Hi there... um another dumb question but what is the difference between the .357 and a .357sig?.. are they the same thing or what?... im looking at a Sig Sauer P229 if i do buy (When i get state side) is it any good? ( i have fired a Sig Sauer P226 9mm since Dad was a NZ Army Boy but no nothing about them really)...
That is a relevant question; The .357sig is the "attempt" to mimic the .357 magnum cartridge in a semi-auto, and although on paper it comes close, studies suggest it does not fragment and damage tissue to the degree of the .357mag. It is a .40 case necked down to a 9mm. In very simple terms, it's a super-fast 9mm, (or as Robert Boatman calls it, the "retarded 9") with tons of penetration (maybe too much for the average CCW user). In My opinion, I think the round has very limited use, like turning a car into swiss cheese, or a more practical use like a trail companion (extra penetration for the 4 legged creatures, but I would choose a 10mm over it anyway). I find the downsides overwhelming for a CCW... harsh recoil, harsh on the firearm do to the high pressure, may over penetrate a human, and also more expensive. So again in My opinion, stick with something that begins with a 4.
Perhaps it should be said (perhaps not) that the .357 magnum is primairly a revolver cartridge. The .357 Sig is for the semi-autl as Glocks pointed out. The .357 mag is a great cartridge for a revolver, but like the .357 sig is not really a good CCL round (and for the same reasons Glocks pointed out for the .357 Sig).
Heres the simple answer: They are 2 completely different cartridges. They DO NOT interchange and they are close, but not identical, balistically. Also, keep in mind that the .357 Sig is a much newer cartridge and because of that, it isn't as common or available as the .357 Magnum. And remember, the .357 Magnum is strictly a revolver cartridge, with the only exception to that rule being the Desert Eagle .357 Mag Pistol (which is really big and really expensive)
