Is It REALLY That Much BETTER?.....357 Sig vs 9MM +P+ Self-Defense AMMO Test! 

Couple of things: 1) The .357 Sig was originally released in the Sig P229, which has a 3.9-inch barrel. 2) It first came out in the P229 because that's the gun they designed the cartridge around. Also, I do EDC a .357 Sig, specifically a Sig Pro SP2340 loaded with Speer Gold Dots. Now, what we're all here for: Fun with math! At 50 yards, the 9mm +P+ averaged 1081 feet per second for an average Ke50 of 321 energy foot pounds. At that same distance, the .357 Sig averaged 1255 feet per second for an average Ke50 of 433 energy foot pounds. As a point of interest, the low numbers for the .357 Sig at 50 yards were 1238 feet per second for 421 energy foot pounds, which is what the 9mm +P+ was averaging at the muzzle. .357 Sig is a LOT more powerful than 9mm +P+. One might be able to narrow that power gap by picking the very best 9mm +P+ ammo and comparing it to the very worst .357 Sig ammo. But anything resembling a fair and/or realistic test is going to put the edge to the .357 Sig.

The advantage of the Sig (besides the shock of 580 ft/Lbs) is that at longer distances it will still carry the energy needed to expand.

With 50% more energy and only 20% less capacity, .357 SIG is a compelling option. I'm hoping it makes a comeback as more people learn about it and people are more open to different pistol calibers like they are with rifle rounds.

.357 Sig is awesome. Unfortunately it’s a similar story to modern 10mm. Some companies don’t load it to its potential. Underwood however does. At least we can always count on Underwood, Double Tap, and Buffalo Bore to bring the heat. Great test man!

I absolutely adore the 357 sig!!! Would love to see more 357 sig content!!

I think .357 sig will stick around about like it currently is. Since it’s just a barrel swap to go from .40 S&W to .357 sig, there are people out there with it.

I've always been curious about the .357Sig ballistics. Thanks for the test.

I’m a huge 357 mag fan and my wife knows that so she surprised me with this exact tool G32 not knowing the difference between sig and mag I never would have gotten it but it’s a great tool and learning more about the actual performance I like it better and better since before I had kind of bought into the fudd that it basically had 9mm +p performance but this test and other research I’ve done proves that to be false thanks for another great test

I've been EDC'ing a .357 Sig for many years and will continue to do so for many more. Ammo may be less available in the future but I'm stocking up on premium carry stuff and someone will keep making it to feed the millions of .357 Sig pistols out there.

One obscure advantage that 357 sig has over most 9mm is the ability to potentially get through 3a body armor.

.357 sig ...you're singing the song of my people.....

The .357 Sig is my favorite cartridge! Glad to see it finally given the Tools & Targets treatment. In warmer weather, my EDC is generally a Glock 33 and in cooler weather it generally is a Glock 32. To me, one of the principal advantages of .357 Sig is that there is no weaksauce "FBI Load" like there is with 10mm, so ammo is generally up where it needs to be

Love the time you spend on the tests Tools!!! Loyal 357sig fan here!!! It just works...something about that 124/125 grain bullet at or around 1350-1450fps + is just magic 🎩 💀!!! Only other round consistently dumping well over 500ft/lbs into your target each shot in a comfortably concealable package is a 10mm (G29 or Springfield 3.8 10mm) and these only have 9..10..or max 15 round magazine capacity..a G33 ..G32...or G31 all lighter than aforementioned and can hold up to 22 rounds in a magazine but come standard with 9+1...13+1 &15+1... ounce for ounce there is NOT a more powerful handgun you can carry on your hip...add in laser like accuracy and trajectory..superior penetration capabilities..and high energy on target...and I'm sticking with it...I have G33..G32..G31...but carry G32 most....and have the 40sw barrels for each...(but never use them) 357sig 🏆 💪 ⚡️people are recognizing its capabilities and its making a comeback....and each Glock has the capability to shoot the weaker 40sw or 9mm with a barrel swap(barrel and magazine for the 9mm) so can technically be 3 guns in one! Makes your 9mm feel like a pop gun after you shoot a 357sig.good for target practice....but for the woods and the hoods ...357sig...45acp+p & 10mm...to answer your question...? Yes it's that much better clearly as the plethora of tests on RU-vid demonstrate!

