Just as on any internet discussion forum (as you might imagine...) we argue to the bitter end on some topics... and on a few topics, we argue until we're blue in the face and then we take a two-week break and start arguing
again! One of those things we go round-and-round about is +P ammunition.
To be specific about it, all ammo sold in this country by a reputable firm (from a real, known manufacturer and NOT "gun show reloads") are all built to an industry standard. In this case... SAAMI. The gun manufacturers agree to build their guns to withstand pressures just beyond what SAAMI has established as the limits for peak pressure in each caliber/chambering.
In the case of .38 Special, the standard is
17,000 PSI Max. And in the case of .38 Special+P, it's
18,500 PSI Max. You can see that the difference is really not all that much. Smith & Wesson "proof tests" all of the guns they ship, so that revolver
should have been fired, more than once, with ammo that goes well beyond even the 18,500 PSI limit for .38 Special+P.
I suppose that in the real world, anything "could" happen. But I would submit that it's unlikely that any amount of .38 Special+P shooting would end in catastrophic failure. Increased wear? Sure. Rattle the gun loose, and take it's toll over time? Probably! But grenade it and send parts flying?
I don't see it.
And just because I always do... it's worth adding to be wary of the "+P" moniker attached to factory ammo. It's only an official SAAMI standard rating in three different chamberings... 9mm, .38 Special and .45 Auto. A "+P" added to any other caliber is not to any standard and if sticking with industry standards... it's foolishly used. Still... some do it. Buffalo Bore does. Annoys me.