glock .357sig or .45 ?

[Guest Macedawg]

i've been considering buying another sub-compact pistol..i love my XD9 but want a little more punch..i've about decided on a glock in the .357sig or .45 but would like go get some opinons..

i like the glock 33 but i'm not super familiar with the .357sig cartridge and how hard it would be to find ammo

i like the glock 30 and 36 in .45acp..the 30 has a double stack mag that holds 10rds and the 36 is a smaller single stack and only holds 6 rounds..i know i've seen .45acp more available lately than 9mm so i'm sure i can find ammo

either way if i want i know i can buy a 9mm barrel and clip and shoot 9mm rounds if want..i'm just wondering which one would be a better carry gun..i know the .357sig is alot hotter round and the .45 is comparably slow but would it matter in a self defense situation?

also if i went with the .45 would it make more sense to get the 10+1 over 6+1?..seems like i would rather have a little bit larger gun and have 10 rounds vs. 6 for the same price

any comments or thoughts?

[Derek]

personally, Id go for the .357 SIG. Ive seen some impressive ballistic reports done on them. But then again, a .45 is a .45

[Guest pusherman]

Never fired the glock in .357, but my brother has the sig 239 in .357sig and the recoil is fairly snappy on the sub-compact frame. Its snappy enough that I dont enjoy shooting it much.

Ammo never seems to be an issue, Gander Mnt and Dicks seems to keep it in stock here in huntsville.

-J

[Guest gw2and4]

I had a Glock 30SF and it shot great. Handled 200-grain +P loads WAY better than I thought it would. Would still have it, but I decided I wanted a black rifle more than a second .45 pistol. Anyway...on to some thoughts for your consideration:

For me, the single stack Glock was too thin to be comfy and held too few rounds...and the non-SF model 30 was too thick for my smaller hands. I was torn between the two until I picked up a 30SF. Bought it on the spot because of how much I liked it. Beyond the advantage of higher capacity of the model 30 over the model 36, the model 30 will accept model 21 mags as well to provide more options and modularity.

The 30 isn't as small as the other baby Glocks. It's thicker/heavier than a 33 and closer to the footprint of a compact Glock frame like the 19/23/32 than the footprint of a 26/27/33. So definitely hold them and A/B compare if you haven't already.

Bottom line, the 30SF will shoot more similarly to your XD9 due to a combination the low pressure of the .45 ACP cartridge and the mass of the gun. The model 33 will seem harder to control your follow-up shots because the gun is light on the bottom end and the .357 Sig round has noticable muzzle flip since it's a higher pressure load than the .45 ACP.

Not to stir the pot too much, but have you considered a model 27 in .40SW? That way you get good terminal ballistics of a hotter round while having a caliber that's very common and thus ammo will be readily available... Just sayin'.

[leroy]

i've been considering buying another sub-compact pistol..i love my XD9 but want a little more punch..i've about decided on a glock in the .357sig or .45 but would like go get some opinons..

i like the glock 33 but i'm not super familiar with the .357sig cartridge and how hard it would be to find ammo .... any comments or thoughts?

Mace:_____________

I have a Glock 33 that I EDC carry in an Allen Miller Kydex pocket holster.

The glock 33 and the 357 sig is a great cartridge/pistol combination. Mine is extremely accurate and reliable. We have worked up handloads that chronograph an honest 1275FPS out of this little pistol (...3.1 inch barrel...) using 124 grain JHC's. It is no problem to hit the 8 inch diameter rounds that the action pistol shooters shoot at 25 to 30 yards with great regularity in aimed fire. I have fired 300 to 400 rounds of these handloads thru this little cannon with no failures to feed. Recoil is brisk; not any more unmanageable than full house 45 ACP rounds in a 1911. Now that that the ammo situation is loosening up; ammo should be no problem. I heartily recommend the 357 sig. It is everything that was claimed for the 9mm in the early eighties. I like it because it will honestly duplicate the ballistics of a 357 mag (...125 grain bullet...) in an extremely small package.

Hope this helps

Kind regards,

Leroy

[Guest Macedawg]

Not to stir the pot too much, but have you considered a model 27 in .40SW? That way you get good terminal ballistics of a hotter round while having a caliber that's very common and thus ammo will be readily available... Just sayin'.

i thought about the .40 but if i did that i'd just buy another XD in .40

now only if they made a .45 in a subcompact..

