Astra 960 Marked .38 SPL, but has a .357 Cylinder

[samculper]

Hey guys, hoping someone here has some information on the old Astra revolvers.

I snagged an Astra 960 revolver in a bit of horse trading today. I don't know a ton about Astra revolvers but I know they are somewhat regarded as fairly decent guns. The finish is rough but it appears to be in fairly good condition otherwise. Internally it looks brand new.

The gun is marked ".38 SPL" on the side, which is normal since it is an Astra 960 which was chambered in .38 Special. The cylinder is a lot larger than a normal .38 special cylinder, and upon testing it out it fits a .357 magnum fine. The cylinder appears to just be a .357 magnum cylinder from what I can tell. The gun seems pretty beefy, about the size of a N Frame Smith & Wesson. I feel like if the quality of the steel is up to the task it could handle it without issue.

Anyone know if I should avoid trying magnums in it? I know Astra made a identical model called the "357", but was unsure if there were any minor differences in the steel or construction that might make this a bad idea in the .38 SPL designated gun. I figure if it can handle at least some light magnums or hotter .38's I might like it as a woods gun.

Thanks guys!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Pretty sure this is a similar situation to the Ruger French Police Service Sixes which were marked .38 Special for political reasons, but used the exact same cylinder as the .357.

"Magnum" sounded scary and aggressive to the sensitive European ears.

 

[gobsauce]

Pretty sure this is a similar situation to the Ruger French Police Service Sixes which were marked .38 Special for political reasons, but used the exact same cylinder as the .357.

"Magnum" sounded scary and aggressive to the sensitive European ears.

If I'm not mistaken, this exact thing happened in the US. I even had a box of "Treasury Loads"(if I recall correctly) which were .38 Special loaded really hot, with a controlled expansion tip, as it was called. It was a semi hollow point.

 

[samculper]

Pretty sure this is a similar situation to the Ruger French Police Service Sixes which were marked .38 Special for political reasons, but used the exact same cylinder as the .357.

"Magnum" sounded scary and aggressive to the sensitive European ears.

I believe this may be the case. Upon further inspection, the forcing cone appears to be battered on the left hand side pretty badly. Either that or someone took a dremel to it for some reason....... Probably won't try magnums in it due to this.

 

[Thomasss]

Astra did make a .357 in the 960 series, HOWEVER, it would have been marked as such. Astra had a very troubled past in the early 1990s. They went out of business, but some employees were still assembling guns from spare parts for a couple years after that and I wonder if you have a "parts gun." They did go through a short term merger and died a second time. Berrsa in Argentina distributed for Astra for a few years and may have made some parts for them too. In 2008 a Swiss company bought the trademark "rights" but only make 1911s and ARs for the European market.

 

[Gordon]

Astra revolvers thru the 1970s , at least , were very good in finish, design and materials. Right up there with any countries work IMHO . The best years appear to be mid 60s thru late 70s . The later 80s "Terminator" .44 mag were very nice when brought out, and the later ones the quality really fell off. Interarms imported Astra at the peak of their quality

 

[Old_Grouch]

I had an Astra in the 70s. It was a pretty decent gun.

 

[Tallball]

I had the identical revolver. I really liked it and it had a great trigger. It was a joy to shoot with 38's. Mine was ex-Spanish police, IIRC.

I shot maybe a couple of hundred rounds through it before I saw that it was starting to have a mechanical problem and parted it out.

Shooting 357 out of one would be a bold move.

 

[gobsauce]

I had the identical revolver. I really liked it and it had a great trigger. It was a joy to shoot with 38's. Mine was ex-Spanish police, IIRC.

I shot maybe a couple of hundred rounds through it before I saw that it was starting to have a mechanical problem and parted it out.

Shooting 357 out of one would be a bold move.

"Soft Spanish Steel"

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

If I'm not mistaken, this exact thing happened in the US. I even had a box of "Treasury Loads"(if I recall correctly) which were .38 Special loaded really hot, with a controlled expansion tip, as it was called. It was a semi hollow point.

IIRC the NYPD, LAPD, and many other agencies forbade Magnums for much of their revolver-carrying eras. Their issue guns were, IIRC, supposed to be incapable of chambering Magnum rounds, but it was not unheard of for individual officers to have the cylinders bored through- unofficially.

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

I thought a 38 special could not chamber a 357 magnum round, safety issue. Did they make a convertible model ? Personally I wouldn't put a 357 magnum round through it. I like my fingers and hands.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I thought a 38 special could not chamber a 357 magnum round, safety issue. Did they make a convertible model ? Personally I wouldn't put a 357 magnum round through it. I like my fingers and hands.

Most manufacturers use the same cylinder blank for both to cut production costs- however the .357 cylinder will be bored straight-through whereas the .38 will have a shoulder or ledge machined into the charge hole to prevent a magnum cartridge from seating fully.

Incidentally, this is also why .38s are slightly less accurate when fired from a through-bored .357 cylinder, since they have that short, unsupported jump to the forcing cone.

 

[WrongHanded]

I've seen the same thing with an Astra a friend owned. It was labeled .38 but would chamber .357 mag. I can't recall if he ever put an .357 through it though.

 

[entropy]

The cylinder is a lot larger than a normal .38 special cylinder, and upon testing it out it fits a .357 magnum fine. The cylinder appears to just be a .357 magnum cylinder from what I can tell.

The M1903 Colt could also chamber .357 Magnums in it's cylinder, but you'd only fire one. You'd be known as "Lefty" afterwards.

 

[Old_Grouch]

The M1903 Colt could also chamber .357 Magnums in it's cylinder, but you'd only fire one. You'd be known as "Lefty" afterwards.

Yep. It was chambered for .38 Long Colt. My farther had one that had belonged to my grandfather which, unfortunately, was stolen many years ago. I remember my dad, just out of curiosity, dropping a .357 into it. It chambered just fine.

 

[entropy]

I restored one for a friend, and he was the sort of guy who would drop a .357 in there without even thinking about it. He'd asked me to find out what I could about it, and I wrote out a letter with the date it was delivered to the Army, an explanation of the various markings, etc., and a stern warning in all caps saying pretty much what I posted in post #14. I test fired it with wadcutters, and recommended light loads. Last I heard he still had two hands, so I guess he read it.