Tn State Troopers went from .40 to .357: Why ?

[JReedEsq]

I was in Court last week talking to a THP Officer who had cited one of my clients. Anyway, I was making small talk while we waited for the Judge to come in and I asked him about his Glock 31 in .357 Sig. He seemed to think that it not only had better penetration than the .40 but also was easier to shoot. He described the recoil as being like a 9mm but with more muzzle flash, more noise, and superior ballistics. He said the THP did a lot of testing and found the .357 had superior penetration to the .40 with no drawbacks. Personally, I doubt I'll ever need to penetrate automotive sheet metal with a handgun. I buy my own ammo and don't have time to reload so I'll stick with what I can buy cheaply at Wal-mart. For the vast majority of us, hitting the target is vastly more important than ballistics. 9mm means more practice ammo for a given price. I shoot .40 as well and I like shooting the two most commonly available calibers, call me lazy but I don't like having to search high and low if I want to pick up a couple of boxes of affordable ammo and head to the range. I might have a slow day at the office and with .40 or 9mm I can swing by Academy or Wal-Mart and pick up some ammo for whatever pistol I have at the office that day. THP may have decided that .357 Sig offers an advantage for them, but that doesn't mean it's better for me.

Edited July 12, 2012 by JReedEsq

[RobertNashville]

my cousin is a THP and he told me 2 years ago that they were phasing out the 357 and going too the 40, at least that is what i remember i could be totally backwards

I don't know when the switch happened but Glock did a commemorative G31 (I own Serial Number 3) and that was at least two-three years ago that that commemorative model came out; I assume the switch to the G31 happened a while before that.

[Garufa]

I don't know when the switch happened ....

2002-2003

[Lumber_Jack]

other than price of ammo why has no one ever resurrected the 10mm? To me the recoil in a full size Glock is not harsh, but others may think so.

[RobertNashville]

other than price of ammo why has no one ever resurrected the 10mm? To me the recoil in a full size Glock is not harsh, but others may think so.

I love the 10MM; I have a G20 and a couple of 1911s chambered in 10MM. But, it got a bad and I think, very unfair review from and ultimately rejected by the FBI; that's why we got the 40S&W.

So...I don't expect it will ever be more than an also-ran in terms of popularity with the masses which is unfortunate.

[Lumber_Jack]

I have a G20 as well and carry it a lot now. I love it too.

[Smith]

other than price of ammo why has no one ever resurrected the 10mm? To me the recoil in a full size Glock is not harsh, but others may think so.

Same thing that cut the .45 out. Grip size and recoil sensitivity. At the time the 10mm was developed the FBI was making a big push for certain demographics and they had trouble with the grip on the recoil. Thus the shortened .40 S&W came to be. Keep in mind the FBI is largely folks with lawyers and accountant backgrounds, so it's not your typical LE agency when evaluating weaponry.

[Guest bkelm18]

If 10mm ammo was cheaper I'd be all over it. I really enjoyed the Glock 20 I had many moons ago. A very satisfying boom when you pull the trigger. Just too expensive to shoot.

[Lumber_Jack]

If 10mm ammo was cheaper I'd be all over it. I really enjoyed the Glock 20 I had many moons ago. A very satisfying boom when you pull the trigger. Just too expensive to shoot.

I've found Georgia Arms ammo pretty affordable and reliable. About $41.00 for 100 rds. Plus I keep the brass and reload

[Guest bkelm18]

I've found Georgia Arms ammo pretty affordable and reliable. About $41.00 for 100 rds. Plus I keep the brass and reload

Well I guess that's not terribly more expensive than .45.

[Patton]

my cousin is a THP and he told me 2 years ago that they were phasing out the 357 and going too the 40, at least that is what i remember i could be totally backwards

They just got new Gen4 Glock 31's so they have been happy..

[Patton]

Double post

Edited July 12, 2012 by Patton

[dlm37015]

my very good friend eric a state trooper has had to send his back several times for ftf problems

[AlvinCYork]

THP actually had a officer involved shooting end with less than desirable results. It took less than a year to switch the entire agency over after they made the decision.

I think they were really looking back to the 357mag performance of there old Model 19's and GP 100's. I'm not agreeing with the decision but I believe 357sig is very capable. Can a super hot 9mm or a 40SW do the same thing? I think it can. The Secret Service tested the 357Sig extensively and felt it really was a armor/barrier penetrator. Police are seeing more and more armor wearing criminals. The Chattanooga Police Dept learned how ineffective 45acp is to even level II body armor in April 2011. I don't know if 357sig would have made a difference but it was brought up that the body armor is so much more common to find amongst criminals.

This is correct. There was a very less than desireable result in a shooting. After that incident, the decision was made to find a new caliber. Also the fact that the .357 will not change trijectory, or changes very little, when passing through a windshield is a desireable quality for THP. THP officers are issued a Glock 31 and a 33 for back up. They also carry a 12ga and an AR. As a family member of a long time trooper, I am glad they are well-armed and very well-trained as most of the time there is little or no immediate back up avaliable for them.

[Kevo]

Ability to use what's hanging always by your side to engage hostiles behind cover seems important to the THP for some reason.

[TN-popo]

Just for giggles, our Fed .40 180gr HSTs did pretty good in our last officer shooting (through auto glass, Dec 2011).

[Guest motonut]

I have a Sig 2340 in 357sig (CPO) on the way from Buds now. I have a Sig SP2022 in 9mm and really like that gun (and it's a great value too IMHO).

I've resisted the 357sig for a while because I didn't want to add another caliber to the ammo collection but the 2340 overcame that resistance.

[MiddTennTaco]

I know a trooper who took part in the testing - 357 sig penetrated better through car glass.

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[runco]

I never should have read this thread. Now I want a 357 barrel for my Sig P229 and see what fun I have been missing. Maybe I will score this weekend at the show. Thanks alot!