357 semi auto?

[ironhorse]

I have been watching allot of your comments about which handgun would be most effective for ccw.. Trying to decide carefully what my next purchase would be. I've seen some discussion about the 357. I have a long barrel that I use for hunting and just love it. I thought I saw this some where on one of the websights you have posted but can't find it. Do they make a 357 mag in semi auto? and if so is it able to take 38 sp as well?

[Punisher]

desert eagle is the only one that i know of - or you could try having one custom made - might be expensive...............

[God's Country]

Ditto on the desert eagle. Magnum Research makes the only 357 mag that I am aware of. And it's huge. I don't believe they make one in a baby eagle.

[TonyF]

Originally Posted by ironhorse

I have been watching allot of your comments about which handgun would be most effective for ccw.. Trying to decide carefully what my next purchase would be. I've seen some discussion about the 357. I have a long barrel that I use for hunting and just love it. I thought I saw this some where on one of the websights you have posted but can't find it. Do they make a 357 mag in semi auto? and if so is it able to take 38 sp as well?

There was the Coonan .357 but the problem is getting rimmed cartridges to feed reliably in an autoloader. Nevertheless, even if they did you couldn't shoot .38 spl in it because autoloaders headspace on the case mouth and the two cartridges cases are not the same length.

The .357 SIG is a rimless autoloading cartridge that was a direct attempt at reproducing .357 magnum terminal performance in an autoloader. These are available from SIG, Glock and several other makers although the loadings (bullet weights) are not nearly as many as the .357 magnum.

The .357 SIG is punishing to both shooter and handgun. IIRC, the Glocks are only rated at a 15,000 round service life.

[knight0334]

As mentioned above, Desert Eagle and the former Coonan. Rimmed cartridges aren't meant for autoloaders, and only a few pistols were designed well enough to used rimmed ammo.

I think I've seen special aftermarket magazines to use 38spl rounds for either. The magazine has the back filled in with a plate and uses a shorted follower. If the special magazines aren't used, you ended with a problem call rim-lock. The happens when the top cartridge's rim bounces over the following cartridge's rim. ...which just jams the gun entirely. Kel-tec pistol have this problem with the 32acp and 380acp when using shorter hollowpoint cartridges because the mag is fairly straight. (32acp and 380acp are semi-rimmed).

Another problem with shooting lessor powered ammo in autoloaders is that the pistol will not cycle properly due to the lack of recoil. When those pistols are designed, they account for the recoil the cartridge that the gun is based on since autoloading pistols use recoil to cycle the action.

S&W makes, or used to make, a semi-auto 38spl. ...But I think it was for wadcutters only.

[Lycanthrope]

There is always the 9x23......

[SharpShooter88]

like dwhite said the desert eagle and no they do not make one in the baby eagle. I was actually just checking out there site.

[XD45]

have you looked at 10mm ballistics? they arent to far off from the .357mag, and even a bit bigger of a hole... glock makes a compact and a full size... i love my glock29

[BUCKMARK]

I jumped onto the 357 Auto wagon when Glock introduced the G32.

I quickly found that the 357 Auto or 357 Sig was usually loaded well short of the .357 Magnum ballistics. The standard 124 grain bullet loadings were no better than 9mm +p+ loadings.

Double Tap Ammo Company makes 357 Auto that is close to .357 Magnum ballistics, but that ammo is expensise, loud and has a lot of recoil in my opinion.

I sold the G32 to my neighbor who loves it. I went back to the G19 in 9mm and the G21 in .45 acp.

The 357 Auto, like most calibers is either loved or hated. I hate it. FWIW, the Pa. Game Commission is now using the G31 in 357 Auto. Then again, the Pa. State Police will soon be carrying the Glock .45 GAP.

[Lycanthrope]

The 9x23 runs with the hot .357 magnum loads and is easily chambered in the 1911 pistol. How does 147gr at 1400fps+ suit you?

You can rebarrel or any 9mm or .38 Super barrel can be cheaply rechambered.