i read on another forum about not using hot.357 ammo in my S&W 19 4".

i decided to ask the experts here.

is this true or not?

i just bought a 19-5 in NKL 2 weeks ago & haven't had a chance to take it to the range yet.

it's not going to be a carry piece, mostly a stored treasure so my son & grandson can enjoy it after i take the checkered flag.

what are the dos & donts ammo wise?

trailblazer

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When not shooting .38 Spl., I feed mine Georgia Arms G357B. It is a 158 gr. JHP at 1200 fps. It is not a +P loading.

K Frame Magnums are thin in the bottom of the rear of the bbl where it screws into the frame. 125Grain 357s with ball powder slam the rear of the bbl called the forcing cone. Barrel erosion and cracking splitting of the forcing cone occurs.

I have several K frame Magnums and have been carrying one since 1973 when I could finally purchase one. They were always hard to get.

I shoot 158grain bullets at a thousand feet per second and it doesn't wear out the gun.

The K frame Magnums were originally built to shoot 38s in practice and 357s in reality. Full house Magnums will accelerate wear in your K frame 19. But you can shoot 38s, +Ps and low end magnum level rounds until the cows come home. And if you were raised on a farm you know the cows never come home,you always have to go get them and drive them home.

Shoot you K frame and enjoy it they are my favorite Smith.

although i don't intend to shoot this gun very much, am i to understand that range ammo should be 158gr?

also, does this ammo gr philosophy pertain to all guns.

i shoot 115 gr in my 9mm for target practice as opposed to heavier loads.

also, i shoot mostly FMJs & very little JHPs.
t'blazer

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An autoloader and revolver are different stories. The bullet in an autoloader like a 9mm, does not literally have to jump a small gap before entering the barrel after leaving the chamber. Nor is there any issue of gases escaping between the chamber and the barrel, as there is at the cylinder gap in a revolver.

The k-frames reportedly experience excessive flame cutting, forcing cone erosion, and a real change of cracks in the lower flat spot on the forcing cone. Light weight (less then 125gr) high velocity .357 rounds are known to greatly increase the likelihood of all of these problems. So stick with the heavier bullet weights when shooting .357, and steer clear of extreme velocity loads.

The .357 125gr/K-Frame warning is pretty much unique. As stated the K-Frames have a flat cut at the bottom of the barrel to clear the center axis. This makes the forcing cone thin in that spot. Full power 125gr. tend to cause more flame cutting and can erode or crack this area. This was the main reason behind the L-Frame guns, making the cylinder larger in dia. allowed for a full size forcing cone all the way around the barrel. I don't shoot 125 fullpower loads in my Ks' but there shouldn't be any problem with limited use.

Having raised dairy and beef cattle growing up, this caught my eye - too true.

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What you read about not shooting a lot of hot .357 Magnum ammo in your S&W M-19 is correct. Designed with the law enforcement market in mind, the M-19 was based on a .38 Special design. It was intended that .357 Magnum ammo would be used for duty by that .38 Specials would be used for other purposed, i.e., range, training, etc. Shoot it with any .38 Special load you care to use and it is likely that M-19 your grandson will hand it down to his heirs. Some use of .357 Magnum ammo will cause no harm. I would personally use the 158 gr. JHP loads. The 125 gr. .357 Magnum loads have a reputation for damaging revolvers due to flame cutting of the top strap and cracking of the barrel forcing cone. HTH. Sincerely. brucev.

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great stuff, guys...thank you.

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Are the rules apply to 66 k-frame as well.

What about a j frame magnum? model 60 ???? Any reports of cracked forcing cones?

Yes they do on the model 66. I have a 66-4 4 inch . I only shoot in 357s a 140gr or higher. Recommended by Smith and Wesson is a 158gr. Also, stay in the neighborhood of 1100 to 1300 FPS. Clean the forcing cone area well and top strap after going to the range. If a person does all of the above steps, the 19/66 will out live the shooter.

Good luck,
roaddog28

roaddog:

thanx for asking, my next question was to be about ammo for the 66-2 i have on layaway.

trailblazer

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