Originally Posted by
DocGKR
When firing through heavy clothing, automotive steel panels, automobile windshield glass, interior wall segments, exterior wall segments, and plywood, both the 357 Sig Speer 125 gr JHP Gold Dot and 9mm Speer 124 gr +P JHP Gold Dot exhibited nearly identical penetration and expansion results THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT BARRIERS, as demonstrated by both our testing and that of the FBI. Several .40 S&W and .45 Auto loads offered superior terminal performance through barriers compared to the 9mm and 357 Sig loads. In looking at 2 separate FBI tests of 357 Sig 125 gr Gold Dot compared to 3 different FBI tests of 9 mm 124 gr Gold Dot, the results are basically the same in terms of expansion and penetration depths. In the steel testing, two of the 9mm's penetrated slightly deeper than the 357 Sig's--one 9mm expanded better, one the same, one slightly less. There was around 100-200 f/s or so velocity difference between the 9mm's and .357 Sig's, depending on which barrel lengths and lots were compared. As far as I can tell, terminal performance between the two calibers is roughly equivalent, with a slight edge to the 357 Sig because of its more consistent performance.
In aggregate, there is no greater physiological damage caused by 357 Sig compared to other service pistol calibers. Remember that factory 357 Sig 125 gr loadings generally are only moving 100 f/s or so faster than the hotter 9 mm loadings, such as the Win 127 gr +P+ RA9TA; why would this meager 100 f/s difference make any more difference in this caliber than in other calibers with equal or greater differences in velocity--for example a 9mm Speer 147 gr Gold Dot at 998 f/s vs. a 9 mm Speer 124 gr +P Gold Dot at 1239 f/s?
Approximately 50% of individuals who are shot with handguns simply choose to stop fighting, in other words they are NOT physiologically incapacitated, but are instead psychologically incapacitated. Psychological incapacitation is an extremely erratic, highly variable, and completely unpredictable human response, independent of any inherent terminal performance characteristics of a particular projectile. As such, loud, concussive loads with a bright flash can be like a mini flash-bang and definitely contribute to psychological incapacitation in susceptible individuals--357 Sig definitely offers more of this effect than 9 mm, as we could always notice when shooting with officers from a large nearby SO who were issued 357 Sig for many years.
An experienced ammunition engineer at one of the major ammo companies noted he didn't particularly like the 357 Sig from an engineering perspective and described their difficulties in designing and producing 357 Sig ammunition which consistently performs as well as their ammunition in other service calibers. In particular, he felt his company's 357 Sig loads offered no better performance than their top 9 mm loads and stated their full power .40 S&W loads were superior in every respect to their 357 Sig ammunition.
I am grateful that the 357 Sig issuing agencies are satisfied with their weapon system performance. By the same token, every single agency that I am aware of that has acquired reliable pistols, diligently emphasizes frequent realistic lethal force training and tactics, and uses good quality service pistol ammunition in 9 mm, .40 S&W, or .45 Auto are also very happy with their shooting results. Good Training and Proper Psychological Preparedness coupled with Reliable Weapon Systems and followed by Frequent Practice is what will save innocent lives in defensive encounters requiring application of lethal force.
The 357 Sig is not a bad cartridge, it just does not seem to offer anything that is not already available, at the price of less ammunition capacity than the similarly performing 9mm, as well as having greater recoil, muzzle flash, and wear on the weapon compared to other service pistol cartridges, not to mention decreased ammo supply availability.