Originally posted by Pumpkin
Comments like a load being okay in a N Frame but clearly not in a K Frame don't seem to describe a safe load, if not for the shooter but the accelerated wear on the particular gun.
Again, does a couple of hundred FPS give any real world advantage?
I, personally, don't think that the OP's load is unwise to shoot in a K-Frame and I would do so myself if I'd worked it up myself (my preferred .357 Magnum loads, which I do routinely shoot in my K-Frame, use 2400 rather than H110). I bought my .357 Magnum revolvers to shoot .357 Magnum ammunition in, if I'd wanted to shoot .38's I'd have bought a .38 and saved myself size, weight, and expense.
While I do consider the full-power 125 gr loadings to be unwise to shoot in a K-Frame, I don't think they're unsafe and I have shot them myself in a K-Frame though only in very limited amounts. A factory full-power 125 gr Magnum or equivalent handload isn't going to blow up a K-Frame, in fact you can probably shoot several thousand of them before they cause any problems at all other than maybe a flinch from blast and recoil. They will, however, accelerate wear and may eventually cause the forcing cone to crack. If someone feels that the ballistics of the full-power 125's are worth the tradeoff of the increased wear and tear they put on the gun, there's nothing unsafe about shooting them.
There is a tradeoff in everything and everyone needs to decide at what point the benefit is not longer worth the risk. Will a K-Frame last longer if you only shoot .38 Special +P in it rather than .357 Magnums? Sure it will but it will last longer still if you only shoot standard pressure .38 Special and even longer than that if you only shoot light target wadcutters. Is another couple hundred fps worth increased wear and tear on your firearm? I'd say that, in some cases, the answer is yes depending on the gun, caliber, and what you're trying to accomplish. Several years ago, my primary CCW was my S&W Model 36 which was made before S&W started rating J-Frames for +P ammunition. I still carried, and sparingly shot, .38 Special +P ammunition in that revolver because there were no commonly available standard pressure .38 Special loadings that I felt gave adequate terminal performance. Was I accelerating wear on my gun by shooting +P ammo in it? Probably a little but I wasn't shooting that much and any increased wear and tear was, in my estimation, worth the tradeoff for the increased terminal performance that .38 Special +P gives over standard pressure .38 Special.
Can an N-Frame handle more powerful ammunition than a K-Frame? Yes it can. Have I shot ammunition in my N-Frames that I wouldn't in my K-Frames? Yes, I have but only out of curiosity, only in very limited amounts, and it's not something I advocate, encourage, or condone others doing. I currently own five .357 Magnum revolvers and three of them are N-Frames, one is a K-Frame, and one is a Ruger SP101. I've also previously owned an additional K-Frame .357 Magnum. I didn't buy nor do I keep my N-Frames because they can handle more powerful ammunition than the smaller guns can, I'm quite content with .357 Magnum ammo that I'm comfortable shooting in all of my so-chambered revolvers. I like my N-Frames because they fit my hand better, are better looking IMHO, and are more comfortable to shoot with the same Magnum ammo than my smaller revolvers.
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