Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns P226 conversion from 40 S&W to 357 Sig

I couldn't wait on my dies to get here, so carefully loaded 6 rounds of 357 Sig with my 40 S&W dies with 90gr Lehighs, chronoed one yesterday at 1660 fps, put five on target into around 4 inches at 20 yards, the loads will only be more accurate loaded with proper dies and the Lee FCD, as a bonus, Longshot powder fills the case level so bullet set-back is impossible.

Next, took a massive cow femur leg bone and wrapped it with several layers of fabric, actually two old socks and a heavy cotton towel I had been saving for a gun rag, zip tied them all snug around the bone and had at it from10 yards, the little 90gr Lehigh punched it with ease and drilled a hell of a hole in the ground behind the bone, not live living green bone of course, but several times thicker than ours..

Had some concerns with such a light fast bullet shooting to the sights, and a penetration question due to momentum, not anymore, plus, recoil impulse is next to nil, what a little banger it is!

I'm a fan of the cartridge, brother Jerry. Haven't messed around with the lightweight monos yet, but have piddled with 115 and 125 jhp's from Underwood, and I like what I see.

I just bought a 357 barrel for my P226. I now have a 357, 40, and 9mm conversion barrel for it.

Thanks CT my Friend, what a soft shooting load, bet you or Bobby could make a pop can dance a nice jig with these, really easy to stay on target, I have some 115gr Penetrators too, the cartridge seems really accurate, or maybe I just got a damn good barrel.

Hell of a three punch set up there Gooch.

I like the 357 Sig very much, I wish I would have bought one years ago

I figure I’ll be able to find something to shoot out of it!

I picked up a certified used P229 in .357 Sig from CDNN a few months ago. Speer 125gr Gold Dots, and a IWB from Diamond D Leather make for a nice carry package.

J...try the Buffalo Bore 125s with the same GD bullet...you'll get 100 fps more...

BB ran 1586 from a 6" G40, Speer only 1450...

Underwood 115 Xtreme Penetrator....1583

Besides the G40, have a G23 with extra barrels in 9mm and 357 SIG and about to buy barrels for a G35/4 I just picked up...woderful round...which is why I've been carrying a .38 Super for 40 years...125s at 1350, 115s at 1450 and the 90 gr. Xtreme Defender at 1560....and much easier to reload for...

Bob

You bet, any considering, even a simple conversion will be well pleased, I cant believe how accurate the thing is.

Nice setup Jwood.

Indeed, good stuff RJM.

I put a conversion barrel in a G35 to start. That one hooked me. Now I have a Gen 4 G31. I am a believer in the 357 Sig cartridge.

Nice! I have to believe matching a bullet that can handle the 357 Sigs speed would have to be among, if not the best defense/duty round.

I'm a big fan of the two I have .

Good deal Gitem, I got my dies in today, loaded 31 rounds with the 90gr Lehigh Defenders, something about staring down in a loading block at enough Longshot powder to provide 1660 fps, mighty comforting, I'm going to carry it tomorrow, another plus, the new dies squeeze the case mouths down another 4 thousandths over new unsized brass, and nice little pinch from the Lee FCD and all is well.

I really like that little 90gr Defender bullet; my G19 is stoked with them at 1550 fps. Great penetration, flat shooting, and easy to shoot well. For such a light bullet, it shoots surprisingly well even at 100 yards too. Back at Christmas time I took my boys to the local gravel pit to try out the new 20 Tactical, and let them shoot it a bit too. When we were ready to get the target, the 12 year old asked "Dad, can you shoot your pistol at that distance too?" (he and I shoot GSSF together so he's interested in that stuff). I said sure, I didn't bring any range ammo so figured to just use a couple rounds of carry ammo; with that G19 I put the dot just a little over the top of the paper (8.5x11 printer paper, vertical) and fired. When we walked down to the target we found one bigger (than .20 cal) hole about 3" out of the center bullseye, with the distinctive "X" tear around the bullet hole from the Lehigh Defender bullet. The boys were pretty impressed and wanted to see it again; of course I figured I'd better stick with that one shot and look like a hero that day, sometimes a guy has to know to quit while he's ahead.

I'm using a G35 conversion barrel for my 357 Sig too, with the 90gr Defender or my 95gr cast flat point at 1750 fps. That flat point expands like a hollow point if it's not heat treated for extra hardness; those speeds with the 357 are a different ball game than sub-1250 fps that we deal with in most service pistol cartridges. For whatever reason, I get best accuracy with Power Pistol, but it makes a big flash. Longshot, AA9, and Blue Dot are all good performers as well, with AA9 taking the prize for low flash.

I was looking for a 40 barrel for my G32 after this thread started but got sidetracked by Springfield 1911 that listed with a factory 9 barrel and Nowlin ramped 38 Super barrel with springs, mags and all. Looks like I’ll stay out of the 40 game for now. But I like the idea of having both the 40 and 357 barrels. I’m going to have to get set up for loading 9mm I think. I want to try some of the Defenders.

It's a hell of a little bullet, if I can remove a factor from the equation, I'm good with that, not having to rely on a bullet expanding, getting material in the hp cavity, etc. etc, much like Barnes flat nosed solids in big double rifles and the Sharps rifle bullets, all we need to do is put them in the right spot, they'll take care of the rest when they arrive on target.

OldRooster, I ran these bullets at an easy first load speed of 1515 fps in my LW Commander 38 Super, accuracy was superb, the pistol has never shot that accurate for me, also pushed them to 1250 fps in Wifes dinky Sig P365, great accuracy and next to no recoil, I think they'll make a hell of a good defense bullet.

Gunner, what diameter bullets are you running in the Super, .355s from Lehigh?

Yessir OldRooster, .355 inch, using Longshot and Power Pistol with the 90 and 115gr Lehighs in the 357 Sig, 38 Super and Wifes 9mm's.

I think the 90's at 1660 fps will make a hell of a defense round and wont be a massive penetrator as over penetration concerns go, but, the 115gr Penetrators at 14-1500 fps would be a whole other deal, they bore DEEP holes Sir.

You’re not quite finished. Sig makes a very high quality 22 conversion kit for the 226 too. Or did.