Quote:
Originally Posted by Old cop
I have checked it and called S&W before buying it. I’ve also fired it several times, using my carry load, at the range and no problem so far. My understanding was the bullet pull thing only applied to magnum rounds.
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The lighter bullet weight warning was about lighter weight Magnum loads using bullets lighter than 120gr, due to the faster burning powders and hotter gases produced in some of those loads (risk of cylinder throat and face erosion of the titanium cylinder with the lighter loads).
Bullet pull may occur just because of the ultra light weight, the increased recoil effect and the quality control used for the crimping.
Lead bullets may not be held as securely under recoil as jacketed bullets when it comes to crimping and heavy recoil. We were told that's why the 342 Airlites had their barrels marked for "+P Jacketed".
Of course, strange things can happen when we least expect it.
We once had a guy use a European brand of 158gr LRN .38 Spl in his all-steel M36 snub during a range qual, and he was experiencing consistent bullets jumping forward to bind the cylinder. Annoyed the hell out of him. He apaprently tho9ught he save a few bucks by using those rounds for the range. Guess the QC of the crimping in those rounds wasn't sufficient.
FWIW, I checked my first M&P 340 for bullet pull with both Magnum and +P loads, including some 158gr LSWCHP +P, even though that model is heavier than the PD's and Airlite's. I also checked my second M&P 340 with the +P loads I like to carry. Depending on the grips I used, my M&P 340's weigh either 13.3oz or 14.3oz. The only loads that exhibited bullet pull in my gun, in my hands, was a couple of the Magnum loads. Neither of the all-lead LSWCHP loads have exhibited bullet pull when I've checked them.