Anyone loading .357 SIG?

[awp101]

I've run across a couple of nicely priced autos in .357 SIG the past couple of months and it's got me interested in the round again. My experience with it is limited to one magazine from a SIG 229 about 10 years ago and my two main objections to the round were the snappiness and muzzle blast.

I can learn to deal with snappy and I see Buffalo Bore now makes a low flash version and I was wondering if anyone has a low flash/low blast recipe that doesn't take it's potential away.

Thanks!

[smirker]

I have loaded and shot lots off .357 Sig. Never really concerned about flash or blast. My go to powder for years was Blue Dot. I have been loading some CFE Pistol lately. I do not load light and only use jacketed or double plate bullets. 124gr. FP almost exclusivly. Very good round, feeds well, hits hard. And even low velocity loads outrun all the "New and Improved" 9mm's. Great marketing by the plastic gun companys and the and ammo companys for winding up sales for the "New and Improved" blah, blah, blah....

[Deleted]

I load 357 SIG. My normal powders are AA #7 & #9. Blue Dot & 800X work well too, but I think they're both temp sensitive. I also load cast for the SIG, powdercoated & water quenched direct from the toaster oven. The SIG is fussy about bullet ogives & nose length, so I went straight to powdercoat to make it more flexible as far as seating depth goes with cast. Since it's a bottleneck cast with a really short neck, I decided all cast bullets needed to be quenched instead of air cooled. It would be just my luck if the bullet base "riveted" slightly upon ignition, plus I would have exposed lube grooves inside the case unless I designed a bullet specifically for the cartridge.

[awp101]

Thanks! It appears the CFE line is pretty interesting across the board and I think I'm going to have to add it to my list of powders to try for several calibers.

PC lead is becoming another big player for me since I've gone back to 9mm as my main go-to. Easier on my hands in small autos, cheaper to buy and stash and easy to load for practice time. Having shorter PC lead to work in the SIG sounds like it would fit with the plan.

[bradshaw]

“... even low velocity loads outrun all the "New and Improved" 9mm’s.”
----smirker

*****

A fine little auto pistol cartridge, .357 SIG demonstrates superb accuracy. Going in cold at an IHMSA championship at the Pelham club in New Hampshire, my stock SIG P229 with 3.8-inch barrel and Trijicon sights toppled 7x10 turkeys @ 165 yards with factory Federal 125 JHP. The 9mm Luger (yes, the 9mm Luger enjoyed wide distribution long before NATO existed) ranks among the quietest centerfire handgun cartridges, a remarkable attribute approached by the .357 SIG. Recoil is mild in the P229, with conceivably a hair more snap than the .40 S&W. Recoil changes in a sub-compact Glock, where the .357 SIG bites sharp and the .40 S&W jolts slightly.

The .357 SIG shines with 125 grain bullets. Bullets with a long wheelbase intrude into the boiler room and have a harder time trying to fly straight. A .38 Super is a better candidate for bullets of 147-160 grains.
David Bradshaw

[Deleted]

Well said, David. When shooting a 357 SIG, you immediately know that you really have a really potent cartridge in hand. We all know it was designed as a high performance caliber to approximate the old LE favorite 357 mag 125 gr loads in a semi-auto. It does all this, and is very controllable as well. It is a really well balanced cartridge in its original context. I see some guys getting all giddy because you can push 90 gr .380 bullets over 1500 fps with it. I don't see a practical use for that combination, but its nice to know that option exists. Most of the data I've seen for 147 gr bullets seem to run around 1250 fps, which is still a great improvement over the 9mm.

I forgot to mention earlier that I called Accurate Powders, and asked about muzzle flash with AA#7, & AA#9. Their tech department told me that both powders are classified as "Low Flash".

[awp101]

Thanks all! My interest is growing...

I didn't think about it at the time, but when I tried the SIG I was having issues with the blast from .357s and even the .327 hitting me square in the face and reverberating through my sinus cavities. Yes, it felt as weird as it sounds. I think that contributed to my aversion but that issue hasn't cropped up the pst few range sessions so maybe it's time to try the SIG again.

[bradshaw]

Aug 10, 2017 13:16:30 GMT -5 awp101 said:

Thanks all! My interest is growing...

“... when I tried the SIG I was having issues with the blast from .357s and even the .327 hitting me square in the face and reverberating through my sinus cavities.”
----awp101

*****

Muzzle blast of a .357 Mag has a higher Cycles Per Second sound wave than the .44 Magnum. Not sure why, but small bores can do this. Note concussion of the .30 Carbine in a Blackhawk. The .357 SIG does not share the concussive nature of the magnum. Various factory ammunition is loaded with powders treated to suppress flash, powders generally unavailable to the handloader. This sin of omission is long overdue for correction. The .357 Maximum is pretty loud, hell it’s just a .357 sitting on a .44 dose of powder. Yet the Maximum lags behind the .454 Casull and the larger bore Super Mags.

Low concussion ranks an endearing feature for a tractor pistol, with the 9mm Luger the quietest, and the .45 ACP, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and even the stiffer 10mm Auto qualifying. Now my intention was not to hijack this thread, just fishtail the trail.