Underwood 357 sig 68 grain XD go 2300 fps from my 5 inch barrel and 2250 from my g31 4.5 inch that’s basically 800 ftlbs of energy it’s a very capable cartridge that won’t ever die it’s a great caliber

I never understood the reluctance of shooters to embrace the big three. The .357 sig .40 sw and 10mm performed well and had shown the world they could compete with the .357 mag, and closed in on the .44 mag. (keeping the argument short) I fired a sw 29 with a 5 in barrel and found it was a bit more angry than my 10mm, but not too angry. You never hear people say "my redhawk is snappy." I don't get it and will be sad to see the .357 sig go.

I have a 4 1/2" barrel Glock 31 in .357Sig, and with the old Underwood 125gr Gold Dot, it chronos at 1,550fps! That's right there with my heavy handloaded 125gr in my 4" 357 mag revolvers. Also, I have two 1911's chambered in 9x23 Winchester, and they push the 125's at 1,450fps in 5" barrels, so the G31 in Sig is a 15 shot hammer with the old UNderwoods

It’s always been mind boggling to me why the 357 sig never really took off and got real popular, it’s a powerhouse of a round,

It’s really interesting to note that the 357 sig has the exact same ballistics as a 9mm PCC with a 20” barrel from all my testing/research. That extra 200+FPS really does the magic

I love all this 38 Caliber Jelly Time !

Hey you should do a 357 Sig vs a 10 mm test using Buffalo Bore ammo

I carry the .357 Sig in the Glock 33. It is a proven man stopper that flies fast and flat. TNW makes a survival carbine in .357 Sig and I have seen near rifle velocity out of the 16.25" barrel. I'm one of those guys that like to mate a pistol with a PCC that uses the same mags. I have the 10 mm pairing, now I'm waiting to get the .357 paired up. BTW... I think the Secret Service and some Seals still use the .357 in Sig 226s. Great test.

Ive been thinking about carrying a glock 33 in 357 sig and this just helped me make my decision. 357 sig it is.

Can't go wrong with either, but my favorite is 357 Sig in my Glock 31 and Sig 2022. I bought 40 S&W barrels for both pistols to swap in if I can't find 357 Sig

I have a p229 in 357sig an an extra .40s&w barrel for it. I like the oddball sizes like this .357sig and 327 federal magnum just for the fact that when a gun shop has them in stock and there's an ammo shortage you can then find these oddball sizes hidden in the back cause they don't sell 😂 and of course I also have all the more popular calibers too.

I carry the 357 sig in my Glock 23 with a storm lake conversion barrel. Runs great and love the the fact i can run two guns in one.

125 gr Federal HST 357 Sig is my favorite carry round, Gel tests on it are amazing.

I carry the P226 in 357 SIG. I also have the P320, and sometimes carry that also in 357 SIG. I think that the +P+ is the odd ball here and is almost if not more hard to find . I am hoping the 357 SIG will make a comeback like the 10mm has. People had written off the 10mm also. I have noticed much better load consistency in 357 Sig than 10mm. Some 10mm loads are nearly the same as 40S&W. I also have 40S&W barrels for the P226 and P320, so I can shoot either as the mags are the same for both cartridges. No reason not to have one if all you need to do is swap barrels and you can find 40S&W everywhere even if the worst case happens and they quit making 357 Sig. If the recoil and report is an issue, the +P+ is not a great choice either.

The 357 is definitely a good round. I don’t have one but have seen a lot about the round. Good test . Thanks for sharing the video.👍

Just get 357 sig barrel for any of your glock 40s&w , it works perfect and u get whole another tool for testing diffent ammo , keep them coming great job.

It's great that you reviewed the 357 Sig. Almost no one does anymore. I have been thinking about getting a Glock 33. Only cost and availability of ammunition has made me hesitant. The ball ammunition in 357 Sig is way expensive. (I have seen reasonably priced reloads though) The defense 357 Sig isn't usually much more than 40, IF you can find it. I'm sure I could probably order some via my local gun shop. We should always try to support the small business owners. If S&W still made a 357 Sig compact, I'd like that. Anyhow, thanks for this test.

The way they are loading 10mm I think I would rather run 357 sig. Great video as always thanks!

