mrpendleton
Member
I have 3 k frame 357's. After doing some searching on the Internet, I'm now afraid to shoot magnums in them. What do you guys think? Can you shoot magnums, or do I have 3 38 specials?
K frame 357's
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Seriously? The guns are made for magnum rounds.You can shoot magnums.
That said,it wouldn't be a bad idea to avoid heavy use of the lighter 125 grain rounds.
I personally never used magnum rounds in my 357s of any size frame,but that's only because I never felt the need-38s were perfectly fine for my casual target shooting.
That said,it wouldn't be a bad idea to avoid heavy use of the lighter 125 grain rounds.
I personally never used magnum rounds in my 357s of any size frame,but that's only because I never felt the need-38s were perfectly fine for my casual target shooting.
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Hillbilly77
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That was your first mistake.
On a serious note, the common consensus is that the lighter bullets (125 grains and less) are the ones more likely to cause problems.
If you want to shoot magnums, stay with 158 grain bullets.
First of all... congratulations on owning three S&W K-frame magnum revolvers!
Now down to cases. Understand that there will always be folks who are cautious. They keep a umbrella in the car just in case it rains. They keep a quarter in their pocket just in case their cell phone fails and they need to find a pay phone to make a call. They may even keep toilet tissue folded up in their wallet just in case they need to use a public toilet and find that there is no toilet paper. Such people are never unprepared ... when it rains, when the cell phone fails, when the toilet has no paper.
Such people are not unlike a little bird named Chicken Little. You know the story. Following a little incident... he was convinced the sky was falling. He ran around the barnyard telling one and all, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" Of course Chicken Little's broadcasting career came to an end when he when he was invited as the honored guest for Sunday dinner. The same is not true for the people who like him run around the internet shouting out to one and all... "Don't shoot your K-frame with anything other than the least powerful ammo available!"
Now, down to brass tacks. Will shooting .357 S&W Magnum ammunition damage your S&W revolvers? Let's think. S&W developed the .357 S&W Magnum cartridge. S&W chambered that round in your K-frame revolvers. S&W test fired your revolver using proof loads which exceed standard SAAMI rated commercial .357 S&W Magnum ammunition. There are no commercial .357 S&W Magnum loads on the market that exceed the SAAMI standard. Unless there is some unseen flaw somewhere in the cylinder of one of your revolvers or unless a manufacturer by error ships ammo that significantly exceeds the SAAMI standard, there is just no good reason for you to be apprehensive about shooting .357 S&W Magnum ammunition in your K-frame revolvers.
A final thought. Wear. It happens. A revolver is no different than any other firearm. They are machines. One might call them... expendable piston heat engines. Over a period of time firing and cycling will produce wear on various parts of the firearm. As a case in point, I've seen M-1 Garand rifles that had been subjected to heavy shooting. With care, the crown of the barrels still looked good, but the throat of the barrels showed wear. With time and use, accuracy declined predictably. The same is true of 1903 and 1903-A3 rifles fired extensively.
The same is true of any handgun. With enough use, a handgun will show wear. This can be observed in older handguns that saw military service. A good example is the barrels of 1917 S&W's and 1911 type pistols fired w/ .45ACP ball loads extensively. The same is true of various models of Colt double-action revolvers which tend to shoot loose due to the way they lock up. The same is true of S&W revolvers, though it is less pronounced because of the way they lock up.
I have several N-frame 29-2 .357 S&W Magnum revolvers, one L frame 686-1, and one K-frame Model 66-2 revolver. All of them were bought used. All of them have been shot extensively with whatever ammunition I had at hand. All of them are in excellent shape. While I enjoy shooting double-action, these revolvers have mostly been shot single-action. They all lock up tight. The 66 saw police service before I bought it. It is exceptionally smooth and accurate. About the only reason I don't shoot it more with magnum ammunition is simply because I find the recoil objectionable, it hurts my hands. So, I shoot the heavy ammo in my N and L frame revolvers as the extra weight moderates the recoil. Back before I sustained injuries to my hands, back before a little bit of arthritus began to develop in my fingers, I shot my K-frame S&W revolvers happily using whatever ammo I had at hand... both .38 Special and .357 S&W Magnum. Never had a problem. S&W .357 Magnum ammunition and S&W revolvers... they just naturally go together! Now... for those Colt and Ruger revolvers, one probably would be well advised to strongly consider shooting them only occasionally with .357 S&W Magnum ammunition. After all, it is quite likely that such revolvers made by such companies might possibly not be up to the challenge of handling .357 S&W Magnum ammunition. But not to worry. One can have lots of fun shooting .38 Special ammunition out of such revolvers. JMHO. HTH. Sincerely. brucev.
send them to me for long term testing. I will report back my findings at the conclusion of the test.
