110 Gr .357 in a Mod 66 ..?

[mod29]

I have a nice 66-1 snub that I use for concealed carry, and it is hard to find ammo to feed it right now.
I found 1 box of WWB 110-gr .357 Mag at Walmart today, and purchased it.
I have read many warnings of shooting lighter-weight bullets in K-frame 'Smiths, but these seem to be more about hot 125-gr loads.
I would appreciate hearing what my friends here think about shooting the WWB 110-gr load in my Mod 66-1.

Thanks
-Jim

 

[mod29]

I have a nice 66-1 snub that I use for concealed carry, and it is hard to find ammo to feed it right now.
I found 1 box of WWB 110-gr .357 Mag at Walmart today, and purchased it.
I have read many warnings of shooting lighter-weight bullets in K-frame 'Smiths, but these seem to be more about hot 125-gr loads.
I would appreciate hearing what my friends here think about shooting the WWB 110-gr load in my Mod 66-1.

Thanks
-Jim

 

[flop-shank]

I think the W-W load is downloaded a little. I think your gun will be fine. All the same, I wouldn't if I had heavier than 125 gr. ammo available. If not, I would use the 110s until the ammo crunch is over.

 

[Andy Taylor]

A box now and then should be OK. The reason the 125gr loads are mentioned is because that is the weight where the problem starts. You may notice it is usually stated 125 grain or lighter.
This only applies to full power magnums. I suspect that the WWB load is less than a full power load, although I don't know for sure. Once this ammo crunch is over, go back to using heavier bullets. Right now it is kind of a whatever you can find sort of deal.

 

[retired2006]

Looks like the 110 gr is loaded down some, I wouldn't be afraid of it, plus it may be easier to control in your stubby.
Here's the info from Winchester's website:

110 gr: 1295 FPS
125 gr: 1370 FPS

 

[BreakerDan]

The WWB 110gr would be just fine.
I have shot a lot of this ammo and it
is not hot at all. It seems to be more like
38+P+ than magnum. Heck, some Corbon 38+p
goes at nearly the same velocity.

The WWB 110 gr is a near duplication of the load carried by the Border Patrol in the 80s.
They said it worked well.

 

[kmrcstintn]

I think you'll be fine with intermittent shooting, but not a steady diet; I recently fired some to proof in my 6" Ruger GP100 (new acquisition) and my 4" Ruger Security Six (new load to this gun); I still had a fireball from the muzzle of the 6" barrel on the Ruger GP100; probably a good amount of hot gasses slamming the forcing cone, so I won't be feeding a steady diet

 

[Win]

Back when you could get handgun ammo, I bought a case of the WWB .357 Personal Defense Ammo with the 110 grain hollow point from the Ammunition Store in Canton Ohio. I shot it over my Chrony and it was running about 1100 ~ 1150 fps from a 4 inch barrel S&W 586. This tells me you could shoot a million rounds through any K frame .357 and not have any problems with the gun....problems with Personal Defense ?? maybe, but the gun will be just fine. When you get 125 grain bullets ripping along at 1500 fps....then the K frame has a problem.

 

[Erich]

Great way to turn your .357 Magnum revolver into a six-shot 9mm.

 

[SWAT Lt.]

+1 with Erich except the newer 9mm bullets are usually better constructed that the 110 W-Ws.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by mod29: ...I have read many warnings of shooting lighter-weight bullets in K-frame 'Smiths, but these seem to be more about hot 125-gr loads - Jim

Jim; What you have been reading is mis-information that was true about one particular Brand of .357 Magnum ammunition using 125gr bullets from the '70s and those - handloaders and NOT the Factories - who attempted to duplicate those crazy "Super" loadings. The early ammo from that particular small time manufacturer was some of the "worst of the worst" I ever encountered. The Powders just hadn't yet been developed to get those high VELocities without the VERY high pressures being produced. Not just sure how they managed to survive as long as they did and from what I remember they went out of business because of the number of law suits being filed against them.

Unfortunately, the myth of the 125gr bullets doing damage; especially to "K" Frame Smith & Wessons, continues to this day. Kind of a once a truth, always a truth, type of thing that just isn't so.

The .357 Magnum was designed around a 158gr bullet and from 40+ Years of reloading and shooting .357 Magnums I can tell you this particular cartridge seems to work best with bullets between 140 to 170 grains. And, this cartridge still shines well with the original 158gr bullets in Cast, Swagged or Jacketed designs.

 

[ElToro]

i shoot 110s and 125s in my 28 and i will in my new 27 and occasionaly in my 19/66/13/65

i keep 158 Hydra-shock for personal defense, I got a supply of it reasonably priced a while back. if the short barrel gold dots become avilable locally and priced well i may try those. i do roll with 180 grn castcore when camping and the .357 is all i have

 

[mod29]

Interesting comments...thank you all.
Hope to get out and do some shooting one day soon. I'll be sure to give my impressions on how my 66-1 snub performs with the WWB 110-gr stuff.

-Jim