Which S&W's are safe with .38 special +P ammo?

[MikeFoley]

Which S&W's are safe with .38 special +P ammo? Specifically 36-7, 442-2, 15-4

Does anyone have this information? In years past, I recall S&W putting this information in the owners manuals, but, none of the manuals I have specify this. I have been carrying +P in the 442, and have shot about 200 rounds of it through the gun rotating carry ammo. The 36 is unfired, but if it will hold the +P pressures, it will be Mrs. F's gun (translation, I want my 442 back 24-7). The 15 is a newly acquired gun I like to shoot, but would prefer a hotter carry ammo for it at home and in the field.

[Carmoney]

I've always used +P and +P+ in all my .38 carry guns, including the older airweight J-frames. The only time I ever had a problem was with a really old pre-M10 M&P that developed a cylinder binding problem from +P loads (that was back before I worked on my own revolvers, and so I really don't know the cause of the problem, local grumpy gunsmith fixed it but told me to quit using hot ammo in that gun, and that I should know better).

I've always shot my carry guns enough to keep reasonably in the groove, but never put them through a torture test either. I did shoot several hundred FBI loads through my old nickel M38 Bodyguard, no problems whatsoever.

My wife's M38 is loaded with +P+ Treasury loads, a few years ago she used it to kill a sick raccoon that was stumbling around on the gravel road by our place. I had to shoot a deer along I-80 one year on my way to Second Chance (after the damn thing ran into the side of my company mini-van and was flopping around on the berm), used a Cor-Bon +P+ from my airweight.

Mike

[Patrick Sweeney]

As a general rule, if it is a numbered model, it is OK with +P loads. As for +P+, nobody, not even S&W, would warranty that, not even for the Feds.

[revchuck]

Fomeister - They're all safe with +P ammo. The J frames tend to wear out more quickly, but do you know anyone who has worn out a J frame through shooting? Me neither.

My primary IDPA revolver for the first four years I shot IDPA was a S&W M67-1 - the stainless version of your M15. I've put 7k+ rounds of +P handloads through it, and finally had to fix the endshake (which cost about $2.00 in parts and ten minutes in time). I bought it used - well used; I have no idea how many rounds went through it before I got it. No worry about +P in that M15!

I'd get a few boxes of the "FBI" load (+P 158 grain LSWC-HP) and use it in all the guns. The R-P version I have clocks 875 fps from a four inch barrel. It's an oldie-but-goodie.

[38special]

Which S&W's are safe with .38 special +P ammo?  Specifically 36-7, 442-2, 15-4

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The manual that came with my 36-7 says only standard ammunition should be used.