I was a little surprised when I began visiting these Internet forums and saw so many questions regarding +P .38 Special ammo. I always assumed the short answer was that if you had a Star, or Ruby, or some other gun that might be questionable as far as strength is concerned, then stay away from +Ps. But many shooters seem concerned about using this ammo in quality guns of recent manufacture* and I didn’t expect that. I saw many inquiries about K frame S&Ws using +P and I found it odd that anyone would worry about factory +P ammo in such a gun. Then I started seeing postings from owners of .357 Magnum revolvers asking if +P .38 Special ammo would harm their guns.
Come again? I don’t know what caused such a mystique to surround +P to make people with Magnums think it’s too much for their guns, but it strikes me as overblown all out of proportion. The fact is that +P isn’t “all that” anyway. Winchester and Remington list the velocity of the standard 158 grain .38 Special at 875 FPS, and the +P is listed at 925. The 125s are 925/975 respectively. That's only 50 FPS difference between +P and standard. Why is everyone so terrified of +P?
The factory ammo made back in the 1960s and 1970s was hotter than that made today. The +P is really about what the .38 Special JHPs should be in standard form. So why the less powerful loadings? Because there are some guns out there that are not well made and because of liability concerns the ammo makers must load their products to pressures that are safe in these lower quality guns. They mark the full-power loads as +P to give them cover should someone hurt himself shooting this ammo in a Spanish S&W knock-off of dubious quality.
This same situation occurs with the .38 Super cartridge. The original loading for the Super was a 130 FMJ at nearly 1,300 FPS. But the Super is the same size as the old .38 ACP, just loaded to higher pressures so the ammo makers started fretting over some yahoo stuffing Supers into his 1905 Colt in .38 ACP and spreading parts all over the range. That’s why Super cases were nickel and .38 ACP were brass until a few years ago when they apparently stopped doing this. I guess there’s no need any longer since factory Super ammo now clocks about the same as .38 ACP. The last box I checked ran 1,120 FPS, only 40 more than the ACP. They have down-loaded the Super to nearly the same level as the ACP. No lawsuits. Of course, the Super isn’t so… super… any longer, is it?
Check out a reloading manual from the early '70s. Loads will be listed for the .38 Special pushing a 125 JHP to 1,200 FPS. Sort of makes that factory +P at 975 seem less intimidating, doesn't it? Now, of course, new manuals don't include such listings. Now they stop at about the same levels as the factory +P. Why? Lawyers and lawsuits. The reloading manual publishers are just as scared as the gun and ammo makers about being sued. Fear of lawsuits is the same reason the gun makers caution against the use of +P ammo. They also say don’t use reloads.
I load 125s at 1,100 in my .38 Special carry gun. This load came from a 1970 manual. I have shot many rounds of it through both K and J frame guns and they seem to work just fine. Recoil is slightly more pronounced than with standard ammo, but the cases fall from the cylinder with no sticking.
Certainly, using a gun causes wear. A gun is a machine and using any machine will cause it to wear. Using hotter ammo will likely accelerate the process to some degree. But a quality gun from S&W or Colt or Ruger will not blow up with +Ps. It will possibly wear a little faster, and I doubt if anyone could predict how much, but I think the added wear on a good gun will not be all that much. The gun would probably still last longer than the man who owns it.
I admit to paranoia about warm loads in an alloy-framed gun. I do not have any alloy revolvers but if I did I would stick to standard ammo. In a steel gun of good quality I have no concerns at all about +P on a regular basis.
Just my opinion based on personal experience and research. There are differing points of view. Some replies to the +P question are quite adamant about avoiding regular use of this ammo. Some forum members have accused me of being irresponsible in recommending the loads I mentioned. Of course, I am not recommending anything, only stating what I do. Also, all of the loads I use came from reputable reloading manuals. If the loads were safe in 1970 I don’t see why they aren’t safe, now. Make your own choice. If you are in any way uncomfortable with +Ps then stick with standard loads. You are only losing 50 FPS, anyway.
* The manufacture and tempering of steel was imprecise before around 1930 or so. Any of my guns made in the 1920s or earlier get reduced loads. Note that early S&Ws, those made before around 1918, had cylinders that were not tempered at all.
