Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - First Pistol --- (But interest in service pistol models)

The_Dunedan · 02-17-2010, 08:30 PM

I'm not saying .357 SiG is a bad round; with its' power and penetration (and the limitations that implies) taken into account it's quite impressive. It would make a nifty handgun-hunting round. But for primary self-defense, much less a first purchase of such a weapon? Hardly practical IMO; rather like choosing to carry a revolver in .41 Magnum. Interesting, powerful round with impressive ballistics in an attractive package...until you try to feed it. If it had come along 30yrs ago, when modern HP rounds were beginning to be introduced, it would probably be a splendid choice by now. But unfortunately, with today's ammunition manufacture severely constrained by the demands of two shooting wars (and all the training and "other uses" that ammo must be put to), manufacturers don't put much energy into niche rounds like .357 Sig of .41 Mag. Hell, have you tried finding .380 in the past year? .30-30? .45LC? If the wars are ever over and the round is allowed to develop outside of its' current niche civilian market, at some point the future it may become a practical choice for self-defense carry. I just can't really "sell" it in good conscience, knowing the difficulties on the consumer end. These combined with the penetration issue...with a good, very fast-expanding HP I could see it. With a frangible bullet (if such is ever invented ), maaaaybe. But especially for an LEO, the impressive penetration that would make this such a good hunting round makes it a potential liability in a crowded situation: the biggest part of the reason it's so rare among LE agencies. There are a few more weapons available in the chambering every year, but the ammunition situation remains static. Lots of advertisements, but little street data and less availability. Ironically, during the Sept'08-Jan'09 phase of the recent Gun Rush, this reduced initial demand meant that for awhile .357 Sig was easier to find than 9mm. There had always been so little ammo that few people bought the guns, so supplies took longer to be cleaned out. Then the word got out; people who can afford to feed a .357 SiG habitually can frequently afford to buy a -lot- of ammo, and they did. It disappeared. Similar circumstances occurred with 10mm and the upper end of the heavy revolver scale. For a time, it was easier to find .460 S&W or .50 Action Express in quantity than it was to find .380 in equal quantity. Now, everything conventional is just barely gettable, most of the time. Some of the time. Maybe. I just couldn't recommend it from a sales standpoint for what the OP has in mind.

02-17-2010, 08:30 PM	#22 (permalink)
The_Dunedan Junkie	I'm not saying .357 SiG is a bad round; with its' power and penetration (and the limitations that implies) taken into account it's quite impressive. It would make a nifty handgun-hunting round. But for primary self-defense, much less a first purchase of such a weapon? Hardly practical IMO; rather like choosing to carry a revolver in .41 Magnum. Interesting, powerful round with impressive ballistics in an attractive package...until you try to feed it. If it had come along 30yrs ago, when modern HP rounds were beginning to be introduced, it would probably be a splendid choice by now. But unfortunately, with today's ammunition manufacture severely constrained by the demands of two shooting wars (and all the training and "other uses" that ammo must be put to), manufacturers don't put much energy into niche rounds like .357 Sig of .41 Mag. Hell, have you tried finding .380 in the past year? .30-30? .45LC? If the wars are ever over and the round is allowed to develop outside of its' current niche civilian market, at some point the future it may become a practical choice for self-defense carry. I just can't really "sell" it in good conscience, knowing the difficulties on the consumer end. These combined with the penetration issue...with a good, very fast-expanding HP I could see it. With a frangible bullet (if such is ever invented ), maaaaybe. But especially for an LEO, the impressive penetration that would make this such a good hunting round makes it a potential liability in a crowded situation: the biggest part of the reason it's so rare among LE agencies. There are a few more weapons available in the chambering every year, but the ammunition situation remains static. Lots of advertisements, but little street data and less availability. Ironically, during the Sept'08-Jan'09 phase of the recent Gun Rush, this reduced initial demand meant that for awhile .357 Sig was easier to find than 9mm. There had always been so little ammo that few people bought the guns, so supplies took longer to be cleaned out. Then the word got out; people who can afford to feed a .357 SiG habitually can frequently afford to buy a -lot- of ammo, and they did. It disappeared. Similar circumstances occurred with 10mm and the upper end of the heavy revolver scale. For a time, it was easier to find .460 S&W or .50 Action Express in quantity than it was to find .380 in equal quantity. Now, everything conventional is just barely gettable, most of the time. Some of the time. Maybe. I just couldn't recommend it from a sales standpoint for what the OP has in mind.