Hi guys, newbie here. Thought I’d ask the experts a question about revolvers. I have an old model 442 S/N BRM 3064 that I picked up from a pawn shop and found out it will not handle +P ammo. Can I change the cylinder to make it handle +P? Defensive 38 special ammo in standard pressure is hard to come by. And can anyone tell me anything about this revolvers history and/or specs?
Thanks, Paul

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Proud Life NRA and TSRA member

Hornaday Critical Defense ammo is available in standard pressure .38 special.

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Handgun :: Choose by Product Line :: Critical Defense®

Buffalo Bore offers a 158g lead hollow point in both +P and non- +P flavors. FWIW, the standard pressure box of BB that I have shoots exactly the same velocity out of the same gun as Remington +P ammo with the same bullet.

Kicks the same, too, as you would expect, the laws of physics being what they are. But the laws of liability being what THEY are, I'll trust that BB has somehow managed to do this without exceeding standard pressures.

SCSW shows BRF as August 1994, so BRM might be in that vicinity, but nothing is really etched in stone.

You could locate standard pressure ammo online, find it at a show, or perhaps a dealer could order a case for you. I understand BB is very good, but it is premium-priced in smaller boxes and to develop accuracy and comfort with your gun, you're going to need the lower pressure (and lower priced) standard ammo in quantities greater than 20-round boxes. Good shooting!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. Sorry, forgot. Welcome to the Forum! Always great to have new members! Don't be a stranger, we're all here!

Your firearm is fine with + p ammo.

That said, +p is unnecessary.

Any standard pressure round will do what you need - assuming you hit what you're shooting at.

it'll handle +p. just not a steady diet. shoot a few and carry. use standard stuff for practice.

It's not the cylinder that may cause you any problem, it is the entire gun being of alloy will (over time) loosen up if an excessive amount of +P is used. I doubt of a diet of 50 rounds a week would hurt it much over 3-5 years.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Whoever told you this is "full of it." Unless your revolver is defective, use of Plus-P 38 Special will not harm it. It MIGHT, and I stress might, accelerate wear a little, but it will not cause any sort of catastrophic failure if your firearm is in proper working order without defects. You will surely experience a catastrophic failure of your wallet far sooner than with your revolver if you purchase enough +P ammo to cause even measurable wear in your revolver.

FWIW I put a few cylinders full of +P through my old J frames each year and they're still running fine. Plus-P is not all it's cracked up to be.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Must be okay...you read it on the internet.

What is inscribed on the right side of the barrel?

I wouldn't head out to the range and shoot 15,000 +Ps through it, but it wouldn't worry me one whit to use +P for daily carry and occasional practice. Few folks ever shoot a J-frame enough to wear it out, whatever ammo they're shooting.

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Pisgah

Of course +P is OK to use. Even though it is supposed to be "hot" its peak chamber pressure as typically loaded by major manufacturers (Remington, Winchester, Federal) is within the SAAMI limits for standard .38 Special loads. There are some specialty +P loads which may reach the upper limits of SAAMI peak chamber pressure. Having said that, I never advocate the use of +P loads for any purpose other than personal defense. Lead bullet loads are just as good for practice and recreational uses, and much cheaper.

Amen!

Unless the "P" stands for Pesos. In that case you will spend a lot of +Ps.

Bob

Buffalo Bore Ammo 38 Special 125 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point Box of 20

Check the specs on this ammo. Works for me and not +P.

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USN Submarine Service '66-'71

Thanks everyone, you've gave me a lot of good stuff to think about. I knew I could get good advice here.

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Proud Life NRA and TSRA member

Underwood also has a standard pressure 158 gr LSWCHP that is more than an adequate load for that pistol,

I wouldn't worry about a little modern day commercially available +P in your Airweight. I once put 1,000+ rounds of +P through a model 12 that S&W specifically prohibited the use of +P ammo. The gun survived. If you crack an alloy frame around the barrel, its mostly likely cause is an over tightened barrel. We've seen alloy guns with over tightened barrels crack with standard pressure and +P.

...sprey

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What do I know?

Heck, standard wadcutter target ammo will do just fine, be cheaper, at least used to cost a ton less. I have a case or two of S&B for general use; 500 or so rounds of Black Hills for serious.

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NHI, 10-8.