Smokeless safe in M1899 .38LC

[charley co.]

I have a beautiful M1899 S&W Navy mkd. .38LC revolver. I never thought of this before but recently a gunsmith suggested it may only be safe with black powder. I have this piece for almost 50 yrs. (family passdown). Back when, I fired factory Remington ammo I found at a flea mkt. and when I started reloading I now fire 3gr. Bullseye with 158 cast bullet. I usually only fire one or two cylinders full per year. Is this gun safe for smokeless? I have a letter from someone named Jinks (?) at S&W stating it was delivered to the US Navy in 1900.

 

[Daniel Howe]

the .38 long colt is a black powder cartridge. I was say NO do use smokeless powder or if you just have to do it make it a reduced charge.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I've fired black powder guns with Smokeless.. need to know the limits..

I did a quick search and found some info using Bullseye. YMMV

 

[cgt4570]

I'm not aware of any changes to the guns when the .38 Special was loaded with smokeless a couple years later. They did start heat treating cylinders several years later.
I have some 1899s in .38 Special and .32-20, plus my 1899 Army had its chambers lengthened. I shoot them all with standard velocity smokeless loads.

 

[delcrossv]

I shoot commercial standard velocity 38 spl. wadcutters in my Mod 1899 ( also shipped in 1900). SAAMI pressures are pretty low
Black Hills makes 38LC cowboy ammo which is very mild (650 fps)

Nice gun!

Edit. This thread needs more pictures. Here's mine.

 

[Absalom]

The US military made the transition to smokeless powder starting in the year 1900. That included the .38 Colt cartridge. So the Model 1899 falls right into that transitional time period.

No modifications were made to US martial DA Colts already in service and newly acquired, the Model 1901 being the next iteration, to account for the change.

Likewise, the majority of the Models 1899 were chambered in .38 Special. It would be nonsensical to assume that the military variants chambered and marked .38 MIL for the .38 Colt would be in any way weaker and so delicate that they could not handle the smokeless loads.

With the usual caveat to be cautious with guns of that age due to the unhardened cylinder and just because you don’t know what they’ve been through, there is no reason to assume that any Model 1899 should be limited to black powder loads.

 

[Muley Gil]

I shoot commercial standard velocity 38 spl. wadcutters in my Mod 1899 ( also shipped in 1900). SAAMI pressures are pretty low
Black Hills makes 38LC cowboy ammo which is very mild (650 fps)

Nice gun!

Edit. This thread needs more pictures. Here's mine.

I think there is a Forum rule that if you take pictures of your S&W firearms, you have to at least wear socks, no bare feet allowed.

 

[JP@AK]

I think there is a Forum rule that if you take pictures of your S&W firearms, you have to at least wear socks, no bare feet allowed.

It may not be a rule, but it should be!

 

[delcrossv]

Lol. Cheeze. Look at the gun, not my feet!

 

[Jack Flash]

Lol. Cheeze. Look at the gun, not my feet!

No form of nudity is tolerated on this family friendly forum!