Any ammo to stay away from?

[rwsmith]

Don't shoot.......

Don't shoot ANYBODY'S reloads except your own, should you try that path. A long time ago I tried what the LGS called 'factory reloads' (which can mean anything) and never again.

You've acquired a first rate .357. Anything that was made for .38 or .357 should be fine.

Hint: I used to shoot .38s in my .357. It leaves a crud ring in the chamber that makes it difficult to chamber .357 rounds unless it is brushed out. Now I just load my .38 type loads in .357 cases and no more crud ring.

The problem with +.38++ or whatever pluses they label is that there are NO STANDARD for limits on the maximum pressure limit on such cartridges. In fact, they could be anything. For all you know it could be a case full of nitroglycerin. All firearms aren't built as strongly as others and such a load in a weaker gun could be big trouble.

Now .38+P does have a standard, and if a .38 gun can handle +P rounds shoot away.

There are SOME reputable dealers that load to very high pressures and label their ammo BUT they are still within the allowed pressure for the .38 cartridge. Such companies as Cor-bon, Double Tap and a few others that load to these high pressures, but stay within allowable limits by tricks such as special blends of powder, etc. These 'special duty' defense rounds are expensive.

The 585 is a strong modern design and can take a lot, but I'm not going to put an unknown load in anything.

 

[Nevada Ed]

The only 38 special +P+ load that I know of is with the little 110gr JHP that was called the "Treasery Load" many years ago.

Today there are lots of Factory ammo that has better bullets, bullet design and penetration and expansion than this old load that can and has damaged revolvers in the past, due to its high pressures.

There is no need to go over 18,500 cup for a SD loading, with todays modern ammo, some that work as low as 800 fps and will work even in the light weight J frames, where the +P+ load needed a steel K frame if possible.

 

[Frank46]

Don't shoot A-Merc. When I was a brass scrounger I'd pick up just about anything. The above mentioned brand went in the scrap bucket. Brass was junk, way off centered flash holes cost me a few decapping pins. Frank

 

[CTG_COLLECTOR]

1)Stick to commercial brand name ammo.

2) Stay away form "gun show" reloads.

3) If you want to use reloaded (aka: remanufactured) ammo, buy from well known companies (Miwall, Georgia Arms, Black Hills etc) who are licensed, bonded and insured.

There was a mention about steel cased ammo earlier. There was only one single 357Mag steel cased load made and sold on the market, and that was WOLF Performance brand made by Tula Cartridge Works, and it was a very limited production and probably very hard to find. So no worries there.

As for A-Merc (American Ammunition), this company went out of business long ago and it is unlikely anyone will come across any of this ammo in large quantities.

Best rule of thumb, stick with commercial manufacturers (Fed, Rem, Win, Speer, Magtech, Fiocchi, S&B, Prvi Partizan, Aguila, etc.). Cabelas brand ammo (Herters) is also good ammo (previously made by Fiocchi and now by S&B).

 

[geddylee10002000]

I would avoid the 130 grain WWB ball ammo even for target use. I had large batch of it and had several "duds". Hate saying that Winchester usually is the best around but perhaps I had a bad batch. Super-X is an another story though.

Had a fellow shooter that shot that in the last IDPA match that I went to. He had about 8% failure to ignite. He had a really nice Colt MKIII that had a action job. Didn't recognize the smith but I am no expert. The rounds that didn't go of had really light primer strikes. Either primers were uber hard or the action job was set for like Federal primers. Another fellow shooter (686) had a bit of a problem with the same ammo. Bad batch?

 

[rwsmith]

The strain screw......

I'm not saying any of you guys have this problem but it's worth checking out. Revolvers have 'strain screw' that tightens down on the main spring that extends into the grip. Loosening them means a lighter trigger, but it also means light primer strikes. Sometimes they just back out and and need to be tightened up and SOMETIMES people will loosen or shorten them to give a quick 'trigger job'. Then the next is they come on the forum and complain about how they are getting light primer strikes. Check the strain screw first.

 

[brucev]

I'll be getting my first .357 586 and Im wondering what .357 I should avoid?

Also, the manual states not to use .38 +p+ in any of their guns.
I'd never use it anyways but why is that?

First, congratulations on buying your first S&W... and a 586 at that!

Second, the above replies offer excellent advice.

Third, based on my own personal experience w/ S&W L-frame revolvers, you can shoot any .38 Special load produced by any manufacturer domestic or import if it meets SAAMI standards. There will be simply no problem at all in any respect. The 586 will easily handle it.

