I have a S&W 442(no dash). I called S&W customer service and was told this revolver was not safe to shoot +P ammo in. I only plan to shoot a few +P rounds a year out of it, anyone think it is going to go KABOOM on me?

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From My Cold Dead Hands!

I have a S&W 442(no dash). I called S&W customer service and was told this revolver was not safe to shoot +P ammo in. I only plan to shoot a few +P rounds a year out of it, anyone think it is going to go KABOOM on me?

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From My Cold Dead Hands!

I have a 442 no dash also, and have shot +P through it. I have put maybe 20-30 rounds of +P through it, and it was either Remington 158 gr, CorBon 110 gr DPX, or Speer GD 135 gr.

You should be fine, I just wouldn't shoot +P Buffalo Bore, or Double Tap, or any handloaded +P ammo either.

I plan to purchase one of the Heller commemorative 442's when they become available and I will carry it with +P ammo but will shoot regular 38 Special at the range.

I don't think the run of the mill +P round is any harder on the gun than a "standard" 38 Spc round but I will reserve them for serious social situations should one present itself.

"Unsafe" would be rather overstating the case against using +P ammunition. It seems to imply that there would be a fair chance of injury or that you'd be picking pieces of cylinder out of your face. That is not likely to be the case. What is possible is that you'd see the gun wear a bit faster.

Not that you can't blow a 442 up. Any gun can be blown up. Gun show reloads for example are notorious for doing so. But barring those, or pulling the trigger after a squib round is stuck in the barrel, there's little chance of blowing up your 442 w/ factory +P ammunition. (

I have a 442 of unknown service history and round count, but I know the previous owner used +P in it, and that's my choice as well. Other than some finish wear, I haven't noticed any problems with it.

Almost any .38 Special factory ammo today that's marked +P doesn't generate as much pressure or velocity as the high end .38 Special ammo that was available 30 years ago. It's my opinion (and only an opinion) that any ammo that's marked +P isn't going to harm your revolver since the new SAAMI +P standard is 18,500 psi which is a light load compared to what was available post war.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

The discussion about safety - or - unsafe aside, the factory does certify some Airweight models as Plus P compatible. Shooting one that isn't is just flying in the face of logic, for if you do damage the gun it will NOT be covered by the factory's rather generous Lifetime warranty. The only Airweights that are Plus P approved are those made after the mid 1990's with the built in frame lug/cylinder stop (see pic).
Lots of discussion over the years about whether or not one can shoot Plus P out of non-rated guns. Taking the risk is strictly up to the owner, but remember - if you do and it breaks the gun - you are on your own.
All guns run great until they don't, if someone has a certified and verify-able way to forecast when one will break, then I'm all for doing what you want, but in the absence of that why run the risk? There are no magic bullets.

I agree with GatorFarmer--the issue with +P would most likely be accelerated wear, not an exploding gun.

The Standard Catalog mentions a test run of 442's built for the Secret Service on the same frame as the no-dash models, with a lightweight alloy cylinder instead of steel. In theory those test guns would not have been as strong as a steel-cylinder standard model, yet they survived testing to 5,000 rounds using +P ammo with no failures. Knowing that, I'm not surprised that many people feel comfortable shooting +P ammo in their no-dash 442's, especially in limited amounts.

I shoot only standard-pressure ammo in mine, though. I find that it's more controllable, which allows me to place follow-up shots faster and more accurately. My favorite ammo is the discontinued 125gr Nyclad hollowpoint, but there are several other suitable defensive rounds currently available, including a standard-pressure 158gr LSWCHP from Buffalo Bore.

See item 20C/20

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunitio...htm#standard38

I always chuckle when I see these threads as most everyone that I have ever met, while they have the same concern usually shoot standard pressure stuff in their guns for practice and carry +p (which may or may not get rotated yearly). I have always used the philosophy that adhering to this practice whether the revolver is specifically rated or not is not going to make a hill of beans difference in the long run. I agree with Gatorfarmer and DC7 in that is it not going to cause the gun to explode and I would venture to say that the shooting of +p ammo once a year is not going to even cause noticable accelerated wear.

Just an opinion.

(SHHHHHHH!)
I wouldn't want anyone to hear this!
But I'd practice with standard pressure anythings, and carry +P's regardless of how it's rated. It only has to handle them 5 rounds worth, if needed?

With proper shot placement, it will only have to handle 2!!!

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LEO since 1981.