Reloading .357 SIG?

[GlockCop]

Well I just purchased a new G-32. I knew going into this that .357 was kind of expensive and at times not easy to find everywhere. So my question is does anyone on here have any experience reloading this round? Difficult? Expensive? I know the dies are like twice as expensive as say .40 short and weaks...lol. Or is it just easier and cheaper to buy a .40 barrel and reload .40 and practice with that and put in the .357 barrel for carry(which will be the main function of this pistol). Since tha mags interchange dosent seem like a big deal either way.

 

[O4L]

Sooner State Pawn had .357Sig reloaded Ultramax ammo for $17 per box of 50 the last time I was in there.

That might be a viable option if you trust someone else's reloads.

 

[Daryl Licht]

This round isn't that hard to reload. Since it's bottlenecked it has to be lubed before resizing. I usually lube and resize, then tumble to clean them up. After that, just load them like any other round.

There are some things I've found in loading the .357 Sig.
1. Use a suitable bullet. There are a lot out there now that are made for .357 Sig use. Remington makes a 124gr JHP that is available in bulk and works out just fine.
2. Use minimal flare on the case, just enough to get the bullet to start and no more. The short neck needs all the help it can get. I set up the flare by adjusting it in very slowly, and sitting a bullet on top. When the chamfer on the bullet base will just enter the neck that is enough. The "flare" may not even be visible, but this helps with getting all the grip you can with the short neck. Seat the bullets carefully. You may find a short round of brass now and then.
3. Use a powder that fills the case. I like compressed loads because they help prevent bullet setback. Accurate #9 and #7 have been good. Be aware that these will be pretty much full power .357 Sig rounds, but hey, if you're going to load them down you might as well just shoot 9mm.
4. Use a light taper crimp. The Lee dies will do this. Be careful to avoid collapsing the shoulder. Set the crimp to just push that minimal flare back in against the bullet.

That sounds like a lot, but it really isn't tough. The .357 Sig round just takes a little getting used to when reloading.

My apologies for being long winded.

 

[Blitzfike]

I've been reloading the 357 sig for quite some time. The short neck makes it critical that you find a bullet that the ogive hasn't started in the neck area. Lots of 9mm bullets have too much curve to allow then to be seated to the correct overall length and still grip the bullet. Several years ago I started using 125 grain JHP and JSP bullets made for the 357 mag. They have a straight wall section where I need it in the neck area to allow the case to grip the bullet and they work well for me. I haven't seen any big jumps in velocity between them and the 356 diameter bullets and no visible pressure signs as well. I've been shooting them in a Sig P226 and a Sig P229, as well as a Sig P239. They work great in those. I have loaded lots of the AA7 and AA9 powders in the 357 sig and they work well unless you have a very short barrel. Lots of flash at night though. Good luck with the loading for the Glock, I would suggest an after market barrel for shooting reloads. Blitzfike