Deaf Smith
New member
You are perfectly safe. Might hurt some but the guns will hold up alot better than you!
Deaf
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Shooting Magnums Through a J-Frame
- Thread starter lwestatbus
- Start date
You are perfectly safe. Might hurt some but the guns will hold up alot better than you!
Deaf
lwestatbus
New member
Thanks for All the Input
I really appreciate all of the responses. Some interesting insights, especially from those who have owned their J-frames a lot longer than I have.
For what it is worth, I bought the 5" barrel version because it is one of the sweetest feeling and shooting handguns I have ever seen. I picked it up and it just "fit" (me, that is). It is remarkably easy to carry. I picked up the 3" version because it goes in my shorts pocket and in Florida I am in shorts about 2/3 of the time I am not at work. Also shoot well, at least as well as I do.
I really appreciate all of the responses. Some interesting insights, especially from those who have owned their J-frames a lot longer than I have.
For what it is worth, I bought the 5" barrel version because it is one of the sweetest feeling and shooting handguns I have ever seen. I picked it up and it just "fit" (me, that is). It is remarkably easy to carry. I picked up the 3" version because it goes in my shorts pocket and in Florida I am in shorts about 2/3 of the time I am not at work. Also shoot well, at least as well as I do.
Purple Bikerr
New member
1st time poster here. I have a 640 centennial that has 'bout 2000 rds. of mag loads through it. I may have shot 1 cylinder of .38's once. Loaded with a hefty charge of H-110 and my bullet of choice(125 gr. or 158's) yea, its a handful. But the gun runs with no problems. Is my EDC, in the pocket.
Shoot to your hearts content, your guns are built to take it.
Shoot to your hearts content, your guns are built to take it.
Mike_Fontenot
New member
"Finally, I worry a little about over penetration."
You can reduce the penetration to suit your requirements by shooting a lighter bullet (and also, of course with a fast expanding bullet). And the issue of over-penetration is not as big a worry as many people think ... Nothing over-penetrates as much as a miss! And no one cartridge can have optimum penetration for both a 300lb bad guy and a 100lb bad girl. I want as much power as I can get, if I have to stop someone who intends me harm.
I also don't subscribe to the "more bullets, the better" philosophy (and thus the need for faster follow-up shots). More weak bullets do not equal one powerful bullet.
You can reduce the penetration to suit your requirements by shooting a lighter bullet (and also, of course with a fast expanding bullet). And the issue of over-penetration is not as big a worry as many people think ... Nothing over-penetrates as much as a miss! And no one cartridge can have optimum penetration for both a 300lb bad guy and a 100lb bad girl. I want as much power as I can get, if I have to stop someone who intends me harm.
I also don't subscribe to the "more bullets, the better" philosophy (and thus the need for faster follow-up shots). More weak bullets do not equal one powerful bullet.
All of the Smith and Wesson J frames that are rated for .357 Magnum ammo will safely handle it. The weak link in the process is the shooter. I've shot .357 magnum ammo in my model 640 several times, and it is not a lot of fun. On the other hand hot 38 Special +P ammo is fun to shoot.
For urban carry I just can't think of any reason to load a J frame with .357 Magnum ammo. If you are planning on shooting into cars, buildings, or some such bring a properly loaded N frame, and give them hell.
For urban carry I just can't think of any reason to load a J frame with .357 Magnum ammo. If you are planning on shooting into cars, buildings, or some such bring a properly loaded N frame, and give them hell.
All of the Smith and Wesson J frames that are rated for .357 Magnum ammo will safely handle it.
These small guns, i.e. pressing the limits by putting 357 Magnum in them, are well known to require the caveat not to use a lot of high velocity rounds. You can see that the forcing cone is not nearly the thickness of a full blown N-frame 357, now most commonly L-frame.
The reason that S&W felt it necessary to "beef up" the new K-Frame .357 Magnums actually had nothing to do with the strength of the frame itself, but rather with the geometry of the forcing cone. You see, the original K-Frame .357's (all older K-Frames actually) required the outside of the forcing cone to have a flat spot ground into it at the 6:00 position in order to make clearance of the yoke when the cylinder was closed.
This flat spot created a thin area in the forcing cone that, if large amounts of the right (or perhaps wrong) sort of ammunition was shot could occasionally crack. Now, please bear in mind that cracked forcing cones, even in older K-Frame .357's, is a very rare occurrence and that the vast majority of people who mention it have probably never seen it happen in person.
Among the small number of guns which did suffer this problem, nearly all had been shot with large amounts of full-power .357 Magnum ammunition with 125 gr or lighter bullets and many of them were found to have excessive fouling in the forcing cone that was allowed to accumulate due to inadequate cleaning. Also, bear in mind that when K-Frame Magnums were introduced in the 1950's, .357 Magnum ammo with 125 gr and lighter bullets was non-existant commercially so its effect on the design was never considered.
The "beefing up" that S&W has done to the new K-Frame Magnums is really nothing more that a slight tweaking of the geometry of the frame and barrel to eliminate the flat spot on the forcing cone. The J-Frame Magnums never needed this because their forcing cones, while thinner all the way around, did not require the flat spot at the 6:00 position and because their forcing cones do not extend as far into the frame window and are thus better supported by the frame itself.
This flat spot created a thin area in the forcing cone that, if large amounts of the right (or perhaps wrong) sort of ammunition was shot could occasionally crack. Now, please bear in mind that cracked forcing cones, even in older K-Frame .357's, is a very rare occurrence and that the vast majority of people who mention it have probably never seen it happen in person.
Among the small number of guns which did suffer this problem, nearly all had been shot with large amounts of full-power .357 Magnum ammunition with 125 gr or lighter bullets and many of them were found to have excessive fouling in the forcing cone that was allowed to accumulate due to inadequate cleaning. Also, bear in mind that when K-Frame Magnums were introduced in the 1950's, .357 Magnum ammo with 125 gr and lighter bullets was non-existant commercially so its effect on the design was never considered.
The "beefing up" that S&W has done to the new K-Frame Magnums is really nothing more that a slight tweaking of the geometry of the frame and barrel to eliminate the flat spot on the forcing cone. The J-Frame Magnums never needed this because their forcing cones, while thinner all the way around, did not require the flat spot at the 6:00 position and because their forcing cones do not extend as far into the frame window and are thus better supported by the frame itself.