357 sig

[Aglifter]

I need opinions on the caliber, as well as any suggestions for which type to buy.

[flyandscuba]

I've got a Steyr M357 and a Kel Tec P-357.  The Steyr is mild to shoot with the low bore axis, but the Kel Tec is a hand cannon.

The caliber is flat shooting, accurate, and has excellent penetration.

With that said, I still prefer the .40 S&W over the .357 Sig -- simply because I want a larger and heavier bullet, as well as the availability and cost of the ammunition.

In terms of comparison, the PowR'ball load is one of my favorite self defense loads -- along with the DPX.

The PB produces the following:

9mm+P 1475 fps 483 ft/lbs.
.40 S&W 1275 fps 487 ft/lbs.
.357 Sig 1600 fps 568 ft/lbs.

So, you can see the added energy produced by the .357 Sig.

The following link has a great deal of information regarding the cartridge -- and what agencies have adopted the loading in duty weapons.

http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/

[tracker]

There are several guns such as the Sig 229 and maybe the
239 where you can have both caliber barrels on the same gun,
same magazine, etc. I have two barrels, 40 and 357 Sig on
my 229. Cost aside, many law enforcement agencies have
switched from the 40 to the 357 Sig.