This is my favorite video of yours so far. I’m a .357 Sig Fanboy so it was nice to see the cartridge shown some love! .357 Sig does what most people think 9mm does but as you can see the difference is fairly large when using properly loaded ammo. One advantage of .357 Sig is running it out of a SubCompact, you can still easily achieve equal performance of 9mm+P+ coming out of a full size duty gun. The biggest drawback in my opinion is the price of ammo. Availability is a huge issue too, but when it is available, it can hurt the wallet! Hopefully there’s more .357 Sig coming! Appreciate all your hard work!

The way that slow mo jelly jiggle is you can tell that 357sig is dumping more energy into that block (feel free to use that term in the future jelly jiggle 🤣). I bought a few boxes of that underwood 124+p+ on your recommendation, it's pleasant to shoot even out of a compact. 124gr is the sweet spot IMO.

Love to see the 357 Sig

For about 5 years I carried a Sig P229 in 357 Sig. It's a fantastic tool. For me, the switch in the end was only partially over price and availability. It had more to do with ease and comfort of carrying a slimmer, lighter, more compact tool. One thing to keep in mind is that a gun built for 357sig can do it all day long for years. You wouldn't want to feed a steady diet of +p+ on most polymer 9mm hand guns.

Glock 32 is my EDC. Has been for years. Nice video. Keep them rolling.

Is it just me or is that 357sig wound channel double the length of 9m +p+? But 357sig is the underachiever? Double the damage,Flat, and accurate. What’s not to like? Fragmentation is infectious. 9 is nice but I won’t be giving up my sig.

Finally.... Great test! My daily carry is a SigP224 in 357 Sig and I carry a couple Liberty Defense hollow points back by eight 65 grain extreme defenders. I could switch to a 10mm, which is superior, but 10mm guns are way thicker than they need to be. 40 SW pistols are the same size as the 9mm counterparts and 10 mm is in the same family as 40SW and 357 Sig, so there is no reason the 10mm pistols need to be as thick as they are. I suspect they are as big as they are, because manufacturers built them off 45 ACP platforms to fit the longer 10mm cartridge. 10mm is popular enough now where someone should be able to build a Glock 19/32 or P226 sized 10mm with a slightly deeper grip. I'm a DA/SA guy. I was hoping Springfield would build the XDE in 10mm or may 40 SW where we could get a 357 Sig barrel, but they discontinued the pistol.

Rather than picking up a dedicated pistol chambered in .357 Sig, if you have a Sig P320, M17, M18, etc, you can get a conversion slide that will accept both .40 S&W and .357 Sig exchange barrels. I bought the slide and both barrels on sale a while back on Osage County Guns website. Both rounds have fired accurately and reliably on my M17 platform.

I liked when Underwood loaded the 147 Gold Dot to +P+

I have enjoyed .357 Sig in my Glock 31 for years. Another outstanding test. Thank you, Sir🙏🏿🇺🇸

The energy dump from the 357sig wins the day!

Thanks, I've wanted to see a comparison like this. I was surprised at how much better the .357 Sig did. Both were very good, but the .357 really excelled. I have the same feelings as you about the round disappearing. It's too bad that it didn't become more popular.

Hey Tools you have a g22 correct you can get an alpha wolf 357 sig barrel from optic planet for a tad over 100 bucks

357 sig works great in a subgun because of the cartridge shape. Ive always been a fan of the cartridge and the Glock 32

I was really impressed with the +p+ then the 357 Sig rocked its world. Both are serious rounds though. 👌👊😎🇺🇸

Nice test. I'm digging the performance of the 357 Sig. I used to own a P229 in 357 Sig years ago. Interesting story... I got it for creating a company webpage for a friend. I sold it because finding ammo was difficult and I was offered a price I couldn't refuse. I don't think you could buy ammo online back then either. I still have a partial box of gold dots for it. I've since gotten a P229 in 40 S&W.

I've always been wonderin' about a .357Sig gel test, I learned something, Thanks Tools.!

