A new pistol cartridge has been introduced in the last couple of years, and is gathering a small band of supporters. The cartridge is known as the .357 Sig (having been developed by the Sig arms company) and is basically a .40 S&W casing necked down to a .36 caliber (9.1 mm) bullet. This provides more power and speed than either the existing .357 Magnum, the .38 Special, the 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, 9x18 Makarov, or .380 (9x17). The cartridge provides a relatively flat trajectory and is considered to be superbly accurate. The idea is not new; the Hungarian MFS company came up with a very similar round (which they called the 9x22) shortly after the .40S&W appeared. Sig has produced pistols to fire this cartridge; the new 2340 is the company's first pistol with a polymer frame.--Stephen V Cole