158gr +P in a Rossi

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

As per my recent post, I found a LNIB Rossi snubby revolver, no lock, pre- +P issue.

I bought some S&W 158gr LSWCHP +P for self-defense. Standard pressure is used for practice.

A member of H&A lists the defensive ammo I got as 1060fps! I'm assuming this is from a 4" barrel, if not a rifle barrel. If the "50fps/inch of barrel" holds true, which it doesn't always, I'd still be getting 960fps out of a snubby!

My question to you is, what can I expect with this gun/ammo combination? I know it will accelerate wear, but I do not plan on shooting it more than 5 rounds every 6 months, and that only to get rid of my old carry rounds and load up fresh. All practice shooting will be done with standard pressure.

I am quite used to shooting .357 mag, and a friend's .38spl 3" with hot loads, so I'm used to the recoil; no need to practice that. I'm a recoil junky

My question to the board is this: What can I expect upon firing this stuff? As I said earlier, I know accelerated wear is a given, but I'm asking more about catastrophic failures. Would you expect the forcing cone to give in five shots? One hundred shots? I'm aware of the .38/44 being loaded into old J-Frames before the advent of the .357mag.

I guess I'm looking for someone to say that I will or will not experience a severely stretched frame, cracked forcing cone, or blown up gun with the very limited shooting I described above.

Any takers on guessing what 10 rounds per year of severly hot ammo would do to a J-Frame Rossi?

Thanks,

Josh <><

 

[GunNut]

It's a full steel gun, so I would see 10 rounds a year doing nothing to the gun.

 

[MCgunner]

I fired a light diet of +P, even some fire breathers I loaded for carry, in my M88 for years with no ill effects. Sold that gun to a friend who shoots it and it's still tight and accurate and perfectly timed. I have a M68 3" I've fired a box or so of +P in and enough of my carry load to assure me of its accuracy. I wouldn't feed the gun a steady diet of hot +P, but it's stronger than the non-+P rating suggests and a light diet, as if it were a K frame 357 and you were worried about hot 125 grain 357s, won't hurt the gun. Just practice with standard loads and fire a few rounds of +P out of it at the end of the session. It won't hurt the gun.