125gr .357 mag

[haymaker]

I purchased 400 rounds of Remington 125 gr .357 magnums before I found out the lighter bullets in magnum loads should be used sparingly in a K frame S&W due to forcing cone erosion or cracking. Is it safe to use these loads in my Security Six? How many rounds can I fire through my S&W Model 66 without having to worry about it?

 

[Otony]

Not sure, but if you decide to sell it off, let me know!

 

[WIL TERRY]

MY S&W M19 4" has a bit over 49,000 rounds through it and hasn't cracked anything yet.

 

[roaddog28]

Hi, I have a question. Are the Remingtons you purchased say Golden Sabers? If the answer is yes then don't worry. This is a medium power round and won't hurt a Security Six or S&W 66.
I you bought the Remington 125s that have a velocity of 1400, then you have the full power rounds. A part number would help.
As long as both of your revolvers are in good condition, you will be fine shooting the 400 rounds. I would split the rounds between the Security Six and S&W 66.
I have a Ruger Police Service Six and a S&W 66. I do on occasion shoot 125 gr full power magnums. I just don't shoot a lot of them.
You should be ok.
Good luck,
Howard

 

[haymaker]

These are not Golden Sabers. These come in Remington 100 round packs and are labeled 357 Magnum 125 gr. JKTD Hollow Point. I've read that with the k frame Smith's if you're going to shoot a steady diet of magnum loads you want a heavier bullet like 158 gr. On the Smith the forcing cone is flat on the bottom and doesn't look as strong as the Ruger.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

The K-frame S&W 357s do have known issues with hot 125gr loads. It is not a universal given that any particular gun will have problems, but they are documented to have had cracked forcing cones from using those loadings.

If it has been a problem for any of the Security series, it must be a really rare phenomenon, because it is something that is scarcely discussed if ever, and they have been around a long time. I think that's one of the things that gave the Ruger 357s a legendary sense of "toughness" compared to the S&W. The only thing I might do is be sure to clean out the barrel and forcing cone well if you have been shooting lead before you use them, just in case there is a bit of buildup.

I wouldn't hesitate to use them in any good condition Security Six revolver (or 357 SP101 for that matter) or the Model 66. Especially only 400 of them. Maybe if you had and intended to shoot 40,000 you might reconsider. I suspect more than 400 were fired in the Model 66s before any problems were ever noticed. But having the option to choose, and you don't really need to, then why bother with it? Use them in the Ruger and get something else for the Smith. Or do what folks did 30 years ago and fire enough in the Smith to determine POI and performance, shoot 38s or heavier 357s in it for practice, and use them for when/if you need the extra power.

 

[stantheman86]

I would shoot a 100 or so for familiarization and keep the rest for HD and CC.

 

[Meeko]

Like some have said. I wouldn't fret over 400 rounds. The security six will be fine. Most K frames that have had issues have shot thousands of rounds berfore they started to show wear. Good Luck