357 Sig, or 45 GAP ?

[PhillyGunslinger]

Im going to be purchasing two Glocks, one a model 17 Gen 4 is a definite.
The second is a tossup between the G-32 and G-38. G-32 is chambered for the 357 Sig round which has suddenly became popular with many State Police agencies, Local Police, and Federal Agencies like the Secret Service and CIA. The 45 Gap is also coming up the ranks but not as much as the 357 Sig. I like the G38's profile and size and it has the same round count as a 1911 in a smaller package, 8+1. The performance of this round is better than 45 acp standard loads and equal to 45 acp +P loads. That said brings me to the 357 Sig. Here is a round that hits with up to 576 ft-lbs of energy in the hot 125 gr variety. The standard load is a 124 or 125 gr with 506 ft-lbs of energy. Corbon has a 115 gr that hits with 588 ft-lbs. I like the round because it replicates the hard hitting, one shot stopper, the 357 Magnum. The glock 32 also sounds fun to shoot and has a very intimidating boom when fired. Police say that when witnesses hear a 9mm go off they get newsy to see what it was, when they hear a 357 Sig go off they hit the deck ! Criminals are also intimidated by the sound alone, but besides that police claim when someone is hit with the 357 Sig, they fall to the ground and roll up into a ball from the pain. It's a very painful round to be hit with because of all that energy transfer. Even non-letal hits are putting bad guys down and abdominal hits are most excruciating. So my question is which should I go with ? Ammo for both guns isn't in too much variety. usually there is no more than two types or brands for each along with FMJ range ammo like American eagle for a total of 3 at the most. I want something different, but something that is going to stand the test of time and be around for awhile.

[bagman29]

Never shot anyone with my G31 in 357 SIG, so I can't attest to that. I can tell you there's plenty of manufacturers that make 357 SIG. Check out Midway USA and Cheaper Than Dirt. I can make headshots on paper all day long with my G31. I also haven't really noticed the noise difference between that and my 1911's. Hope this helps.

[PhillyGunslinger]

I did notice online the main sites like Able, and Cheaper than Dirt have 3 pages of 357 Sig compared to 1 page of 45 GAP. I just wish local shops had a little more variety ?

[y0rlik]

Let's see.

Companies that make pistols in .357 Sig (off the top of my head):
Glock
Smith & Wesson
Sig
Springfield?

Company that makes pistols in .45 GAP:
Glock

The fact that Glock (to my knowledge at least) is the only company offering a pistol in .45 GAP indicates that it's probably going to fade into obscurity. At the very least, you're limited to only Glocks if all you have is .45 GAP. I would definitely go with .357 Sig, which is probably going to be around for a long time (perhaps not as prevalent as 9 mm or .45 ACP, but still available). Also consider that .357 Sig pistols are readily converted to shoot .40 S&W (most only require a barrel swap and perhaps new mags) in the event .357 Sig becomes unavailable.

[synergy]

Both calibers are dead, avoid each of them...this is why you are not seeing them on gun-store shelves.

Ammo is going to be expensive, and hard to find.

A 9mm with +P+ ammo is virtually identical in performance to a .357SIG. So are lighter weight .40S&W loads. .357SIG is tolerable in a metal framed pistol like a Sig, but it's just annoying and unpleasant in a plastic frame like a Glock or M&P.

Just make up your mind and go with 9mm or .40S&W. .357SIG is for people who think there's some huge difference and feel the need to straddle the fence.

.45GAP has some more utility to it, but is ungodly expensive, and hard as hell to find. Federal literally didn't produce any HST .45GAP ammo for 20+ months... that's how little demand there is for it.

And for the record, both of these calibers are NOT Glock's most reliable offerings. Look at a 4th Gen .40S&W, 3rd Gen (preferable older vintage) 9mm's, and you should be ok.

[FLICK]

While synergy has some valid points with ammo cost and availability, I've always wanted a .357 Sig, purely based on the ballistics. They are very impressive and mimic my favorite round, the .357 mag. Might I throw a monkey wrench in the works and suggest the 10mm? Another great "obscure" round that is also expensive, not-so-common, and people actually shit their pants when you tell them you carry a 10mm. True story.

Do the PSP still carry the .45 Gap? I can honestly say I've never seen the .45 Gap on any store shelves, but then again, I'm not looking.

Get the .357 Sig (or 10mm)!!


yOrlik-
You do know why Glock and G.A.P. are so tight, right?
(Glock Automatic Pistola)

[synergy]

While synergy has some valid points with ammo cost and availability, I've always wanted a .357 Sig, purely based on the ballistics. They are very impressive and mimic my favorite round, the .357 mag. Might I throw a monkey wrench in the works and suggest the 10mm? Another great "obscure" round that is also expensive, not-so-common, and people actually shit their pants when you tell them you carry a 10mm. True story.

Do the PSP still carry the .45 Gap? I can honestly say I've never seen the .45 Gap on any store shelves, but then again, I'm not looking.

Get the .357 Sig (or 10mm)!!

PSP does carry GAP (long sory as to why...). They also have the funds to buy ammo by the pallet and stockpile it. The local departments that rely on PSP support like to carry the same thing they do so they have interchangablity of magazines for when stuff goes really bad.

They don't have that ability to stockpile, and I've literally had departments RUN OUT of duty ammo, and had to postpone qualifications because they didn't have the ammo for them.

.357SIG only approximates .357Magnum in one bullet weight, 125gr. Otherwise, it's not all that close, and it really doesn't matter in the first place. Plenty of people have been shot with .44Magnum's and lived to tell about it. Shot placement is still the deciding factor in every gunfight, and every service caliber round works when put in the right place.

