is +P bad for a J Frame

[confederate]

I was just wondering if its a good idea to shoot +P ammo with a J frame 38? Mine is a model 637 airweight. Just seems like if you shoot very much there might be more wear and tear. What do yall think?

 

[JohnnieB]

+P ammo will hurt you more than it will the 637.

More wear and tear? Probably, but the 637's +P rating is stamped on the barrel and S&W's lawyers wouldn't let them put it there if +P ammo was going to break it anytime soon.

While I carry 158gr LSWCHP +P in my 637, most of my practice is done with standard pressure 158gr LSWC or milder, but for my sake, not the gun's.

A 637 isn't much fun to shoot with +P, or at least it isn't for me, and out to 10 yards, the POA/POI is pretty much the same for anything I stoke it with, so I put 100 or more standard or milder loads downrange for every 5 rounds of +P. Of course, the 637 is designed to be shot a little and carried a lot, so keep that in mind if you are going to be putting more than a cylinder or two of +P downrange per week.

Have fun and be Safe,
John

 

[stiab]

I don't think it will hurt your gun, if it is in proper working condition, but it will hurt your hand a little more than regular loads. I don't like shooting +P in my K frame Model 12 due to the same reason, I can really tell a difference in the discomfort level when at the range.

 

[Casehardn]

Yes, it might wear your gun a little faster than regular ammo but I am from the school of thought that you practice with the ammo you plan on carrying.

 

[Pisgah]

"More" is a relative term, both as it applies to potential wear on your gun and as it applies to the"+" in "+P".

Yes, +P ammo will wear your revolver more quickly than standard-pressure ammo. But when I say more quickly, I mean that where standard ammo might loosen the gun up after 10,000 rounds, the +P stuff might do it in 9,500.

As for +P, the + ain't really all that plus. Most folks, when they think of +P, are thinking of something more along the lines of the old .38-44, or "Heavy Duty", load, 1200-1300 fps, really a slightly downloaded .357 magnum load. Todays +P ammo is nowhere near that kind of level, and is really just a mild bump above standard pressure loads.

It also pays to keep in mind that there are J-frame Airweight and lighter guns made nowadays in .357. Not that I would advocate severe overloading of an Airweight chambered in .38, but todays J-frames are tough little sons-o'-guns.