barrel in .357 Sig. Another amazingly accurate 3 caliber capable pistol (also grabbed a KKM 9mm conversion barrel)

Yes my thoughts exactly. I have a new gen3 g32.  Since acquiring it I purchased a Glock 40s&w barrel, 9mm conversion barrel, several ETS mags for all calibers so far, and just placed an order for a 22lr conversion kit. So I have a 4 different caliber pistol kit. 9,40, and 22lr are easier enough to get a hold off. I WANT to use the 357Sig round!! I have just a WWB 50rnd box, 20rnd of Speer Gold Dot. Yesterday I stopped at Volunteer Firearms in Vonore TN and bought 2-20rd boxes of Parabellem Ammo.  That was the first shop that had any! It was 1.00 a round. 

[faraim45]

For a long time the Federal Air Marshalls carried .357 Sigs. Don't know what they are using now.

[Patton]

1 hour ago, faraim45 said:

For a long time the Federal Air Marshalls carried .357 Sigs. Don't know what they are using now.

Glock 19 gen 5 MOS, but W/O optics the last time I heard. 

[Cevans]

I purchased both a compact 357 sig and 10mm glock used in the same day. The 10mm I loved, the 357 sig was just too snappy for these old arthritic hands. I wanted to try some full power loads in both and many say especially a lot of the 10mm is watered down. I went to Buffalo Bore and purchased rounds for both guns. We shot the box of 10mm, but both me and my son in law passed on even trying the Buffalo Bore in the 357sig, seemed the regular stuff we were shooting was snappy enough. I sold the 357 sig and kept the 10mm which is my winter carry gun now. Your mileage may vary, several friends of mine love the 357 sig for carry, its just a bit too snappy for me, the 10mm shoots much flatter for me with much less recoil.