Here is something that is bugging me. Everything i read says that the 38 special +P is sooo powerful it needs to be shot in guns specifically chambered for it, and not in any old 38spl gun. So I am wondering if 38 spcl +p can be used in an off the shelf 357 mag?
38 +p
- Thread starter Bezoar
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Marko Kloos
Moderator Emeritus
Yes, any gun chambered for .357 Magnum will be fine with .38 Special +P. In fact, quite a few people carry .38 +P in their .357s for lower recoil and faster follow-up shots.
My S&W M13 is chambered in .357 Magnum, but the cylinder is stuffed with .38+P most of the time for those reasons.
My S&W M13 is chambered in .357 Magnum, but the cylinder is stuffed with .38+P most of the time for those reasons.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
YEP, and I'm one of them, for those reasons and also because if I have to fire in SD in a small dark room in the middel of the night I don't want to blind myself with a full load .357 flame thrower and become deaf too!!
eagle45
Member
Me too, my Ruger SP101 in .357 has a steady diet of 38+p.
RevolvingCylinder
Member
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Are you referring to an older K-frame or something similar? They can handle .38 +P just fine. It's generally the older aluminum revolvers that can loosen up from it.
tantrix
Member
You are right, but comparing 2 different guns. Any .357 Magnum revolver out there can of course shoot .38 +P, because like Steve C said a .38 +P is only a fraction of the SAAMI pressure of .357 Magnum ammo. But like you mentioned not all .38SPL handguns can withstand +P ammo (or at least a steady diet of it).
Even some .38 revolvers made as recently as 5 or so years ago were not +P rated because of the design. For example, there are some S&W 442 and 642 models out there without the +P rating. Once minor changes were made they then received the +P rating.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
That's the truth. If you have an older .38 Sp model and you're nit sure if it has a +P rating the best thing to do is contact the manufacturer and they will tell you the rating. It's really the only sure way to know unless you bought it new and the rating was clearly stated.
Diamondback
Member
Except ALL post-war steel K Frames, and even steel frame Chief's Specials were rated by S&W for use with the old 38-44 load, which was
pretty hot. Current 38 Special ammo is but a shadow of what that round use to be loaded up to......modern +p comes closer. I am loath to recommend anything to another....but my post war steel frame S&W's are NOT going to disintegrate in my hand from firing current .38 Special +p ammo......K frame OR J frame.
I do it ALL the time. Aluminum frame revolvers are another story. This caveat holds true for ANY revolver.......including N frames....the more high pressure rounds you fire in a gun, the greater the wear. YMMV.
How do I explain S&W's caution against firing +p ammo in a post-war revolver that hasn't been rated for their use ? One word.....lawyers.
- Regards
Factory +P is a mid-level load and any quality made revolver will shoot countless thousands of rounds without damage or excessive wear.
The +P was created as a marketing ploy. Operating pressure for +P is 18,500 PSI and the .357 Magnum is 35,000 PSI. So, yes, +P is fine in any .357 and it's also just fine in any decent .38 Special revolver.
The +P was created as a marketing ploy. Operating pressure for +P is 18,500 PSI and the .357 Magnum is 35,000 PSI. So, yes, +P is fine in any .357 and it's also just fine in any decent .38 Special revolver.
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