S&W Model 10 Question?

T

TPAW

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Can you shoot .38 +P ammo out of an S&W Model 10, heavy barrel revolver?
It is in very good shape and was purchased in 1971.
 
1971 was just prior to the +P era,....

recommend calling S&W with SN and confirm ANY usage.

Better be safe than sorry.

The "L" fram was designed to handle the +P & +P+ ammo.

Let's us know results.
 
"...The "L" fram was designed to handle the +P & +P+ ammo..."

No, the L frame was designed for continuous use of hot 357 mag.
The 38 spl of today is fairly attenuated, in deference to the many junk 38's like Spanish Smith copies and other assorted junk.
A Model 10 will shoot any saami spec ammo you can buy. Particularly a later heavy barrel version.
My own is a 1957 pre-Model 10 tapered barrel. It handles 158gn +P SWCHP like it was made for it.
 
...Or, you could just say Sure...No problem. The Model 10 will handle all the +P you can afford.
Click to expand...

Yes, I *could* have said that, but I think that's an incomplete answer. While it's accurate for the OP's gun, it might not always be the case for someone else that reads the thread. In particular, the S&W owner's manual specifically says that +P is off-limits for the pre-1958 K-frames. Evidently, amd6547's example handles them just fine, but I'm still not going to make a blanket statement that it's okay. That's why I pointed to the other thread, since it's a current thread and had a lot of amplifying information in it.
 
One more thing

Mandatory Warning: .38Spl+P+ should not be used in any .38Spl double-action revolver except for a very strong large-frame model such as a S&W .38/44 Heavy Duty or Colt New Service. This ammo is loaded a good deal hotter than .38Spl+P and is generally intended for use only in a .357Mag revolver. Using +P+ in a small- or medium-frame .38Spl revolver is Not Safe and may result in a gun-destroying and shooter-injuring kB! :eek: (It may sound bizarre to produce .38Spl ammo that's unsafe to fire in a .38Spl revolver; it was done for political reasons, say no more. :rolleyes:)

That said, this is not a major concern nowadays because most ammo makers discontinued .38Spl+P+ years ago, but be cautious if you find someone with a cache of new-old-stock ammo.
 
According to S&W, all 1958 and later manufactured (eaisly identifiable because S&W's made before that did not have model numbers) all-steel K-Frame revolvers in .38 Special are perfectly safe to fire with .38 Special +P ammunition. As a matter of fact, there are only two post-1958 .38 Spl K-Frames I am aware of that are not suitable for +P ammuniton: the Model 12 is an Airweight with an aluminum frame and should only be used with standard-pressure ammunition and the very rare Model 13 Aircrewman (not to be confused with the Model 13 in .357 Magnum) has both an aluminum frame and aluminum cylinder and is not considered safe to fire with anything at all.
 
"...According to S&W, all 1958 and later manufactured (eaisly identifiable because S&W's made before that did not have model numbers) all-steel K-Frame revolvers in .38 Special are perfectly safe to fire with .38 Special +P ammunition..."

Model numbers were authorized on June 12, 1957. Model 10 marked examples have been reported with serials as early as C400xxx, while mine is C422xxx, and unmarked.
There is zero difference in the manufacture of one or the other.
 
Spoke with a rep. in the tech. dept. at S&W. He told me that as of 1982 they heat treated the revolver so that it could take the pressure of the +P round. Prior to 82', the revolver was not manufactured for the +P and he recommended to stick with the .38 special cartridge.

Thank you all for responding.
 
Spoke with a rep. in the tech. dept. at S&W. He told me that as of 1982 they heat treated the revolver so that it could take the pressure of the +P round. Prior to 82', the revolver was not manufactured for the +P and he recommended to stick with the .38 special cartridge.
Click to expand...
Hi,
The S&W tech you spoke to better read their revolver online manual on their website.
On page 10 is the paragraph about shooting +P 38 special ammo in a S&W 38 special revolver.
“Plus-P” (+P) ammunition generates pressures in excess of the pressures
associated with standard ammunition. Such pressures may affect
the wear characteristics or exceed the margin of safety built into some
revolvers and could therefore be DANGEROUS. This ammunition
should not be used in Smith & Wesson medium (K frame) revolvers
manufactured prior to 1958. Such pre-1958 medium (K-frame) revolvers
can be identified by the absence of a model number stamped inside the
yoke cut of the frame (i.e., the area of the frame exposed when the
Click to expand...

To answer you question. Yes it is safe to shoot +P 38 special ammo in your 1971 model 10.
Regards,
Howard
 
So what is the SAAMI pressure standard for 38Spcl +P+ ammunition?




Didn't think anybody would have it....It doesn't exist. Just advertising hype by some ammunition makers for their over pressure loads. No thanks, if I want magnum performance, I'll use my magnum!
 
38 Specials P+ aren't tactical nukes. They're almost as hot as lukewarm 38 ammo used to be.

What I don't understand is why anyone would pay extra to shoot them enough to worry about them.
 
The question was about .38 Special +P, NOT +P+.

There are no SAAMI standards for +P+ since it was made for LE use only and never sold to the public or released into the commercial system.

I have seen boxes of .38 Special +P+ marked to be used only in revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum.

.38 Special +P (NOTE SINGLE +) runs 20,000 psi, compared with 17,000 psi for standard .38 Special, and 14,500 for .38 S&W (and 35,000 for the .357 Magnum).

(The .38 Special +P+ was developed for police use as a PR measure. It provided near .357 Magnum power, without using the term "Magnum" which had been the cause of protests against police "brutality".)

Jim
 
38 Specials P+ aren't tactical nukes. They're almost as hot as lukewarm 38 ammo used to be.

What I don't understand is why anyone would pay extra to shoot them enough to worry about them.
Click to expand...

Many JHP loads come in +P. That was why I was asking.
___________________________________________________________________
"I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly."
- Winston Churchill
 
Called again today and spoke to another rep. at S&W. Now I'm really confused. The second guy I spoke with said that +P ammo can be used in the model 10 that was made in 1989 and up. The other guy said 1982. When I asked the second guy about the 1982 date, he told me the guy must have misunderstood me. :eek:

Now I'm really confused. I'm calling again tomorrow to see if I get a third explanation. This ought to be good! ;)
 
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