What exactly constitutes a “steady diet” in ammo??

[Model29-26.5]

I’ve heard about not firing a steady diet of 357 mags in one’s old school model 19’s.
What exactly constitutes a steady diet?
Since I’m out of town a lot and I have a whole bunch of revolvers, none will get fired that much anyway. I’m at the range maybe once a month on average more or less.
Either way, What would a “ Steady diet” Really mean in this context?
Are we talking 100 357 mag rounds a week?
300?
Also, is There a general amount that we shouldn’t fire or is it putting that kind of pressure on the gun in quick succession due to heating up and being put under that pressure in short periods of time?
Generally, I have been putting 38sp through my model my 19’s and saving the mags for my model 27’’s and 28’s, but I do Like to put the odd cylinder of 357 mag through the K frame.

I just wanted to get a general gauge from folks about what a steady diet really means.

Thanks

 

[stansdds]

When the K-frame 357's were introduced, it was standard practice to use 38 Special ammo for practice and full power 357 ammo only for qualification and carry, so there was actually little use of full power ammo. I guess it was in 1970's where it became standard practice to practice with, qualify with, and carry full power 357 ammo. That is what constituted a "steady diet". It has nothing to do with how many rounds a week, month or year.

 

[anoblefox]

I was thinking low carbs!

 

[BB57]

As noted above maybe 50-100 rounds per year of .357 Mag was the norm for law enforcement use with any other practice being done with .38 special, prior to the early 1970s where departments started getting sued for “under training” officers with .38 special.

The big issue however was the use of heavy loads of colloidal ball powders.

A regular diet of .357 Mag using 8-10 grains of flake powders won’t cause the forcing cone erosion that occurs with 16-21 grains of ball powder. And it’s the forcing cone erosion that leads to cracking.

 

[Echo40]

My pistol doesn't even get out of its holster for less than 10,000 rounds a day!

I mean, how can you even be confident that your pistol is in proper working order, much less that your skills are still sharp with less that that? YOU CAN'T!

That's why all serious operations such as myself get up at the crack of dawn and start the day off right by eating a bowl of large pistol primers and a tall glass of Hoppes for breakfast before suitting up in my BDU, slapping on all of my gear, stepping outback to sling a proper 10,000 chunks of lead downrange via my SIG P210 Legion Equinox Nightmare.

If you do any less, then frankly you just aren't taking you training seriously and it's only a matter of time before you get taken out by the Crackerjack Boys! Don't dispute me! I trained at Gunfight Academy under the esteemed Colonel Jeb Cooter! And don't you dare complain either, you posted this thread knowing full well that there weren't going to be any tangible objective responses because there exists no definition for the term "steady diet" in context, and thus all you were going to get were arbitrary responses which make increasingly absurd claims of how many rounds constitutes a "steady diet" until the thread inevitably derails due to a series of arguments between wannabes, ergo I am providing a valuable service by preemptively making an unreasonable proposition of what constitutes a "steady diet" which will hopefully dissuade anyone from going down that road, leaving only helpful, moderate, and reasonable responses to follow! You're welcome!

 

[mtgianni]

If it were me, when shooting 357's I would avoid the 125 and 110 gr offerings.

 

[gwpercle]

General gauge ... 90% 38 special
........................ 10% 357 magnum

Gary

 

[Model29-26.5]

My pistol doesn't even get out of its holster for less than 10,000 rounds a day!

I mean, how can you even be confident that your pistol is in proper working order, much less that your skills are still sharp with less that that? YOU CAN'T!

That's why all serious operations such as myself get up at the crack of dawn and start the day off right by eating a bowl of large pistol primers and a tall glass of Hoppes for breakfast before suitting up in my BDU, slapping on all of my gear, stepping outback to sling a proper 10,000 chunks of lead downrange via my SIG P210 Legion Equinox Nightmare.

If you do any less, then frankly you just aren't taking you training seriously and it's only a matter of time before you get taken out by the Crackerjack Boys! Don't dispute me! I trained at Gunfight Academy under the esteemed Colonel Jeb Cooter! And don't you dare complain either, you posted this thread knowing full well that there weren't going to be any tangible objective responses because there exists no definition for the term "steady diet" in context, and thus all you were going to get were arbitrary responses which make increasingly absurd claims of how many rounds constitutes a "steady diet" until the thread inevitably derails due to a series of arguments between wannabes, ergo I am providing a valuable service by preemptively making an unreasonable proposition of what constitutes a "steady diet" which will hopefully dissuade anyone from going down that road, leaving only helpful, moderate, and reasonable responses to follow! You're welcome!

Great response and probably the best I’ll get.
I was actually hoping for a nunber of sorts, if there has ever been a study done or anything, but I hear you.
I can’t imagine I’ll exceed the number needed to ruin any of ny K frame 357’s.
I just wondered if there was even a ballpark number over ten years….

 

[GerSan69]

IMHO the "steady diet of (whatever) ammo" phrase was invented by a magazine gun writer years ago. I also think it means whatever you want it to!

 

[CH4]

A steady diet is tantamount to eating a preponderance of the same thing.

 

[Patrick L]

Echo, try a some decaf.

I have no idea what constitutes a "steady diet " but I enjoy reading everyone's replies.

My K frame 357 probably gets 1 box of 357s per year, but 1. I have several 357s and 2. I really don't enjoy hot stuff anyhow. Also, my 357s are 158 gr cast exclusively, and I don't load barn burners. Probably 1250- 1300 fps tops.

 

[URIT]

I shot 18 rounds of my department's yearly carry supply at the Spring Quals along with the usual 50 rounds of .38spl range ammo supplied for quarterly quals in my S&W Model 19-4 duty gun. We shot up last year ammo every spring and got resupplied.

To me, that was enough. I considered more than that to be adding unnecessary wear to my duty gun when I'm punching holes in paper to confirm I hadn't lost my shooting skills.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I’ve shot a lot of 357s in my old 19 and other 357s.
Mostly before the warning floated across the land.
Most of them were handloads using 2400, sometimes Unique.
Since I was adhering to the Gospel of Elmer, they were all heavy bullets.
174, 160, and 150 grains.
That Old Blue 19 is mostly retired.
It’s done it duty.
I have plenty of other 357s to shoot.

 

[Hair Trigger]

I just wanted to get a general gauge from folks about what a steady diet really means.

It means feeding it whenever it gets hungry, with whatever it usually eats.

 

[chief38]

Personally, I have not fired much more than a few dozen magnums out of any of my K frames. Of those, they have all been 158 grain bullets. To me "steady diet" means regular routine use of magnums. If that is what you want to shoot, I'd definitely recommend you get an L or N frame. Then you can shoot as many magnums as you can afford.

The vintage K frames were chambered in 357 magnum but meant for ocassional use and for LEO daily carry. They were never meant for a "steady diet". Back in the day, LE wanted a magnum revolver that could also be concealed and not to be a boat anchor for an Officer to carry around all day.

I have no specific number but after repairing a few because they developed end-shake and other issues from magnum pounding, I would say the less, the better.