38 +P in a non +P revolver?

pfgrone · #1

My son owns a Rossi 38 Special that is about 15 years old and owns only 5 standard pressure cartridges of the same age that are in the gun. (Obviously, he's not into guns.) He was wondering about the age of the cartridges so I was going to give him 5 new cartridges for his "home defense" revolver. All I had at the time were some +Ps that I carry in my S&W 642 but his 38 is not +P rated so I didn't give them to him.

I was wondering if he had a standard pressure Rossi 38 Special revolver and shot a +P cartridge in a self defense situation only, how risky would that be for him?

FightinAggieCHL · #2

What I would recommend is going out and practicing a little bit with him, and then giving him the rest of the ammo. That way he could re-familiarize himself with the weapon, and you could get him some extra reloads of the proper pressure rating. It would probably be more dangerous to let him use the revolver, and be ridiculously out of practice with it, than using a different rated ammo in it.

That's my $.02, take it as you will.

nitrogen · #3

Call Rossi and ask 'em.

I'm going to bet No.

pfgrone · #4

FightinAggieCHL wrote:That's my $.02, take it as you will.

No offense taken. I'm not trying to defend or excuse his never shooting his gun, but he is almost 50 and isn't going to change. That's just the way the situation is.
So, how dangerous to shoot a +P cartridge in a standard pressure 38 snubby? Might it result in a Kaboom with bloody hand and gun particles flying around? Has anyone tried it?

#5

That age of a gun along with the brand and not not being rated plus P I would just spend the extra it took to get 38 specials. My dad was a retired Smith County Constable and a retired Smith County Deputy when he passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 96 I found a Rossi Revolver he had that the brass had turned green on. I am glad he never pulled the trigger.

medicff0879 · #6

carlson1 wrote:That age of a gun along with the brand and not not being rated plus P I would just spend the extra it took to get 38 specials. My dad was a retired Smith County Constable and a retired Smith County Deputy when he passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 96 I found a Rossi Revolver he had that the brass had turned green on. I am glad he never pulled the trigger.

Is that Smith County as in Tyler? My old stompin grounds, I miss East Texas LOL!!

Dougmyers5 · #7

First off clean and inspect the weapon, then toss out the old rounds and buy regular 38 special rounds for the gun. I doubt the gun could take very much +P rounds with out damage to it and a possible total failure and or worse........Better safe then sorry!

#8

medicff0879 wrote:
carlson1 wrote:That age of a gun along with the brand and not not being rated plus P I would just spend the extra it took to get 38 specials. My dad was a retired Smith County Constable and a retired Smith County Deputy when he passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 96 I found a Rossi Revolver he had that the brass had turned green on. I am glad he never pulled the trigger.
Is that Smith County as in Tyler? My old stompin grounds, I miss East Texas LOL!!

Yes Tyler is the County Seat. Some say it is not far enough "east" to be East Texas.

CJATE · #9

I leave them in mine for self defiance, but have only shot one or two in practice. I donâ€™t put many thought it at the range. Itâ€™s my understanding a few are ok, steady diet is bad.

But mine is not quite that old,

FightinAggieCHL · #10

pfgrone wrote:
FightinAggieCHL wrote:That's my $.02, take it as you will.
No offense taken. I'm not trying to defend or excuse his never shooting his gun, but he is almost 50 and isn't going to change. That's just the way the situation is.
So, how dangerous to shoot a +P cartridge in a standard pressure 38 snubby? Might it result in a Kaboom with bloody hand and gun particles flying around? Has anyone tried it?

I didn't mean to sound critical. I actually had an answer to post to the original question. lol I just read my post, and I think I missed the point. I know that my dad has a wheel gun, and he's not to keen on putting .357 magnum rounds through it, and that's what the gun is rated for! If I were you, I'd play it safe. +P is a pretty significant increase, if I am not mistaken.