To 9MM or not

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by dhoward
I pick up a Glock 23 tomorrow.
My first .40.
Thinking about ordering .357Sig barrel too....

Get used to the .40 first and see how you like it. I'm starting to think .357SIG is a tad too powerful, though I can't remember what a .40 feels like. The .357 packs some punch.

[Joeaksa]

Those of you talking about .40 cal barrels, I have seen a .40 corbon barrel for the .45 auto frame. Not tried one but sure looked interesting.

You guys talking about a .357 mag in a auto pistol need to be doing a lot of working out. Its a very powerful round and trying to double tap these puppies out and have the second round "on target" would take some very strong wrists and arms.

One of the reasons why they were always in revolvers for many years, with the other being strength of the pistol to take the stress of the round. Never shot a .50 desert eagle, but assume that its about as strong.

Joe A

[dhoward]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Snipped.....

You guys talking about a .357 mag in a auto pistol need to be doing a lot of working out. Its a very powerful round and trying to double tap these puppies out and have the second round "on target" would take some very strong wrists and arms.


Joe A

Huh?

[Rick Lee]

Joe, the .357SIG round packs some punch, but since my P229 had a trigger job done, double taps are much more manageable. I'm using it in an IDPA shoot Thurs. night and will report back. I've shot a Desert Eagle .50 too and it's a world apart from the .357SIG, mainly in that the concussion make the fillings rattle out of your teeth. .357SIG is a great load, but it ain't cheap and it takes some practice.

[dhoward]

Are you making major with the .357? I assume that's why your shooting it?

[Rick Lee]

Are you asking me? No, I just shoot for fun.

[dhoward]

Power factor.
Oops, IDPA doesn't handicap rounds, does it?
I was thinking USPSA/IPSC.
Shooting Stock Service Pistol?

[red-beard]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Those of you talking about .40 cal barrels, I have seen a .40 corbon barrel for the .45 auto frame. Not tried one but sure looked interesting.

You guys talking about a .357 mag in a auto pistol need to be doing a lot of working out. Its a very powerful round and trying to double tap these puppies out and have the second round "on target" would take some very strong wrists and arms.

One of the reasons why they were always in revolvers for many years, with the other being strength of the pistol to take the stress of the round. Never shot a .50 desert eagle, but assume that its about as strong.

Joe A

.357sig, not magnum.

It's a .40 S&W casing, necked down like a .308 round, firing a lower weight .357 projectile. These usually end up running a bit faster than even the light .40 S&W rounds.

I haven't fired my P239 in .357sig yet (no range time since the barrel came in). I have fired a friends P239 in .357 sig and that thing was very accurate.

However, my Kel-Tec P-11 converted to .357 sig (and .40 S&W for that matter) has been abysmal in reliability. It needs different, more powerful recoil springs, and I haven't had time to play with it enough. I was also experiencing magazine failures causing the last round to hang up in the magazine or the slide to lock open on the last round. In the short 3 in barrle, the .357sig is LOUD!

[Joeaksa]

Sorry, when I saw the .357 I thought that the pistol had the .357 magnum cartridge in it. That puppy packs a good punch.

Joe A

[pbs911]

Originally posted by craigster59
Another gun I was looking at was a Walther and wanted to know if anyone has fired one of these

I have the P99 DA in 9mm, now off the California approved handgun roster. Great pistol. If you want a poly pistol, I would recommend the Walther over the Glock. The trigger is unique but not objectionable. The first pull is long, and significanlty decreases, but remains consistent, for the remaining rounds.

[Rick Lee]

SIG makes a very good and affordable poly gun too - the SIG Pro line. I have the 2340 in .357SIG and it is super accurate. I got it used and have under $400 into it.

[jyl]

I'm coming in late here, but had some thoughts on Glocks and on 9mm vs .45 cal.

On Glocks, I have had my G19 since the early 1990s. This is the compact 9mm. It is a very reliable pistol, easy to strip, comfortable to shoot. If you like to tinker, the Glock is easy to modify with many aftermarket parts available (more than for SIGS, Walthers, HKs, etc). The only criticism I have, at the range, is the trigger which is on the heavy side. For pure target shooting, I would like a full-sized frame, longer barrel and a lighter trigger, something like a G17/34 (9mm) or G24/35 (.40 cal). For a "home gun", I'm nervous about a light-trigger Glock, unless the pistol is kept chamber empty or has an aftermarket safety - there is one, made by Comollini (sp?), Glock purists hate it but I think it looks interesting.

On 9mm vs .45 cal, I'm not excited about any difference in "stopping power". I think either would be good enough, given the right ammunition, and anyway a shotgun is more effective than either. There is a difference in cost, with bulk reloads about $7/50 rds in 9mm vs $9/50 rds in .45 cal. I am hopefully going to start reloading this year which may make me less cost-sensitive. I don't consider the difference in recoil to be too meaningful.

It is interesting how many gun enthusiasts this board has, and has spawned. Maybe Wayne should start selling ammo.

[Rick Lee]

Here's the final word.

[FrayAdjacent911]

Chiming in late, but I'd dig the CZ. I have a 75B, and I love it. Reliable as heck, pretty accurate, and not very expensive.

[FrayAdjacent911]

Jyl, I reload... not much recently, but after analyzing costs... reloading 9mm is really not worth it. I think you would only end up saving maybe a dollar on a box of 50, and it would take you probably 30 minutes or so with a good progressive press.

Now, with .45ACP, you can save a little more. With a box of 50 rounds costing $12+, you can reload for about half of that, once you have a stock of brass.

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Here's the final word.

Rick,

What, for lack of a better word, was the environment represented for each round?
Gel, water, etc.

[Rick Lee]

That's gelatin.

[jyl]

Does the pic show the permanent cavity or the temporary cavity? How do you interpret the lighter red vs darker red areas? Do you have pics that show lesser calibers?

[targa88]

RL,
Have not spoken to SIGarms directly, but the local shop has one 226 CPO for $900 CAD. Why do I get the feeling that I am being ripped up here in Canada.
They certainly make it harder up here.
Seems like most who have chimmed in agree with the Sig choice (preferably the classic). That's looks like the choice.

[Rick Lee]

Dunno about the other specs on the gel test. Targa, that's about $775 US, overpriced, but not insanely so. I wouldn't pay that here, but then I have a lot more choices down here.