Warhammer4k Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Is .357 Sig is another doomed niche cartridge, or is it gathering a reloading following that will keep it alive, if not wildly popular? That's pretty much how I view 10mm Auto. I know I wouldn't own a single 10mm gun if it weren't for reloading. I don't own any .357 Sig guns, but I do like the idea behind it. Generally, a .40 S&W handgun can be converted to shoot .357 Sig with minimal swapping of parts, and that's elegant if nothing else. If you already reload for both 9mm and .40 S&W, it's probably a slam-dunk to add .357 Sig to your reloading setup. Sort of the way I added 10mm because I already reloaded .40 S&W. I don't know how the supposed greater penetration vs. 9mm has turned out for real-world users. For all I know, we'll see the market flooded with former police/.gov-agency guns in a few years, if it isn't already happening. All the pistol cartridges I reload (.38 Special, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .45 ACP) are straight-wall and thus require little case prep beyond tumbling. They all headspace on the case mouth, which is about as simple as it gets for reloading. From what little I've read, data sources conflict on whether .357 Sig headspaces on the case mouth or the shoulder. Some sources claim both (!). Here's the first article I stumbled across on this issue: RealGuns.net article It seems that, practically speaking, .357 Sig headspaces on the case mouth, and in many ways should be approached like a rifle cartridge. That brings up some fun possibilities. I have never read of a .357 Sig revolver, but if one were to exist, I suppose one would want to do minimal sizing, as with a bolt-action rifle. Is there such a thing as a .357 Sig neck-only size die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carharttfarmer Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 reloading for the sig is what makes it great factory ammo is ok but notice you never see any +p With longshot and 115gr bullets i can get 1600fps+ out of my glock 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Never mind what it OFFICIALLY headspaces on. What I do is simply adjust the die until the cases start dropping in easily into chamber, then just a tiny bit more. With that setting I get 100% reliable operation. With good carbide dies and proper bullet selection, reloading that caliber is trivial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abq87120 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 (edited) I am a noob but I have cooked up one fairly successful batch of 357 Sigs for my G23 with a G32 barrel stuffed in it. I had a devil of a problem with set back. The way I discovered it was to make up 10 rounds with a consistent OAL, rack them rapidly through the gun by hand and then measuring them again. I did the FCD thing then found I didn't need it. I use the Lee four-die carbide set and do just fine. My trick is to size them with the decapper then put a slight flare with the Lee powder drop die. I have a Hornaday LnL. The seating die removes the flare and the crimping die puts another .001" crimp and gives a final sizing. I started with Montana Gold 125 gr JHP bullets but found them hard and slick. I switched to Precision Delta 124g 9mm JHP bullets and felt they stuck to the case better. The REAL TRICK to solving my set back problem was to use a compressed load of 13.0 gr of AA #9. This powder is so slow, you are not in danger of loading a kaboom. The Lyman 49th velocity is 1400 fps however and is a pretty stout handful at the range. It's still a kick to shoot. No pun intended, lol. Also, I use Hornaday One Shot lube. I like it a lot - No cleaning after loading. But, I don't want any in the case mouth. So, I spray the inside of a ZipLok with it, toss in a hand full of cases, seal it and massage the cases by hand. This works very well. I marked the ZipLok and reuse it each time I lube. Edited February 11, 2013 by abq87120 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Two questions - do you have to trim .357 Sig brass to shoot it safely repeatedly? Can you make it from .40 brass even though it's shorter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcc7x7 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I don't trim it . $0 S&W made into 357 SIg will be to short. This is a cartridge that is being beat up by people on the interweb that IMO must have limited reloading experiance. It loads fine, use a set of good dies, reading,RCBS, Lee with factory crimp dies as your final stage and you will not have any problems. I load it for 2 different SIGS a 239 my EDC, and a 226 my fun range gun, this gun also has a 40 S%W barrel, sights have to be adjusted because the 257 SIg is so much faster it hits about 5"'s lower than the 40 I agree the safest way to go is with astout but in spec with the books load of AA9, not only does it shoot great it supports the bullet. I slos load a light load with unique that is about like a regular 9mm load. that's my fun / match load. I use it for IDPA SSP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtDave Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 You can avoid having to lube cases. Run brass thru a .40 S&W carbide sizer first, then thru the .357 sig sizer. No lube required. I also use a Redding taper crimp die and have no setback issues. I like Power Pistol and Longshot for 1350 to 1375 fps loads. N350 also shows promise. 