S&W Snubbie with +P Ammo?
- Thread starter SCDeac82
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SigP6Carry
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10's a K-frame. It can handle +P (from what I've read, yet to test it out myself). As for the J-frames, which are the little ones, I'm not sure how they're rated.
redlevel42
New member
I fire +p ammo in my K-frames as well as my j-frames. Unless you're very rich, you can't afford to buy enough +p ammo from the major manufacturers to hurt a K-frame. It is pretty much the same with the all-steel j-frames. I have fired a bunch of +p in my Model 36s and Model 60s. The +p ammo from the major manufacturers is really pretty anemic.
The Buffalo Bore +p 158 grain lead swc hollow point is a different story. I shoot it in my j-frames to sight in, and I carry it in my Models 60 and 36 for defense, but it is truly a hot little round. In my mind, it makes a j-frame a very viable personal defense round. The manufacturer reports over 1000fps from the round in a two-inch barrel, and that ain't to be sneezed at. I wouldn't want to spend a day at the range shooting the BB stuff from a j-frame or a K-frame. It is also very expensive.
The Buffalo Bore +p 158 grain lead swc hollow point is a different story. I shoot it in my j-frames to sight in, and I carry it in my Models 60 and 36 for defense, but it is truly a hot little round. In my mind, it makes a j-frame a very viable personal defense round. The manufacturer reports over 1000fps from the round in a two-inch barrel, and that ain't to be sneezed at. I wouldn't want to spend a day at the range shooting the BB stuff from a j-frame or a K-frame. It is also very expensive.
hexidismal
New member
It is pretty well established here already that it's ok, and personally I think you can .. but I don't. Obviously it's ok to shoot +p in K-frames designed to shoot .357mag, and I do it all the time. The ones designed for .38sp though.. I'm sure it's fine and all, but it just feels wrong to me and I just don't like pressing my luck. I have too much bad luck to push it 
armsmaster270
New member
In the 70's the Sacramento P.D. issued Mod 15 K frames. In the 80's they started issuing Federal +P+ 38's to use in the same revolvers. Many round down the range before they switched to Sig wonder nines and no blowups.
As has been mentioned already, all S&W K-Frames with model numbers (made post-1958) are OK to use with +P ammo per S&W with the exception of the Model 12 because it has an aluminum frame. A very easy way to tell whether your revolver is a J-Frame or K-Frame is that a J-Frame .38 Special will have a five-shot cylinder while a K-Frame .38 will have a six-shot cylinder. The Model 10 is a K-Frame while the closest J-Frame model would be a M36.
Death from Afar
New member
Just out of curiosity, i imagine +P would hav a heck of a blast and flash or is it no too bad?
Not in the least, in any mid-sized frame the +p and +P+ is not bad to shoot. What most people do not understand is today's current +P loads are equal to the standard 38 special loads of 40 years ago. many feel that that the +p rating is marketing hype and protection against law suits.
According to Gun Digest, the 637 was not introduced until 1996. The 638 in 1989.
http://books.google.com/books?id=F6...=when was smith wesson 637 introduced&f=false
I have a 637, which IS a J-frame, and it is rated for +p ... whether you want to shoot them in a 14 oz package is your call ... when I first got it, I got a box of 158gr +p lead hollowpoints, the famous FBI load ... still have 48 of them, the first two damn near tore my thumb off ... standard pressure works for me ...