K frame magnums
+1 to Brucev post.....I have shot, instructed and serviced K frames ( as a S&W armorer) since the 70's. I instructed K frame magnums at FLETC for a two year tour, we had an inventory of 2.5 and 4 inch combat magnums that had thousands of full throttle magnums run through them annually. These guns were in service when I rolled in and were still in service when I rolled out. During my tenure there, I ran 30,000 rds thru four different combat magnums over a two year period for a total of 120,000rds, mostly 125 gr federal magnum loads.
I have a personal M-65 that I dry fired daily for ten years, and documented over 60,000 thru the gun, 2/3rd's of those magnum loads. I bought the gun in 76, and still shoot it today.
As pointed out in Brucev's post....these are mechanical devices, that have close tolerances, with relatively small components that have metal on metal contact. Over a prolonged period, there will be wear. By prolonged period, I mean thousands and thousands of mechanical cyclings.
There is always the caveats abt cracked forcing cones, much overstated IMO. Have I seen any? Yes. But I have seen as many or more on model 10's and 15's as I have on K frame magnums.
In summary,, do not be afraid to shoot your K frame magnums. They were in service for decades, and there are still thousands of them out there being shot. I have been shooting magnums for decades and know only a handful of citizen shooters who have pounded thousands of full power magnum loads through their guns.
Enjoy them for what they are, K frame 357 magnums. IMO one of the most versatile & practical revolvers ever produced.
+1 to Brucev post.....I have shot, instructed and serviced K frames ( as a S&W armorer) since the 70's. I instructed K frame magnums at FLETC for a two year tour, we had an inventory of 2.5 and 4 inch combat magnums that had thousands of full throttle magnums run through them annually. These guns were in service when I rolled in and were still in service when I rolled out. During my tenure there, I ran 30,000 rds thru four different combat magnums over a two year period for a total of 120,000rds, mostly 125 gr federal magnum loads.
I have a personal M-65 that I dry fired daily for ten years, and documented over 60,000 thru the gun, 2/3rd's of those magnum loads. I bought the gun in 76, and still shoot it today.
As pointed out in Brucev's post....these are mechanical devices, that have close tolerances, with relatively small components that have metal on metal contact. Over a prolonged period, there will be wear. By prolonged period, I mean thousands and thousands of mechanical cyclings.
There is always the caveats abt cracked forcing cones, much overstated IMO. Have I seen any? Yes. But I have seen as many or more on model 10's and 15's as I have on K frame magnums.
In summary,, do not be afraid to shoot your K frame magnums. They were in service for decades, and there are still thousands of them out there being shot. I have been shooting magnums for decades and know only a handful of citizen shooters who have pounded thousands of full power magnum loads through their guns.
Enjoy them for what they are, K frame 357 magnums. IMO one of the most versatile & practical revolvers ever produced.
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I wouldn't worry about shooting magnum ammo in any of my guns. Frankly if I manage to wear one out, I'll brag about it and buy another one. There have been reports of K-frame 357's being damaged by shooting hot 357 ammo. I personally have never seen such an animal, but I have seen pictures of it. I have seen pictures of blown up automobile engines. I have never personally blown one up.
Having said that, I very seldom shoot magnum ammo. In any of the guns I own, K frame, N-frame...whatever. I'm punching a hole in a piece of paper. As long as the bullet gets there, I'm happy. I've got about 100 rounds of 357 magnum ammo here that I've had for I don't know how long. It will probably be here when the kids clean up the mess I left behind.
Having said that, I very seldom shoot magnum ammo. In any of the guns I own, K frame, N-frame...whatever. I'm punching a hole in a piece of paper. As long as the bullet gets there, I'm happy. I've got about 100 rounds of 357 magnum ammo here that I've had for I don't know how long. It will probably be here when the kids clean up the mess I left behind.
I have two no dash 66s and shoot 158 grain 357s all day long. Congrats on owning a masterpiece.
Stick with commercial .357 ammo and you shouldn't have any problems....
todays commercial .357 magnum ammo isn't what my Father was shooting in 1939 nor is it the super hot 125gr hollow points of the late 60s and 70s.