Great test as always. Impressive result's. I am a fan of .357 Sig and carry it occasionally. I usually run the factory Gold Dot 125's. I have conversion barrel's for a M&P .40 1.0/2.0 and a G23 Gen3. I had a G33 but sold it off. You are right...number's don't lie. The Virginia State Police still carry it...and are very happy with it. I actually spoke to a Trooper at my LGS a couple weeks ago. They have transitioned away from the Sig P229 and into the Sig P320 as their duty gun. I know New Mexico State Police did use .357 Sig in the past. Not sure about now. I don't personally think the caliber will completely disappear, it will just be very expensive unless you hand load your own. I have a pretty decent supply of brass for this caliber.

As a 357 magnum carrier i wanted to get into this 357 sig but as much fun as im having to even find magnum rounds i dont want to hunt for this caliber also.i own 2 9mm arms but as a big bore guy its not enough for me.eyeing the 10mm since ive actually seen it in stores hoping it will get me close to my beloved magnum recoil.Shame about the sig going away though.

An excellent video presentation, as we’ve become accustomed to seeing from you! 9mm and .357Sig bullets are usually are constructed differently to allow for the increased velocity of the .357Sig. The 125 Gold Dot used in the .357Sig is much more solidly constructed than the 124 Gold Dot used in the 9mm’s. In this case the 124 Nosler ASP (designed for 9mm’s) fragmented. However fragmentation is not necessarily a bad thing, as you have shown. Thanks and please keep up your excellent work!

I'm glad you did this test, I hear ppl say 9mm+p is as good as 357sig 😂. That's how ya know they've never shot 357sig. My favorite autoloader round🔫

All these great capable rounds, 357sig, 40w&w, 40super, 38super!! 45acp,45super, 9x23 and all the cool new 2011s are all 9mm...hurts the heart. A 2011 in 357sig, 38super, 45super,10mm would be great!

Another reason to consider 357 Sig for self defense, besides penetration, is that being a bottle necked cartridge, it's unlikely to ever give you a feeding jam. Many police departments used to carry this.

Absolutely a slammer!! People hate to admit that 9mm isnt a very good defensive round. If it was then ammo selection wouldnt be such a huge factor. Never heard anyone ask if any 357 mag hollow point would make the cut lol

I've been curious about the Sig, this is my1st test on those, I've always had 357-Magnum revolvers, and a 44-Magnum, 40 years ago the 9mm that was available then was lame, my 1st 9mm was 4 years ago, with much better ammo, Thanks as always Brian. 357-Sig vs 357-mag, would be great. 👍🇺🇸

That was an outstanding test and results. I have never seen any testing of the .357 SIG. enjoyed every minute of the video. Really nice ammo offering there. Thanks for sharing as always. Be safe. 🇺🇸🇺🇸⭐️🇺🇸🇺🇸

I've been interested in the 357 sig, its no whimp for sure. I've been getting into reloading more and more, if a guy bought one he better reload for it. Thank you for the video

Just bought a G33 in 357 Sig. Absolutely love shooting it! It's a fun snappy cartridge to shoot. Ammo is more expensive than 9mm, but the extra punch of the 357 Sig is worth it. Not sure why it's not more popular than it is, because it's a great cartridge for an auto pistol. Maybe if they named it 9mm Magnum it would have caught on better or maybe not.

My edc for many many years was a g32 gen4 I love it. Due to the round being a bottle neck design it’s super reliable.

I remember when 357 Sig came out, and it was supposed to be a semi-auto version of .357 magnum. I thought it was going to take over and dominate 9mm and .45 ACP. But I'm usually wrong on who wins elections, too.

Good test. I've wondered how that nosler does. I think you're spot on that this bullet isn't really designed for .357 Sig velocities. Keep up the good work!

My EDC is the G32 with Underwood 125 gr Bonded JHP. I barrel swap it to 9mm when I'm in the mood to shoot lots of cheaper ammo but I don't use the 9mm barrel as an EDC. I have a G30 that I sometimes swap out for EDC or as a car gun but I like the power that the .357 Sig affords me. Thanks for the great video.

Great comparo presentation. Nice to see a tuber who lives in the 'real world' where cartridge availability and price can trump a slightly better performing round. Thumbs UP!!!

Most 40SW pistols you can get a 357 Sig barrel for. I love my P229 it's great.swapped barrels runs like a race horse.

Wonder why such a good caliber died out. 10mm almost died out years ago. Same reason I haven't I never purchased a 357sig I always wanted one but the gunshop never has anmo for it you have to order anmo online and even then you are limited on what they have. I'd like to see this cartridge make a come back.

