I've strayed a little...357 Sig.

[Ridgerunner665]

Been looking at upgrading my carry gun (Glock 36) for a while now... I wanted more power and capacity.

I tried to like the G29, but its just too blocky for my tastes as a carry gun.

I've been enamored with the G19 I got for my wife every since she got it. No wonder that is the best selling pistol on the market, its the perfect size. But, I'm no 9mm fan... Don't much like 40 either... So I split the difference, and got a Glock 32 357 Sig.

Its the most power and capacity you can get in a slim compact pistol.

Also decided to go back to IWB carry, found a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 on Amazon, I carried a 1911 in one of those for several years and really liked it a lot. I do plan on getting another Mitch Rosen 5JR later as well, for those OWB occasions.

Got a set of Trijicon sights on the way too, didn't get the HD's this time though, them damn things are just too sharp there on the rear sight, gets rough on forearms and elbows when carried OWB.

Undecided on ammo... Really wanted to try Underwood, but I just don't much like the idea of over 1,500 fps from a 4" barrel... If they'd offer a 125 grain Gold Dot load at an honest 1,400 fps I'd order a case.

So, I got some Speer LE 125 Gold Dot ammo on the way, and will also try some HST loads very soon.

Got a 20# RSA also, figured it couldn't hurt.

The 357 Sig is a one trick pony, for sure.... But that one trick is exactly what I want it for.

[sqlbullet]

Nothing wrong with a 357 Sig for a carry gun.  Solid choice.  I recently added a Sig P229 with a 357 sig barrel to my stable as well.  As soon as I verify performance it will get to ride along from time to time.

[Trapper6L]

I've got a 357 Sig that is a Sig. It's a pain to load for. The biggest issue is finding a bullet short enough that the OAL isn't too long. You can't just stuff the bullet deeper due to the ogive. It takes a short stubby bullet. If you ever intend to load for it, I'd buy brass now. At one time brass was everywhere. Now it's starting to get hard to find. I look for it to go the way of the 45 GAP. Frankly, I'd stock up on ammo if you intend to shoot only factory ammo in it. Dandy round otherwise. I don't carry mine. Around here we have a saying that says In a gunfight, if your gun doesn't start with a 4, you didn't bring enough gun.

[Ridgerunner665]

Brass is easy to find...

$171 per 1,000 direct from Starline... And free shipping.

That said, I don't plan to reload it much, if any.

I don't think the round is in danger of going away, much like the 10mm, it serves a specific purpose and will never be mainstream, but it does things no other semi auto can do.

Some say its just a hot rod 9mm +p+, but that doesn't quite cover it...357 Sig bullets are constructed different than 9mm bullets, very different.

[VarkDriver]

Brass is easy to find...

$171 per 1,000 direct from Starline... And free shipping.

That said, I don't plan to reload it much, if any.

I don't think the round is in danger of going away, much like the 10mm, it serves a specific purpose and will never be mainstream, but it does things no other semi auto can do.

Some say its just a hot rod 9mm +p+, but that doesn't quite cover it...357 Sig bullets are constructed different than 9mm bullets, very different.

And bullets specifically made for .357 SIG are very common for handloading (and not that expensive either). Don't know where Trapper6L is getting his info but I just loaded another 1000 rounds yesterday for less than I can buy any 9mm factory practice loads. Inexpensive once fired brass is also available. Just run it through a .40 caliber bulge buster as first step and they load like butter. Outstanding caliber for SD and definitely not going away anytime soon. Although my duty gun is a .40 S&W (by choice not Dept policy), all my off duty pistols are .357 SIG...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[The_Shadow]

I like the 357 Sig but also like the 9x25 Dillon for the same reasons of uber fast and easily converted with barrel swaps on Glock 29 and 20SF, I was hoping that my friend could have completed the conversions he was making for the S&W 10xx series pistols.

Yes bullet selection is of concern and the Dillon die set & the RCBS 9mm expander plug helps tremendously getting the bullets to hold tight.  I also like using bullets 0.356" and 0.357" in these cartridges.  When using the 0.355" they need a long straight sides and less ogive.  Truncated cone designs help like the Hornady XTP.