800x is great for velocity and accuracy, but as others have noted, it meters about as well as tortilla chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlockCanMan Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Is .357 Sig is another doomed niche cartridge, or is it gathering a reloading following that will keep it alive, if not wildly popular? That's pretty much how I view 10mm Auto. I know I wouldn't own a single 10mm gun if it weren't for reloading. I just got through being an RO at a GSSF match this last weekend and while I know that there are a lot more manufacturers that make the .357sig then just Glock, several of us noticed as we collected the brass at the end of the match that no one shot a .357sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I ran a 357 SIG Open gun for a while... not my choice that's the way the gun was built by the original owner. I never lubed cases. For local matches I just ran 40 brass thru the dies. No setback issues but I was loading a FULL case of powder (3N38, basically the same load most 38 Super guns run). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Juice? Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) 357SIG is a great Caliber to load for. CCI SPP/15.3gn H110, 124gn Mont Gold. Makes 178Pf, ZERO dot rise. Run 22#MSH, and a 7.5#Recoil spring, and zowzaaaa... she runs so fine. Mach-Tech made a carbine top end for a 1911 IIRC, so you can gain a bit of velocity by using the longer barrel. 357SIG headspaces on the shoulder. Easy to load for, you CAN size .40 brass to work (though it is short) and if you plan to do that, you will be crimping your brass a bit snug to prevent setback (although no worse than a .40 imho) Hardly a dead caliber either. I know of 2 raceguns being built in that caliber as we speak It's nice to choose wether to pick your brass or not, and having no worries about brass availability is another plus. Meh, 9mm Major has a lot to recommend it, but true 1x fired 9mm seems to have dried up lately. (cheap and free has left the building) The .40 brass you can resize, sure helps matters, as .40 is quite plentiful and usually not as beat up as finding old super cases, or 9mm on the range. Besides, being different is pretty cool at times, and watching the RO's wince with the concussion makes it all worthwhile Of course, a conscientious shooter may elect to stop and ask the RO if he's ready...but pretty soon they remember your gun, and double plug automatically. Edited February 12, 2013 by Got Juice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) I'm definitely interested if .40 brass can be repurposed. What's the case life like shooting converted .40 brass? (Lasts forever?) Edited February 12, 2013 by DyNo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Juice? Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I'm definitely interested if .40 brass can be repurposed. What's the case life like shooting converted .40 brass? (Lasts forever?) depending on a lot of factors, cases appear to last 5-7 firings. Enough reloads for my needs. Typically i will see a neck split, or a case bulge that turns nasty after resizing. Those rounds go into my 'RE' ammo boxes. Used for one more firing, then tossed in the bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alscott Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I loaded .357 sig for a Sig P229. 115 gr jhp, COL 1.140, 10 grains Power Pistol, Federal No. 100 small pistol primers and it always shot just fine. I got the pistol used because it was a great deal several years ago then discovered you couldn't buy the ammo hardly anywhere at that time so reloaded it. Got rid of the pistol moved to all .45 for a while now going to 9mm due to lower cost. I still have about 200 once fired cases, mostly Winchester, of .357 sig and about 1000 bullets in the basement. As I typed this I looked in the book and 10 grains was over max load in the Hornady book published 2000 so have no idea where I got this recipe. That's scary but it was 12 years ago. At that time there wasn't a ton available in books and nothing on the internet. So, probably wouldn't use that much powder. If the book is correct I guess Sig makes one tough gun. I remember shooting at the self healing targets at an indoor range once and it wouldn't knock them down would just pass straight through. RO guessed that it was because of high velocity in such a small bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Juice? Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I forgot to mention, the load I have listed is for an OPEN GUN, do not try it in a standard gun .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerburgess Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I just finished putting together a G22 converted to 357sig for shooting open. I make my brass from 40sw so its cheep and run a Lee FCD so set back is not an issue. I know that 9 major has a capacity advantage, but I like to be the odd guy. and for fun I can run the power factor up to 190 and the muzzle blast is impressive. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmiller1 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I have some 357 sig brass, what is it selling for now? Not sure how much I have but have been collecting it for a while! MLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian guy Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I'm definitely interested if .40 brass can be repurposed. What's the case life like shooting converted .40 brass? (Lasts forever?) Ok dyno what are up to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakotawarrior Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 You can avoid having to lube cases. Run brass thru a .40 S&W carbide sizer first, then thru the .357 sig sizer. No lube required. I also use a Redding taper crimp die and have no setback issues. I like Power Pistol and Longshot for 1350 to 1375 fps loads. N350 also shows promise. 800x is great for velocity and accuracy, but as others have noted, it meters about as well as tortilla chips. This will save me a ton of time, thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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