Can shooting 38 Sp in a 357 damage the chamber ? ...

[dogtag]

Just curious more than anything. I've shot a few of my 38 reloads
in my Python but I don't make a habit of it.
Inherited a box of Blazers but I don't own a 38 sp.

[Art]

No.

There are plenty of people who shoot nothing but .38s in Pythons. In fact, shooting a steady diet of Magnums, especially hot Magnums in a Python is discouraged by Colt fans more knowledgeable of the revolver than me.

Debris can build up in the charge holes if you shoot a bunch (I mean a whole bunch) of lead .38s which can make it a little sticky to load Magnums afterwards but that's just an inconvenience. To prevent this just remember to clean out the charge holes with a brush after shooting lead .38s. I do that anyway with any ammunition.

.38 Special isn't the only cartridge that can be shot in .357 Magnum. .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt will work too. A lot of competitors in "run-and gun" matches will shoot .38 Short Colt in big 8 shot N frame revolvers in matches if allowed. I've shot .38 Super Automatic in my Model 28 though I wouldn't recommend it.

Do not shoot .38 S&W. This old low pressure cartridge is larger diameter than .357 Magnum/.38 Special. This round round won't damage your revolver if you can mash them in but extraction is going to be a lot harder than loading them .

[dogtag]

Thanks Art. Good info. I have a 38 S&W but it's a pristine Hopkins and Allen top break.
I shoot only black powder in that. I often wonder if it was a dance hall girl's petticoat gun

[Johnny P]

As Art mentioned, I have a Colt Python that I bought new in 1978 that has never had anything but .38 Special wadcutter fired in it. I clean and brush all the chambers after each shooting session, and occasionally will drop a .357 into each chamber to see if they seat properly, and to date they always do. Have a Colt .357 from 1954 that has had many .357 Magnum loads fired in it, and it is not as tight as it once was.

The S&W Registered .357 Magnum mentioned in a previous post would be factory sighted in with your ammunition of choice at the distance you preferred, so it was not discouraged by Smith & Wesson.

[dryheat]

You own a Python? That depresses me a lot.

[lyman]

my 66 (3" lew horton special) and my 686 have had many more 38's thru them than 357

as Art mentioned, you just need to clean them,

my 66, (used to shoot bowling pins with it) got a bad set of rings in the chambers from the dirty lead reloads,

but after a soak and brushing, you would never know

[Johnny P]

Colt made the New Service and New Service Target in .44 Russian caliber. When the .44 Special cartridge came out Colt marked their pistols with the dual caliber marking Russian And/S&W Special .44. The .44 Russian cartridge was some 0.190 inches shorter than the .44 Special cartridge.

[togor]

As a lad I preferred shooting the .38 special rounds vs. the .357 mag rounds out of my father's 27-2.