S&W model 14 38 special and steady diet of +P ammo?

[Questor]

How does the S&W model 14 aka K38 stand up to a steady diet of 38 special +P ammo? I'm about to start loading 950+ fps ammo for 100 yard target shooting and, while highest velocity standard loads will do close to this velocity I want to know what my safety cushion is before I start battering the gun.

[CyberSniper]

Well, the gun will probably take it, but why do that ?
If you want more speed, use a .357 Mag.
Kinda hate to see a Model 14 get beat on.
I'm sure continued use of those +P loads would accelerate
wear and tear on it.
I also wonder if +P loads would be as accurate in fact.
For target use, do you really need the extra speed ?

[John Traveler1]

Back in the early 1970's before +P .38 Special loads became popular (they were restricted to law enforcement sales), I did a lot of PPC revolver shooting.  Between a couple shooting buddies and me, we shot up some 2,000 rounds almost every weekend at practice and competition shoots.  The loads were 148 WC and 158 RN standard velocity loads.  I documented the firing of two new S&W M14 revolvers and found that they were just as tight and accurate after 50,000 rounds EACH as when new.

On the other hand, our duty revolvers (S&W M14 and M15) started to develop excessive cylinder gap and timing issues after a couple years of monthly qualification shoots using +P jacketed ammunition.  That's three cylinder fulls each month, or barely 200 rounds per year.

Some police armorer friends verified this.  For many years, duty revolvers firing only standard velocity lead bullet .38 Spl ammo seldom needed repair work unless abused by dropping or neglect.  After +P and ++P .38 ammo became popular, the number of guns needing regular attention greatly increased.

If you really like your M14, be NICE to it and shoot only the mild stuff.

HTH
John

[John Traveler1]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that a little-known fact about the adoption of the Beretta M9 9mm pistol.  The US Air Force, US Army aviators, and US Navy used .38 Special M15 and M10 revolvers for a couple generations after WWII as standard aircrew personal weapons.

A big reason for selecting a new standardized pistol to replace the aging inventory of .38 revolvers was that extensive firing of the then-standard M41 130 grain FMJ .38 Special ammo resulted in a LOT of service guns having excessive cyinder gap, headspace and timing problems.  They were constantly ungergoing repairs for common complaints: bullets stuck in bores, poor accuracy, timing, and cylinder "spitting".  That load was standard from the korean war through post-viet nam era, and apparently wore out a lot of revolvers!

[Iowegan]

I'm with John Traveler1 on this one. I bought a used Mod 14 several years ago that had fired quite a bit of +P ammo. The endshake was excessive, timing was poor, and cylinder lock up was loose. I installed an oversized cylinder stop, endshake bearings, and an oversized hand. This brought the Mod 14 back in spec. Since then, I have run thousands of rounds of 148 gr wad cutters through it and it's still tight.

No, the +P ammo isn't going to blow the gun up but it will take its toll on wear. Remember, the Mod 14 was designed as a target gun and was intended for standard velocity ammo. When I feel the need for more power, I break out my Mod 686. Even with +P ammo, I think 100 yards with a hand gun is really stretching it.

[Questor]

Thanks fellows. You've stopped me in my tracks on this one. I do note that I should be easily able to get 900fps well within the 38 special maximum with Power Pistol powder and 158 grain SWCs, so I'll do that.

The 100 yard thing is really not too far. It's what I've been doing with a 22 revolver for quite a while and now I want to use a centerfire. I set up clay pigeons on a berm and shoot them. I guess some people find the darndest things to be entertained by, but that's what blows out my pipes so I do it.  Previously I've only shot 148 grain wadcutters at 800fps in the gun.

[CyberSniper]

Waayyy back in the late '70's and early 1980's, I used a Gold Cup
.45 ACP out to 200 yards in metallic shilouette competition.
That's why I knew you don't need max loads to shoot 100 yards.
And yes, I got hits on the rams at that range ( 200 yds ), but usually only
one out of three or so would fall over. Still, it was fun.
When in a more serious mood, I'd use a .41 or .44 Magnum.