40 or 357

jljbtm · 12-18-2012, 20:24

I have a Glock 20 and 10mm ammo is hard to get so im going to change the barrell but not sure which way to go? I like power so im leaning towards the 357. what say you?

unit1069 · 12-18-2012, 20:30

Since your G-20 already more than covers the power .40S&W might bring to bear upon four-legged threats I think you're on the right track with .357sig which brings a lot of credibility against human predators.

jljbtm · 12-18-2012, 20:45

I should consider availability and cost too. 357 probably cost more then the .40 but how much less than the 10mm

Tiro Fijo · 12-18-2012, 20:45

.357 SIG ammo is far harder to find in most retail locations than 10mm IMO. Why not reload(?).

jljbtm · 12-18-2012, 21:03

i'll have to search that out and have not bought either one so far.
Reloading? well I guess I just don't know how (never tried it) and don't have the stuff, how much is that investment?

fredj338 · 12-18-2012, 22:38

$0 can generally be had cheaper & is often stocked more, I would lean that way. Then again, it's only a bbl swap to get all three caliber running in the G20. Food for thought.
Reloading your own 10mm would save you quite a bit of money, depending on how much you shoot. You load it for the same cost as loading 40, so figure 50% of what 40 factory cost, yeah, that much.
Cost to reload is what you always time vs money. If yo uhave a lot of time, then something like a Lee turret & all the goodies, under $300. If you want more than 200rds/hr, then you need a quality progressive (not Lee), so now you are tlaking in the $700 range for every thing. Still way cheaper than few 1000 10mm factory rounds though.

jljbtm · 12-19-2012, 06:25

Well, there is more to it than i thought. I was thinking bigger is better and just get the 357.
But now reloading has entered my mind and seems logical until i get tired of it. does one reloader good for different calibers? Is a used one ok? what to look for.

greenlion · 12-19-2012, 06:52

If you are worried about ammo availability I certainly wouldn't choose the .357 Sig.

.40 S&W is abundant and available anywhere, and it was the ONLY caliber left on the shelf during the last big ammo shortage.

cowboy1964 · 12-19-2012, 12:42

I like the .357 Sig but the .40 is much more practical.

SCmasterblaster · 12-19-2012, 19:04

You'll save a lot of money that way, and you will be a more knowledgeable shooter.

Brian Lee · 12-20-2012, 13:53

.357 is just barely hard enough to find that since you have a G20, you might as go total freakazoid with 9x25 Dillon instead - as I did. But I'll agree that if cheap ammo available everywhere is what you want, foty is the only choice. I lean toward the opinion that .357 is a better man stopper than foty, but certainly no better than 10MM already is.

pisc1024 · 12-21-2012, 21:52

.40 is more widely available, so I would go with that. I think it is a better general use round too.

SCmasterblaster · 12-23-2012, 18:50

I'd get a .357Sig barrel, for more and more ammo is becoming available.

Smoker · 12-23-2012, 19:51

I enjoy the 357 in my 32, I've reloaded for quite awhile, it also occupies & passes a lot of time for me. Cost saving, the recreation & the satisfaction of rolling your own.

CDW4ME · 12-23-2012, 20:32

I agree with the reloading option over a barrel in a different caliber.
I have a Glock 29 SF 10mm and handload for it; I say handload instead of reload because I have stuck to only using new brass so far.
I don't shoot a lot, so I am satisfied with doing things the slow way using a single stage press.
My 10mm load is a 155 gr. XTP @ 1,278 fps which duplicates the Hornady factory velocity for the same bullet and is very managable.
Cost? Using all new components a 50 round box of XTP is (was) about $26

NEOH212 · 12-23-2012, 21:16

Get a .357 Mag or .44 Mag revolver and call it a day.

(You can thank me latter.)

VinnieG · 12-23-2012, 21:31

For ammo availability I'd go with the 40. I reload 40 and 10 mm and it is a big savings. I use a single stage press and reload a lot of different calibers. It's not hard to learn and I enjoy it. You can pump out a lot more rounds with a progressive but I guess I don't mind the single stage.
I have my press set up in my dads basement next to his and its somethin that we do together.

GJHIII · 12-27-2012, 23:19

I shoot alot of .357mag and .40SW. Often .357mag is non-existent while .40SW is plentiful. I certainly prefer the .357mag and suspect that is the case nationwide.

SCmasterblaster · 01-01-2013, 15:16

that the .40 S&W is far more available than the .357Sig.

Trapped_in_Kali · 01-01-2013, 16:56

I've got a G20 & a .40 S&W barrel, I can get .40 reloads locally for 500/$100 including tax.
I just ordered .357 Sig & 9x25 Dillon barrels. The Dillon is for fun & the Sig is when the SHTF it is another caliber I can use if I run across any.

SCmasterblaster · 01-03-2013, 10:05

Go with the .40 S&W 180gr - it penetrates better than the .357 SIG. Penetration is crucial in handgun bullets.

jljbtm · 01-07-2013, 18:17

Thanks for all the posts, I think I will go with the .40 barrel for now and consider reloading the 10's

SCmasterblaster · 01-08-2013, 11:29

Do you reload 10mm? If so, I'd get the .40S&W. They both use the same bullets.

jljbtm · 01-08-2013, 15:15

SCmasterblaster I'm new to the thought of reloading so you say the bullets are the same? what about the brass?

TJ Superfly · 01-08-2013, 15:38

How does the 357 sig compare to the .40 as far as recoil goes? I have a G27 and considered buying a G33.