Federal 357B?

[Model12Win]

Hey all, I've heard about the Federal 357B load for some time now. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a .357 magnum load made by Federal with a 125 grain SJHP bullet. I believe that the Federal personal defense .357 magnum in the 20 round blue boxes is essentially the same load.

Anyway at a recent gunshow I came across two boxes of Federal Hi-Power 357B that were being sold for a good price, so I got them. The ammo is in great condition, but I'm not sure how old it is. Does anyone know? Here is the ammo:

I plan to use these in my M686 with a 4" bbl for traveling and home defense. Are these a good load for that purpose? I'd like to hear everyones opinion on this load and if they have any experience or knowledge about it.

Thanks!

 

[Bezoar]

your gun is designed for anything labelled as 357 magnum.

noisy, flashy, and noisy.

those boxes are old. no way to no. Dont want to start something, but really sure that those are what they are labelled as?

 

[Webleymkv]

I remember seeing Federal ammo in boxes like that as late as the early to mid 90's, so my best guess would be that your ammo probably dates from the 80's to early 90's.

As far as using them for defense, you could certainly do a lot worse. Both the Federal 357B and its Remington counterpart are widely regarded as some of the most effective anti-personnel handgun loadings ever produced. Their effectiveness, however, comes at a price. They are full-power magnum loadings so the recoil will be not unsubstantial (though it shouldn't be too bad from a gun as heavy as a S&W 686) and the flash and blast are among the worst of any handgun particularly from a 4" or shorter barrel.

As far as durability goes, these and similar loadings were some of the main culprits for durability issues in S&W K-Frame revolvers, but S&W addressed those concerns when the designed the L-Frame (mainly by enlarging the frame window to allow for a thicker forcing cone which needed no flat spot to clear the yoke). So long as it's in serviceable condition, your 686 should be able to handle more of this ammunition than your hands or wallet can.

Insofar as using them for self-defense, I personally wouldn't due to their age. While I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them at the range, they've had 20+ years to be contaminated with moisture, oil, or other substances which might compromise their reliability. As you suspected, Federal's current blue box "Personal Defense" 125gr JHP is the same thing and Remington's 125gr "High Terminal Performance" SJHP is the same as their older "Express" SJHP that enjoyed the same reputation as the ammo you've got. For carry, I'd buy a new box and use your gun show find for practice.

 

[Guv]

Webley,

Excellent advice, I used to buy this stuff by the ton at "Best Products" in the 80's. They were pushing Federal ammo when the LGS seemed to be shunning it. Awesome stores, very sorry they went by the way side.