38 s&w through .357

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xring04

New member
My buddy and I went to the range today. I said he could barrow my .357 if he would pick up some 38 specials to shoot. Well I was shooting my p226 when I looked over and saw that he was shooting 38 s&w not 38 spec. Did that hurt my gun? Can you shoot 38 s&w in a 357?
 
I think you're okay - .38 Special was built from the earlier .38 S&W, like .357 came from the Special.

But I'll bow to the superior knowledge of the regular revolver types.
 
By rights the .38S&W shouldn't chamber in a .38Spl/.357Mag. The case is larger in diameter.
Some people have managed to stuff them in though. Are you sure it was .38S&W and not .38S&W Special?


Anyhow, either way, firing a low pressure round like the .38S&W. even with a nominal .360 dia slug through a .357 in barrel should have no ill effects....
on anything but the shooters wallet that is.

.38S&W is usually a lot more expensive.
 
I still have the ammo

I still have the ammo. They kind of look like 38 special shorts. They slide right into my .357, and my 38 special. They just slipped right in.
 
Hal I think is right . The 38 S&W has a operating pressure of about 14000 cup , This is about a blackpowder equivelent load .
The only pistol I ever sold was a old smith chambered for it , It was mild and resonabley accurate
 
38 S&W short is loaded down to black powder pressures. It is in deerence to the many breaktops still being shot in CAS. There are essentially three different types though. The standard 147 gr in 38 S&W, 38 New Police and what many call the 38 Short. The second is the HOT British load, 380-200, these might be considered short magnums. They will wreck most 19th Century and early 20th Century revolvers. The British then changed over to a 176 gr bullet. The 38 S&W in normal 147 gr factory loadings is able to be chambered in many 357 Magnum and 38 Special revolvers. They should NOT chamber but, they often do. The problem is sometimes old ammunition may not have enough "push" from the propellant powder. I have seen bullets stacked like Pringles in a barrel. Use ONLY what caliber is designated on any weapon. You probably did lead up the forcing cone. Look into cleaning that area and the chambers well.
 
".38 Special was built from the earlier .38 S&W."

Sorry, that's not correct.

The .38 S&W has different bullet and case dimensions. It generally isn't possible to use the .38 S&W in the a .38 Spl./.357.

The .38 Special was developed from the .38 Long Colt, which itself was developed from the earlier .38 Short Colt, itself a copy of the British .380 Revolver.

Given the failure of the .38 Long Colt round in military use in the Philippines, S&W hoped to capture the handgun market by supplying a more powerful cartridge. They lengthened the .38 Long Colt enough to up black powder capacity to 21.5 grains, velocity to around 850 fps, and bullet weight to 158 grains.

They also developed the Model 1899 Military and Police revolver for the new round (but also chambered quite a few in .38 Long Colt), the revolver that would develop into the Model 10.

As for the .38 S&W, Colt actually developed what became the original British military loading - a 200-gr. flat point bullet, which they called the Colt Super Police. That load, in British service, was dropped because it was a lead round nose and there were concerns that it violated the Hague Accords. Adopted in its place a jacketed 170+- gr. bullet at the same velocity as the 200-gr. loading. Power of either loading was really fairly marginal for a defensive handgun round.
 
I just checked to see what I had would chamber 38 S&W. S&W M28-2, a pre-war S&W M&P 38 Special, a older Hawes single action, a Colt Police Positive Special and a Colt DA 38 in 38 Long Colt all chambered 38 S&W. My other M19s, Colt MKIIIs and a few M10s would NOT chamber 38 S&W.
 
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