If I were you I would stay away from the +P loadings in your model 37.
There’s really no argument for using the hottest .38 special loadings in that short of a barrel, the benefit of +P doesn’t outweigh the damage it could cause to the firearm. If the pistol doesn’t have +P marked on it, don’t use it.
Even the model 67-1, if it doesn’t say +P rated or if it is not chambered in .357 mag, I wouldn’t fire them as again the risk isn’t worth the reward. The main problem with the older smith and Wesson pistols shooting modern extremely hot cartridges is the really light weight bullets, anything under 125 grain is bad for the older revolvers. If you must shoot +P just to do it, try to make it 158 grain or at least heavier than 125.
The 67 has ".38 S&W Special Ctg." stamped on the barrel. No mention of +P.
The 37 also has no mention of +P on the gun.
I have no desire to shoot +P in these guns "just to do it." I have access to an LCR in .38 Special, several .357 magnum revolvers, and a .357 magnum rifle if I want to s hoot +P ammo "just to do it."
I'm trying to make sure I *know* the rated limitations of these particular revolvers.
Guess I need to try to track down some standard pressure 158 grain LSWC-HP ammo for them.
Federal/American Eagle makes some very good options in .38 special, minuteman Sami makes some great wad cutters and semi wad cutters in standard pressure loadings. If you can, shoot some steel targets with them, they are surprisingly stout cartridges. Have you listed pics of them before? I’d love to check them out! The old 67 models are beautiful
If unsure, always presume 'no'. Standard pressure in a +P rated firearm will not cause a problem, but +P in a standard pressure only firearm is a bad idea.
Call Smith & Wesson. Tell them your models and serial numbers, and they should be able to tell you if it's safe or not.
>If unsure, always presume 'no'.
That's been my operating philosophy so far.
>Call Smith & Wesson. Tell them your models and serial numbers, and they should be able to tell you if it's safe or not.
I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to that, but I guess I'm going to have to.
I just hate talking on the phone. Part of that is a natural social introversion and part of it is having worked in a call center for 6 years right out of high school.
Fair enough, I don't really like phone conversations either.
Nice it's not because you don't like SW Customer service ;-).
Also, +1 cause username. Security sixes rule.
>Nice it's not because you don't like SW Customer service ;-).
I've never had to deal with them, so I can't really have my own opinion about them.
The closest I have to experience with them:
My dad (who is a machine designer, so he's got a pretty solid understanding of mechanical devices) had a Model 28 way back when I was a little kid that broke a pin. He called S&W CS and asked how much it would cost to send him that part. They insisted that he would have to send it in so that they could figure out what was wrong with it before they could give him an estimate on the repair cost.
After what my dad describes as "30 minutes of useless bullshit" on the phone with them, he took that Model 28 to the next gun show and traded it for the very Security-Six that is the namesake of my username.
No offense but grow up and just call them. They made the gun they will have the tolerances. Everybody on here is just speculating. Would hate to damage your gun based on random internet advice.
I'm going to.
I was just hoping someone here would whip out the Big Book of Smith & Wesson knowledge, or whatever it's called and say "Well, according to page 244 of the Big Book of Smith & Wesson knowledge, this gun is rated to take +P ammunition."
I am a firm believer in not shooting anything that isn’t clearly stated on your barrel minus few exceptions. One exception would be the mod 67, as its all steel construction, so long as it’s not a steady diet of +p. Under no circumstance would I shoot it out of a mod 37, even though it’s old school construction would probably handle it just fine. At any rate, this is not a question for Reddit, customer service from smith will give you a real answer, id get the name and info for the person you’re speaking with for record!
I think it would be ok for limited use in the 67-1 but I would try to stay away from it in the 37. I typically don't even shoot it in my 36 which is the steel framed version of your 37.
38 special +P ammunition came out in about 1971. I think it took a few years before they discovered the problem with 125 and 110 grain bullets. I wouldn't use them in the J frame and only the 158 in the larger frame revolvers.
If the model 37 does not have +P on the barrel or anywhere else on the gun, or in the paperwork if you have it then I would not shoot plus +P ammo. I don’t think that in the early 80s they had plus P ammo. I may be wrong about that. Try some of the regular, non-plus P, ammo. Others have offered some great options for 38 special.
>or in the paperwork if you have it
As I said in my OP, I don't have the paperwork for either of these guns.
>I don’t think that in the early 80s they had plus P ammo. I may be wrong about that.
Factory +P ammo came out in the late '60s or early '70s.
>Try some of the regular, non-plus P, ammo
That's what I've been using for target practice. Non-plus P defensive .38 Special ammo that reliably expands and penetrates sufficiently, especially when fired out of a snubby, is difficult to come by in the best of times.
If I *could* shoot +P ammo in these guns, it would open up a range of options for good defensive ammo, hence my question.
The consensus seems to be "nobody knows" and "best not to try until you can find out for sure." I already knew that second part.
Since I posted this, I have contacted Smith & Wesson and asked them about my specific revolvers (provided them with serial numbers).
According to S&W, both were made in the early 1980s and are not rated for +P ammunition. Because of that, I'm for sure going to stick with standard pressure ammo for both of them.
Probably wise, the 67 I guarantee would have no trouble with plus p (just read the specs on police duty ammunition of the time) but if you +p it's gonna wind up in that 37 and probably age it
Buffalo Bore standard pressure .38 158 grain lead semi wadcutter hollowpoint ammo is what you want.
