+P ammunition in a S&W Victory

[BillH]

I have heard it discussed before, but wanted to see what you guys thought? I just picked up a clean Victory and was wondering if I could shoot my +P ammo in it, being that it it hard to come by ammo at this time and that is what I have. Have any of you shot plus P? Any problems? I know the velocity isn't that much higher. Thanks:

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[AKA Hugh Uno]

although you might get away with a few rounds, +P and +P+ .38 ammo is intended only for revolvers designed for same (i.e. late model heavy barrel Model 10's and recent J-fraqmes are OK). I think Kuhnhausen's book has some pictures of colt and smith blow-ups caused by excessive loads. The gun was made for a very mild ammo.

I guess if the only handgun you own is an old Smith and you can't scrounge p enough money for a modern handgun, you can use Federal Nyclads I guess.

.38 Special Federal 125gr Nyclad JHP (S&W Model 60)

[DAVEB47]

As a fellow owner of a Victory, I have read up on other sites, especially the S&W forum and the conclusion seems to be that you should not as they are hotter than the ammunition the gun was designed to shoot. You can fire some and have no issues but it only takes one shot to mess up a great piece of history.

[Dave Waits]

The only real question is how well was the heat-treat of the cylinder during wartime. the Victory model is a pre numbered K-frame model 10. My father had a commercial version made shortly before WWII with a five-inch barrel and shot loads of +P through it with no problems. Alot of people think that because S&W came out with the 38-44 Outdoorsman for heavy loads that these early S&W .38s won't take +P, such is not the case. The 38-44 was loaded beyond +P+ levels. Hence the need for the bigger N-Frame. These rounds almost reached .357magnum velocities.

The caveat here is that some of the surplus stores in the fifties and sixties took Victory-Models chambered for 38S&W( British Victories) and drilled them out to accept the more popular 38Spl. or installed 38Spl Cylinders in them.

[Jim K]

I would not use anything but standard .38 Special in that gun, and IIRC S&W says the same thing. Saying that an old M&P will take unlimited doses of +P or even +P+ is like saying that you run your car engine over the redline and nothing happens; something probably does, you just don't know it.

+P+ .38 Special ammo was loaded to almost .357 pressures and one box I have seen says it is not to be fired in ANY .38 Special revolver, only those guns marked for .357 Magnum. The +P+ was a police "public relations" load, issued only so that when cops blow away some BG, they could deny using that nasty .357 and say they were using only the old .38 Special.

Jim

[mike113]

Like everybody else has stated, I wouldn't shoot +P's in it. I wouldn't want to risk a classic, or any gun for that matter. The simple fact is even if nothing bad happens it just won't do the gun any good at all.

[zertouche]

Bear with me. Years ago at an indoor range, a fellow was shooting a SW snub nose, I believe it was a model 36 Chiefs Special, in the lane next to me. Evidentally he found out that it would chamber 357 rounds if he seated the bullet deeply. I recall clearly that he said he used H110 powder and a magnum primer.

As he shot his first cylinder full, he saw something shoot past his head. The gun jammed up and he took a look at it and asked me what happened during the cease fire.

One of the grip medallions was gone and the stock panel was split. The ejector rod was gone and the cylinder was stuck tight and would not open nor revolve. The web of this right hand was bleeding and dripping on the floor. When the grip panel split and the medallion took a hike, the wood pinched his hand and broke the skin.

Hammer was locked a third of the way back, trigger was locked up tight as a fist in a bull rear at fly time. I told him he was lucky he wasnt in a hospital asking for an extra serving of the orange jello.

He is probably still out there. Blazing away.