Lightweight J-frames and The Lock?

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HankB

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S&W has been making Airweight .38 Special revolvers for decades . . . but did S&W build any that were officially rated to take "+P" loads without having the internal lock?

How about their scandium .357 J-frames, particularly the hammerless versions?
 
S&W made many J-frames with aluminum frames, but most were not "rated" to use +P ammunition, althjough limited amounts didn't hurt the gun.

That said, why do you have to use +P ammunituon? I doubt that the minimal difference out of a 1 7/8" barrel makes any meaningful difference. Bullet shape and design may. If you come up against someone with evil intentions I doubt they'll be concerned about what the headstamp on your cartridges say. If this issue really concerns you you need to get a bigger gun - like a snubbie chambered in .44 Special. I usually don't worry much about this, but I do have a Taurus .44 Special/2", and I sometimes carry it - without +P ammunition.
 
The 642-1 was rated for .38+P and indicated this info on the barrel. The 442-1(?) from the same time period, according to S&W's advertising, was also rated for +P, but the 442 did not indicate "+P" on the barrel.

I've got the 642-1.
 
L-2 forgot to add the fact that the 642-1 does not have a lock on the side of the frame.
All scandium frame .357 revolvers have the lock.
 
Hmm. My 637 WITH the new lock (at first I thought it was a scratch above the cylinder release latch, then I put my glasses on) bought last summer actually has a stamp on it noting it's Plus-P rated ... but even a lot of standard velocity LSWCs can be punishing after a while. Shooting one cylinder of 125 gr +P is enough ... it's brutal.

My old S&W .38 Bodyguard's (no lock) manual said nothing about +P ... wasn't fun to shoot in that one, either ...
 
I've got a 442-1, but it is not marked "+p" on the barrel. I'm pretty sure I bought it before S&W started advertising their J-frame to be +P rated.

I was under the impression that the -1s were +P rated. So, is mine +P rated or no? I don't usually shoot them anyway, but I'd like to know just the same.
Thanks all.
 
I have a Mdl 37-3 (Airweight®) from 2001 & it's rated for +P & has no lock. :) I've shot hundreds of +P rounds with no problems. ;)
 
I have one, a 642 with the lock, have fired 100 various +p's corbon110 federal 110 +p, speer 135 +p, and a bunch of my handloads with lead SWC 158 gr bullets. All with good accuracy and no problems. also I have fired 40 of the federal 110 non +p's all seem about the same in the recoil department,

None are pleasant to fire, and I cant really tell the difference between the corbons the federals and the speers, the federal non +p PD rounds are just as unpleasant to fire as the +ps are. No ill effects on the gun or the lock.
 
I have the 442-1. I inquired at S&W and they stated that it was OK for +p. However I usually fire 125 gr HP non+p, and use the same load in +p for carry. I have a large stock of Federal 125 Nyclad HP in both iterations, and it will probably keep me in ammo for as long as I need it.

Most of the Airweight revolvers were NOT intended for steady diet of heavy loads, +p or not. And they are no fun to shoot with heavy loads, so I stick to the +p for carry only.
 
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