Favorite Model 19 Loads

[cabezaverde]

I just picked up a nice Smith Model 19 at a nice price. Anyone got any favorite loads for all around use? This might be my new woods walking gun.

[redneckdan]

I load .38 special +P data in .357 cases. Works good for general woods walking work. I carry a few 150gr keiths stoked with a maximum charge of 296 for things requiring a little more smackum.

[454PB]

Lyman 358477 ahead of 9 grs. of Bluedot.

Mine has 2 1/2" barrel, this load minimizes muzzle blast and produces about 1100 fps.

For my longer barrel revolvers, I go up to 10 grs. of Bluedot.

[rhead]

I like a 158 grain boolit ahead of 12.5 grains of 2400 in a 357 mag case.

[cabezaverde]

Should have mentioned that I have a lot of SR4756 and 7625.

[dualsport]

4756 has worked well in a lot of different .357 loads and other cartridges too, for me. I was given a keg way back and am still working on it. The Lyman cast bullet manual gives lots of loads with 4756. One I do recall is the Lee 140 SWC and 8 gr/ SR4756 in .357 cases. Shot well in my M19.

[S.R.Custom]

Should have mentioned that I have a lot of SR4756 and 7625.

Normally a .44 fan, I'd carry a model 19 if I was being "weight conscious" about what I'd have to carry all day. Two loads stand out:

(1) 125 gr bullet over 8.4 grs of 4756.
(2) 148 gr DEWC over 10 grs of 2400.

That second load is the most accurate load I've ever put through a .357 Magnum. Well, inside 35 yards or so. It's the old "wadcutters not worth a damn for distance shooting" thing...

[9.3X62AL]

12.5 grains of 2400 behind a cast 158 grainer will give about 1100 FPS in my 686 x 4", and is an all-day load that won't hurt a K-frame 357 Magnum one bit. Very pleasant to shoot.

I use 13.5 grains of 2400 to duplicate my agency's carry load ballistics--Lyman #358156 in 357 cases, seated and crimped at the upper crimp groove. If I can find the W-W 158 JHPs, I give those 14.5 grains of WW-296 for an EXACT match to the carry loads. These both give about 1235 FPS in the 686, and again will cause no undue wear & tear on a K-frame 357--or a J-frame, for that matter. Wear & tear on the operator with a J-frame.......another matter.

I've not used SR-7625 at all, and SR-4756 gets used primarily in my 32-20 revolver loads. I've not tried the latter in the 38 or 357 to date. Sorry about that.

[pmeisel]

13 grains of 2400 with 158 gr SWC.... sound familiar?

[txbirdman]

I like to use the 358429 in my Model 19 ahead of 7 gr. of Unique. I really like that bullet but can't use in with my Model 27 and it seems a little heavy for the .38's so it's my Model 19 load.

[376Steyr]

Skeeter's load with the 358156 crimped in the lower crimp groove in once-fired .38 cases. I'm using 15.5 grs of Lil'Gun instead of Skeeter's 13.5 of 2400. BRP makes a great version of the 358156, with a deeper lube groove, and you can get it with a hollowpoint cavity at very reasonable cost. .38 Special cases also clear the cylinder better when ejecting in a hurry. This is a little stout for all day plinking use, but that's what .38 wadcutters are for.

[cabezaverde]

I keep reading horror stories about these pistols accumulating a lead build up on the forcing cone and it cracking.

Is this a serious issue - should I only shoot j bullets? Internet legend?

[S.R.Custom]

I've owned/shot/fondled/seen a lot of 19s & 66s over the years, and I have not seen a single example.

[BLTsandwedge]

I keep reading horror stories about these pistols accumulating a lead build up on the forcing cone and it cracking.

Is this a serious issue - should I only shoot j bullets? Internet legend?

I'd offer pix, but the 19 in question is at the smithy....awaiting a new barrel. I cracked my forcing cone by using a warm-to-hot .357- I think the recipe was 17g W296 and a 125g Golden Saber. After I cracked it, one of my shooting cronies told me that the 19 is susceptable to cone cracks with fast 125g jackets. I believe it- because it happened to me- but I never verified if it is an across-the-board issue with all S&W 19s. From my experience I can only recommend playing it safe- jus' stay away from fast 125g jackets.

