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Hi Mark, I agree with you and that’s why I went with the 357 SIG in the first place. While I dont expect one shot stops with any caliber (hangun or rifle) I know some are better than others and the 357 SIG is clearly one of the most effective ones you can shoot from a handgun. Besides its power there’s also the issue of it being the most accurate mass produced pistol caliber with a flat trajectory as well as the one that will feed best and less likely to jam compared to straight wall cases.Mr AguirreThanks for your blog and book. The book is probably the best primer on what to expect, if we see a crash inour future. It isn’t as ‘pretty’ as many other such books, but much more useful–especially the arguments for stayingin the suburbs–instead of ‘survival retreating’ from Argentina’s eperience.Regarding the video. I agree very much with your choice of the .357 Glock. I also have a #31 Glock and will carry it more when the weather gets colder. I have a Kahr CW9 for warmer weather. I only have (second hand) knowledge of one person shot with a .357 magnum, by a deputy that I knew. The robber simply dropped on the spot and was pronounced ‘DOA’ at the hospital. Somewhere that 125 gr magnum load earned the term ‘trapdoor load’ because a lot of bad guys just dropped straight down like they were falling through a trapdoor with a solid hit from one. The Glock 31 fiully loaded weighs pretty close to the same as my unloaded Glock 20 and is smaller in all of the right places.I reload .357 Sig and can load a box for $12.00, buying once fired cases (in lots of 500) with Hornady or Nosler 124gr JHP’s–both good performers. Gold Dots are much more expensive and raise the cost to $17 per box. If you reload this round I highly recommend the Lee collet crimping die. (Never factor in your per hour labor or you may never reload again). All loads in this ’31 are as accurate as target wad cutters in my Gold Cup .45, except the 124 gr fmj Winchester loads that I can buy at my local Walmart (about $30–last I checked).Mark
Join the forum discussion on this postFerFAL
6 comments:
The caliber is compelling, I think it's biggest benefit is being able to penetrate sift body armor. However I streamlined to common calibers for a lot of very good reasons.
-TOR
The commercially available ammunition for the .357 magnum is always reduced from maximum loads and thus foot pounds of energy. This is due to liability by the ammunition manufacturers - they would most certainly be sued with so many poorly made revolvers in circulation.
Using published data from Speer, I have reloaded their 110 grain hollow point and chronographed the velocity at 1700 FPS from a S&W 6" barreled pistol. Total calculated foot pounds of energy at the muzzle is near 700, or about 20% higher than the .357 Sig, and over 50% more than a maximum load .45 ACP. The .357 magnum maximum load also disperses all of the energy into the usual depth of the human torso, eliminating concerns about overpenetration with calibers such as the .44 magnum.
In summary, .357 sig reaches 575 ft lbs, the .45 is about 450 ft lbs (but is offers a nice, big 230 grain bullet and a bigger hole), and the max load .357 mag is about 700 ft lbs.
I'm hoping to someday perform a ballistic gelatin test on these maximum loads to see for myself the terminal performance of a bullet moving that fast from a handgun. However, I can guess based on performance of cartridges like the .30-.30.
Hi, 357 SIG wont penetrate most body armor that stops 9mm, dont count on it!
FerFAL
I love the .357 Sig round. But I in looking at numbers, I have to ask myself, is it really that much better than a good +p+ 115 grn 9mm JHP? I think probably not so much. A semi-auto handgun will only do so much regardless of the loading. With a 33 round mag in my full-sized 9mm and another couple in my pocket, I don't feel undergunned in the least. Just remember approximately 80% of people shot with a pistol survive - a like amount shot with a rifle expire....
The .357sig is basically a 9m +P+ only without the high cost. This is important as training with the ammo your actually going to use is important.
The higher capacity slightly lower recoil of the 9mm is only of use if you really train to take advantage of this feature. So rapid fire shots and reloads while moving. For the person with less time and money to train in this fashion the .357sig is a better bet.
"The .357sig is basically a 9m +P+ only without the high cost. This is important as training with the ammo your actually going to use is important."
Not really, the difference between 357 SIG and 9mm +P is similar to the difference between 38 special +P and 357 Magnum, its around 200 pfs difference.
"The higher capacity slightly lower recoil of the 9mm is only of use if you really train to take advantage of this feature. So rapid fire shots and reloads while moving. For the person with less time and money to train in this fashion the .357sig is a better bet."
The secret service and other agencies use it, I doubt they dont train enough, or that they lack enough funds :-p. While 9mm is often "ok", agencies and armed forces that for some reason require more of their handgun will sometimes go for other than 9mm.
FerFAL
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