Great Ammo test Tools .357 sig vs 9mm+P. The .357sig is interesting but I'll stick with the 9mm.👊🇺🇸

Its a good round but im locked in with 40/357/38/9 and will definitely be getting more underwood ammo for them. Thanks for info !

For years a had a 229 in 357sig, too snappy for me, i have settled on a m&p9, it should do well into old age as i am middle age now and not as beefy when i carried 45's and the 357sig.😊

Thats a shame there's no future for 357 Sig. I think its one of the great semiauto pistol rounds like 10mm. I know its not as powerful as 10mm but it's not far from it. Especially some of this weak knee 10mm they are selling these days.

I never had tried the 357 Sig, but want to. It's like having a 357 mag automatic. Very close ballistics in the same bullet and weight comparison. Another I wish would have been more popular is the 400 Corbon. It faded real quick.

The scientific reason for that outlier is just that 5 is a small sample and you need a large sample for the distribution to even out. You'd probably need to take at least 20 or 30 shots to get a clear picture of how much variation a load has. Which is rarely practical, especially with pricey defensive ammo.

Picked up a 239 years ago with a .40 barrel and 10 mags for $450. The good old days

Underwood .40 SW 155 grain XTP and 135 grain are better than both these rounds. More momentum and wayyyy higher BC, which is stability in tissue or at distance. I get 590-600 ft/lb out of my 4” glock 23 and 10mm power out of my glock 35 5.3”

Your comment about the “future of the cartridge” is pretty doggone smart - now that I think about it, I agree with you

The 50gr civil defense for sig, is such a win-win. 1) goes over 2200fps, which does hydrostatic shock. 2) defeats 3a kevlar. Even good for shooting a bear thru thick skull. 3) even though it goes fast, recoil is much less powerful due to projectile being so light. 4) The wound channel is nothing like anything on the market. Does insane trauma, just grenades right in the vitals. Does the most damage. 5) gun will be lighter too. 6) it is basically one and done... no need to follow up or anything, even on a all hyped up crackhead. Therefore you can carry a smaller pistol, 7+1 is plenty. So yeah, there are really only 2 true self defense calibers, 357sig or 10mm, in 50gr/65gr civil defense...pistol ammo, with the performance of rifle ammo.

I shoot .40 cal, .38 and .380. But this round is fast and I presume flat shooting. It's too bad that calibers like this and .40 are so overlooked. If we all have 9mm, then it's easy to choke off our ammo supply for any reason. During the Covid hype, I could always find ammo, because I don't run 9mm. Also, it's boring. More options, more better.

Great performance with each. The 357 Sig is a powerful offering for sure. Thank you.

I always understood the the necked down rounds have better feeding.

I've never seen a test of the .357 Sig. I think the reason why is it's considered the stepchild that gets no attention. But boy did it rock out in this test! You're right about limited tools, and ammo selection, and kinda reminds me of .30 Super Carry. Thanks for a very interesting test as always! 💥

Great test. But for most shooters, the 357 Sig would be a little too much to handle, especially as we grow older. My split times between hot 40 S&S and 9mm was almost the same - but not any more. There is a reason many law enforcement agencies loved the 357 Sig but had to go away from it.

That 357 sig is no slouch for sure. Great video, as always, brother.

I never had much interest in the .357 SIG till I shot one. I was pretty surprised at the performance. But I still ignored it for a while because I already had a 9x23 Winchester and the Sig can't match it. Then SIG came out with the Nightmare/Nightmare Carry and I had to have one! I found the 5" first and bought it. I fell in love! But I really wanted the carry(4 1/4" commander), which took a while but now I have both. I try to have at least one 1911 in everything it's chambered in and some it's not.... These 2 loads are spectacular performers! I use the older versions of both. I didn't have a lot of faith in these Nosler bullets at these speeds until now so I've been stingy with my stock with the gold dot.....now I'm ordering some of these! Thanks again for some fine work!

Real .38Super (think how passionate you are about 10mm and apply it to my comment) fits pretty much in between. I have standard pressure hand loads with 124gr Gold Dots doing 1350fps. That’s through a standard Govt 1911.

