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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:23 pm • # 1 
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About a month ago, I picked up a Gen 4 Glock 32 357 Sig. It is a mid frame gun, exact frame size as their m19 9mm and m23 40S&W. In fact, I can buy a m23 40 SW barrel and drop in my Glock 357 Sig and fire away, same magazines and everything...and of course visa versa...a m32 barrel in a m23 Glock. Anyway, it is becoming my favorite handgun for carry while hiking or fishing if I believe grizzlies are not in the area.

I plan on adding a 40 barrel for it in case 357 Sig ammo becomes hard to find. Now, it is hard to find locallyy, but I have been able to order ammo pretty easy and while it is more expensive than 40 ammo, really, not terribly so if you remove junk ammo from the list. CCI Blazers in 40 cal are not junk ammo and are cheap to shoot but only a tad behind say Fiocchi ammo which can be had in 357 Sig for around 25 bucks per 50. To tell the truth, I could buy 300 rounds of Fiocchi 357 Sig ammo for the cost of a new facotry Glock 40 barrel and I would have to buy ammo for it to boot. If I get a good overtime or two where I have some money left over, I think I will do it anyway.

When I was looking for a m32 Glock, I could not find one anywhere. I found a local dealer who would order on for me.....most dealers around here did not want to go to such efforts, and rather sell you what they had instead. I contemplated buying a m23 .40 cal and order a 357 Sig barrel for it....but I am weird....I wanted the gun to say "357" on it, NOT "40". Besides, I think I am becoming absolutely fascinated with the 357 Sig round. I know there are some +P+ 9mm loads that are close, but I can't see the reason for such ammo when the Sig round is already there and loaded to more appropriate levels. It's like buying a 30-06 and loading it to 300 Win Mag factory levels....you can get dang close anymore with today's powers (if you can find them) but if you wanted a 300 Win Mag, just buy one. You can load down to a point, but loading up is a bigger gamble.

Finally, looking over specs, I think the round does not equal a 357 magnum with a 4" barrel on both rounds....but it does equal a 357 Mag with a 2.5" barrel and the overall length of the glock m32 with a 4" barrel is similar to a 2.5" 357 Revolver and with the BC gap on the revolver, the revolver is definitely louder.

I agree with those who like the reliability and classiness of revolver, but I did not buy the glock to be classy. I bought it as a utility weapon....one that will ride in my waist band or in my Fish Pond fishing hip pack, ready to use if needed. Overall, I love the gun. That, I think is enough.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:04 pm • # 2 
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Use what works for you, Dave. a retired LE friend of mine is a huge 357 SIG fan, and has carried a SIG 229 in 357 for a long time now, both when he was on active duty, and it's still the gun he carries in retirement. I've always thought that the muzzle blast, and recoil from the 357 SIG was a bit much for a combat pistol, but that's just me. Rapid sight re-acquisition, and follow up shots are very important, and I didn't get what I require in that dept. when shooting the 357 SIG.

Your right, the SIG round doesn't quite get to 4" 35 mag velocities, but it's still more than good enough. The better 9mm +p, and +p+ loads come pretty close to the SIG round, and in gel tests it's hard to tell the three apart. I now carry Federal 9BPLE 115 grain +p+ in my Beretta 92. Yeah it's an old tech load, but it's been putting bad guys down for about 30 years now, and some LE agencies are still issuing the load to this day.
It also offers less recoil, and blast than the 357 SIG.

You should get the 40 barrel, just from the perspective that 40 ammo is cheaper, and has been easy to find during this ammo crunch. I've seen it on gun store shelves in good supply all of last year, and this year. You could get a couple cases of 40, one to shoot, and one for a rainy day for less money than 357.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:24 pm • # 3 
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My supervisor at work is a big 9mm fan. His carry loads are +P 115gr loads. Not sure which ammo....he talks of buying Federal Combo packs that have FMJ and JHP ammo in them. Seems like a good marketing idea. He carries a Ruger LC9 in an IWB holster. When we went as a work group on a weekend ATV trip a couple weeks ago, this was what he packed. I think the LC9 is a remarkable little carry gun...though the trigger sucked worse than the Glocks first pull (after the first pull, the other shots are near SA with the trigger reset, which for a factory gun is tolerable. Not sure I like a real light trigger on a carry gun),

The 9 is hard to beat for a serious gun and a fun gun. People at work are beginning to carry them instead of .22s for small critters and general target blasting, even teaching young ones to shoot, due to the ongoing, yet unexplainable .22 ammo shortage debacle.

