Which is More powerful? 357 sig or 45 ACP

[exexpat93]

I am not a fan of the 357SIG. It is a very light bullet that goes very fast. It could be a great penetrator round or the bullet might loose mass traveling through car doors and such. It might be more tetchy reloading this round due to high pressures but the bottle neck will feed better than straight walled rounds. If only you can get a 40S+W then get a 357 barrel - that would be my best option. Think of it as 9mm Maximum or 357 Magnum Automatic-a.

I am not hip to some of the new rounds. They are not as available as tried and true 9mm, 40S+W, and 45ACP and they are more expensive.

Now if ... an XD came in 50GI ACP and the ammo was cheap and available - I'd be there. Beat Baston Block to the punchline that's for sure.

Yes, there needs to be more 10mm too. I've never shot this round but I've always been impressed with reports and the concept behind this one.

[Krackels]

If you can afford to shoot/reload/buy .357 I'd stick with that. It's more obscure but you could also get a conversion barrel in .40 or 9mm to make it a little more economical.

Check out the terminal effects

Originally Posted by DocGKR

As you increase bullet size and mass from 9 mm/357 Sig, to .40 S&W, to .45 ACP, more tissue is crushed, resulting in a larger permanent cavity. In addition, the larger bullets often offer better performance through intermediate barriers. For some, the incremental advantages of the larger calibers are offset by weapon platform characteristics. As is quite obvious from the photo above, NONE of the common service pistol calibers generate temporary cavities of sufficient magnitude to cause significant tissue damage. Anyone interested in this topic should read and periodically re-read, “Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness” by Urey Patrick of the FBI FTU, as this remains the single best discussion of the wound ballistic requirements of handguns used for self-defense -- it is available at: http://www.firearmstactical.com/hwfe.htm .


Keeping in mind that handguns generally offer poor incapacitation potential, bullets with effective terminal performance are available in all of the most commonly used duty pistol calibers--pick the one that you shoot most accurately, that is most reliable in the type of pistol you choose, and best suits you likely engagement scenarios. Basically all the standard service calibers work when fed good quality ammunition. The platform picked tends to dictate the caliber. For example, Glocks and Sigs tend to run best in 9 mm; the S&W M&P is the first .40 S&W pistol that seems to offer an ideal ergonomic and shooter friendly package; while a properly customized 5" steel-frame 1911 in .45 ACP is a superb, unparalleled choice for the dedicated user. Whatever you choose, make sure you fire at least 500 and preferrably 1000 failure free shots through your pistol prior to using it for duty. If your pistol cannot fire at least 1000 consecutive shots without a malfunction, something is wrong and it is not suitable for duty/self-defense use.

Courtesy of the Doc.

[boomstik45]

I like both rounds, but .45 is still my favorite (though .40 is great) and I can find .45 everywhere in abundance. Besides, if I want more speed, I can pop in some .45+p into my XD 5" or some of Mike McNett's DoubleTap .45. Talk about hot...

The only advantages I see Glock clearly having over the XD line is the Glock 20 and 29 in 10mm and the fact that the Xd .40s come with 12 round mags. Needless to say the glocks come with 13 and 15 rd. mags. But then again, the wonderful Sig .40s have the same capacity of the XDs. No big deal.

[mojust]

357 Sig is better for shooting through things like windshields and body armor. .45 makes a bigger hole. Both are extremely accurate rounds. I like them both, and carry both depending on my mood.

[TheXDkid]

dont know that i would say that the 45 is an accurate round its as accurate as any up close.... however does have alot of drop at long ranges.

[Glxso201]

Originally Posted by XD 40S&W

ether ,just get a XD50 it has pretty decent stopping power.

An XD in .50 AE...interesting

[Broadside]

I've got both .45 ACP and 357 SIG. I carry the 357 SIG it has similar balistics as the 357 Mag. You get velocity, penetration and energy in a small managable package. I recommend you read the article Pete put together. However, the 357 SIG is not cheap to shoot but a lot of LE agencies are adopting the 357 SIG round based on real world shooting performance. Their is a similar type of round coming out in .40 with a bottle neck design. It will also be one to watch but at the end of the day you need to be shooting what you shoot best with and can afford. The cheapest I have bought 357 SIG factory ammo is $13.98 (50 rnds) so for 200 rnds it's about $60 with tax. WWB 9mm is $12.98 a box of 100 and .45 is $22 a box of 100 so it's fairly expensive to shoot vs. 9mm or 45.

I don't feel under gunned shooting the 45, 40 or 9mm. IMHO i'll take the 357 SIG over all of them. Shot placement is first and foremost but balistics finish the shot.

http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/w...357.defend.htm

[spamlovr]

Originally Posted by Chewie146

However, there is one story of a couple of state troopers and a shootout with a guy inside a truck. The guy with the .45 put dents in the door...

I find this impossible to believe without proof. I know for a fact that the 230 grain and 185 grain rounds I use for self defense will penetrate a car door. I used a car to test this. My old, dead '79 Mercedes Benz 300D. We're not talking about paper thin sheet metal with this car. There was a hell of a lot more there than a dent.

[Broadside]

Originally Posted by spamlovr

I find this impossible to believe without proof.

I'm not sure what proof you will find on the story. I have read it on the internet (so it must be true) but not sure you believe everything you read. They where shooting at the BD who was baricaded in a Semi - Truck if that matters. The dimples were susposed to be on the inside of the truck door. The story didn't give a distance. I'll see if I have it booked marked. This was a while ago.

EDIT: Here is a link to the story.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...46/ai_64259195

[spamlovr]

Originally Posted by Broadside

EDIT: Here is a link to the story.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...46/ai_64259195

Thanks for finding that. It has not changed my beliefs one bit. I've driven big rigs. I feel that almost any decent handgun round could pierce the metal skin. I trust Mas, but he is trying to help sell magazines when he is a writer for them, and with the vague information given, it's hard for me to think it's true. If the .45 ACP rounds weren't getting through, there must have been another reason than lack of energy.