S&W 342 - Page 2

James K · January 18, 2012, 11:33 AM

A fellow once told me that the used gun cases in his area were full of .357 Scandium J-frames, each with a box of 47 rounds of .357 ammo. Apparently it takes 3 rounds to convince the owners that a super-light .357 is not a good idea.

Jim

Shadi Khalil · January 18, 2012, 02:11 PM

Scotch,

I honestly don't know if those rounds are safe to fire (the ones with set back) but I wouldn't do it. Maybe some else can chime in.

ScotchMan · January 18, 2012, 02:15 PM

I think I'll invest in a box of the 135gr Speers. Seems like a good compromise between super lightweight and moderate recoil, and they are jacketed so they should be ok.

Honestly with a revolver I'm less concerned about testing the carry ammo so I think a 20 round box will be plenty to test and then load the gun and a speedloader.

dyl · January 18, 2012, 05:46 PM

- whoops, you already knew what jumping crimp was. That's what i get for reading in a hurry. I'm not sure how many rounds the affected cartridge in your picture went through - was that round saved as the last out of a cylinder of 5? If you want to do more testing you could see how the pulling is after 8 rounds or so. I don't know what the universal rule of thumb is but personally I consider a round that survives almost 2 cylinders without jumping crimp enough to jam to be fairly unlikely to cause trouble in just 1 cylinder full.

ScotchMan · January 20, 2012, 03:53 PM

That was the fifth round, so it endured four rounds' worth of recoil.

I bought a box of Hornady Custom 125gr non +P. I'll run a few through and see what happens. Good idea on running the same round through multiple cylinders' to be sure, I'll do that.

Shadi Khalil · January 20, 2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScotchMan

That was the fifth round, so it endured four rounds' worth of recoil.

I bought a box of Hornady Custom 125gr non +P. I'll run a few through and see what happens. Good idea on running the same round through multiple cylinders' to be sure, I'll do that.

The Hornady standard pressure are a good choice.

IronBalls · December 2, 2012, 01:30 PM

Just picked up a 342-1 il for $450 FTF. Low use & no wear.
I'm super happy. It's tighter than new J-frames.
This morning, I ordered a DeSantis clip-grip & Wolf spring kit.
I plan to stoke it with BB 20c/20 Lead SWC-HC (850fps/M.E. 253 ft. lbs.).

I used this rd in my 642 b4 I sold it.

**I wander if can can clean the Ti cylinder with Ballistol safely?

Webleymkv · December 2, 2012, 10:44 PM

An old favorite in lightweight revolvers is Federal's 125gr standard pressure NyClad. This loading reportedly has very mild recoil and the dead soft lead construction of it supposedly expands well even at low velocity. The downside is that, in the gelatin tests I've seen, penetration is a touch on the shallow side (about 10") but that's a judgment call on your part. Another loading you may look into is Hornady's 110gr Critical Defense. Due to the construction of the bullet, it seems to be able to penetrate decently while still expanding reliably (doing both is problematic for most 110gr .38 Special loads).

IronBalls · December 7, 2012, 10:03 PM

Stock trigger pull was 13.5#
I deleted the IL

Sanded it flat with 2000 grit wet sand-paper.

January 18, 2012, 02:15 PM	#28
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	I think I'll invest in a box of the 135gr Speers. Seems like a good compromise between super lightweight and moderate recoil, and they are jacketed so they should be ok. Honestly with a revolver I'm less concerned about testing the carry ammo so I think a 20 round box will be plenty to test and then load the gun and a speedloader. __________________ Everyday Loadout NRA Instructor NRA Member

January 18, 2012, 05:46 PM	#29
dyl Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,310	- whoops, you already knew what jumping crimp was. That's what i get for reading in a hurry. I'm not sure how many rounds the affected cartridge in your picture went through - was that round saved as the last out of a cylinder of 5? If you want to do more testing you could see how the pulling is after 8 rounds or so. I don't know what the universal rule of thumb is but personally I consider a round that survives almost 2 cylinders without jumping crimp enough to jam to be fairly unlikely to cause trouble in just 1 cylinder full. Last edited by dyl; January 18, 2012 at 06:01 PM.

January 20, 2012, 03:53 PM	#30
ScotchMan Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Posts: 1,368	That was the fifth round, so it endured four rounds' worth of recoil. I bought a box of Hornady Custom 125gr non +P. I'll run a few through and see what happens. Good idea on running the same round through multiple cylinders' to be sure, I'll do that. __________________ Everyday Loadout NRA Instructor NRA Member

December 2, 2012, 01:30 PM	#32
IronBalls Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: Henderson NV Posts: 312	Just picked up a 342-1 il for $450 FTF. Low use & no wear. I'm super happy. It's tighter than new J-frames. This morning, I ordered a DeSantis clip-grip & Wolf spring kit. I plan to stoke it with BB 20c/20 Lead SWC-HC (850fps/M.E. 253 ft. lbs.). I used this rd in my 642 b4 I sold it. **I wander if can can clean the Ti cylinder with Ballistol safely? __________________ J-frame cross draw IWB, Glock leg drop down, 870P over the shoulder, AR in the arms, empty wallet front left pocket, expired buss pass. Bliss.

December 7, 2012, 10:03 PM	#34
IronBalls Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: Henderson NV Posts: 312	Stock trigger pull was 13.5# I deleted the IL Sanded it flat with 2000 grit wet sand-paper. __________________ J-frame cross draw IWB, Glock leg drop down, 870P over the shoulder, AR in the arms, empty wallet front left pocket, expired buss pass. Bliss.

January 18, 2012, 11:33 AM	#26
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	A fellow once told me that the used gun cases in his area were full of .357 Scandium J-frames, each with a box of 47 rounds of .357 ammo. Apparently it takes 3 rounds to convince the owners that a super-light .357 is not a good idea. Jim

January 18, 2012, 02:11 PM	#27
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	Scotch, I honestly don't know if those rounds are safe to fire (the ones with set back) but I wouldn't do it. Maybe some else can chime in.

December 2, 2012, 10:44 PM	#33
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	An old favorite in lightweight revolvers is Federal's 125gr standard pressure NyClad. This loading reportedly has very mild recoil and the dead soft lead construction of it supposedly expands well even at low velocity. The downside is that, in the gelatin tests I've seen, penetration is a touch on the shallow side (about 10") but that's a judgment call on your part. Another loading you may look into is Hornady's 110gr Critical Defense. Due to the construction of the bullet, it seems to be able to penetrate decently while still expanding reliably (doing both is problematic for most 110gr .38 Special loads).