[Guest Macedawg]

Mace:_____________

I have a Glock 33 that I EDC carry in an Allen Miller Kydex pocket holster.

The glock 33 and the 357 sig is a great cartridge/pistol combination. Mine is extremely accurate and reliable. We have worked up handloads that chronograph an honest 1275FPS out of this little pistol (...3.1 inch barrel...) using 124 grain JHC's. It is no problem to hit the 8 inch diameter rounds that the action pistol shooters shoot at 25 to 30 yards with great regularity in aimed fire. I have fired 300 to 400 rounds of these handloads thru this little cannon with no failures to feed. Recoil is brisk; not any more unmanageable than full house 45 ACP rounds in a 1911. Now that that the ammo situation is loosening up; ammo should be no problem. I heartily recommend the 357 sig. It is everything that was claimed for the 9mm in the early eighties. I like it because it will honestly duplicate the ballistics of a 357 mag (...125 grain bullet...) in an extremely small package.

Hope this helps

Kind regards,

Leroy

thanks for some personal feedback thats exactly the kinda stuff i wanna hear i knew from my reading it was a pretty hot round and should perform well i'm just a guy who actually SHOOTS my guns and just doesnt collect them so being able to find ammo is a big issue for me

[dunndw]

I have a Glock 32 on my hip right now. I think it's easy shooting in .357 Sig. I like it alot. I shoot the G32 better than the 229 in .357 Sig I have. I like the cartridge much better than the .40. I've never like the recoil impulse of the .40...it's just me.

I carry it when my 1911 might bet in the way. Like today I was under desks and in ceilings all morning looking at wireless access points. I almost forgot I had the Glock on.

I don't like the 30 or the 36...something about them just doesn't fit my hand properly. the 32 is Glock 19ish enough to fit well.

If I knew damn good and well I was going to get into a fight when I went out, I'd still pick one of my 1911s in .45 over anything else...other than a rifle :-) but I do carry my G32 quite a bit.

[creeky]

Got a USPc in .357 sig. Love it. (Also like the .45 acp)

Shot a mini glock in .357 sig a while back. Very controllable. Nothing like

what I had heard. (And I have small girlly hands btw.)

Ammo is not that hard to find. 99% of the time Wally word has Win White Box FMJ for about $24 bucks. When ammo dried up they had it in stock almost all the time.

Georgia Arms has a really good price if you can buy in bulk. 1000rds for $300 bucks.

Really like the cartridge. But beware... chicks really dig guys who shoot that caliber. It's a known internet fact.

[Guest Macedawg]

Really like the cartridge. But beware... chicks really dig guys who shoot that caliber. It's a known internet fact.

[Guest cheez]

357 Sig is a great round but ammo is not as readily available as the 45 ACP. I would stay away from the Glock 36. Of all the Glocks made there is more bad press on the 36 than all the others combined. I had a G36 and had lots of trouble with it. Not your typical reliable Glock by any means. The Glock 30 is an impressive compact for sure. That would be my choice of the guns you mentioned.

[packingvol]

After 7 years of EDC (and about as many different carry guns), I finally settled on the G27 solely for the fact that I can be made a 357 SIG launcher with nothing more than a drop in barrel swap. For all practical purposes the G27 and G33 are the same handgun, just different barrels and a SLIGHTLY different follower in the G33 mags. The 357 SIG round loads and shoots just fine from the stock G27 40cal mags. The cost of a factory glock barrel is usually around $150-175, many aftermarket ones from $100-175.

I use a KKM 357 Sig barrel in my G27 and it has performed flawlessly. I actually prefer shooting the 357 SIG over the 40. I think I only put about 50 rounds through the 40 barrel before leaving the 357 SIG in there. It's nice having the option to switch back in forth, in case of ammo availability issues, ect. I've NEVER had a problem finding 357 Sig ammo, and I've never paid over $18 a box of 50 for 125gr FMJ. You can get really nasty 125gr gold dots from Doubletap for $42 a box.

