.38spl +P

[Moon]

I've got a butt-load of .38spl brass that I've been loading (apparently there's low demand for .38spl brass, now I know why). My current load consists of a 125gr jhp, loaded up to +P specifications. Then I got to worrying: "What are you gonna do if you blow your revolver up ?" It's being fired out of a Colt Trooper Mk III, not a cut-rate hooptie or a standard .38spl. The loading manual I use warns that firing +P loads can cause premature wear on a revolver, but I'm assuming they were refering to standard .38spl revolvers.

I was thinking that there's no way the hottest .38spl +P could generate the power/pressures of a .357mag, and that I'm being foolish and paranoid. Any help from the guru'z ?

[Pogo]

A properly loaded .38spl +P isn't going to do any damage at all to a revolver made to handle .357 magnum.

[Cephus]

DITTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Preacher]

I know several people that shoot 38 specials through a 357. So you're good to go.

[aviator]

Originally Posted by Preacher

I know several people that shoot 38 specials through a 357. So you're good to go.

Do it all the time.

[Pogo]

Originally Posted by Preacher

I know several people that shoot 38 specials through a 357. So you're good to go.

Certainly, that's almost all I shoot thru mine, 150 grain solid lead that I cast myself.

But, when I carry it, I have it loaded with .357 Magnum hollow points.

[5knives]

As everyone said ... no problem, as long as you're staying on the .38 spcl page.+P or even +P+ I would think.

The hot .357 125 grain loads did get an earned rep for flame cutting the frame of revolvers if they were fired extensively. But that was with HOT .357 loads. Don't believe you could do that with a .38 load but I'd keep an eye on the top strap, jic.

Theoretically I suppose you could get some erosion ahead of the case mouth which might eventually cause extraction difficulties with 357 cases, but I doubt it. Like shooting 22 shorts in a LR chamber, any problem is more likely to be just a crud build up.

Lot of good S&W K-frames suffered extensively (more of them in use), including both of my M-19's and so did some Colts. But again that was with extensive shooting of HOT .357 loads.

I load my .38's with a fairly soft lead 158 grain hollowpoint at about 900-950 fps and life is good. Accurate, effective and fun to shoot.

Don't ever sell the plain old 38 spcl short.

Did good in WWII and Korea and nobodies grown built in armor plate since then.

Old friend of mine who was a warden in Alaska in the '30's, often talked about a fellow from Ohio who moved up there and lived for about 6 years with his family and fed them with just one gun the only one he owned, A Colt .38 spcl and one box of factory cartridges.

Got his deer and moose, a couple of Black Bears and even one 600 lb. inland Grizzly.

When he finally gave it up and moved back to the lower 48 he still had a few cartridges left.

I believe we had more hunters than shooters back in those days.

You should be good to go!

Regards,

[Pogo]

Theoretically I suppose you could get some erosion ahead of the case mouth which might eventually cause extraction difficulties with 357 cases, but I doubt it. Like shooting 22 shorts in a LR chamber, any problem is more likely to be just a crud build up.

Yes, that's the only possible problem I'm aware of just like when shooting .44 Spl in .44 Magnum revolvers or 45-70 cartridges in 45-90 rifles.

My recommendation is to use those 38 special cases for moderate target loads, and to load your power house rounds in .357 cases. You won't need that many .357 rounds because you don't need all that power just for target practice and for plinking. Just a few every now and then for familiarization with the heavier round.