38+P brass different?

[Ed Gallop]

I feel a little ignorant in asking but what the heck... Is the +P brass only a designation or is there actually a difference in brass construction? Even a 357 mag brass construction looks the same as regular 38, except the length of course. Wondering if you could load a 38 cal with a 357 load safely. Not that I would, because if I forgot and shot it in my 38 airweight I'd regret it. Same thing goes for the +P. My guess is it is for designation but still curious. Ed.

 

[Eagle103]

I asked this question a couple of months ago.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=318816
I load all of the brass to +P and haven't noticed any problems yet.

 

[loadedround]

It is the same brass with different head markings. Comment made for 38 Spl brass only. No comparison with 38 spl and 357 brass...horses of a different color.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Wondering if you could load a 38 cal with a 357 load safely. Not that I would, because if I forgot and shot it in my 38 airweight I'd regret it.

Ed,
I'm glad you said you wouldn't do so because it's NEVER a good idea to load a .38 Special case to .357 Magnum pressures. The chance of using that round in a non-Magnum revolver is too great. No matter how careful you are mistakes can and do happen. IMO there's no reason to load a .38 Special case with that much pressure. Again, the chance for a mistake is just too great. I'm not sure if the .38 Spl case can take that much pressure. SAAMI pressure limits for the .38 Special are currently set at 17,000 PSI. The old specs for the .38 Special +P were 20,000 PSI and now 18,500 PSI. The SAAMI pressure limits for the .357 Magnum are twice that. (old = 40,000 PSI, new = 35,000 PSI) Even though the .357 Magnum case looks the same it isn't, the walls are thicker for one thing.