Your revolver will handle any .357 Magnum load produced by any manufacturer, domestic or foreign again as long as it meets SAAMI standards.

I have fired more .357 Magnum ammo of all sorts than I have any possible way to calculate all without any problems at all. This is without exception. Buy what you can find at the price you can afford. Sight in with the ammo that gives you best accuracy for your needs and that is actually available. Use other ammo that may not be as accurate or may be more economical, etc., for the range, etc. If you should find any steel or aluminum cased ammo at a good price that suits your needs, buy it and fire it. The only problem it will give you is if you need brass for reloading as the steel or aluminum cases are not suitable for reloading. JMHO. Sincerely. brucev.

 

[CatSnipah]

Avoid any ammo that is flying in your direction.

Otherwise, good luck , great purchase and happy shooting!!

 

[jojodogfaceboy]

I had multiple "duds" from Remington brand ammo.

2 different cals. .45 and .38. both boxes bought at different stores at different times.

maybe just bad luck?

 

[dcxplant]

whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM ANY .22 AMMO!

That stuff is deadly to users, guaranteed to cause havoc with the buyer, just say no!

 

[66snub]

I had a box of Winchester silvertips in 38 special that had about a 25% hard primer situation that required restriking when I tested them before putting them in my carry piece. I'm glad I did. A word to the wise, ALWAYS test your ammo before you trust it with your life.

 

[ladyT]

The only ammo to stay away from is my ammo. It's spoken for.

 

[Otreb]

Any factory loaded .38sp or .357 should be fine in the 586. Stick to reputable reloads from makers like BLack Hills, Gergia Arms, Miwall, etc and you'll be fine as well.
I generally don't use steel cased stuff in any of my guns except the commie makes like the makarov or AKs as they are designed around them and have sturdy extractors for it...you'll rarely see steel cased in revolver rounds, I'd simply avoid what exists because they tend to be really dirty shooting and don't always seal the chamber like brass or even aluminum cased.
Factory loaded +p+ .38sp is loaded still a good 10k or more psi less than .357 mag. It was loaded in 110gr, corbon loaded it in 110, 115 and 158gr, fed had a 125gr and both fed and win had a 147gr. The discontinued corbon 115 was the hottest and said to be around 26k psi.....cake in a .357mag revolver. I've chrono'd the win +p+ 147 gr at just under 1100fps in a mod 15 4" revolver....nothing to fear in a .357 mag.

 

[Buford57]

It's my favorite target load in my 642. Perhaps a bad batch?

I have never had a dud, but the last four boxes I bought generated a lot of heat. The cylinders of both a 642 and a 28-2 became too hot to touch after one cylinder full. I noticed no increase in recoil, report, etc. and no extraction problems. This was my favored practice ammo for ranges that do not allow reloaded ammo. I have not checked the lot numbers. It would not surprise me if there are multiple "recipes" in use for this economy ammo and suitable (if not optimal) powders left over from runs of other rounds are used up this way.

I'm not saying it's defective, let alone dangerous, but I will probably switch to the Federal white box if I have to buy factory practice ammo. I have a 148 gr. DEWC load using Clays that leaves the revolver cool after a full box, groups nicely and costs me about $5.00 per box to load. Compared to $23-$28 per box for factory practice ammo, it doesn't take long to recoup the cost of a used single stage press and a set of Lee dies.

 

[bananaman]

1)Stick to commercial brand name ammo.

2) Stay away form "gun show" reloads.

3) If you want to use reloaded (aka: remanufactured) ammo, buy from well known companies (Miwall, Georgia Arms, Black Hills etc) who are licensed, bonded and insured.

There was a mention about steel cased ammo earlier. There was only one single 357Mag steel cased load made and sold on the market, and that was WOLF Performance brand made by Tula Cartridge Works, and it was a very limited production and probably very hard to find. So no worries there.

As for A-Merc (American Ammunition), this company went out of business long ago and it is unlikely anyone will come across any of this ammo in large quantities.

Best rule of thumb, stick with commercial manufacturers (Fed, Rem, Win, Speer, Magtech, Fiocchi, S&B, Prvi Partizan, Aguila, etc.). Cabelas brand ammo (Herters) is also good ammo (previously made by Fiocchi and now by S&B).

You never really know what another persons reloads have in them. If it is someone you know and trust them with your life, that is another thing.
Have been tempted to buy before, but never did. Do my own! Bob