Joistman
Member
I have a S&W Model 10-7 38 SPCL 4" barrel. Is this gun designed (or strong enough) to shoot +P ammo on a regular basis?
+P Ammo question
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Yes. Perfectly fine.
rc
rc
Joistman
Member
That opens up a lot of ammo questions I will be asking very shortl. Thanks for the quick response RC.
Franco
Member
Keep in mind that +P for a 38 means about 1/2 grain of powder. Not that I would encourage +P in a gun not designed for that load, it's also important to know how little it really means.
Joistman
Member
Franco
Is the perceived recoil significantly more with the +P versus standard pressure for my model gun?
How about muzzle flip?
Is the perceived recoil significantly more with the +P versus standard pressure for my model gun?
How about muzzle flip?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
From 1899 when the .38 Special & the K-Frame S&W like yours was invented, until the advent of +P in 1974, a standard .38 Special factory load was a 158 grain lead bullet at 855 FPS.
Now, in these kinder gentler days, a standard load from say Winchester is a 158 grain lead bullet at 755 FPS. A full 100 FPS slower at correspondingly less pressure.
A +P is a 158 at 890!
Or a blazing 35 FPS faster then the old standard pressure load used for 75 years!
Not a lot of difference between a standard load in 1900, 1940, or 1960, and a +P load today is there!
It seems the standard pressure load was reduced in 1974, at the same time the +P rating took effect.
Bottom line is, your Model 10 is not a whole lot different gun then the K-Frame .357 Magnums.
+P .38 Special will be a walk in the park in a model 10 compared to a K-Frame .357.
And K-Frame .357's are perfectly controllable.
rc
Now, in these kinder gentler days, a standard load from say Winchester is a 158 grain lead bullet at 755 FPS. A full 100 FPS slower at correspondingly less pressure.
A +P is a 158 at 890!
Or a blazing 35 FPS faster then the old standard pressure load used for 75 years!
Not a lot of difference between a standard load in 1900, 1940, or 1960, and a +P load today is there!
It seems the standard pressure load was reduced in 1974, at the same time the +P rating took effect.
Bottom line is, your Model 10 is not a whole lot different gun then the K-Frame .357 Magnums.
+P .38 Special will be a walk in the park in a model 10 compared to a K-Frame .357.
And K-Frame .357's are perfectly controllable.
rc
Franco
Member
Agreed. I don't think you'll notice any more recoil or muzzle flip. Maybe minor increase in perceived recoils on a really small frame but not a Model 10.
Drgong
Member
The K-frame .38 is a pleasure to behold, I have a model 15 (model 10 with adjustiable sights mostly) and it is a joy to shoot. I am not a "good" shooter (don't shoot enough with ammo prices, thus I am looking for a .22) but I can still get quarter sized groups with my Model 15 at 9 yards.
BCRider
Member
I just got a new batch of .38Spl that is runnign closer to +P power than it is to standard .38Spl. On my own Model 10 with 6" barrel the faster departure of the bullet thanks to the extra pressure makes the gun shoot about 2 inches low at around 12 yards. Hardly a big deal if you're using the ammo for defense but annoying if you're shooting for bullseyes. It still groups nicely but the groups are just a bit lower.
I notice this on my Model 19 as well. For giggles I play a little game called "Revolver Roulette" where I load five .38Spl and one .357Mag. Before I close the cylinder I look up and give it a bit of a spin then stop it and close. Sure does help with finding and getting rid of any residual flinching...
But when I'm shooting these the magnum round consistenty hits about 3 inches below the rest of the group.
I asked a long time handgun shooter about this and he said it's entirely normal. All guns begin their muzzle lift at the same time the bullet starts its trip down the barrel. With the faster rounds the bullet leaves before the barrel lifts as far so they tend to hit lower than a slower bullet.
It's not a biggie at all if you have adjustable sights. But for the 10 it means I now need to go find some truly standard velocity .38Spl ammo as I'm not about to take a file to my front blade.
I notice this on my Model 19 as well. For giggles I play a little game called "Revolver Roulette" where I load five .38Spl and one .357Mag. Before I close the cylinder I look up and give it a bit of a spin then stop it and close. Sure does help with finding and getting rid of any residual flinching...
But when I'm shooting these the magnum round consistenty hits about 3 inches below the rest of the group. I asked a long time handgun shooter about this and he said it's entirely normal. All guns begin their muzzle lift at the same time the bullet starts its trip down the barrel. With the faster rounds the bullet leaves before the barrel lifts as far so they tend to hit lower than a slower bullet.
It's not a biggie at all if you have adjustable sights. But for the 10 it means I now need to go find some truly standard velocity .38Spl ammo as I'm not about to take a file to my front blade.
Joistman
Member
In a normal, balanced supply/demand climate (unlike now) does the +P ammo cost more than the standard pressure?
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