# .357 cal ???



## kcdano (Dec 13, 2007)

Okay, so i am still somewhat new to the handgun hobbie. So i have this question. Is a .357 bigger then a .45cal or is it the same as a 10mm?

is it kind like this?

9mm 
.380?
.40
.357?
.45
.10mm

Also it seems like Glock and sig are they only ones to have a .357 cal in a semi-Auto

Can some help clear this up.

Thanks


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

No. That's a list of the size of the bullets. The .357 sig and 38 super are special rounds fired in autos.


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## rasgun (Mar 13, 2007)

from least powerful to most powerful, this is a rough guide to follow:

22 LR
.25 ACP
.32 ACP
.380 ACP
9x18 MAK
9mm Luger/Para
7.62 Tok
9mm Largo
.40 S&W
.45 GAP
.357 SIG
.45 ACP
10 mm
.50 GI


with that said, just because it is more powerful, does not mean it leaves a bigger hole


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## kcdano (Dec 13, 2007)

So why do more people by a .45 than a 357, isn't the knock down power about the same? Then what is the diff between .45gap and .45acp


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## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

rasgun said:


> from least powerful to most powerful, this is a rough guide to follow:
> 
> 22 LR
> .25 ACP
> ...


What "power" are you referencing here? A .40 S&W generally carries more energy than a .45 Auto. Same for the .357 Sig. Also, according to Federal's website, a .22 lr has about twice the energy of a .25 Auto.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

"Knock down power" doesn't exist in pistols, which are really just remote-control drills. If a pistol could knock a man down with a shot, the recoil would also knock the gun out of your hands.

There are various theories on which bullets work best at stopping felonious aggressors. Some people like little light bullets. Other like big slow bullets. All seem to work fine on the street once you get above a power floor of about .38 Special/9mm.

Rounds are typically referred to by approximate bullet diameter. The width of the bullet often has little in common with its ability to deliver energy, however. But energy is not synonymous with the ability to stop a bad guy, either.

Confused yet? This is why we still see threads about "9mm vs. .40" and such. The comical thing about all the debate is that caliber choice takes a _very_ distant back seat to mindset, marksmanship ability, gunhandling skill, and good tactics.


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## Pointblank (Nov 26, 2007)

If you are indeed "new to this" you should buy a handgun in a caliber you can handle such as a .38 Special or 9mm and practice until you master the basics. Power alone means nothing without speed and accuracy.


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

kcdano said:


> Is a .357 bigger then a .45cal or is it the same as a 10mm?


When you see a decimal, then you are seeing the actual diameter of the bullet in inches. Since a 4 is larger than a 3, it would stand to reason that 0.357" is _not_ bigger than 0.45". This would be much the same as a .45 compared to a .50. A four is smaller number than a five, so the forty-five would be smaller than a fifty.

You can easily find millimeter to inches conversion formulas on the internet that will allow you to convert mm to inches. If you do this, you will find that 10mm is right about four-tenths of an inch, or .40". Therefore, 10mm is _not_ the same as .357 or .45.

Keep in mind that the size of the bullet is only part of what determines how powerful any particular cartridge is, and a bigger bullet doesn't always mean more power.

PhilR.


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