S&W 640 no dash +P ??

Y

yournodaisy

New member
I have a 1994 Smith Wesson 640 in .38 special. What I would like to know...will it handle 38 +P's ok. I think the gun might have been made before +P's were made. I know they make a newer model 640 marked plus P..but mines not. Any guys out there address this issue?
 
It's about the toughest J frame there is, so although not designated as such, I believe it is still perfectly safe to shoot +P, but not necessarily +P+.
This is an opinion based solely on past experience rather than a statement of known fact, so wait... someone with more knowledge on the 'J' frame may or may not corroborate.

Cheers,
C
 
I have a 640 no dash and have put around 50 +P rounds through it just to get a feel for them, I also carry +P rounds. From what I understand it's perfectly safe to shoot them in the gun but since it's not officially +P rated, which is mainly because the +P designation did not really exist back then, then I am still a little wary and do not want to put a steady diet through it. I love the older 640's so much I want to get another just to put away in case this one ever encounters serious problems.
 
I sure would think a stainless steel 640 is going to be a a lot stronger than my aluminum frame 642 which is +P rated. 38 +P was available in 1994.
 
Thanks guys....my plan is to shoot 38 spec in it and then carry +p's when i CCW and maybe shoot a few every now and then.
 
Thanks guys....my plan is to shoot 38 spec in it and then carry +p's when i CCW and maybe shoot a few every now and then.
Click to expand...

That's about what everybody does... just to get a feel for the +P every now and again.

Good shootin'
C
 
Personally, I would have zero qualms about shooting .38+P in a Model 640 no-dash. I believe some of the earlier ones were marked +P+ until concerns over the lack of standard that implied caused the factory to stop that practice. I believe it was Massad Ayoob who argued for the strength if that J-frame based partly on its shape and enclosed frame. Also, I believe earlier S&W revolver owner's manuals listed the Model 640 as approved for +P rounds, one of the few J-frames so approved. I'm quite conservative when it comes to +P and older airweights but have no concerns about the all-steel Model 640.
 
MY personal M640 is clearly stamped inside the frame's cylinder opening :

"TESTED FOR +P+"

I know for an absolute fact the S&W Company tested one of the M640 38's with 10M [ 10,000 ] rounds of 38SPL+P+ after which they noted " We now had the smoothest M640."

And so it goes...
 
The Model 640 is a strong little gun. That is, I believe, why it was chosen as the base platform for the first J-frame .357. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
The official position of S&W is that J-Frame manufacured prior to 1999 should not be used with +P ammuniton (1999 was when the beefed-up Magnum J-Frame was introduced). That being said, an all-steel J-Frame such as your 640 should be fine to shoot limited amounts of +P ammunition so long as it is in safe working condition. When I say limited amounts, what I mean is the gun should be fine to load with +P ammo for carry/home defense and shoot a box or two of +P ammo per year to remain familiar with the recoil and point of impact. Because not everyone who buys a gun is particularly bright, S&W is rather conservative in their reccommendations and will only say that +P is OK in guns that can take a nearly unlimited diet of it. It has been common and accepted practice for decades to carry all-steel J-Frames with +P and do the majority of practice with standard pressure ammo.
 
I don't see a problem shooting limit amounts of +P. As long as your revolver is in good condition. I use +P in my model 36 no dash. Have not had a problem yet. My only limitations is money. Standard pressure is cheaper that +P in most cases.
 
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