[ddefazio]

Just go with the .40 and you can always use a conversion barrel and they are reliable. No need to switch mags either. So fo an extra 100.00 you can shoot either the 40 or the 357sig out of your one gun. That is what I would suggest. Now you don't have to worry about whether ammo is hard to find or expensive.

[harold63]

While synergy has some valid points with ammo cost and availability, I've always wanted a .357 Sig, purely based on the ballistics. They are very impressive and mimic my favorite round, the .357 mag. Might I throw a monkey wrench in the works and suggest the 10mm? Another great "obscure" round that is also expensive, not-so-common, and people actually shit their pants when you tell them you carry a 10mm. True story.

10mm is becoming more and more popular each day. It has become the .41 to .44 semi auto round, and there are a number of ammo makers dishing this round out. I agree with Synergy in that a hot 9mm is as good as the inbetween, non massed produced, 9mm rounds. Stopping an assembly line to change dies and what not to make an unpopular bullet and cartridge raises the costs of the one's that are in demand. I'd hate to pay $3 more for a box of 9mm because the plant had to do a run of .357 Sig. We, being Americans, will find a way to want and buy what ever is put out there, and we ALL will pay for it.

[dkf]

Both calibers are dead, avoid each of them...this is why you are not seeing them on gun-store shelves.

Ammo is going to be expensive, and hard to find.

A 9mm with +P+ ammo is virtually identical in performance to a .357SIG. So are lighter weight .40S&W loads. .357SIG is tolerable in a metal framed pistol like a Sig, but it's just annoying and unpleasant in a plastic frame like a Glock or M&P.

Just make up your mind and go with 9mm or .40S&W. .357SIG is for people who think there's some huge difference and feel the need to straddle the fence.

.45GAP has some more utility to it, but is ungodly expensive, and hard as hell to find. Federal literally didn't produce any HST .45GAP ammo for 20+ months... that's how little demand there is for it.

And for the record, both of these calibers are NOT Glock's most reliable offerings. Look at a 4th Gen .40S&W, 3rd Gen (preferable older vintage) 9mm's, and you should be ok.

Both calibers are far from dead, not as popular but not dead. The recoil of .40 and .357sig in Glocks is very close, I know I shoot both out the same platform. There is an advantage to the .357sig over the 9mm +P+. I agree its not magical but the difference is there especially with loads at max pressures. Also where did you get your info that .357sig and .45GAP are not Glocks most reliable offerings? Federals HST ammo in .45GAP is also LE only ammo which Federal only wnats sold to LEAs. Overruns, department overstock and department reject HST makes it out on the market but Federal is against selling HST to non LE. The departments that carry .45GAP also have other ammo choices, like the Gold Dots and Ranger.

Company that makes pistols in .45 GAP:
Glock

Bond Arms currently makes a .45GAP derringer and I'm pretty sure your can 1911 barrels to shoot .45 GAP but thats about it. Para and Springfield made guns chambered in GAP but discontinued them.

Im going to be purchasing two Glocks, one a model 17 Gen 4 is a definite.
The second is a tossup between the G-32 and G-38. G-32 is chambered for the 357 Sig round which has suddenly became popular with many State Police agencies, Local Police, and Federal Agencies like the Secret Service and CIA. The 45 Gap is also coming up the ranks but not as much as the 357 Sig. I like the G38's profile and size and it has the same round count as a 1911 in a smaller package, 8+1. The performance of this round is better than 45 acp standard loads and equal to 45 acp +P loads. That said brings me to the 357 Sig. Here is a round that hits with up to 576 ft-lbs of energy in the hot 125 gr variety. The standard load is a 124 or 125 gr with 506 ft-lbs of energy. Corbon has a 115 gr that hits with 588 ft-lbs. I like the round because it replicates the hard hitting, one shot stopper, the 357 Magnum. The glock 32 also sounds fun to shoot and has a very intimidating boom when fired. Police say that when witnesses hear a 9mm go off they get newsy to see what it was, when they hear a 357 Sig go off they hit the deck ! Criminals are also intimidated by the sound alone, but besides that police claim when someone is hit with the 357 Sig, they fall to the ground and roll up into a ball from the pain. It's a very painful round to be hit with because of all that energy transfer. Even non-letal hits are putting bad guys down and abdominal hits are most excruciating. So my question is which should I go with ? Ammo for both guns isn't in too much variety. usually there is no more than two types or brands for each along with FMJ range ammo like American eagle for a total of 3 at the most. I want something different, but something that is going to stand the test of time and be around for awhile.

Nice thing about the .357sig Glocks is they can shoot .357sig or .40 with just a barrel change. With a conversion barrel and 9mm mags you can shoot 9mm also. The G38 uses the same frame as the G38 the slide is just 1/8" wider. It has that .45 "push" to it as far as recoil goes. The G32 is similar in recoil to the a G23 chambered in .40. The .357sig is a good penetration round for hard barriers compared to the other service calibers. For some applications that is considered an advantage. If you can get your hands on either to shoot that wold be ideal. My local shops are not stocked up on .357sig and .45gap like other rounds but I can still get it locally but your best bet is to get it off the net. The advantage of the .45GAP is basically in the Glock platform itself. All Glocks .45acp guns (other than the G36) have a fatter grip, since the .45gap Glocks use 9/.40/.357 frames the grip is thinner. The ballistics are similar to .45ACP.