+p ammo and S&W 36

I do that all the time. Works fine in my flatlatch 36 and 37-2.

It will accelerate wear, but you'll spend more on +P ammo to get to that point that you paid for the gun.

Chris

I shoot a few +Ps in my 36 from time to time. I do try to limit them as much as I can.

An older gun like this is not specifically rated or approved for +P ammo. It will not blow up with it. What may happen over time and several thousand rounds fired is that the cylinder indexing will get out of time. Even with jacketed bullets, the pressure/velocity is not high enough to cause forcing cone or bore wear. I suspect that, in reality, your hand will give up before that gun will.

I've decided to put it this way...

You can in yours, I don't in mine - unless it's a version that is factory rated for Plus -P.

Personally, I think if either you or your wife ever has to shoot someone they won't know the difference.

buffalo bore is supposed to make a NON +P load like you want that shoots to the same velocity as the +P stuff...sounds too good to be true, I know...
http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#standard38

The problem is, around here at least, there isn't much in the way of non +P SD loads. The standard pressure stuff is all wadcutter or jacketed hardball. All of the HPs I've seen except for Federal's anemic 110gr Hydroshok are +P.

Chris

I would like to load them both with +P .38 swchp's (FBI load).

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I keep +P SWCHP in all my 38 pistols and shoot a few rounds once in a while.
I practice with 158gr lead SWC bullets loaded slightly below standard.

i seem to remember posting this before, but i'm having trouble finding it...

anyway...a while back i was looking at a flat latch model 36 no dash at my LGS. i asked the shop employee this very question, and he specifically told me not to use +P in this or any gun that is not specifically rated for it. he recounted a tale of a model 36 that had to be sent back to S&W after just five shots of the stuff.

my BS meter did raise a few degrees on this comment, for sure. but i also figured it was better to be safe than sorry, and it didn't make much sense for him to tell me a BS story that would dissuade me from buying the gun. [course i've been surprised in this regard before...]

and then of course there are also those that claim +P is simply what .38 spl used to be back in the day before it got dumbed down.

hard to say, but i think i'll stick with old fuff on this one...

I had a old 36 from 60's I shot the 159SWCHP +P off and on for years. Never a study diet , I carried the +P Hwas never a problem. Today I have a old Bodyguard want to guess carry load. I belive a limited amount won't hurt. Yes I belive todays 38+P are same as old 38spl. Lawyers at work.

I've got an older Model 36, so old it's got no -# like some others.

In practice I shoot Winchester or Remington 130 grain ball. For social occasions I keep it loaded with Speer 135gr +P Gold Dots. I've shot 2 cylinders full of the Speers, they're stiff but not brutal. I don't plan on shooting +P on a regular basis, only when I probably need them.

texas buuldog:

hard to say, but i think i'll stick with old fuff on this one...

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If I had "a" revolver, and only one, and it was an older one, I probably would carry some carefully selected Plus-P once and awhile. But the fact is I don't need to because I have a snubby that's rated for Plus-P, along with some that are not.

Some folks believe they couldn't possibly survive a shooting incident unless they carry in their snubby or compact pistol the most powerful load on the market. The truth is that the best fight stopper is not a kick-butt load, but rather bullet placement where it will do the most good. I can place my shots more precisely, and do it faster, with a moderate load then the kind that kick so hard they leave your hand numb. Heavy loads in heavy guns make sense. The same cartridges in lightweight snubbies don't. At least that's the way I see it.

I am also aware that parts and competent repair persons for some of the older guns are getting fewer and fewer. These older guns are not only fine weapons, but also works of gunsmithing art. It is well said that they don't make them that way anymore because they can't afford too. I would like to think that someday when I pass them on they will still in good shape with nothing worse then normal wear.

What others do is their business.

No disrespect, but.......

There were an awful lot of handgun cartridges that worked just fine until Elmer Keith, Jeff Cooper, and the gang, started writing for the gun rags.......

The cemeteries are full of people that were killed by underpowered bullets from .38's, .32's, .380's and 9mm's.

Old Fuff and Iggy's post worth reading again.

I always liked and carried the standard pressure 158 gr LSWC, or LWSC-HP in Model 36, 37, Body Guard, and Model 60.
Folks that carried Colts, like Detective Specials did/do same.

Most .38spls were designed to shoot 158 gr POA/POI - which is great for shot placement.

1928 Colt Detective Special I know of, currently uses standard pressure 158 gr LSWC. (note, not hollopoint).
Shoots POA/POI and is easy to shoot and get quick effective hits with.

If I want a bigger "thump" I prefer .44 Special, in standard loadings as well.

Low pressure rounds do well in enclosed areas , such as cars, small rooms, homes, apts, businesses...

I shot my Model 60 loose

It was my carry gun since the late 70s or early 80s. It was fairly loose when I got it used. I shot it mostly with 3 gr Bullseye and 158 SWC. Probably 20% were 5 gr Unique, probably 5 to 10% were 6.0 gr Unique 158 JHP(definitly +P levels). Finally stretched the cylinder gap to 0.012", and the hammer would drop in DA before the cylinder locked. S&W fixed it. Cost me $50 to send it to them, they set the barrel back, recut the forcing cone, installed a new cylinder hand, shipped it back to me for just under $100. I'm happy. I switched to a .357 SP101 a couple of years ago, but now I sometimes revert to the Mod 60 when lighter is better.

Moral of the story. +p stuff will loosen up a J-frame, given enough shooting. When you get to that point, send it back to S&W, they'll fix it, and for a small price too.

Shoestring has the right idea. It's unlikely you'll shoot a Smith loose. If you do, they'll fix it. Depending on how they're feeling that day, and whether they figure the lifetime warranty applies, they'll either do it for free, or dirt cheap. Just shoot the gun and don't worry about it.

Shoestring and Pinky might be in for a shock next time around. S&W is in business to sell new guns, not necessarily fix old ones. The aren't making parts for the old-timers, and current parts don't necessarily fit. Hammers for some models being a good example.

Also they won't work on older models for which they don't have parts - for obvious reasons.

Sounds like a pretty good deal, and if it "fits her well" that's really important.
Nothing wrong with standard pressure loads, order some of the buffalo bore stuff and the BG won't know the difference.
You are more than likely going to practice w/standard pressure stuff anyway.
But, if it's not what you/she wants, keep looking.

Factory +P (125/925) is not a powerful load. I consider it too underpowered for defensive use. I load 125 JHPs to 1,150 FPS for carry in my J and K frames. So far, after many hundreds of rounds through 1940s-1950s J and K frames, no problems. No modern S&W would be harmed by the weak and underpowered +P loads.

I have a M36 no-dash, and run 148 gr. wadcutters through it.
Standard pressure, accurate, mild recoil, and pretty close to POA at "fighting" distances.

Wadcutters make nice clean, open holes. Open holes bleed more .

The above advice on the 148 wadcutters is the best advice in the thread IMHO for 90% of .38 special shooters out there. I can rip off 5 wadcutter Mid range loads in 1.5 seconds into 6" at 7 yards from a 36. they have adaquate penetration at that distance!

IMO anyone who relies on 38 Special mid-range wadcutters for self-defense should make sure they have their affairs in order. Almost zero stopping power.

Almost zero stopping power.

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Sure......

How come???

I have KILLED more than my share of livestock with wadcutters and here is some tangible proof, not opinion:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=260768&highlight=gelatin+test+.38+wadcutter

BTW 16" penetration and .422" of sharp lead ought to get er done!