Help please

[ferud]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to be asking this, if it's not I'm sorry.
I have a s&w 642-1 .38 SPL Airweight revolver and it doesn't have the +P on it, my question is, is it safe to fire the Winchester PDX1 defender .38 special +P 130 GRAIN or any other +P?

Thank you

 

[lrrifleman]

Personally, I would not fire +P ammo in a handgun that is not approved by the manufacturer.

 

[retired2006]

Personally, I would not fire +P ammo in a handgun that is not approved by the manufacturer.

What he said, especially in an alloy framed revolver like yours.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I shy away from out-of-spec loads for self-defense, on the off chance that I hit an innocent unintended person. I feel this would give lawyers an easy additional liability to hang over my head.

 

[gwpercle]

If not stamped +P on the barrel I wouldn't use it. +P puts unnecessary stress on an alloy not formulated to take it. It will not explode in your hands but will loosen up those parts . How many rounds will it take to do that.... now that's a big unknown.
Gary

 

[zonker5]

According to the S&W web site the 642 is ok with +p ammo.

 

[franzas]

According to the SCSW, the 642-1 came about in 1996 with the introduction of the J-magnum frame, i.e. a frame designed to handle magnum rounds and coincidentally, it is rated for +P.

In addition, I have a 442-1 (also 1996 engineering change) that is stamped +P.

 

[ferud]

So it's safe to shoot +P???

 

[franzas]

So it's safe to shoot +P???

I would if it was my gun.

 

[Targets Guy]

I would think if S&W says you can shoot +P in 642 you are good to go.

 

[crazyphil]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to be asking this, if it's not I'm sorry.
I have a s&w 642-1 .38 SPL Airweight revolver and it doesn't have the +P on it, my question is, is it safe to fire the Winchester PDX1 defender .38 special +P 130 GRAIN or any other +P?

Thank you

I also have the S&W model 642-1 Airweight and the barrel
on mine, on the left side, is marked .38 S & W SPL. +P.
I think you should call S&W, with your serial number, and
ask them how come it is not marked. I think it should be.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Call S&W for info but..............

Lots of early revolvers were not heat treated or had 2nd rate materials, so they were not stamped +P.

Around 1952 weapons started to get better.
Most weapons from 1970 were made to handle hotter loads but.........

if there is no +P on your weapon it should shoot 98% 38 special ammo.

 

[muddocktor]

Call S&W for info but..............

Lots of early revolvers were not heat treated or had 2nd rate materials, so they were not stamped +P.

Around 1952 weapons started to get better.
Most weapons from 1970 were made to handle hotter loads but.........

if there is no +P on your weapon it should shoot 98% 38 special ammo.

Ed, I don't think your concerns are a problem. According to the SCSW, the 642-1 was manufactured in the 1996-2001 time frame, right before they added the lock and they used the J Magnum frame. I would think that it should be good to go with +P 38's in it.

OP, give S&W a call and they can tell you for sure.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Just a point, how can a revolver be marked +P before there was a +P? There are plenty of guns out there that were manufactured before SAMMI invented the +P standards. Guns made before that could not be stamped but are fully capable of handling the slightly higher pressures. It's like having a coin with a date of 100 BC, how could they know?

+P ammo will not create a nuclear explosion, the pressures are just a little higher. The marketing has worked on this point I see.