Opinions on .40 or a .357

[Guest m&pc9]

I have got the itch to buy another carry gun. I think I would like to have a 40 or a 357. I have searched the intraznet and there are a lot of pros and cons. Im leaning towards the 357. What do you think which would be a better carry gun.

BTW its a 357 auto.

Edited April 14, 2009 by m&pc9

[Guest mustangdave]

I have both...FNH P-40 and a Taurus Tracker in 357 magnum...the magnum is the "bulkier" of the two...but with the proper "loose attire" hides just as well as the 40

[Smith]

.357 SIG? If so get another M&Pc .40, XDc .40, or Glock 23 and you can get a conversion barrel and have both!

Personally, I like the .357 SIG but +P or +p+ 9mm gets me all the same benefits with more carrying capacity. That being said if you are going up in size (case size) I'd go with a .40.

Edited April 14, 2009 by Smith

[Guest JHatmaker]

I've got both a .357 SIG (Glock 32) and a couple .40's (various), and while I love the .357, I'd probably go with another .40

.357 SIG ammo is harder to find than the other calibers, and sometimes twice the cost of .40 (which is somewhat abundant). Tennessee State troopers use .357 SIG Glocks (32's) b/c of the .357's ability to go through glass and windows and still have enough force to penetrate the perp.

Also, and this really isn't a big deal, but .357 SIG's are loud as all get out if you haven't ever shot one. You can't go wrong with either, but at least for me, .357 ammo is extremely hard to find.

[HanSolo]

I agree with JHatMaker. When I was selecting my primary carry weapon I considered both. But because of the availability and price of ammo as well as in a real world defense scenario I do not believe there will be much of a different, I went with the 40. I bought a XD sub 40 and it has been my primary carry weapon. Other than in winter when clothing allows me to strap my P226 or 1911 to my side, I carry the XD in a M-Tac holster and have for 2 years. I am very tempted to upgrade and change firearms all of the time, but changing this as my carry weapon has not been one of those temptations.

[DaveTN]

Im leaning towards the 357.

Why??

I would (and did) go with the .40S&W. The .357SIG has some advantages if you are cop.

But the biggest drawback is the cost to shoot the .357SIG. They are both excellent carry rounds though.

[Raoul]

+1 on the ammo issue. It's much easier to find the .40 ammo.

[nolo]

I've got the Glock 32 with an aftermarket 23 (.40 cal) barrel. For an extra $100 you can have a match grade barrel that drops in. The conversion only takes a few seconds, and you can still use the .357 magazines for the .40 barrel. I don't think you can use the .40 mags with the .357. I love the gun and the round. I carry it as a .357 depending on what mood I'm in, but shoot it as a .40. I called 2 gun shops and 5 Walmarts today and only found 1 box of .357 sig. The sigs are definitely hard to find. The one box was $25 for 50.

As far as ballistics go the .357 is a stout round. Buffalobore makes 2 .357 sig rounds that are really impressive. In a low flash round the velocity is 1425 ft/s out of a 4 in barrel. That's about 200-300 ft/s faster than the fastest 9mm +P.

[eehlert]

Two points to clarify:

1. THP Troopers carry the Glock 31...not 32.

2. As far as Glocks go, the .40 caliber magazines can also be used in the .357 Sig weapons.

E

[Trekbike]

Im leaning towards the 357.

Then I think that's what you should get.

Me personally, I would go with the .40 but then I'm not the one buying the gun.

Again, get what your gut is telling you and don't look back.

[Guest CK1]

I have got the itch to buy another carry gun. I think I would like to have a 40 or a 357. I have searched the intraznet and there are a lot of pros and cons. Im leaning towards the 357. What do you think which would be a better carry gun.

BTW its a 357 auto.

If you can afford to practice with it (it's expensive), and can find it, .357sig pretty much rules IMHO.

I like the way the recoil feels much much better than the .40, and it's real accurate for me... not to mention the only thing meaner is maybe the 10mm.

.40 as you probably know is much more common, and cheaper to shoot, but the snappy recoil can be a little weird... I don't like it and prefer hot 9mm loads that don't sacrifice a whole lot, that said, the .357sig is a LOT more powerful.

another thing to point out as for .357sig, the secret service uses it, that says something...

You should consider though if you plan to use it for home defense, it goes though walls no problem... might not be good for those in adjacent rooms.

[Guest m&pc9]

I was leaning towards the 357 because I was reading on the internet it was a bad a$$. The cost of the ammo is a con, but I have two 9mm that I practice with so I planned on shooting it enough to get the feel and then every once and a while. But im a little scared about it going through walls. I guess after You guys help I might be leaning back to the 40. I now carry a full size 9mm with +p loads that might be all I need. I dont know Im just getting an itch.

[Guest Jennings382]

357.

[Guest CK1]

...I now carry a full size 9mm with +p loads that might be all I need. I dont know Im just getting an itch.

if you like the 9mm, i'd say just stick with it... with good SD loads it'll do the job as well as a .40 if need be (besides, for many including myself, the easier follow up shots with the 9 than with a .40 are a big plus...), and there's a lot to be said for being able to practice a bunch with the same gun you carry, while at the same time not going broke.

i liked my .357sig while i had it, but i try to shoot around 300 or more per week, with the .357sig that's almost a new gun every two weeks.