I do use a lot of my cast bullets successfully in both of these cartridges as well!

Now about the straying part, I'm carrying more with the Glock 30 45ACP these days in town where I may be in close quarters for a possible encounter.  In the event of having to use my sidearm, and it possibly being held as evidence, I carry less with my 10mm guns.

[4949shooter]

The Underwood loads for .357 Sig are HOT. I shoot them in my G20 with a Lone Wolf conversion barrel. I can't imagine shooting them out of a G32.

Speer offers two loads in their Gold dot line for .357 Sig. You might want to try the hotter of the two (the 54234 load):

http://www.le.vistaoutdoor.com/ammunition/speer/handgun/default.aspx

[Ridgerunner665]

I did get the 54234 load.

Those aren't just two different powder loads, the bullets are different... The 54234 load uses a 6 petal Gold Dot, the other load uses a 5 petal bullet.

Details are sketchy, but it appears one is supposed to expand more/penetrate less than the other.

[4949shooter]

Did you fire them both? The hotter load should have a more purpose designed bullet for .357 Sig.

[Ridgerunner665]

Haven't fired anything yet, but both bullets are designed for the 357 Sig round.

At a glance, they look exactly the same... But looking into the nose and counting the petals, they're not.

[Buckeye 50]

The 357 sig and 45ACP are my other favorite rounds.  Love shooting the 357sig.


What's not to like??



Pat

[Overkill338]

6 pedal Gold Dots are used in higher speed loads.

Nothing wrong with a G32, I had one myself and kind of wish I had it back.

But why oh why do people always get a new gun and start changing springs when it functions fine with the one it was designed with? It functions fine because it was designed to shoot that cartridge. Not ranting on ya, just wondering really.

[Ridgerunner665]

Because the G19 uses the same springs, with pretty much the same weight slide...

The hotter rounds need a little more spring... The only reason Glock doesn't use different springs is economics. Its cheaper for them to consolidate springs... That doesn't mean that a   17 pound spring is ideal for everything from 9mm to 45 Super.

Its just physics... Nobody uses 17 pound springs in 45 Super conversions...

That said, most do overdo it when updating springs... Only the very hottest lage caliber rounds need 24 pound springs.

I did the math (literally).... The Sig round needs a 20 pound spring with a slide weight as light as the Glock slide.

That is not to say the G32 will beat itself to death with a stock spring, the early non captured springs were 19 pounds.

[FN in MT]

   An eon ago I was a State cop here in MT. We shot a LOT of road injured game and livestock, mostly deer.  When we carried the .357 mags it was a simple chore.
Then we switched to 9's and 147 gr subsonics . Killing injured animals become a bit tougher. The .357 mag REALLY put them down.

  Several years later, we went to SIG 229's in .357 sig and WW 125 gr HP's.  It was as if we had the old .357 mags again. Put down deer, elk, etc .....FAR quicker  than the nines.

   The .357 sig is a neat round. When I was a Firearms Instructor I was around tens of thousands of rds running through autos....I swear I never saw a .357 sig fail to feed, or eject.
The bottleneck case design serves a purpose.

  Been loading it for years. All one has to do is make sure You have a .357 sig, specific slug  and use a good taper crimp.

[Overkill338]

Because the G19 uses the same springs, with pretty much the same weight slide...

The hotter rounds need a little more spring... The only reason Glock doesn't use different springs is economics. Its cheaper for them to consolidate springs... That doesn't mean that a   17 pound spring is ideal for everything from 9mm to 45 Super.

Its just physics... Nobody uses 17 pound springs in 45 Super conversions...

That said, most do overdo it when updating springs... Only the very hottest lage caliber rounds need 24 pound springs.

I did the math (literally).... The Sig round needs a 20 pound spring with a slide weight as light as the Glock slide.

That is not to say the G32 will beat itself to death with a stock spring, the early non captured springs were 19 pounds.

That makes sense, like I said I was wondering.

I am adding a 21# spring to my 29, because 10mm ammo is all over the map in terms of power.