{"id":778,"date":"2019-11-10T11:47:14","date_gmt":"2019-11-10T11:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/?p=778"},"modified":"2019-11-22T13:20:22","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T13:20:22","slug":"357-sig-caliber-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/357-sig-caliber-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":".357 Sig Caliber – What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many different reasons you might find to develop a new firearm cartridge. Some iconic rounds in history include the 9mm, the 7.62 Soviet, .308 Winchester, and many others. In each of these cases, there was a need and the manufacturers produced. Whether it\u2019s a new rifle round to increase the accuracy of snipers or a more powerful pistol round for law enforcement, companies continue to push the envelope of ammunition technology to meet the ever-changing demands of consumers and government agencies alike. The .357 Sig round is one that was developed to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies for a caliber with improved accuracy without sacrificing any penetration. We\u2019ll discuss the history, the performance, comparisons and the pros and cons of this specialized round in great detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

History<\/b><\/h2>\n

The .357 Sig round was a collaboration between the Swiss-German firearm manufacturer SIG Sauer and the ammunition giant Federal Cartridge. When these two companies started their work on this new cartridge, the goal was to replicate the performance that was found in the 125-grain .357 Magnum round that is fired from revolvers and adapt it to be used in semi-automatic pistols. The power of revolvers is very appealing, but the capacity was subpar for the demands of law enforcement work. In 1994, the .357 SIG round was being produced on a commercial scale for recreational enthusiasts and law enforcement in conjunction with SIG\u2019s new P229 pistol that was chambered to withstand the higher pressures of this newly designed round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Besides some special-made shooting competition cartridges, the .357 SIG was a modern design on the bottleneck handgun cartridge that hasn\u2019t been produced commercially since the early 1960s. A bottleneck cartridge is different than the more common straight-walled cartridge case because it has as shoulder or step-down right before the opening of the case. The .357 SIG cartridge is adapted from the .40 S&W and is loaded to a higher pressure to produce the desired velocity. There have been other bottleneck rounds over the last decades that include the .256 Winchester Magnum, .22 Remington Jet, .221 Remington Fireball, .440 Corbon, and the .32 NAA but none came close to the success of the .357 SIG.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Round Specs & Conversions<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since it was adapted from the .40 S&W casing, the case was initially designed to fit the .357 bullet (9.02mm projectile) that was the same found in the .357 Magnum rounds. But that design quickly changed. It was found to be a much better adaptation to build the case bottleneck to fit the 9.0mm (.355-inch) projectiles. Another difference is that the .357 SIG is a slightly longer case than the original .40 S&W. However, a good number of .40 S&W pistols can easily be retrofitted to accept the .357 SIG round by swapping for a different barrel and recoil spring. Because of the extra load in the round, strong recoil spring is necessary to handle the increased recoil. So, if the pistol has a strong spring, the replacement isn\u2019t necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another great design incorporation is that nearly all .40 S&W magazines will accept the .357 SIG without trouble. The one downside to the round in conversion ease is that some .40 S&W chambered pistols may be incapable of handling the pressure produced. The industry governing body, Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers\u2019 Institute (SAAMI), is responsible for establishing standards for ammunition and chamber pressures. The pressure limits for .40 S&W barrels are roughly 225 MPa and 35,000 psi, which are significantly less than the SIG\u2019s thresholds of 275.80 MPa and 40,000 psi. The amount of increased bolt thrust can be extremely problematic and dangerous if the pistol is not suited for the right pressure limits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Performance<\/b><\/h2>\n

The .357 SIG round was built to mimic the performance of the .357 Magnum revolver round. The bullet weight ranges from 115 to 150 grains and the loads, making it pretty standard across the board in that respect. The real key to this round is the energy that the variable loads offer and they range from 488 foot-pounds force (662 J) to 583 foot-pounds (790 J) and these translate primarily to the stopping power capability. Depending on the bullet design and load, the penetration depths for these rounds can range anywhere from 9 inches based on FBI standardized testing to over 16 inches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to other caliber rounds, the .357 SIG rounds have relatively high velocities, which drastically help their accuracy and distance performance. When a bullet leaves the gun at a faster speed, it can travel further on a straight trajectory towards its target before the effects of gravity start to pull it offline. However, the .357 SIG rounds do not produce the exact same testing results as the .357 Magnum with 125-grain or heavier bullets. Still, this slight disadvantage is quickly offset by the increased magazine capacity of pistols compared to revolvers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While some caliber rounds may be prone to feeding problems, there are virtually no errors associated with the design of the .357 SIG. The bullet is directed through a larger opening prior to being properly set into the chamber, which ensures proper feeding of each round every time. The flat point, round nose, and even hollow point are all exceptional when it comes to feeding because of the bottleneck design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comparison<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since the target of the .357 SIG was to achieve the same performance standards of the highly desirable 125-grain .357 Magnum round, it was a great day when the testing results came back almost identical between the two. The muzzle velocity of 125-grain bullets from each gun was nearly the exact same at 1,450 fps out of a 4-inch barrel. And with that, the objective of the initial design challenge was completed, but the performance excellence didn\u2019t stop there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the physics of firearms, the recoil is in direct relationship to the velocity of the bullet leaving the muzzle multiplied by the mass of the bullet. The recoil of the .357 SIG vs. .357 Magnum is slightly less as well as the .357 SIG vs. 10mm Auto. This makes follow-up shots much more accurate because it is easier to get the gun back to the desired aiming point. However, the recoil of the SIG round is a bit higher than the 9x19mm Parabellum round, but they typically use the same bullet. The .357 SIG can be downloaded to reduce recoil, but that would eliminate any advantage or reason to choose or outfit a firearm for .357 SIG, to begin with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Popularity<\/b><\/h2>\n

For years, the most prominent law enforcement agency that utilized the .357 SIG round was the United States Secret Service. Their standard issue firearm was the Sig Sauer P229 DAK, but over the next two years, the Secret Service will be phasing out in exchange for the Glock line of service pistols suited for the 9mm Luger round. The US Marshalls and the US Coast Guard also have enlisted the service of the high performing .357 SIG round. There are many local and state law enforcement agencies that still outfit their officers with the .357 SIG caliber rounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the civilian market, the popularity never really caught on as much as other similar rounds in the same class and the .357 SIG deserves more love for the following reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n