[Rt Wing Conspirator]

I have been thinking about moving from a 9mm defense weapon to somthing bigger but want to maintain a Hi Cap magaine. I have a .40 cal but just do not like it. Muzzzle rise is strange. I don't like .45s because most hold only 7 rounds or have larger grips for more capacity. I have small hands and none of those fit my hand. Give your input about .357 Sig caliber. What I read about them I like. What do you guys think? Who has that caliber other thank Sig? I am partial to H&K Compacts. They fit me like a glove but don't think they come in this caliber.

 

[IamElmerJFudd]

Good caliber. I know people who carry it in Sigs and are happy with it. Expensive to shoot. Glock has a new hi-cap .45 with a thinner grip that you might want to examine.

 

[jjk308 In Memoriam RIP]

Muzzle rise is usually because the pistol is very light. My 38 super Light Weight Colt Commander (alloy frame) is an extreme case, with lots of muzzle flip, but you get used to it as its consistent and after that it doesn't have any adverse effects to speak of. A 357 Sig in the same pistol may not be much different from a .40.

Also, I shoot the Commander because I've got short fingers and can't get my hands around any hicap DA pistols.

HK makes its P2000 and P2000SK compact in 357 SIG.

 

[AZshooter]

All you stubby-fingered girlie-handed old geezers! I've prolly' got smaller hands than any of you & have no problem with that big ol hog-buster grip on my Glocks. Never fear, if you still hold to that old "Glocks' too big fer me" tome, a new player is out there with some comfier hi cap .45 ACP polymer handles: The Springfield XD. I got an XD-45 Tactical earlier this summer & was initially put off by the crappy trigger. after the sear/springs upgrade, I'm happy with the XD & consider it (for now) approaching equal to the superb accuracy of my Glock 21's.

When you get a chance, go feel an XD-45. Nothing compares with a comfortable handling & accurate .45ACP & from what my little girlie paws have found, the XD fills the bill for the grip-challenged.

For years I regarded the .40 S&W as a big PITA to shoot because of the squirrelly muzzle flip. .357 Sig isn't any better. Last year a shooting buddy bought his first new handgun - Compact Glock in .40 S&W. Gotta be the worst combo - muzzle flippin' .40 cal + a compact size, which ought to magnify all the discomforts ... In theory, yes. In actual trial, when he begged me to shoot it, it was really pleasant and more accurate than I'd ever expect - my first 5 rounds were all in the black on a 50 ft. target. With that being the case, I'd recommend a .40 Glock & would buy one if I needed something less than a .45 & bigger than 9mm. The Glock changed my mind altogether about the .40 S&W.

 

[krochus]

I really like my Glock 32 in 357sig. I think of it as a modern day 7.62x25 on steroids. On the subject of recoil I've fired compact glocks in both 357 and 40 caliber and have found recoil to be completely different between the two rounds. As you mention 40 cal tends to roll in the hands, where the 357 is more a very sharp and fast rearward shove. Cycling time on the 357 sig Glock 32 feems much shorter than with the same sized glock in 40

 

[Son of the Gun]

I'm curious about something. If you are put off by the 9mm Luger, why would you want to use the same caliber, just mildly faster? The .357 Sig is a .355" (9mm) bullet moving about 20% faster than commercially loaded 9mm Luger, with bullet weights being equal. The disparity is evel less with 9mm +P loadings. Given the cost of the Sig round, I just can't help but wonder, "What's the point?"

I just don't understand wanting more power with the same caliber. Why not just get the .40? It's proven itself, essentially since the day it came out, to fill a niche between the 9mm and the .45 quite well. I've gotta echo the sentiments of AZShooter: try the G23 or G27 (for a SUPER small package) in .40 S&W. You'll be surprised with their accuracy and ease of use, not to mention the world-renowned Glock reliability.

 

[jjk308 In Memoriam RIP]

38 Super - 124 Gr : 1346 ft/s *

357 SIG - 124 Gr: 1329 ft/s*

9mm Parabellum - 124 Gr: 1150 ft/s

* Dont have any 124 gr. .40 S&W data but the higher weight performance is about the same as the 38 super and the 357 SIG.

