357 Sig...FINALLY

[scotner]

I have been messing with this cartridge since August. No telling how much money and time I have spent on it. But I'm hard-headed and I was determined it was going to work sooner or later. Pistols a sig p229 which shot great with a couple different types of factory ammo. The pistol was originally 40 s&w and I ordered the factory 357 sig conversion barrel and a set of RCBS dies. (MORE ON THIS LATER). It would not shoot my reloads in any configuration. I tried j word bullets first because I can mail order them. Then decided I wanted to cast for it. I ordered an Accurate 125 grain Sig specific mold. I tried sizing .356 and .358. The slide would almost close but not quite most of the time. I ordered a case gauge for the 357 Sig cartridge. Fine-tuned my die adjustment. Still no go. Out of desperation I finally went down to a local tool supply dealer and bought a can of DyKem blue layout fluid and sprayed 10 rounds with it. After it dried I loaded a magazine and hand cycled it. Found scratches on the body of the case just below the shoulder area. Went back inside got online an ordered a Redding size die. A few days later, problem solved.

In my research before loading this round I had seen references to problems with the RCBS dies in that caliber. But then I would see later posts for people saying that it looked like the problem with been corrected and they were working great now. I think the explanation to that is variation in the chamber of different pistols. Also bought m&p 40 and bought a 357 conversion barrel for that. That ate everything I put in it including all the rejects that wouldn't cycle in the Sig. Apparently the different reports about the RCBS dies were not because the problem with the dies have been corrected but because of variation in the chamber sizes of different pistols.

Too late to make a long story short but maybe my experience will help make it an easier trip for someone else. Picture added of my final outcome. Includes a couple with the blue dye still on the cases. Sorry for the cruddy pic quality. I used the camera on my tablet.

[edp2k]

sharpie == poor mans dykem.

[Elkins45]

My RCBS 357 Sig dies are from around 1996 and I had to grind material off the base of the sizer before it even touched the shoulder. They were WAY off spec. I have a set of Lee dies that were correctly made. First and only time I ever had a problem with a set of RCBS dies.

[ioon44]

I also had to grind material off the base of the RCBS sizer die for my sig. One other thing I done was size the .357 sig brass in a .40 S&W sizer this made a lot less work for the RCBS sizer.
I tried a 115 gr SWC cast bullet and it never worked very well so I just stayed with j word bullets as I did not shoot the sig much, I was using a Barsto sig barrel my Glock 22.

[scotner]

I didn't think about the Sharpie. We always had Dykem around the work area when I was working and it was just the first thing that came to mind when I had otherwise reached the end of my proverbial rope.

I do not think that grinding the die would help in this case, With the die adjusted all the way down the shoulder setback was fine. The problem was the diameter of the case just below the shoulder. If anything, shortening the die would have probably made that problem worse. I also run my Sig brass through a .40 die before sizing with the 357 die. It is an extra step but much better than having to lube the brass.

I have been a fan of RCBS since I started loading in the mid 80's and this is the first time I have encountered anywhere near this kind of problem. I am very disappointed that I had this problem with one of their products.

I have had a couple of questions about the mold I am using. Here is the link: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=35-125Y-D.png

[fredj338]

IMO, the RCBS dies are just wrong, always have been. They do not provide proper headspace. So use anyone elses sizer, I prefer Dillon carbide.

[scotner]

IMO, the RCBS dies are just wrong, always have been. They do not provide proper headspace. So use anyone elses sizer, I prefer Dillon carbide.

Dillon is kind of pricey and you are still supposed to lube them. Also, I ran into similar problems with oversize loaded rounds with Dillon dies because of the taper at the bottom. The Redding has worked out great so far. RCBS was a bust as far as I am concerned.

[CPC24]

Ive been loading 357 Sig for years. It was a bit confusing at first. However, once I started using the Lee FCD, I never had feeding problems again. I usually use 124 grain truncated cone, but anything from 100 grain to 147 grain bullets will work.

[scotner]

The problem in my case was the case not being sized properly below the shoulder. The Lee FCD was needed because I flare the case mouth slightly with a Dillon powder funnel to make starting the bullet easier. The FCD closes the case back up against the bullet. The loaded round still would not chamber in the P229 until I replaced the sizing die with the Redding. Once I did that no other adjustments to any other stations were necessary.

I have only loaded two bullets in this round. The first was the Speer 4362 TMJ made for the Sig. Now using the cast version of that bullet using Speer's published loading data for their bullet. I doubt I will be trying anything else now since that works great and I have the mold.

[Moonie]

I cheat a bit and use 2 sizers, a lee 40 S&W carbide then into a lee 357 Sig die to set the shoulder, no lube needed and they work perfectly. I have an XD Subcompact Mod2 in 40 with extra barrels in 357 sig and a conversion barrel in 9mm. Great fun to shoot.

[McFred]

I've used the same RCBS dies for 357SIG since 2004 for a Contender carbine barrel, a G31 and a G35 with a Barsto replacement 357SIG battel. Never noticed an issue with the dies other than the seating stem was for blunt projectiles. A call to RCBS and they sent me a 3 different seating stems for pointy-er projectiles. I get sub-MOA with the carbine barrel too.

[scotner]

I use the two die process as well. Worked great after replacing the RCBS die with the Redding sizer. It would have been no problem if I had bought the M&P and not the P229. All of my reloads have worked so far in the M&P. I have plenty of 9mm pistols and an SBR so I have not looked into 9mm conversions. I do need to load some 9mm thpugh.

McFred, RCBS has in the past sent me better fitting seater plugs for some of my dies. But the last time I needed something other than what was included in the (300 BLK) die set they instructed me to send them a couple of my bullets and a check for maybe $12.00, I don't remember now. My cast bullet for the 357 Sig is very close to the profile of the Speer FMJ bullet. The seater plug from that set does leave a ring in the PC but otherwise works well for me. I did not buy the entire Redding set, just the sizer so I still use the RCBS seater. As I have said, it was just my luck to start loading a new caliber for a gun with a tight chamber. But a quick search on the internet and a couple of posts above will show that I am far from the first or only one.

[Tackleberry41]

Guess I got lucky, never had any issues loading 357 sig, bought Lee from the start.

[dondiego]

Guess I got lucky, never had any issues loading 357 sig, bought Lee from the start.

Same here.