Anyone fire .357's in their K frames?

[kbm6893]

I know the wisdom is to stick with limited 158 grain .357, but anyone fire 110 or 125 grains in their K frames? How about 180 grain Buffalo Bores?

 

[P&R Fan]

I carry Federal 125 Grn JHPs in my 2 1/2" M66-1. I shoot enough to stay proficient and don't worry about it.
(But then, I'm a risk taker. I have actually run with scissors several times).
Jim

 

[ScottJ]

My 66 has probably seen between 200 and 300 full-house 125gr Remingtons over the years. This before I knew about the forcing cone lore.

Now I carry with 125gr Golden Sabers which are milder and use a cast 140gr handload for practice and IDPA. I'm probably over 500 rounds of the cast load and they run around 1010fps.

 

[fyimo]

There have been a number of threads up here about the subject and it's pretty clear why S&W brought out the L frame design to solve the problems with K frames and light bullets in full house 357 magnum loads in the K frame. So you are either looking for permission to shoot them in your revolver or you want to know the magic number which is how many is OK.

Nobody knows that answer because every revolver is different and while one might go a long time another may not. This is because of they are all fit together differently with parts from different batches and no one can predict accurately the answer.

 

[colt_saa]

My modern 357 Magnum K-frames ONLY get 357 Magnum ammunition. If I want to shoot 38s, I will use a 38. Vintage K-frames are stored.

Metallurgy has changed dramatically in the more than half century since the first 357 Magnum K-frame hit the market in 1955. They are not the weak firearms that the internet would lead one to believe.

My snubby model 66 has many thousands of my 125 grain hand loads through it as well as ten thousand or more of the 158 grain 357 Magnums that the Highway Patrol used to use.

 

[ldp4570]

I have a few boxes of Winchester 145gr SilverTips that stay in reserve for my 66-2 2-1/2". IMO its the best middle of the pack loading for both my 66-1 an Marlin 1894c.

 

[Stu1205]

I know the wisdom is to stick with limited 158 grain .357, but anyone fire 110 or 125 grains in their K frames? How about 180 grain Buffalo Bores?

This is something new to me. I have been shooting for over 30 years, and I never knew of a problem with shooting lighter .357 bullets in a K frame. Could someone please enlighten me?
Thanks.

 

[bnkrtstk]

This is something new to me. I have been shooting for over 30 years, and I never knew of a problem with shooting lighter .357 bullets in a K frame. Could someone please enlighten me?
Thanks.

And what would constitute a "new" or "old" model? I just picked up a 66-5 in 2.5" and have it loaded with 125gr Golden Sabers.

 

[Neumann]

The barrel is cutout on the forcing cone to clear the gas ring of the cylinder. Light bullets on top of hot loads put a lot of stress on the forcing cone, which tends to crack or split on the thin edge for these revolvers. L-frames are large enough so the cutout is not needed.

 

[lhump1961]

I have had K frames for many years and shot a lot of 158gr early on. Now I shoot more 38+p only because I shoot better without the recoil of the mag loads all the time, at least in the snubbies. My guns are fine and never showed any problems from 158gr mag loads. In those days there wasn't near as much talk about the K frame and "hot" loads...not sure why it comes up so much now...maybe because some feel the need to have the biggest gun and fire the hottest load. If I pointed my K frame at a bad guy I doubt if he would ask what I have it loaded with.

I have L frames and love 'em (because I love all my guns) but carry a K frame. I don't put octane boost in my F-150, I don't drink my beer as fast as I can, and I don't shoot the high pressure loads in my beloved K's.

 

[old bear]

I’ve never had a barrel on a K frame damaged do to shooting 110/125Gr. rounds. As barrels for my M 19-3 are as scarce as hen teeth I’m not willing to take the chance of having it happen to me. So I no longer shoot .357 Magnum ammo in my K frames, that’s what my L and N frames are for, I do load .357 Magnum ammo for self-defense.

 

[Swabby]

It has always been my understanding to stay away from any .357 mag load with a bullet weight lighter than 125gr in a K-Frame. I have a 3" Model 65 that I shoot 158gr mags out of almost every time I shoot the gun. I have not had any problem, but as stated before, it does not necessarily mean that it won't crack your forcing cone. As stated before, also, I think K-Frames are tougher than people give them credit for. It would be very interesting to know how many K-Frame revolvers S&W had returned with cracked forcing cones, compared to the total number they manufactured. I think the % of failures would be pretty low.

 

[Fishslayer]

".38s for practice, .357s for business."

I've run a few cylinders of 158gr Big Dogs through my M66. If I want to shoot a lot of them though I take the 686 or 28-2.

 

[Sportsterguy]

I carry nothing but 158 gr. Speer GD .357's in my 66 snub for SD. Practice with that round also after warming up with .38's also in 158 grains.

"How about 180 grain Buffalo Bores"?

Heavy 357 Magnum Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Yep, but stand by. Them things put a good whallpop on you with an L frame and are great deer rounds. I did shoot 6 of them through my 66 and was wearing a PAST glove (smart idea IMO). Their website says J frames are also ok to run them through. Not for this gent thank you.

Hope ths helped and stay safe.

 

[BlackSky]

My 65-3 gets a steady diet of 158g FMJ's. When it's on my hip it's loaded with 180g HCFP's. I probably shoot a few cylinders full of the big stuff per year out of it.

 

[bronco45]

I have a 65-5 3" that is my ready companion. I load a 158gr SWCHPGC over a dose of 2400 that gives me 1050fps.

Gun shoots POA and is quite accurate. It's everything I need a 357 for, if I need more horsepower I get a bigger gun usually a 12 gauge or 308.