[Guest JHatmaker]

I've got the Glock 32 with an aftermarket 23 (.40 cal) barrel. For an extra $100 you can have a match grade barrel that drops in. The conversion only takes a few seconds, and you can still use the .357 magazines for the .40 barrel. I don't think you can use the .40 mags with the .357. I love the gun and the round. I carry it as a .357 depending on what mood I'm in, but shoot it as a .40. I called 2 gun shops and 5 Walmarts today and only found 1 box of .357 sig. The sigs are definitely hard to find. The one box was $25 for 50.

As far as ballistics go the .357 is a stout round. Buffalobore makes 2 .357 sig rounds that are really impressive. In a low flash round the velocity is 1425 ft/s out of a 4 in barrel. That's about 200-300 ft/s faster than the fastest 9mm +P.

Quick question, off topic: Where did you get your .40 barrel? I'm wanting to get one. Did you go with a Glock factory or Wolf?

[nolo]

I went with Storm Lake. I believe topglock.com had them for $98 when I bought it 2 months ago. The fit is perfect, and the accuracy is improved over a .40 Glock barrel. It also offers a fully supported barrel. Plus it's sliver and looks nice in the slide.

It looks like their price has gone up $20, but this site still has the 23 barrel for $98. GlockWorld - Glock Barrels - Storm Lake, EFK, Advantage Arms, KKM

[Guest JHatmaker]

I went with Storm Lake. I believe topglock.com had them for $98 when I bought it 2 months ago. The fit is perfect, and the accuracy is improved over a .40 Glock barrel. It also offers a fully supported barrel. Plus it's sliver and looks nice in the slide.

It looks like their price has gone up $20, but this site still has the 23 barrel for $98. GlockWorld - Glock Barrels - Storm Lake, EFK, Advantage Arms, KKM

Excellent, thanks!

[Guest KWW67]

I am a .40 guy myself..

[Smith]

I was leaning towards the 357 because I was reading on the internet it was a bad a$$. The cost of the ammo is a con, but I have two 9mm that I practice with so I planned on shooting it enough to get the feel and then every once and a while. But im a little scared about it going through walls. I guess after You guys help I might be leaning back to the 40. I now carry a full size 9mm with +p loads that might be all I need. I dont know Im just getting an itch.

It is a well known fact that the .357 SIG will make young girls faint and grown women cry in face of your manliness!

Seriously though, your 9mm +p load is probably running very close to the .357 SIG - with the exception of the hotter specialty .357 loads.

[nolo]

Here's a pretty good article on the .357:

Comments on the .357 SIG

If you are having to compare the .357 sig to a +P or+P+ 9mm, then that should tell you which one is a superior round. They are close, but the .357 edges it out in all the balistics data that I've seen. I agree with the author of that article that the CorBon DPX is one of the best .357 sig rounds. There may be faster one out there, but this one is really impressive to shoot.

357 Sig

125gr DPX

1350fps

505ftlbs

[Guest JHatmaker]

Here's a pretty good article on the .357:

Comments on the .357 SIG

If you are having to compare the .357 sig to a +P or+P+ 9mm, then that should tell you which one is a superior round. They are close, but the .357 edges it out in all the balistics data that I've seen. I agree with the author of that article that the CorBon DPX is one of the best .357 sig rounds. There may be faster one out there, but this one is really impressive to shoot.

357 Sig

125gr DPX

1350fps

505ftlbs

Great article, when I first shot my Glock 32 I was expecting a lot more recoil than it actually produced. It's a very sharp/quick jolt vs. using a .40.

While I'm more accurate with my SIG P226 (.40), the .357 SIG does a fine job.

[creeky]

I shoot and carry .357 sig. Works for me.

Never really had a problem finding ammo, Wal-mart always had it.

Georgia Arms Sells Speer 110 gr. Frangible, $60 bucks for 250.

(Guns and Leather sells it for the same.) Review of it.

Two other things to keep in mind about the .357 sig...

1. Bottle neck design helps in feeding...

2. Chicks REALLY dig guys that shoot the .357 sig:D

Seriously though, I like the recoil (USPc). It also punches

a really clean hole in paper. Ammo is more expense, can be harder to find,

and it is true many law Enforcement agencies have went to it.

(Secret Service, Texas Dept. of Safety, Texas Rangers, seems like I read something somewhere about Air Marshals using it but don't quote me.)

Mainly you know what your wanting out of it better than us, plus it's your money.

Should be noted that although I do like it, I would like to one day get a Glock or M&P in 9mm. So I can have something to shoot that is cheaper.

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

Ok, you asked for opinions so here goes. After shooting .40 from several different gun makers (Glock, Sig, Beretta, H&K), I can say without a doubt that I hate that caliber. I don't like the recoil and for whatever reason I am nowhere near as accurate as I like to be with it. As for the .357 Sig, I have never shot one, but I agree with most here that the cost and availability of the ammo needs to be seriously considered. I prefer and carry 9mm but that is primarily because of ammo cost. If I could afford it, I would gladly carry a Sig P220 in .45 caliber.

Once again, this is just my opinion but I would not spend one nickel on either a .40 or a .357 Sig.

[Guest pardue10]

I have a P229 with both barrels. Recoil depends on weight and ergos of the gun. The recoil of the 357 is quick and sharp. In the 40 the bullet weighs more so the recoil is different. Neither have heavy recoil. A hot 38 in a J frame is more than either of these in a P229.

[Guest cjr]

Im going to the range tomorrow to shoot my new HK P2000 V3 with both the .357 sig and the 40 s&w.

I will give a range report tomorrow.

PS. I have just enough cash left over after sending off my T check for 1 round of .40 and 1 round of .357 sig.

It will be a short report.