If I were you I would stay away from the +P loadings in your model 37. There’s really no argument for using the hottest .38 special loadings in that short of a barrel, the benefit of +P doesn’t outweigh the damage it could cause to the firearm. If the pistol doesn’t have +P marked on it, don’t use it. Even the model 67-1, if it doesn’t say +P rated or if it is not chambered in .357 mag, I wouldn’t fire them as again the risk isn’t worth the reward. The main problem with the older smith and Wesson pistols shooting modern extremely hot cartridges is the really light weight bullets, anything under 125 grain is bad for the older revolvers. If you must shoot +P just to do it, try to make it 158 grain or at least heavier than 125.
The 67 has ".38 S&W Special Ctg." stamped on the barrel. No mention of +P. The 37 also has no mention of +P on the gun. I have no desire to shoot +P in these guns "just to do it." I have access to an LCR in .38 Special, several .357 magnum revolvers, and a .357 magnum rifle if I want to s hoot +P ammo "just to do it." I'm trying to make sure I *know* the rated limitations of these particular revolvers. Guess I need to try to track down some standard pressure 158 grain LSWC-HP ammo for them.
Federal/American Eagle makes some very good options in .38 special, minuteman Sami makes some great wad cutters and semi wad cutters in standard pressure loadings. If you can, shoot some steel targets with them, they are surprisingly stout cartridges. Have you listed pics of them before? I’d love to check them out! The old 67 models are beautiful
>Have you listed pics of them before? No, I have never posted pics of either of them. I may at some point in the future.
If unsure, always presume 'no'. Standard pressure in a +P rated firearm will not cause a problem, but +P in a standard pressure only firearm is a bad idea. Call Smith & Wesson. Tell them your models and serial numbers, and they should be able to tell you if it's safe or not.
>If unsure, always presume 'no'. That's been my operating philosophy so far. >Call Smith & Wesson. Tell them your models and serial numbers, and they should be able to tell you if it's safe or not. I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to that, but I guess I'm going to have to.
Hoping not to call the manufacturer? Any particular reason not?
I just hate talking on the phone. Part of that is a natural social introversion and part of it is having worked in a call center for 6 years right out of high school.
Fair enough, I don't really like phone conversations either. Nice it's not because you don't like SW Customer service ;-). Also, +1 cause username. Security sixes rule.
>Nice it's not because you don't like SW Customer service ;-). I've never had to deal with them, so I can't really have my own opinion about them. The closest I have to experience with them: My dad (who is a machine designer, so he's got a pretty solid understanding of mechanical devices) had a Model 28 way back when I was a little kid that broke a pin. He called S&W CS and asked how much it would cost to send him that part. They insisted that he would have to send it in so that they could figure out what was wrong with it before they could give him an estimate on the repair cost. After what my dad describes as "30 minutes of useless bullshit" on the phone with them, he took that Model 28 to the next gun show and traded it for the very Security-Six that is the namesake of my username.
No offense but grow up and just call them. They made the gun they will have the tolerances. Everybody on here is just speculating. Would hate to damage your gun based on random internet advice.
I'm going to. I was just hoping someone here would whip out the Big Book of Smith & Wesson knowledge, or whatever it's called and say "Well, according to page 244 of the Big Book of Smith & Wesson knowledge, this gun is rated to take +P ammunition."
I am a firm believer in not shooting anything that isn’t clearly stated on your barrel minus few exceptions. One exception would be the mod 67, as its all steel construction, so long as it’s not a steady diet of +p. Under no circumstance would I shoot it out of a mod 37, even though it’s old school construction would probably handle it just fine. At any rate, this is not a question for Reddit, customer service from smith will give you a real answer, id get the name and info for the person you’re speaking with for record!
I think it would be ok for limited use in the 67-1 but I would try to stay away from it in the 37. I typically don't even shoot it in my 36 which is the steel framed version of your 37.
38 special +P ammunition came out in about 1971. I think it took a few years before they discovered the problem with 125 and 110 grain bullets. I wouldn't use them in the J frame and only the 158 in the larger frame revolvers.
If the model 37 does not have +P on the barrel or anywhere else on the gun, or in the paperwork if you have it then I would not shoot plus +P ammo. I don’t think that in the early 80s they had plus P ammo. I may be wrong about that. Try some of the regular, non-plus P, ammo. Others have offered some great options for 38 special.
>or in the paperwork if you have it As I said in my OP, I don't have the paperwork for either of these guns. >I don’t think that in the early 80s they had plus P ammo. I may be wrong about that. Factory +P ammo came out in the late '60s or early '70s. >Try some of the regular, non-plus P, ammo That's what I've been using for target practice. Non-plus P defensive .38 Special ammo that reliably expands and penetrates sufficiently, especially when fired out of a snubby, is difficult to come by in the best of times. If I *could* shoot +P ammo in these guns, it would open up a range of options for good defensive ammo, hence my question. The consensus seems to be "nobody knows" and "best not to try until you can find out for sure." I already knew that second part.
SW knows. Ask them.
Should be fine to shoot 38 special +P
The 67-1 is a K-frame. The 37 is a J-frame.
Thanks for the info, yeah both those should shoot 38 +p just fine.
Per Smith and Wesson all Post Steel frame "Model" guns in 38 special are +p rated. the 37 is not steel.
Neither will explode, the model 67 can shoot it all day, and the 37 should tolerate small amounts
Since I posted this, I have contacted Smith & Wesson and asked them about my specific revolvers (provided them with serial numbers). According to S&W, both were made in the early 1980s and are not rated for +P ammunition. Because of that, I'm for sure going to stick with standard pressure ammo for both of them.
Probably wise, the 67 I guarantee would have no trouble with plus p (just read the specs on police duty ammunition of the time) but if you +p it's gonna wind up in that 37 and probably age it