The K-Frame .357 Magnums, Eroded Cones, and 140 Grain JHP's

[18DAI]

I'm one of those guys who has had his model 19 for 40 some years and shot a gazillion rounds through it.......well 13 thousand through my high mileage 19-4....and it does still lock up like a bank vault. I've yet to shoot a K-frame magnum loose, or break a forcing cone. All my K-frame magnums must be........faulty.

I keep all twenty six of my K-frame magnums clean, and don't usually shoot lead in them. I don't reload, and only use 158 grain 357's.

I've been issued and purchased and sold more K-frame magnums over the last 39 years than most folks will, and while I agree that cracked forcing cones have happened (usually with filthy dirty, poorly cared for 19-5's - the first dash with the crush fit barrels) it is nowhere near the "issue"......or epidemic it's made out to be on the internet.

In 39 years of K-frame magnums I've only seen one cracked forcing cone in person. A little over a year ago. Member Panamajack's model 19 broke and he sent it to my gunsmith. Never saw one in person before, or since. Some widespread "weakness" eh?

Keep your K-frame magnums clean, and shoot as many 158 grain 357's as you can afford. Odd's are your grandkids will enjoy them too.

I must have missed the recall too! Regards 18DAI.

 

[daa9mm]

FWIW, I've noticed a big difference in muzzle flash from a Model 65 3" barrel and a Model 19 6" barrel using the same loads - 125 gr HPs loaded up to approx. 1400+ fps using 2400.
The 3" obviously gives the bigger flash.
Neither has shown any forcing cone wear. I check them religiously when I clean the guns.
The point is both have been shot quite a bit with those loads and there should some amount of wear on both of them if the rumors are true about the 125 gr bullets eating up the forcing cone. (I use a jeweler's loupe to examine them.)
I can't tell much difference between them and a fairly another Model 65 I recently purchased that has very few rounds through it.
Keeping the guns relatively clean is the key to longer forcing cone life IMO.

 

[semperfi71]

A lot of good info here.

Some opposing viewpoints on forcing cone damage versus 125 grain bullets and 158 grain bullets.

My Texas Star brethern hit on about what I expected from the 140 grain, not much data but some common sense.

I have shot the 140 grain [and 145 grain Winchester] for a number of years and suspect they just might be a better all round bullet in .357 than either the 125 or the 158. I am assuming this, but the 125 might be a bit light for deer sized game while the 158 might be too heavy for humans in self defense loads [over-penetration]. I am speaking of fullhouse loads here.

I personally err on the side of caution with my K-Frame magnums and shoot them with lead 148 grain wadcutter or 158 grain semi-wadcutter practice rounds [700 to 800 fps]. I am working on some "full house loads" with 158 grain lead bullets and powders just below the burning rates of H-110 and W-296. I will accept the highest velocities available with these powders without the "hotness" of the "burn" reported from H-110 and W-296. I suspect I might get close enough to top velocities with the "lesser" powders that the difference of 100 to 150 fps will be nil.

But...in my 3 inch M13 I want to load the Remington 140 grain hollowpoint, again with powders "below" H-110 and W-296. I was suspecting that the 140 might be more accomodating to forcing cone wear and damage than the 125 grain.

Incidentially, it appears to me, via my limited experience, that 148 and 158 lead practice loads at 700/800 fps do not deviate that much in point of impact from full house 158 grain loads. And the same for 140 grain loads, the practice loads do not seem to be that far off. So one can practice at 15 yards and in and pretty much be point-of-aim with all of the loads at 140 grain weight and above, regardless of velocities. At the longer ranges the issue may vary.

Of course again; all guns are a law unto themselves and somebody else's revolver might just be different from mine.

Definitely, in my experience, the 125 grain loads shoot greatly different from the heavier weights and the 110s are even worse. It is a good thing Cowboy Action Shooting came along because they created a demand for 100 to 125 grain lead bullets. Now one can load the lighter bullets to "whomp-***" velocities in their L and N frames and load the same weight in a cast low velocity load and probably get close to point-of-aim.

As for the forcing cone issues There is a post else where I saw tonight. An unlucky individual bought a Pre-M14 at a great price and shooting standard 158 grain lead .38s split the forcing cone after 6 rounds! He had pics. He suspected that a previous owner had been shooting too many +Ps [or maybe +P+s].

I once tried dating two women at the same time and got caught on the first date! I would probably also be the one to blow a forcing cone on my M19-4 with the first round of 110 or 125 grain .357 ammo. Which is a shame because I initially wanted to shoot the lighter bullets in my K-Frames because the lighter frame IS GOING to recoil more with the heavier bullets.

But if itty-bitty Elmer could shoot .45/70 revolvers one handed...I can at least man up and shoot a K-Frame .357 with 158 grain bullets!!!