Shooting FMJ bad for Model 14?

M

makarov

New member
Is shooting anything but lead bullets bad for the older S&W guns? In particular the Model 14. This was mentioned by a guy in a gunshop (another customer) while we were looking at a model 14 which had been rebarreled. He said that many of the older guns were ruined by shooting jacketed bullets. The forcing cone would wear quickly or be ruined. He said they should ONLY have lead run through them. Is this at all true? Does it only affect the older guns?

- Makarov
 
I think barrel wear is more a function of heat and pressure than bullet material. For the least amount of barrel wear, a soft swaged lead bullet pushed out at very low velocity will be best. Jacketed bullets do require higher pressure due to the added friction of the jacket material. I think most wear comes from shooting jacketed bullets at high velocity.

My Smith & Wesson model 19 was a police trade in. It had a lot of external wear, but the barrel, chambers and lockwork were like new. The barrel showed virtually no wear until I shot about 300 rounds of 110 gr JHP Magnum rounds. Now there are signs of erosion on the barrel throat. I am sure that if I had stayed with lower velocity rounds, even if jacketed, it would still have a perfect barrel.
 
I buy jacketed bullets by the case to load for my S&Ws and after many thousands of rounds they are fine. Yes, you will see evidence of some wear if you actually shoot your guns, but they are mechanical devices and this is to be expected. Why do you think these guns were built? S&W didn't build collector items, they built guns. Guns are meant to be used. Enjoy.
 
Jacketed ammo really only is a problem with some of the steels found in guns made before WW I, and especially guns from pre-1900.
 
Back when dirt was introduced. Most serious shooters sought the most accurate, softest shooting and inexpensive load. Not uncommon to see K-32s, and K-38s with several hundred thousand rounds through the original barrel.....and still accurate. There were those who sought the ultimate in smack em power then, as now, but they were far fewer than now and seemed to realize that the equipment wear went up rapidly along with load heat.

I believe that both hot loading and jacketed bullets contribute to accelerated barrel/cone wear. Gas erosion is a biggie.

Sam
 
I see nothing wrong with wearing a gun out, if it's not one I'm collecting. Shoot 'em, wear 'em out, Buy more. I love it!

It's like gettin' a new saddle and realizing that you will wear it out some years down the road. What's bad, is when you get a new saddle or gun, and realize that you are gettin' long in the tooth and probably won't wear it out!
 
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