Well I said I would never buy a "38 spl" because 38spl is kind of weak and the guns are usually kind of weak too. Also my 38spl loads are loaded pretty hot, not for use in lesser guns like a K frame. I got a police surplus astra 38spl, but this thing is a clone of an S&W model 27. This M27 clone is a smith N frame and the N frame is a heavy frame designed for 357mag. It's definitely beefier than my L frame clone, the L frame is a medium size frame used for 357mag. So it's a seriously over built 38spl. If you want a $300 model 27 clone that shoots 38spl go visit "classic American guns dot com" and buy one. Main draw back I see is if you don't reload then you're stuck with a heavy frame revolver that can only shoot up to 38spl plus pee and that plus pee ammo usually costs about as much as 357mag. If you're stuck buying factory ammo it kind of sucks, that's all there is to it. Think 38spl performance, 357mag price. But since I reload, my 38spl+p+ is more like 9mm, near 357mag power, at sub 38spl price.
If this chamber is cut to 38spl spec it definitely sucks having a gun that's as bulky as a 44mag that fires weak sauce 38spl. If you only have access to factory ammo I don't recommend it. I may develop the 38alla-akbar load for it.
Well I got mine. Looked like it had a squib and they cleared the bore obstruction by pulling the trigger again. And then you can tell the gun was used for years with a bulged barrel. Oh well I got a friend who is gay for smith's sending me a 6 inch barrel he thinks should fit it. Oh and it chambers a 357 length round no problem. My L frame 357 clone has cylinders that are only about 1/8 of an inch thick. The N frame clone is more like 3/16. The N frame is clearly beefier than the L frame. No surprise there. With a 6 inch barrel it will be a lot like the colt python I had when I was 16 years old.
To go in the opposite direction from hollow points RMR bullets has .357'' 158gr FMJs with no crimp cannelure possibly made by armscorp.
An old solution to the .38 Special chamber in the N frame Smiths was to load out to .357 lengths and using bullets that had a secondary crimping groove like the Thompson designed Lyman #358156.
I have a colt trooper that was produced in 38Spcl a special order. The Trooper was normally 357. So we reemed the cylinder to allow 357. A mod 27 clone should be able to do the same thing the 27 frame was a 357.
My buddy sent me that m27 barrel I mentioned in an earlier post. It didn't fit, not even close. The astra960 has smaller threads on the barrel where it screws into the frame. So it's really close to an m27 but not identical.
I shot it a few times around my house and it looks like this gun really really likes my 38spl +p+ load which uses 6.5gr of CBI under a 125gr Hornady xtp. Needs a range day for sure. Its way hotter than any factory 38spl but mild compared to full power factory loaded or max book reloads of 125gr 357mag. Definitely don't use that load in any normal "38spl" chambered gun. The astra960 frame and cylinder is built like an colt N frame 357 but uses a smaller less beefy colt L frame inspired barrel. So it's kinda a L/N frame hybrid. Definitely beefy enough to handle 357mag. I find a 38/9mm 125gr bullets doing over 1,000fps quite sufficient for self defense. If I remember correctly these were doing about 1,050fps out of another 3 inch gun. And the astra960 has a 4 inch barrel... The astra960 will chamber a 357 round but the ejector lacks the length to clear a 357 length case from it's cylinder.
I lived. The gun wouldn't chamber a loaded 357mag round but an empty case would go into battery. Maybe I happened to grab a Hornady case that was loaded as an ftx round, those are like 40 thousands shorter than a normal 357mag case.
