The fear of shooting J frame +P loads

[SuperMan]

panamax...that was quite the post...and I agree with you. My question to those who think that the +P .38s are going to destroy their J-frames is, since S&W has made the same gun in 9mm that runs ammo well above 30k psi why are you worried about 20k psi...

The original .38-44/High-Speed loads were probably in the 25-30k psi area. Are these loads going to accelerate wear, yes...dangerous...no. No more than a .357 Magnum in a Model 19.

As to the "shootability" of +P is snubbies, steel or lightweight, going to depend on the shooter, the load, the grips. Everyone has a different recoil tolerance.

My carry snubbie is a 649-2 and is loaded with Buffalo Bore 158 +P Hardcast or the HPs depending on where I'm going. They are doing just over 1000 fps from my gun. My practice load is a 357156 Lyman/Thompson bullet with 6.0 grains of UNNIQUE which runs right at 1000 fps from the same gun... I use the same load in 2.5" Diamondback and 4" 67....

Bob

 

[mikld]

Maybe I'm different, but there's much more I'm thinking about when shooting small framed guns than recoil. I spent quite a few years shooting 44 Magnums and now I mostly shoot 9mm and 38/357, mostly snubbies. I have 5, 9mm, 38, 357 Mag. 2" guns. I normally don't notice recoil and if I do, I don't give is more than 1/10th of a second thought. I guess my hardest feeling recoiling gun would be my 2" 357 Magnum with 158 gr magnum loads...

If you look for something (abusive recoil?), you will probably find it...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I carry a S&W M442 daily which weighs 14.5oz and the ammo is Speer 135gr GDHP-SB .38 Special +P. I have also shoot the FBI load and 125gr Remington +P ammo, all are controllable for me.

I also have a S&W M640 which is Stainless Steel and weighs 23oz. I shoot 145gr Winchester Silvertip .357 Magnum ammo in that revolve. That ammo/revolver combination is scary accurate and easily controllable for me.

As for a 12oz Airlite and full power .357 Magnum ammo, sorry, not for me.

 

[luvsmiths]

Todays "Plus P" is simply yesteryears standard velocity.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Todays "Plus P" is simply yesteryears standard velocity.

That blanket statement isn't always true. Just because it's repeated time and time again on the NET doesn't make it true.

Of course there are examples of that being true but not always.

 

[Frank46]

I've a fairly old model 36 that I've had for over 25 years. For practice I'll use some old WWB I keep around. And toss about two cylinders full of my Speer short barrel +p just to keep the muscle memory. When shooting my S&W 2.0 in 9mm which S&W says is +p rated, I'll go for one or two mags. Frank

 

[No Quarter]

I have been doing a lot of 9mm test and shooting over the last year, with just a little 38 special tossed in.

For some reason, I had it in my mind that the +P loads in My snub nose revolver
were a handful and carried a lot of recoil and were hard to shot, accurately.

I finally got to go to an indoor range and shoot the J frame snub nose with a warm up with 148 BBwc at 860fps.

I then loaded up some 110 +P loads that did 950fps and some 140 XTP's at 836fps.
The recoil was very manageable and accurate, on this outing.

The "FBI" 158 lead at 822fps was not as bad as I thought it would be and was also at POA.

Glad to find out that they were not the "Boogie Man" ammo that for some reason, was back in my mind vault.

It is nice to know what ammo you can shoot in a gun and enjoy pulling the trigger
instead of guessing if you will not like firing it.

Good shooting to all and scare your fears away, for a happier life
and less worries.

The lesson here, is that it is best to learn by doing and figuring things out yourself.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

My S&W Model 37 Airweight is over 40 years old now. Great compact lightweight revolver for the purpose, but not fun for extended range time using +P loads.

The stainless steel Model 64 2" is fine with +P ammo, as is the 2.5" Model 19. The added weight makes a lot of difference for me.

As others have noted, recoil tolerance varies widely from one person to the next. If my experience makes me the one at the "wimpy" end of the scale, so be it.

Over the decades I have standardized 3 loads for .38 Special:

1. General range use, 158 cast SWC with 4.5 grains Unique.
2. All purpose "field use", 158 cast SWC with 5.0 Unique.
3. +P load, 5.4 Unique with either the 158 SWC or 150 SWC-HP.

I figure that these meet all of my needs with all of my .38 revolvers.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Ed, I usually practice with standard velocity 158 gr lead loadings in my J Frame S&W 442. 4.0 grs of W231 behind a Speer/Hornady 158 gr LSWC is a common reload I use in this revolver.

I hope this answers your post, that's what my Nevada Ed Decoder ring said you were trying to ask.

I just looked it up;

4.0 w231 in my M49 with a 158 LRN gave me 587fps
and was my 3rd most accurate loading, for this bullet.
My revolver liked Trail Boss at 600fps, better.