[orienteeer]

noobie needs to know:rolleyes:

[PT1911]

you can shoot .38 in a .357, not the other way around...
that is why I encourage buyers to opt for the .357... two guns in one...

[Steve C]

You can safely fire the lower pressure .38 spl from any .357 magnum revolver. The longer .357 mag cartridge normally can't be fully chambered in a .38 spl revolver cylinder.

There have been some inexpensive and cheaply made .38 spl revolvers that would chamber .375 mag cartridges, a situation that usually ended in a damaged or destroyed pistol. An unsafe condition that's normally not possible as the magnum cartridge is purposely made longer to prevent fully chambering in .38 spl cylinders.

[Oro]

And just so you can't hurt yourself, the .357 magnum cases are made 1/8" longer so they should not ever fit in a .38 special. If you find a .38 special that they do, you need to worry that the chamber bores were lengthened and that .357 has been fired in it, thus weakening it. This is not common, but you can find on older guns when .357's were very expensive, and some people would modify .38's to chamber the .357. It is very unlikely you would find a recent modern (say, post 1965 or so) gun like this, but checking older ones is wise. The most common gun for this "hack" was a S&W 38/44 "Heavy Duty."

[scythefwd]

oro,
I will be inheriting one that was modified. Was the s&w over engineered enough to handle it or should I be sending it back to S&W for structural testing? I haven't fired it nor will I (I prefer my rossi .38) but I will be inheriting it.

[Oro]

OK, now I'm glad I brought that up. What gun is it? Even if it's an HD or Outdoorsman on the N frame, the cylinders were not heat-treated for .357 and you really shouldn't shoot them in it. What gun is it we are talking about before we get into too much detail?

[scythefwd]

Oro,
It's an old S&W in stainless. I don't remember the model off the top of my head, I'll see if I can get more details. I have held it, but I don't remember the exact model (I will inherit my old mans collection, and it's too large to attempt to mentally catalog it).

[Oro]

It's an old S&W in stainless.

Unfortunately, there aren't any "old" S&W's in stainless. S&W didn't make a revolver in stainless until 1965 (and it was the first made, so it's not like they were laggards). So we are talking about a relatively "modern" gun by metallurgical standards, unless you are mistaking nickel for stainless. At this point, it seems there is enough uncertainty about what gun you have that it is best you get a few good photos of the gun and post them when you can, or at least read the s/n and model # inside the frame when the cylinder is open and we can try to help more. This is not a brush-off or put down, but we really need to know what gun you are talking about to help right now. And we will.

[scythefwd]

oro,
I understand perfectly. I figured the conversation was stopped when I didn't have a model number.

I said old, meaning it is old to me '65??? Shoot, that gun was almost old enough to drink when I was born :) It could be nickle, but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference (All of my firearms are blued). I have to contact my old man about it since the firearm is in IL and I am in VA.

[trader vic]

A little story about a blow up. I was just in my mid teens about 40 years ago, my Dad & I went to see a gunsmith friend of his. This man was well respected & a real craftsman & he could be blunt with his advice. Long story short. He pulled out a nice colt revolver with the top frame blown out & rolled forward & 1 chamber blown out completely. I'll never forget, he said this is what you get when you try to make a 38 special shoot like a 357 mag. I don't know if this was a 357 chambered in a 38 or this was a hopped up load. Regardless it made an impression that I will always remember. Lucky the man only suffered hurt feelings & a ruined gun. NRA PATRON LIFE MEMBER

[HexHead]

Unfortunately, there aren't any "old" S&W's in stainless. S&W didn't make a revolver in stainless until 1965 (and it was the first made, so it's not like they were laggards). So we are talking about a relatively "modern" gun by metallurgical standards, unless you are mistaking nickel for stainless.

The term "old" is relative. The OP may be in his twenties. :D

[scythefwd]

HexHead,
You say that like it is a bad thing :rolleyes:. I'll escape from them before years end :neener: