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Old January 30, 2000, 02:18 PM   #1
Peter M. Eick
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I am considering a 357 sig and the p229 sport combination over Baer 38super, but I have no experience with the 357 sig or the p229.

I have a lot of experience with straight cartraige reloading like the 10mm etc, but bottleneck pistol rnds are new to me.

I checked the old threads and there does not seem to be a concensus on the merits/troubles on reloading the 357 sig.

So, What do you 357 sig owners think about reloading it, how hard is it to keep the neck tension tight and how do the brass last compared to the other high intensity rnds like the 10mm and 40s&w? Also, given the choice would you go the sig route or a baer 38 super?

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Old January 31, 2000, 12:55 AM   #2
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I've been shooting and reloading a 226 in 357SIG for a couple of years now. As for the gun itself, I think that you would be very hard pressed to find a superior weapon. I cannot say enough about its quality, fit, finish and accuracy. (the 229 sport is supposed to be even better in the accuracy dept)
I started reloading at the same time that I bought this pistol and have yet to have a problem. Most of my brass has over 4 or 5 reloadings and it appears that I will get many more cycles out of them.
Lubing the bottleneck case is an extra step, but I don't mind... it's not a big deal.
There are some things about 357SIG reloading that I have found out through research as well as trial and error that are worth passing on.
Be careful in your bullet selection. Pick bullets specifically designed for 357SIG or else make sure you pick a 9mm bullet with a short ogive so that the bullet is not tapering where the neck needs to grab it. I have had excellent results with Remington 115 & 124 gr JHP ($49/1000 thru Midway) Another bullet that works very well is the Rainier 124 gr FP.
There are a number of dies out there for 357SIG but the general consensus is that LEE seems to have the best dies as far as the crimp goes. This is what I use and I don't have any bullet slippage problems.

My vote is for the SIG, I doubt you'd be disappointed.
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Old January 31, 2000, 08:17 PM   #3
Peter M. Eick
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I kind of been thinking the same thing. The Sig seemed to be exceptionally well made and polished and I liked the way it felt in my hand. I am not to worried about the lubing of the bullets, I am used to that about my rifles. I was more worried about the lack of bullets and the case neck question. I also realized that I have two 1911 Baers in 45acp, why get another in 38 super.


Thanks for the input.
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Old February 2, 2000, 11:23 AM   #4
Dave Conway
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One thing I read (within the last month) that you may want to be aware of is that when the 357sig was in the early stages of development there were problems with the cases failing where they are necked down. The failure caused the case to be ejected leaving the necked down portion behind. Not good, and we all know what would happen next. Boom! Iunderstand the same could happen if you were to use 40 cases. Make sure you know where your brass came from and when it was made. If I can find the article again, I'll post it here.
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Old July 17, 2001, 12:52 PM   #5
kidcoltoutlaw
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i load the 357 sig

for right now im doing it on a rcbs turret.i do not expand the case mouth at all .seat the bullet real slow you will feel it start then go ahead and finish seating it.you do have to lube the cases.i could use my rcbs pro 2000 but i feel like i would have to use 147 xtp's the rainer's 125's may work as well they are real easy to seat without expanding the case mouth.i use bluedot it fills the case and stops bullet setback.i use a redding taper crimp die and seat and crimp in different stations.the rainer 125 are cheap about 87 dollars for 2000 and they work great i use the flat point.very accurate round.
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Old July 17, 2001, 03:01 PM   #6
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I recommend LEE dies for 357 SIG. For bullets I use Berry's 124 grain flat points, no case flare, and a very very light crimp. With the LEE seating die, seating bullets in cases with no flare is a cinch. I haven't crushed one case while seating bullets in cases without flare. I have some cases that have been loaded 7 times and are still going. I have lost a handfull (perhaps 8 out of 500) from case mouth splits. I attribute some of these splits to a out of spec RCBS sizing die that I started out with. The RCBS die wasn't setting the shoulder back far enough and as a result some rounds were being fired partially out of battery.
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Old July 17, 2001, 04:51 PM   #7
kidcoltoutlaw
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i a rifle i have seen necks split from work hardening winchester has always been the best brass for me.
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