Smith and Wesson Model 38 plus p

[nechaev]

I recently acquired a model 36 no dash which I have been advised was manufactured in 1963. It is in good mechanical condition and I have shot about 100 rounds of standard pressure 158 grain fmj through it. Could any of you tell me if it would be okay to load and occasionally fire plus p .38 special through it? Specifically, I have Winchester white box sjhp 125 grain + p and Speer gold dot jacketed hp 158 grain +p. I would only shoot about one or two cylinder fulls per range session every few months and carry it loaded for self defense purposes with two speed strip reloads. Thank you in advance for your feed back.

 

[P&R Fan]

S&W advises not to in one that old. That said, if it was mine, I wouldn't have a problem with a limited number.
Of course I have also run with scissors.
Jim

 

[shottist]

Anecdotal, but I remember when SuperVel first came out they generated a lot of discussion about high pressure performance .38 Special and it was generally thought to be OK to shoot the occasional load in a J frame STEELframe Revolver but not recommended in the Alloy guns.

 

[nechaev]

Thanks. I probably will err on the side of caution and use standard pressure hollow points and lead semi wadcutters.

 

[Hapworth]

It's a model marked S&W. All steel. Built in an era when standard pressure defense loads were hotter than most +Ps are now.

If it's in proper mechanical shape, your 36 should be fine with the occasional +P load.

This subject comes up weekly; suggest a search for more reading than you ever wanted.

 

[chief38]

An occasional +P should be fine. I have a letter from S&W stating that any gun that is marked with a model number (in yoke area) is safe for +P usage. That said, I would not shoot them on a regular basis, but your Speer Gold Dot won't hurt your gun with a few fired here and there.

 

[Art Doc]

I don't believe the ammunition makers would sell ammo that was harmful to a quality made revolver. Looking at the specifications for mainstream +P ammo I see no reason for concern in a quality made revolver. I don't think I would own a gun that I was afraid couldn't "handle" any factory made ammo.

You do what you want.

 

[nechaev]

Thank you for all of your feedback. I may take the plunge and try a cylinder full. The revolver is steel, and lock up is excellent.

 

[murphydog]

I recently acquired a model 36 no dash which I have been advised was manufactured in 1963. It is in good mechanical condition and I have shot about 100 rounds of standard pressure 158 grain fmj through it. Could any of you tell me if it would be okay to load and occasionally fire plus p .38 special through it? Specifically, I have Winchester white box sjhp 125 grain + p and Speer gold dot jacketed hp 158 grain +p. I would only shoot about one or two cylinder fulls per range session every few months and carry it loaded for self defense purposes with two speed strip reloads. Thank you in advance for your feed back.

Regular use of standard pressure .38 Special and occasional +P, as you describe you would like to do, is perfectly safe in a mechanically sound gun. It is exactly what many steel J frame owners do without any reported problems. Enjoy!

 

[Art Doc]

Shooting with Hobie

 

[nechaev]

Shooting with Hobie

Thank you for the link. It was very interesting as well as informative. I once had a Taurus model 66 .357 disintegrate in my hands while firing 125 grain federal sjhp .357 through it. The blast went forward, so I was not injured, other than my pride. It literally fell apart like the bank watchman's revolver in the Andy Griffith Show. The barrel, frame and cylinder were all cracked and it was broken into several parts like a jigsaw puzzle. The company backed their product and sent me a new redesigned example which had been upgraded with thicker steel in places and a cylinder capacity of seven. I shot the snot out of that new revolver and sold it when cash was short, and expenses were long. That experience made me leery about overtaxing any firearm -- even if the ammunition is technically okay to fire in that model. I realize that was a Taurus and not a Smith, but my general anxiety has never faded. I will try my model 36 with some plus p ammo, and I am sure it will be fine, but I will limit it to perhaps ten or fifteen practice rounds every few months, and carry rounds in the revolver and speed strips. Extended practice will be with wimpy full metal jackets or lead semiwadcutters. I guess the answer that I was fishing for was whether or not the Smith and Wesson company actually recommended using modern plus p ammunition in an older j frame steel revolver, but as usual, the well informed people on this forum gave me a thorough historical perspective and a large amount of data to explain all angles of the question. Thank you for your help, and, as always, I am honored to be a member of this forum and to have access to such sage advice.

 

[ZBill]

I have shot the +P Federal HydraShok 129 gr. in my 36 sparingly. It does not seem to be that much more powerful than regular ammo.

 

[chief38]

Shooting with Hobie

SP,

Excellent Article! Pretty much what I have been saying here on this Forum for a long time. Now all l need do when someone asks the many +P questions is to direct them to your article.