About .357 Sig
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to talk all about
.357 Sig today. The cartridge has been around for a few decades now and has a number of dedicated followers. Our goal with this blog post is to provide a brief overview of the cartridge while delving into its development, traits, features, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk about
.357 Sig.
What is .357 Sig?
The
.357 Sig is a bottlenecked cartridge introduced by
Sig Sauer in 1994. The cartridge is ultimately the product of a collaboration between
Sig Sauer and
Federal, a notable
ammunition manufacturer. Notably, the
.357 Sig was the first modern bottlenecked cartridge introduced to the commercial market since the .256 Winchester in 1961. The
.357 Sig was brought to market to provide a semi-automatic analog to the
.357 Magnum. Simply put, the project was hoping to replicate the performance of a 125 grain
.357 Magnum load in the form of a semi-automatic pistol cartridge. The release of the cartridge coincided with the introduction of
Sig Sauer’s P229 handgun, a handgun also available in
9mm Luger and
.40 Smith & Wesson. Notably, the P229 was the first handgun designed to handle the higher pressure of the
.357 Sig cartridge.
As a bottlenecked cartridge, the
.357 Sig features a distinct crimping around its projectiles. Bottlenecked cartridges are capable of high velocities and often exhibit snappier recoil and louder reports. When compared to the
.40 Smith & Wesson, the
.357 Sig generally features a similar if not softer recoil impulse. Calibers such as
10mm Auto will exhibit a stouter recoil impulse than that of the
.357 Sig. Overall, the bark of the
.357 Sig is worse than its bite. This is to say that while the report of the round is certainly loud, the recoil produced is generally moderate. The recoil impulse when firing is also dampened a bit by the recoil assembly and operation of a semi-automatic firearm.
The
.357 Sig has been employed by a number of law enforcement agencies and organizations since its introduction in 1994. Agencies, departments, and organizations at multiple levels of policing and government have utilized the cartridge. On the state level, the state police of Delaware, Virginia, and Rhode Island have employed the
.357 Sig round. Notably, the Texas Ranger Division has also utilized the
.357 Sig in their duties. On the federal level, agencies such as the Federal Air Marshals and U.S. Secret Service (pre-2019) have utilized firearms chambered in
.357 Sig.
While the cartridge did not become the next big handgun cartridge and usurp a popular mainstay like the
9mm Luger, it still remains popular among many shooters today. The
.357 Sig is primarily used for self-defense, duty use, competition, and general plinking usage.
Purchase .357 Sig Ammo
.40 Caliber Magazine Compatibility
Both the
.40 Smith & Wesson and
.357 Sig share
10mm Auto as a parent case, meaning that they feature similar case dimensions. Due to this fact, the two cartridges can often utilize the same magazine. Some manufacturers even mark their magazines as compatible with both
.40 Smith & Wesson and
.357 Sig ammunition. Sig Sauer is a notable producer of magazines which designate their compatibility with both cartridges.
It should also be known that some magazines are specifically marked for and will only utilize
.357 Sig ammunition. These types of magazines feature different geometry in areas such as the feed lips which are more accommodating to the dimensions of the cartridge. The bottlenecked nature of the
.357 Sig is typically accounted for in these types of magazines.
Who Makes .357 Sig Ammo?
Currently,
.357 Sig ammo is produced by a number of companies across the globe. These loadings range from full metal jacket (FMJ) offerings and defensive loadings. Currently, companies such as
Sellier & Bellot,
Corbon,
Sig Sauer, and
Federal produce
.357 Sig ammo. The defensive loadings feature hollow point projectiles or other types of projectiles conducive to expansion and providing good effect on target.
How Available is .357 Sig Ammo?
At this point in time, a variety of
.357 Sig ammo offerings are available on the market. However, these loadings are not as plentiful as offerings for more contemporary calibers which are commonly found on shelves.
9mm Luger,
.40 Smith & Wesson,
.45 ACP,
10mm Auto, and
.357 Magnum ammo are all more prevalent than
.357 Sig ammo is in most cases. This is not to say that one will be unable to find
.357 Sig ammunition, they will just have to look a bit harder locally or
buy ammo online.
How Available are Firearms Chambered in .357 Sig?
There is a decent variety of firearms chambered in
.357 Sig on the market today. Firearms in this caliber are most commonly found in the form of semi-automatic handguns. Companies such as
Sig Sauer and
Glock are the most prominent producers of handguns chambered in
.357 Sig. These pistols are offered in a variety of forms such as hammer fired and striker fired form and in multiple sizes. Many options are also available with accessory rails which allow users to attach things like lights and lasers.
In addition to firearms chambered in the cartridge, shooters can also purchase
.357 Sig barrels for compatible firearms. Many
.40 Smith & Wesson firearms can easily accept barrels for either
9mm Luger or
.357 Sig, allowing an end user to swap chamberings easily. It should be known that some caliber swaps may require a recoil spring swap as well. All in all, one will be able to find a firearm chambered in
.357 Sig if that is what they are after.
Purchase .357 Sig Ammo
Is .357 Sig Good for Self-Defense?
Like many handgun loadings, the
.357 Sig benefits from the presence of modern defensive loadings. Hollow point loadings and other defensive loadings from companies such as
Corbon,
Speer, and
Federal take advantage of the high velocity nature of the round and provide forceful and consistent expansion. Simply put, a fast projectile impacting a target and expanding after penetration is going to provide more than adequate fight-stopping capability. The moderate but controllable recoil of the
.357 Sig also lends itself well to follow up shots and allows shooters to stay on target without much sight picture disruption. As mentioned above, the cartridge has also been employed by numerous law enforcement entities for duty use. If the cartridge was sufficient for use by armed professionals, it will be more than adequate for use by armed citizens.
Conclusion
All in all, the
.357 Sig continues to be a viable cartridge for shooters today. Whether they are competing, plinking, or carrying the round for self-defense, the
.357 Sig will not let you down. We here at True Shot Ammo offer a variety of
.357 Sig ammo for sale in addition to the rest of the
ammunition we carry. Whether you are after some
.357 Sig ammo or our other offerings, we here at True Shot Ammo have got you covered. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
View more posts about ammo:
