I apologize for reviving this thread but it has kept me thinking since I first read it. I believe that any S&W revolver in good condition is safe to fire ammunition loaded to the SAAMI maximum standards, or accepted industry maximum standards in place for the year it was manufactured. By good condition I mean within headspace, endshake, and possibly rotational lockup allowances. The way I understand it, when a cartridge is fired in a S&W revolver the case expands, gripping the walls of the chamber. Then, the cylinder moves to the rear contacting the rear of the frame causing it to stretch. The frame then contracts, slamming the cylinder forward into the bearing surface on the yoke tube, and forcing the yoke into it's recoil area under the barrel. Also, there is some amount of rotational wear on the cylinder stop. Eventually this produces excess yoke and cylinder endshake, excess headspace, and loose lockup. Commonsense dictates that aluminum frames will exhibit this wear faster than steel frames. I suspect the looser the relationship between the parts, then the faster wear accelerates. When the wear reaches maximum acceptable allowances, we must have the various parts repaired, replaced, or set the gun aside. Barring manufacturing flaws or metal fatigue, S&Ws don't blow up, they shoot loose. Compared to Colts the S&W revolvers are, in my opinion, reasonably inexpensive to repair. Any mechanical device will wear with use. I shoot and maintain my old revolvers and don't worry about ammunition, as long as it is under maximum pressures. Some of us are shooters and some are collectors, I suspect there is room for all under the big tent.