358156hp.... thanks for your call to Accurate Arms Powder and the tip that #7 and #9 are rated “low flash.” Both are sleeper powders excellent in special applications. Accurate #7 is excellent with Hornady, Sierra, and some Nosler bullets in the 10mm Auto, consistent and accurate with 150, 155 through 170 and 180 bullets.
David Bradshaw

[500fksjr]

Aug 7, 2017 13:36:48 GMT -5 awp101 said:

I've run across a couple of nicely priced autos in .357 SIG the past couple of months and it's got me interested in the round again. My experience with it is limited to one magazine from a SIG 229 about 10 years ago and my two main objections to the round were the snappiness and muzzle blast.

I can learn to deal with snappy and I see Buffalo Bore now makes a low flash version and I was wondering if anyone has a low flash/low blast recipe that doesn't take it's potential away.

Thanks!

Interesting thread...often thought about the sig 357. Thanks for the Thread and gents for feed back...

[warhawk]

I ran across a bargain on a new M&P 357 a few years ago, then another bargain on a case of Fiochhi ammo.

The blast and concussion of the 357 SIG are just nasty. The recoil wasn't significantly more than the same gun in 9mm, but the blast made it very unpleasant to shoot. I decided to put it away in the doomsday supplies. Then I picked up a .40 S&W barrel when I learned that the barrel is a straight drop in, atleast on the M&P, it's all you need, mags are the same. I don't have a single round on .40 S&W, but that barrel is in an ammo can with the M&P and the rest of the ammo, just in case.

[bradshaw]

“... ran across a bargain on a new M&P 357... then another bargain on a case of Fiochhi ammo.

The blast and concussion of the 357 SIG are just nasty.... picked up a .40 S&W barrel when I learned that the barrel is a straight drop in... mags are the same.”
----warhawk

*****

There was, back in the 1970’s, a vogue for calling ammunition “fodder.” I never fell in with that tribe. Nor did Elgin Gates, despite his rather expansive funny bone. And certainly not Bill Ruger. Cartoon lingo infests all sorts of activity.

Nevertheless, were I force to call ammo fodder, Focchi----along with Sellier & Bellot----would qualify. The bullets with which I pretend to shoot don’t fall in that trough. Why am I not surprised too hear Fiocchi .357 SIG can’t act right. The .357 SIG is one of few rounds I don’t wince at firing naked ear. On top of which, not all commercial .357 SIG is equal in accuracy, velocity, and all round shoot ability. This, let us caution against judging this cartridge on an off-off Broadway round.
David Bradshaw

[9x23w]

Being a bottlenecked case handloading is very easy, no headspacing issues and you can even crimp bullets if you want.

I loaded a batch using 9 grs of Power Pistol and 115 gr FMJ bullets and they worked fine. Definitely not maximum. I try to stay away from maximum loads in small pistol cartridges, a small variation case capacity, bullet diameter, etc, can have a big effect on pressures. Unlike rifle cases, overpressure indicators are not always present (flattened primers, hard extraction, etc). And, of course, all semi autos have some unsupported case area and that's what usually goes first.

The 357 Sig is a great cartridge: feeds well, accurate, and easy to load. Ammo is a little expensive so there's more incentive to reload it than 9's, 40's, or 45's.

BTW if you want power look at the Underwood Ammunition products. Do some youtube searches on Underwood 357 Sig, this stuff is off the charts on long barreled guns.

[warhawk]

Aug 31, 2017 19:52:42 GMT -5 bradshaw said:

“... ran across a bargain on a new M&P 357... then another bargain on a case of Fiochhi ammo.

The blast and concussion of the 357 SIG are just nasty.... picked up a .40 S&W barrel when I learned that the barrel is a straight drop in... mags are the same.”
----warhawk

*****

There was, back in the 1970’s, a vogue for calling ammunition “fodder.” I never fell in with that tribe. Nor did Elgin Gates, despite his rather expansive funny bone. And certainly not Bill Ruger. Cartoon lingo infests all sorts of activity.

Nevertheless, were I force to call ammo fodder, Focchi----along with Sellier & Bellot----would qualify. The bullets with which I pretend to shoot don’t fall in that trough. Why am I not surprised too hear Fiocchi .357 SIG can’t act right. The .357 SIG is one of few rounds I don’t wince at firing naked ear. On top of which, not all commercial .357 SIG is equal in accuracy, velocity, and all round shoot ability. This, let us caution against judging this cartridge on an off-off Broadway round.
David Bradshaw

I don't have too much use for these plastic fantastic pistols anyway. To me they are strictly a tool, and have no "soul"

I don't see the 357 SIG as being markedly better than a 9mm, especially a 9mm +P. I have one around in 45, an M&P, plus an M&P 9mm and a couple of SD9s that stay in the vehicles. I much prefer big Bore revolvers and am more likely to carry a revolver as a CCW piece, even if it's just an airweight J frame.

[Deleted]

Okay, so do you want to sell that M&P 357 SIG barrel?

[warhawk]

Sept 2, 2017 14:06:09 GMT -5 @358156hp said:

Okay, so do you want to sell that M&P 357 SIG barrel?

Sorry, no. It's now part of my SHTF plan to have atleast one gun that will shoot every common caliber. In fact with the 40 barrel it kills two birds with one stone, so to speak.

But the older I get the less likely any of these preparations will do me any good.