I carry my 49 Bodyguard with Buffalo Bore standard pressure short bbl. 125-gr. Gold Dots because it's not +P rated. But I've been thinking....back in 1987 (when the gun was purchased) were any guns being stamped "+P"?
I'm trying to remember about what year +P revolvers started showing up.
I know I can carry +P in my 49 (a few rnds. won't hurt anything) but I wonder if it's just as safe to fire an unlimited amount of rnds. like it is out of a new +P rated gun?

The load I really want to carry in it is the Speer Gold Dot Short bbl. 135-gr.

What are your thoughts?

The issue is not that it's unsafe. It's that a great deal of use of +Ps in it will accelerate wear. I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks...but could I shoot 50-rnds. without any excessive wear?

Yes. It would take a lot more than that to hurt it.

I personally trust MY 49 steel frame gun more than I would
an airweight.

.

IIRC, it was around 1988 that guns started appearing with the +P on them. I remember the original SP-101 came out not marked that way and soon was, and quickly became a darling of the concealed carry crowd. (This was before it became a .357)