And the winner is!

PS - I'd be a bit leery of those +p+ loads you need in a 9mm to get 38 Super/357 SIG performance. The pistol may be strong enough but the recoil spring wont be if sized for a standard 9 and you may batter it to death.

I think the main advantage of the 357 SIG is that the bottlenecked cartridge is a more reliable form for feeding and ejecting. But most pistols are VERY reliable today with any of these cartridges.

But the real question is why do we have 3 cartridges of virtually the same performance?
The 38 and SIG shoot the same weight bullets, the .40 goes a bit higher, all at about the same velocity.
The original 38 Super headspaced, poorly, on the stupid semi-rim. Modern ones do it on the case front and often competitors trim the semi-rim off. But its gotten a reputation as an almost obsolete round.
The .40 had some teething problems - developing accurate loads and Kaboom! problems with pistols that had partially unsupported chambers - and this may be the real reason for the SIG.

 

[Snowman]

357 Sig

I have been thinking about moving from a 9mm defense weapon to somthing bigger but want to maintain a Hi Cap magaine. I have a .40 cal but just do not like it. Muzzzle rise is strange. I don't like .45s because most hold only 7 rounds or have larger grips for more capacity. I have small hands and none of those fit my hand. Give your input about .357 Sig caliber. What I read about them I like. What do you guys think? Who has that caliber other thank Sig? I am partial to H&K Compacts. They fit me like a glove but don't think they come in this caliber.

Hello Rt Wing Conspirator. If you have a 40 cal. pistol you can change it to 357 sig by swapping out the barrel. Wolf makes barrels for Sig and Glock that convert one to the other. The mags are usually interchangeable. So you can buy a Sig in 40 cal. and get a Wolf barrel in 357 Sig. I think they might even make barrels for HK's. You could always get a USP in 40 cal (A GREAT pistol!) with 12 round mags then get a Wolf barrel. Hope this helps.

 

[buzzinhalfdoz]

LOVE MY GLOCK 33 (357SIG),11 ROUNDS, NOT MUCH BIGGER THAN A J- FRAME 5 SHOT. love my s-w 66 357 revolver. it is all about-penetration,trijectary,and stopping power..ps - as far as cost goes, at wallyworld they often have 357sig on the shelf, when every thing else is gone...

 

[Clyde]

I think that the Texas DPS had something to do with 357 SIG. Some few years ago now they were ready to replace the N-frame S&Ws in 357 Magnum they'd carried for a long time with an auto - and wanted a solid, reliable piece that fired a ballsitic equivalent of the 125-grain JSP/JHP they used in the big Smiths. And got - the 357 SIG. AFAIK, they (both DPS brass and the troopers) have been satisfied.

 

[unbekannt]

I have been thinking about moving from a 9mm defense weapon to somthing bigger but want to maintain a Hi Cap magaine. I have a .40 cal but just do not like it. Muzzzle rise is strange. I don't like .45s because most hold only 7 rounds or have larger grips for more capacity. I have small hands and none of those fit my hand. Give your input about .357 Sig caliber. What I read about them I like. What do you guys think? Who has that caliber other thank Sig? I am partial to H&K Compacts. They fit me like a glove but don't think they come in this caliber.

What kind of .40 do you have? Different grip shapes make a huge difference in felt recoil.

.357Sig is, in essence, a .40 necked down to 9mm.

Have you shot a .357Sig? If you don't like the recoil in .40, you might not like the .357.

 

[cwo4uscgret]

I have a 4 in 1 Glock. A Model 29 in 10mm. For $120 each I bought spare barrels in .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and 9x25 Dillon. All four rounds share the same 10mm shell casing; the 9x25 Dillon is a 10mm necked to 9mm (and smoking hot; the barrel came ported); the .40 is a shorted 10mm case; and the .357 Sig is a necked down .40 case. In order of personal preference, I like the 10 or 9x25 Dillon the best, then the .40 S&W, and finally the .357 Sig. For me the .357 Sig is the least accurate.