Originally posted by DocGKR:





I am grateful that the 357 Sig issuing agencies are satisfied with their
weapon system performance. By the same token, every single agency that I
am aware of that has acquired reliable pistols, diligently emphasizes
frequent realistic lethal force training and tactics, and uses good
quality service pistol ammunition in 9 mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP are
also very happy with their shooting results.  Good Training and Proper
Psychological Preparedness coupled with Reliable Weapon Systems and
followed by Frequent Practice is what will win the battles.
Is the 357 Sig bad? NO! It is a very reliably performing 9mm bullet, but
it is does not offer significantly better terminal performance compared
with the best current 9mm ammunition.  When firing through heavy
clothing, automotive steel panels, automobile windshield glass, interior
wall segments, exterior wall segments, and plywood, both the 357 Sig
Speer 125 gr JHP Gold Dot and 9mm Speer 124 gr +P JHP Gold Dot exhibited
nearly identical penetration and expansion results THROUGH ALL THE
DIFFERENT BARRIERS, as demonstrated by both our testing and that of the
FBI. Most 357 Sig loadings, unless the fail to expand, do not offer
excessive penetration; in fact, the exact opposite, under-penetration,
can be a problem. Several .40 S&W and .45 ACP loads offered
superior terminal performance through barriers compared to the 9mm and
357 Sig loads. In addition to having tested virtually all the handgun
ammo available in lab settings, we have also had the opportunity to
analyze numerous OIS incident forensic results and have not observed any
greater incapacitation in actual shootings with users of 357 Sig loads
compared to those users of 9 mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP who are using
equivalent modern, well engineered ammunition.
The 357 Sig is not a bad cartridge, it just does not seem to offer
anything that is not already available, at the price of less ammunition
capacity than the similarly performing 9mm, as well as having greater
recoil, muzzle flash, and wear on the weapon compared to other service
pistol cartridges.  On the other hand, since the 357 Sig is a modern
cartridge benefiting from the latest engineering concepts, the bullets
loaded with it have generally all been designed and tested using the
latest FBI, IWBA, etc... testing protocols. This results in more robust
terminal performance, less failures to expand, and thus greater tissue
damage than will be found with older projectile designs. In addition,
since according to data from Fackler and others, approximately 50% of
shooting victims are incapacitated by psychological mechanisms, it is
possible that the increased blast, flash, and noise of the 357 Sig
enhances psychological perceptions of being shot.
In discussing this issue with an experienced ammunition engineer at one
of the major ammo companies, he stated that he didn't particularly like
the 357 Sig from an engineering perspective and described their
difficulties in designing and producing 357 Sig ammunition which
consistently performs as well as their ammunition in other service
calibers. In particular, he felt his company's 357 Sig loads offered no
better performance than their top 9 mm loads and stated their .40
S&W loads were superior in every respect to their 357 Sig
ammunition. He firmly believes their .40 S&W offerings are the best
performing duty ammunition his company produces.
We have found .40 S&W 180 gr to perform very well against
barriers––better than the 9 mm and 357 Sig. The CHP used a variety of
.357 Mag loads, depending upon what was available via the state
contract. According to the published CHP test data, the .357 Magnum load
used immediately prior to the CHP transition to .40 S&W was the
Remington 125 gr JHP with an ave. MV of 1450 f/s from their duty
revolvers––CHP has continued to report greater success with their .40
S&W 180 gr JHP than with the .357 Magnum 125 gr JHP they previously
issued.
For many agencies, adoption of a new weapon system frequently
necessitates more intensive training and instruction than might
typically occur, thus officer's shooting skills might be at a higher
peak than normal and qualification scores and hopefully officer involved
shooting hits might increase.  Having confidence in your handgun is a
GREAT reason to choose a particular caliber and weapon system; if a 357
Sig works for you, go for it.  Neither myself nor any of my colleagues
choose to carry 357 Sig––quite a few of us carry 9 mm, .40 S&W, and
.45 ACP.  However, if I was at an agency that gave me unlimited 357 Sig
ammo, then I would happily carry it!  The bottom line is that all of the
common service pistol calibers have loads that work––pick something
that is reliable and works well for you, then
practice......................a lot.

Originally Posted By mgunner9:


If we accept Dr. Roberts evidence then we must conclude that  

•The .357 Magnum is identical in both ballistics and projectile to the .357 Sig

•That the .357 Sig is not superior (therefore equal or less) to the 9mm Parrabellum in performance

•Therefore the .357 magnum is equal to the 9mmP



I just don’t believe it!

Originally Posted By Madcap72:



If by your theory 9mm Para is equal to .357 Magnum, I'd like to see you load up some 125 grain bullets that can push 1600 fps.

 

Originally Posted By greyeyezz:


DocGKR had negative opinions on the 5.7x28.



The Secret Service did their own testing and disagreed.



He doesn't care for the 357Sig, oh well thanks for your opinion doc, I'm keeping mine, next

Originally Posted By WilsonCQB1911:




I still find the 357 Sig interesting.  While there is certainly disagreement about which caliber is better than which, it does seem clear that the caliber is effective.  It may or may not more effective than other choices however.  I don't own one, just keeping an open mind.  At this point I don't see evidence that it does significantly more than my 9mm pistol, but I'm always willing to look for another reason to own a new gun.