My first impressions of the .357 Sig was from shooting it out of a Glock 32 were that I was shooting a magnum, and it wasn’t for everybody. Some police departments I’d encountered that issued it found that it wasn’t the best gun for shooters who needed a lot of regular attention and the cost of the ammo made sure they couldn’t get as much attention as they should have received. Not that it would have taken long for had habits and training scars to set in if they’d been switched to 9mm. But you made a great presentation comparing the two.

I think where the Sig could shine brightest is with heavy for caliber bullets. My dad handloaded some 158 grain FMJ and was still breaking the sound barrier with his starting load, that's 1,100+ fps on what he figured was about 80% of what he could safely load to. If a manufacturer made a decent hollow point in that weight range it might perform really well.

It would be nice to see the monolithic versions tested

This round was developed for highway patrol officers. They wanted a round that would penetrate a semi truck door and still have enough energy to stop who ever is in the cab. Look for police trade ins in 357 sig if you want a cheaper option.

Since I don't have a dog in this pony show, I won't say anything on the .357 Sig 😁but the 9mm did equally as well from what I seen. Thanks for all the hard work you put in my friend. Have a good one brother see you on the next one.

Two state level Law Enforcement agencies I'm very familiar with went down this road when issuing duty handguns from oldest to most recent: #1: .38/357 revolvers, #2: 9 Minimal semiautos (Glocks the agencies got for very, very cheap compared to civilian costs), #3: Glocks chambered in .40S&W (that they got for very, very cheap compared to civilian costs), #4: .357 Sigs (that they paid a bit more for than they had paid for the Glocks but still less than what civilians paid for the same pistols), #5: Most recently, Glock pistols ( that they got, again, for very, very cheap compared to civilian costs) chambered in 9 Minimal. The reason given for reverting to the 9 Minimal? New recruits were recoil and muzzle blast sensitive and the 9 Minimal +P+ was deemed to be on the high end of what the majority of those recruits could "handle" and still qualify to minimal state mandated requirements.

I have a Glock 32C but I also converted it to 9mm with a Long Wolf conversion barrel. Works great in both calibers. It also can be converted to .40S&W.

The problem with fragmentation is that the bullet loses mass. That means if it encounters a non-homogeneous target like people, the projectile is more likely to not have the momentum necessary to penetrate like it does in gel. So for me I’d say the 9mm +p+ is the better performing round in this test since it exceeded the magical FBI 12” and retained its mass.

My P226 Legion is chambered in .357 sig. Love it! It's my house gun, but of course I carry in 9 mil.

Good stuff Tools. I have a couple boxes of the 147gr +P+ Underwood when they were still loading Gold Dots... now that they seem to be using other projectiles I almost wanna keep those boxes in the safe and not shoot them lol. I carry in my G26/G19 Gold Dot 124 +Ps and a handful of 147gr +P+ at the bottom of the mag if god forbid I'm in a situation where it comes to that EDIT: Not gonna lie that Nosler 9mm round did great... maybe they got the secret sauce dialed in with these Noslers after all

Fragmentation leads to more tissue disruption. The obvious temporary wound channel difference makes the 357 Sig the winner plus the added energy retainment at furtherndistances is a bonus. I have a Polymer 80/G31 full size that is in edc rotation. Also currently building a 1911 çhambered in 357 Sig. It is a Commander size. Utilizing a ramped barrel, and will be red dot equipped. Once proven reliable (500 rounds test) it will become another piece intended for carry.

Been looking forward to this vid, yhank you bro!

Thank you for all this information. Note: In CA, we are limited to 10 round magazines. No high capacity 9s.

357 Sig is my favorite auto cartridge. My tool for it is a Sig P320 Compact with the Wilson Combat grip module and EDC load is Hornady Custom 125 gr. I also hand load it so that eases the price pain for practice quite a bit.

.357 sig my favorite 9mm Grizzly 90 grain over 720 ft.lbs. edc Glock 32 4th gen.

I carry a Glock 32 and a 33 in my rotation in .357 Sig for EDC and loaded with the HST round. I planned ahead when I bought my Glocks in .357Sig, because I too thought that I didn’t want to “lose” a working gun. So, I also bought KKM barrels in .40 for both Glocks, if and when the .357Sig disappears forever! This way the two guns are forever still viable with a simple barrel swap.