Those that know more than me (that's 99.27% of you)- is this issue the catalyst for the creation of the 686?

Thanks

Tom

[9.3X62AL]

It was, BLT. The L-frames came online about 1980-81, expressly to use the FBI-approved 125 grain JHP loading that ran at 1450 FPS from 4" barrels. These ran at the then-SAAMI spec of 42K CUP, which works fine in Colt Pythons--Colt Troopers of all vintages--S&W N-frames--and anything Ruger makes or has made in 357 Magnum. The Model 19s and 66s would--on occasion--crack forcing cones and more frequently develop end shake more readily if used extensively with the FBI 125 grain JHP. It was and remains a GREAT people round--but it was not without its issues.

In 1991 my agency FINALLY authorized the carrying of 357 Magnum ammunition in personally-owned 357 revolvers. The FBI 125 JHP was NOT authorized, due to the history of K-frame cone cracking AND the fact that our issued body armor at the time would not contain the round. FBI had seen a number of their issued Model 13 x 3" revolvers develop cone cracks with their recommended ammo--and added the W-W 158 JHP, which ran and still runs at the updated SAAMI max of 36K CUP. SAAMI softened the pressure standard in 357 Magnum in response to the K-frame issue AND in response to S&W's expressed desire to chamber their J-frame revos in 357 Magnum. Uh, no thank you--very much. SAAMI subsequently down-pressured the 41 and 44 Magnums to 36K CUP as well. Things like this occur when you turn liability lawyers loose in gun companies--but I digress.

That's the history as I recall it from the time.

[cabezaverde]

There seems to be two theories to the cracking - one about the build up, the more predominate one about the hot 125 loads.

I just bought the gun, and have been researching it. Amazing how many people love these things in spite of these issues. I do have to say that mine has the best trigger I have ever felt on a handgun - short of my Contender.

[Bear4570]

Absolute favoite is a 158 big flat point over 7.5 grains of Unique in mag cases, for all around use, closely followed by the 358429 over 12.5 of 2400 in .38 cases.

A Smith 19 in good shape should handle both loads for a long time without trouble and won't beat you to death.

[dualsport]

Gotta love those K frames, every last one of them. I do anyway. But the upside of that bad news about sammi pressures is they made a J frame .357. I have a 3" with adj. sights and it is a joy to shoot and carry in the woods. I shoot midrange handloads or less though. With a little practice you can really lay it down with some speed loaders. I'd like to see Jerry Miculek do his thing with one, man that guy is fast. I will definately avoid warm loads with 125s now in either gun.

[omgb]

I have a 4" M19 with a pinned barrel and counter bored cyl. I bought it new in the late 70s. I put over 8K rounds through it, about a third of which were factory jacketed rounds. Mostly I shot 150 gr lead with 12.5 grns of 2400 as the powder. A couple of years ago I had it retuned at the S&W shop. They found two very slightly (cannot be seen nor felt with out a gauge) bulged cylinders and a cracked forcing cone. They set the barrel back and did some action work for me. i think the cost was $175 total. Now I stick with 11 grains of 2400 and carry the real mag ammo for JIC reasons. Now the real beauty is that I have the slickest double action gun around.. i never shoot it SA (the SA pull is under lbs) I love this gun.

[Rodfac]

5.6 to 6.0 gr of Win 231 and any quality 150-160 gr SWC gives stellar accuracy and no leading in my 37 year old M-19. Gps run well below 2" at 25 yds, sitting with a back rested position.

The 5.6 gr is a Chrono'd 1018 fps load from my 4-5/8" Ruger BH...it should be slightly faster from a 6" Smith.

Regards, Rodfac

PS: Lately I've been substituting HP-38 for the Win 231 (which is becoming virtually impossible to find), with identical accuracy and velocity. HTH's Rod