50 years ago, standard pressure .38 Spl drove a 158 grain lead bullet at 855 FPS.
Todays standard pressure load does 755.
+P supposedly makes 890 FPS.
Or +P = 35 FPS more then standard pressure 50 years ago!
Wow!
Years ago, Shooting Times & Dick Metcalfe, one of it's famous writers, did a 5,000 round +P torture test on two Airweight S&W J-Frames.
After each 500 rounds everything on the guns was measured & recorded.
At the end of the test, neither gun showed the slightest change in dimensions after firing 2,500 +P rounds each.
Certainly no "frame stretch", and in fact, both guns were shooting smaller machine rest groups then they did at the beginning of the testing.
The only measurable change to either gun was the triggers got lighter & smoother.
I am of the opinion that a limited diet of any +P ammo on the market will not hurt the gun. Todays +P is little more then standard pressure ammo of days gone by.
Anyhow, the .38 Special J-Frame is a very strong gun, more-so then many give it credit for.
First, there is no thin section of forcing cone protruding through the frame to crack like on the K-Frame Magnums.
Second, it has a 5-shot cylinder, which is stronger then a 6-shot cylinder because it moves the bolt cut's between the chambers, not directly over them.
I measured two 70's era S&W's, a Model 36 Chief's Special, and a Model 19 Combat Magnum.
The Model 36 measures .050" chamber wall thickness, against the Model 19's .076".
Oh oh!
Right?
BUT, the 19's bolt cuts are directly above the thinnest part of the chambers, and are .040" deep.
That is the weakest link in the chain!
That leaves .036" chamber wall thickness on the 6-shot K-Frame .357 vis .050" on the 5-shot J-Frame .38 Spl.
All Right!!!
rc