The recoil is not bad at all, but it is loud. It will make people a few lanes over stop shooting . I found that I prefer having the +0 pearce grip extension on the mags. Makes it a little easier to grab from the holster securely and gives it the "feel" of a much larger gun without sacrificing anything in the way of concealment.

And yes, you can shoot 9mm out of it. You will need a 9mm conversion barrel specifically for it. Lone Wolf makes one. You will also need G26 mags. But for $150 you can get a barrel and two mags and be able to shoot 9mm just as if it was a G26.

The next logical step is to get you a G35, or G24 and pop in a 357 SIG barrel for a long barreled SIG launcher. KaBOOOOM!

[Guest CK1]

Which do you shoot better or which would you be more likely to practice more with? There is your answer.

It's shot placement, not caliber or so-called stopping power. A .22lr can kill a man just as dead as a .50bmg if you hit where you're aiming and neither a .45acp nor a .357sig will do little more than piss somebody off if you aren't good with 'em.

I've had more than one guy who couldn't hit s**t tell me that anything less than a .45 was worthless, ignoring the fact that in their hands, any caliber would be.

Edited April 13, 2010 by CK1

[Guest The Highlander]

I really like Glocks, all day everyday carry. 90% of the time is a G31 in .357 SIG. This is the full-size version. I also have owned a G30 in .45 ACP. I really like the flat-shooting of the .357 SIG round, and the gun fits my hand a little better than the G30.

While I don't own a mid-size like the G32, that will almost certainly be my next Glock purchase. Just a bit larger than the G33, actually more the size of the G30. But the G19 RTF I handled a few days ago was terrific.

No problems getting ammo that I can recall. Love the gun and the caliber. You can drop in a .40 S&W barrel if you want, although since it would be the only .40 I own I will not do it unless I found a screaming deal on a barrel.

[Guest 10mm4me]

G32 all the way baby. Besides my G19, my G32 in 357 is my favorite. Ammo is no harder to find or more expensive than anything else. Just have to know where to look.

[nolo]

either way if i want i know i can buy a 9mm barrel and clip and shoot 9mm rounds if want.

I don't think there is a conversion for a G30 into a 9mm. The only conversion I saw was to a 400 Corbon or 10mm. I don't think the 9mm mags would fit into the 30.

[Guest ljc3]

I vote the 357 Sig. I also did a lot of research when selecting a carry gun. The 357 Sig offered a lot of performance in a .40 sized package and provides more rounds than the .45 for the same sized pistol. Don't get me wrong, I was and still am an advocate for the .45. However, for a small package I like the glock 32 and 33. Ammo has really not been a problem since every time I go to Wallmart I stop by the ammo counter. Sometimes they have some, sometimes they don't. A box of 50 from Winchester runs $22. My sweet southern bell, pearl wearing wife carries a glock 33 and loves it. What else can I say?

[Patton]

I do like 357SIG and I found ammo very accessible during the shortges. I went into one Walmart and all they had was 357 sig. The only thing that keeps me from picking one up is the fact 9mm+P and +P+ gives pretty close to the same ballistic performance with more capacity.

[Guest mac_05evo]

I picked up a Glock 30 the other day and shot it for the first time earlier today. I have to say I was very pleased with how well it shot and the "controllability" of the gun. The size is great and fits in my hand just right (with finger extensions on mags).

[Proscene]

I bought the Glock 32 / 357 sig then bought Wolf barrel that converts it to 40 cal in 1 minute.

[hipower]

I have an XD in 357sig. Great pistol--accurate, a little snappier than a 45 round, but not unmanagable. It has a little harsher muzzle blast with almost any load and is quite loud. I also just acquired a Glock 30 and much prefer it to the 357. Just my preference. My only complaint with the little glock is that I get the occasional finger pinch from the gap with the grip and magazine. Just have to watch my hold and it's fine. Either should be a good choice, just pick the most comfortable for you and go.

[Proscene]

I have the Glock 32 and a Wolf 40 cal barrel so I can shoot either 357 sig or 40 cal thru it.

[ruebixx]

It really is a matter in what is most comfortable for you. I myself like the Glock 36.7 rounds is more than enough rounds to get the job done if you're accurate, and that comes from practice not more rounds.100 rounds will be no good if you can't shoot accurately.