S&W model 19
- Thread starter dr.magnum
- Start date
PsychoSword
Moderator
The heaviest I will shoot out of a M19 is factory 125gr. and factory 158gr.
Practice loads
I believe that the police custom in the past was to practice with 38 loads in any of the K frame magnums and carry the mags for "field use". Though limited use of hot loads probably will not be a problem, the K frame magnums have been criticised in the past for showing wear and getting loose with a constant diet of magnums, probably from handloaders that push it and in rental ranges where they shoot alot of full mags. I have a stainless K frame magnum but I just use the mags for sighting in and "field use" as they cost more and I am willing to trade off not shooting it hot and heavy for the convenience of the lighter weight and handling charateristics compared to the big frames. Some will probably tell you to get a Ruger if you want to blast away with hot loads constantly. Or that firing the 38 in the magnum will foul the chambers for mag cases. So I can comprimise, use mag cases and handload to about 38 or 38 +P for plinking and practice.
I believe that the police custom in the past was to practice with 38 loads in any of the K frame magnums and carry the mags for "field use". Though limited use of hot loads probably will not be a problem, the K frame magnums have been criticised in the past for showing wear and getting loose with a constant diet of magnums, probably from handloaders that push it and in rental ranges where they shoot alot of full mags. I have a stainless K frame magnum but I just use the mags for sighting in and "field use" as they cost more and I am willing to trade off not shooting it hot and heavy for the convenience of the lighter weight and handling charateristics compared to the big frames. Some will probably tell you to get a Ruger if you want to blast away with hot loads constantly. Or that firing the 38 in the magnum will foul the chambers for mag cases. So I can comprimise, use mag cases and handload to about 38 or 38 +P for plinking and practice.
Sir William
New member
I have used 180 gr 357 Magnums for years in Colts and S&Ws, Hawes, ASM, and Rugers for cowboy shooting. I have hunted with them and competed and target and just plain shot cans with the 357 Magnums I own. I stay away from Cor-Bon and Georgia Arms HOT and light loads in the 125 gr bullet. Heavy and slow works. The fact is, I have only witnessed one K frame that even had a problem. It didn't KB. It simply stopped functioning. It was a WWII Victory prefix that a guy was running 158 gr 357 Magnums through. Somebody had bored it straight through. An unmolested factory stock K frame will run for years. The NYSP proved this with their M13s. You can break anything if you abuse it long enough.
Mannlicher
New member
I put over 5 thousand heavy .38 special rounds through my Model 10, and then bought a Model 19. It too has had many thousand rounds of heavy .357 rounds through it. I have always been partial to 158 grain JSP at 1200+ fps.
I see no problems with my Model 10 or my Model 19.
I see no problems with my Model 10 or my Model 19.
My M19 has over 40K rounds through it. About 8000 of them have been magnums, all but a few boxes have been 125 grain and about 1000 of the 125's have been well hotter than anything you can buy commercially.
The stories of the K-frames not holding up are BS. Any sane load in a properly working K-frame is safe, and they will last many thousands of rounds with full on magnum ammunition.
The stories of the K-frames not holding up are BS. Any sane load in a properly working K-frame is safe, and they will last many thousands of rounds with full on magnum ammunition.