will these revolvers shoot +p

[handi270]

Getting my CCW and the only hand gun I had was a Baby Eagle compact in 40 S&W, but at my age it is too bulky and heavy to carry concealed

So I bought two Rossi 38 spec snubbies, one for me to carry concealed and one for my wife to put on her night stand. (funds are an issue)

One was a new Model 351 no info on the gun about +p, but from what I can find on the net it seems to be +p rated.

The other is a model 685, used but evidently not carried much or shot much. It was from the Interarms days.  I suspect it may actually be the better of the two.

My question is does anyone have any definitive info on these guns, especially the 685?

I don't want to feed either a steady diet of +p but would like to be able to load with +p for defense.

This is my first post on this forum, but I read it every day.  Lots of good info.  Thanks

[yooper77]

I have an older 38 special Rossi I don't recall the model, but I sent an email to Rossi about it and they told me not to use +p's.

I would ask Rossi directly about your two guns.

yooper77

[handi270]

Thanks Yooper,
I had previously tried to call their (taurus) tech. dept. but didn't get through.
Just tried it again and was able to talk to a tech.

He told me the 351 was +p rated, but the 685 was not.

So I guess that decides who gets which gun.  My wife probably would not enjoy shooting the +p.

[Mikey]

handi270:  just get yourself some plain jane old 38 special 158 grain cast semiwadcutters for both guns and not worry about who gets which gun or which ammo goes into which revolver. 

If you are the kind of guy who has to have statistics on his side before he makes a decision about what ammo to use and you are worried about someone saying "it's only capable of being a one-shot fight stopper 68% of the time" then shoot twice for the luva pete.  Statistically you would have about 25% more overkill or stopping power with two shots than you would have needed - it's like: 'Yep, took'm right tween the eyes but then shot'm agin inna knee so as he couldn't run away'.............. And let us please not forget the axiom that 'if someone is worth shooting once they are worth shooting twice' or a parallel to that one is 'if he deserved to be shot once then he deserved to be shot twice'...... You should make a 'double tap' technique a standard of your defensive practice.............

There is a tremendous amount of information out there about +P loads from snubbies or for use in snubbies and much of it is simple marketting hype.  Ammo makers use 'wound channel analysis', ballistic this or that medium and maybe even some dead critters to test out ammo on and wouldja believe the +P stuff is just not that much better that you should jump through the hoops to have to figure out if the gun is strong enough or if Mama ain't gonna like the blast. 

Please, save yourself the headache and just get standard pressure ammo - semiwadcutter designs have worked well, probably for longer than both of us have been around and it is easy enough to shoot that neither you or Mama is gonna gripe about it.  In fact, try some plain old target wadcutters - they are accurate, easy to shoot from a snubbie, and leave a full bore hole through whatever you are shootin' - that in itself is shocking enough.  Someone once said that only a fool would stand in front of a wadcutter from a snubnose revolver and, indeed, there are many fools out there but they can be dealt with one wadcutter at a time................. JMTCW.  Mikey.

[handi270]

I took the 685 out to the farm yesterday and fired 30 rounds of win wb.

Mikey, you are right, I am convinced that reg. pressure ammo will be sufficient. Recoil was mild and noise was not bad.

So I will take your advice and stock up on swc ammo and then pray we will never need it.

One of the many good things about going through the ccw process is that it makes you think about the whole self defense issue, not just what are you going to carry when you leave home.

I believe in having a plan about what me and my wife will do in the event of a home invasion. Since we are older and have our own bedrooms, it is essential for each to know what to do and where each will be.

I would welcome some info about home defense plans from some on this board that are knowlegable about such plans. It seems to me that the choice of weapons is just a part of the plan and that the other segments are just as important as the choice of weapons.

[slim rem 7]

simple cause just waking up you need to act from habit..
 no kids around a 12 pump[shorter barrel better] with one rnd of bird shot the rest oo.second choice my 38 w 158 swc..just make sure you guys don t shoot each other.. it could happen easy ,,if one of you came in an wasn t thinking some nite.. good luck..
 ps my dad just missed killing his sister one night. he was just before planting an ball bat in her face .. he heard wayne is that you..ummmm
 

[bubbinator]

I would not trust +P in a Rossi.  Take a look at some of the Self Defense loads marketed by Federal and Hornady.  They are not +P, have lower recoil for inexperienced shooters and are loaded with bullet designed to work at those velocities.