If you can afford the ammo to wear yours out...... you can afford a new one!!!!
todays commercial .357 magnum ammo isn't what my Father was shooting in 1939 nor is it the super hot 125gr hollow points of the late 60s and 70s.
If you can afford the ammo to wear yours out...... you can afford a new one!!!!
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
My advice is to keep the forcing cone clean. There is a theory that I think has merit about carbon building up in the forcing cone causing a hot spot upon firing that can damage the barrel.
OP
mrpendleton
Member
Thanks, one of my k frames has right much end shake. This is why I became concerned. I plan on sending it to S & W for repair. It still shoots great, but I don't want to damage it any further.
CLASSIC12
Member
Guess I was the unlucky one then ...
Bought a brand new 66-3 in 1989, 6 inch. It was only my second gun and first revolver, loved that thing. LGS gave it a trigger job, SA pull is 1.5 pounds, DA 7 3/4 pounds.
and that's what it says on the barrel
so I went and shot a steady dose of .357 Mag, 125 and 158 grains commercial, all jacketed, as well as handloads, 125, 140 and 158 grains, Speer and Sierra jacketed on 2400 powder, within the Speer reloading tables, always staying below max.
Abt. 2000 rounds later the forcing cone cracked badly, locking the cylinder. LGS got me and installed a new one. I started mixing .38 spl (which I had never shot before) and .357, while paying close attention to the forcing cone. It cracked again after abt 1500 rounds, but a much smaller crack, which does not impede the function of the gun. Since that day I only use it with .38 spl, did not feel like buying a third barrel. Probably shot another 2000 rounds with it. Crack did not move or worsen.
Still love that gun, been with me for 25 years and with it's amazing trigger it's one of the most accurate gun I own.
But I now use my 586 for .357.
Took these pictures today
Also some flame cutting but I am not concerned by that.
The flat and thinner portion of the barrel compared to a 586 can be cause for problems in my opinion.
Bought a brand new 66-3 in 1989, 6 inch. It was only my second gun and first revolver, loved that thing. LGS gave it a trigger job, SA pull is 1.5 pounds, DA 7 3/4 pounds.
and that's what it says on the barrel
so I went and shot a steady dose of .357 Mag, 125 and 158 grains commercial, all jacketed, as well as handloads, 125, 140 and 158 grains, Speer and Sierra jacketed on 2400 powder, within the Speer reloading tables, always staying below max.
Abt. 2000 rounds later the forcing cone cracked badly, locking the cylinder. LGS got me and installed a new one. I started mixing .38 spl (which I had never shot before) and .357, while paying close attention to the forcing cone. It cracked again after abt 1500 rounds, but a much smaller crack, which does not impede the function of the gun. Since that day I only use it with .38 spl, did not feel like buying a third barrel. Probably shot another 2000 rounds with it. Crack did not move or worsen.
Still love that gun, been with me for 25 years and with it's amazing trigger it's one of the most accurate gun I own.
But I now use my 586 for .357.
Took these pictures today
Also some flame cutting but I am not concerned by that.
The flat and thinner portion of the barrel compared to a 586 can be cause for problems in my opinion.
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I experienced a cracked forcing cone an a brand new Model 19 after shooting less than 1000 "1970's" 125 grain magnum loads. I sent it back to S&W and they replaced the barrel, but those days are over.
If someone else wants to fudge up their vintage K frame gun, well, throw caution to the wind and be my guest. Me; I have learned my lesson. I don't shoot many magnums loads in my K frame guns, and when I do they are 158 grain.
If someone else wants to fudge up their vintage K frame gun, well, throw caution to the wind and be my guest. Me; I have learned my lesson. I don't shoot many magnums loads in my K frame guns, and when I do they are 158 grain.
Lots of good advice above.
I have several K-Frame .357 Magnums. I have read repeatedly you should avoid the 125 grain loads for the reasons mentioned. My 2 1/2" M66-1 is my most carried K-Frame. It is always loaded with Federal 125 grain JHPs.
Of course, I have also run with scissors.
Jim
I have several K-Frame .357 Magnums. I have read repeatedly you should avoid the 125 grain loads for the reasons mentioned. My 2 1/2" M66-1 is my most carried K-Frame. It is always loaded with Federal 125 grain JHPs.
Of course, I have also run with scissors.
Jim
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