# 357 Auto Going Away??



## jpr (Aug 19, 2013)

I have recently been researching the 357Sig round and stopped at a mom and pop gun store near me (been in business 35 years). When I inquired about a 357Auto they informed me that they do not stock anything at all in 357sig. I asked if they could order it for me and they told me the round is going away and it is impossible to find ammo. I was told that Smith & Wesson has dropped the weapon from production and having checked their web site I find it to be true. 

I have went to several gun stores including a Cabelas and only one had a 357auto in stock and it was the last one! This has got me thinking about my choice and curious is this round going away? I have yet to find any ammo on the shelf locally, however it is available on line. 

What does everyone think, is this round really going away and should I go back to looking at the 40S&W? Or is this just one manufacturer that is focusing on the most popular calibers??

Thanks
John


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm not an ammo expert nor do I do any reloading. But, I do pay attention to what kind of ammo tends to stay put once in production. 

I had odd feelings about the .357Sig long ago. I didn't know anyone that had a gun in that caliber or anyone that shot that caliber and liked it. 

The .40 S&W is tried and true and is a good performer. I currently have two guns in that caliber and plan on keeping them. 

Get ya a .40S&W. You won't have any regrets.


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## jpr (Aug 19, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> I'm not an ammo expert nor do I do any reloading. But, I do pay attention to what kind of ammo tends to stay put once in production.
> 
> I had odd feelings about the .357Sig long ago. I didn't know anyone that had a gun in that caliber or anyone that shot that caliber and liked it.
> 
> ...


Thanks paratrooper, I have a full size 40S&W and I like it, just a little big for concealed carry. I figured if I was buying a new weapon I would look at the 357sig. Several enforcement
agencies around here carry them and I have not heard a bad thing from anyone. That is why I was looking, may get a compact 40 and call it a day!

John


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

jpr said:


> Thanks paratrooper, I have a full size 40S&W and I like it, just a little big for concealed carry. I figured if I was buying a new weapon I would look at the 357sig. Several enforcement
> agencies around here carry them and I have not heard a bad thing from anyone. That is why I was looking, may get a compact 40 and call it a day!
> 
> John


I have a SIG P250C in .40 cal. It's not too big and it's now my carry gun. It's DA only though, but that's not a deal breaker for me, as I also have a Beretta 92D in 9mm, and once you get used to the trigger, it's just fine.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

The .40 and .357 SIG are so similar in pistol/mag size and parts, that most pistols in one of these calibers can be converted to the other caliber by dropping-in a new barrel and nothing else. Folks do it with Glocks all the time, even use the same mags.

Check into it; you may be able to keep your .357 and just buy a second barrel for it in .40, then shoot either caliber in the same pistol as ammo availability/cost allows.

And I wouldn't put too much faith in that prediction about the .357 SIG caliber going away; I've been hearing that about the 10mm for over a decade now, and it's still with us. Safe to say there are more law enforcement agencies using .357 SIG-caliber pistols than the 10mm, and use by L.E. will certainly help keep a caliber alive and kicking.


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## all357mag (May 20, 2013)

The 357sig, & 45gap were doomed before they began! Needless gimmick calibers for niches that weren't there! The 40 S&W was the only real revolutionary cartridge of the bunch. Stick with 45acp, 40 S&W. Potent defense rounds that make big holes out of concealable size handguns!


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## Chris3425 (Feb 22, 2013)

I've a G31 and the .357 Sig shoots really nice, is very accurate but is expensive so I also picked up a LW 9mm conversion barrel for something cheaper to shoot. I keep it setup with the .357 Sig for home defense and drop in the 9mm barrel and mags for target shooting.


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## Overkill0084 (Nov 28, 2010)

.357 Sig is a decent round that has achieved some measure of success with various law enforcement agencies. While it is an incremental step up in performance from 9 mm, it's not exactly revolutionary. It also falls somewhat short of the .357 mag load that it was intended to mimic. 
Add the fact that due to it's additional cost and relative rarity, it's not terribly popular among people who buy ammo with their own money. 
Going away? Probably not any time soon. But I wouldn't count on much in the way of improvement either.


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