Glocks are growing on me. I think before this is over, I will add a Gen 4 Glock G26 9mm as a pocket shooter and a new G41 45acp as a range gun. Of course, add a barrel for a 40 SW for my 357 Sig. Staying with glock so all triggers will be similar in feel. I just hope the countries 2A is not screwed beyond hope by then. I think I will pick up all of the above by this time next year. Though I sold a stack of fly rods along with a few guns when I was out of work, I have enough fly rods to cover the basics for now. Sorry, there is not one 3wt or lighter fly rod in the quiver which is why I have been staying away from posting fishing reports. I think I would like to add a 7foot 3wt glass rod someday...something 4pc to put in the back pack. Most of my small stream fly fishing last fall and this spring has been done with an Orvis Far n Fine 7'9" 5wt that a kind soul on this forum was kind enough to give me. I love the rod and it is an honest 5wt and will even cast a 4.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:42 pm • # 4 
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I've been fishing my Far & Fine a bit over the past few weeks. I think it's one of the best fly rod tapers ever made, and was certainly one of Orvis' top sellers for a very long time. I love mine.

I used to be into other pistol calibers, but it's just gotten to the point were ammo cost is beyond stupid. The year before a certain moron became president, I could buy 45 acp for about $11 a box, and 9mm for $6-7 a box (the good target ammo like Am. Eagle), and now I'm paying about $11-$15 a box for the cheapest of the cheap 9mm. I still have a Makarov in 9x18mm, but don't shoot it much at all. I have two 9mm Luger pistols currently, and it will likely stay that way. I wouldn't mind getting a Ruger LCR .22LR as a plinker/fishing/woods walking gun, but that's going to have to wait.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 11:16 pm • # 5 
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I've never had the chance to shoot a G32 - but it's the only .357Sig gun that even tempts me anymore. The first .357Sig I ever bought was also the last one I bought - a first generation Sig Pro 2340 - the gun had way more of a snap to the recoil than it should've, and the gun itself was pretty crappy. THe mag rattled around (which wouldn't have been horrible, but the lower part of the grip for the pinky was part of the magazine - like the M&P Compacts and it was bad enough to pinch my pinky while shooting.

I also had a hard time keeping rounds on target with that gun - it was absolutely no fun to shoot. Ammo was hard to find and expensive as well - almost no one stocked the caliber back then - which I think is partly because none of the local police agencies ever adopted a gun chambered for that round. They're all .40's, .45's or 9s around here. You can now find the Sig ammo at most gun shops and the big box stores - but I still never felt a great urge to get a Glock chambered in one - since the 9's are easier to shoot and come by. Not many retailers stock the .357Sig guns here either.

Let us know how it works out for you - it certainly is a peppy round and has potential. I think Double Tap ammo has some 147 grain Sig loads if you want more poop than the 125 grain stuff has. It's still not the venerable 158 grain Magnum load - but it's pretty hot.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 1:52 pm • # 6 
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My experience with the .357 Sig has been all good. I have a P226 with both .40S&W and .357Sig barrels. Never had a malfunction with either. Of the two I prefer the .357 over the .40. Tremendous shock and penetration with the .357. Accuracy is as good if not just a little better. The .357Sig is an easy round to load for and Blue-Dot is my preferred powder. In a lightweight small frame carry gun the sig may be a little more of a hand full, but with enough practice that will go away. The only shooters I have known that had any trouble with the little .357Sig were trying to form the .357 cases from .40S&W cases. This does not work very well, even though the sig started out as a necked-down .40S&W case the final version of the .357 is a bit longer. .357Sig cases made from .40S&W cases end up too short. I fear the little sig cartridge has not found the following it needs to replace some of the other cartridges it competes with in gun sales. This is a real shame as it combines a great balance of compact size, power, accuracy and reliability. I hope to pick-up a .357Sig barrel for my SIG 239 as the old .40S&W barrel has had many thousands of rounds through it and I believe I will switch to the little .357 bottle-neck when I do replace the old barrel............Just my $.02...........Don in SC


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