.357 Magnum in a SAA or Clone, NOT RUGER

[Driftwood Johnson]

The Italians are using better steel these days from what I understand and compared to the steel of yesteryear it is modern and superior to 1st generation Colt steel and pig iron that the older guns had.

Howdy

Colt did not use 'pig iron'. The term pig iron refers to iron poured directly into ingots formed in sand in a pattern resembling piglets suckling from a mother pig. Pig iron is synonymous with cast iron. Pig iron has a high carbon content which makes it much too brittle for firearm use. Malleable iron, or Wrought Iron is what Colt used for the early 1st Gen SAA frames and cylinders. Malleable iron has been more highly refined than pig iron and has less impurities in it.

[Virginia Gentleman]

I stand corrected and thanks for the detail on what kind of iron it was.  In any event steel, especially modern steel today is infinitely superior to 19th century wrought iron in gunmaking, otherwise people could shoot smokeless in the early guns with impunity from catastrophic failure.

[ZVP]

 Not to argue or cause any hard feelings but I have some questions to your requirements.
 I can see no reason to feed asteady diet of "full house" .357 magnums through any revolver much less an import that is decidedly less stout than a Ruger. By steady diet I do not mean only aq few hundred but more like a competition regailia. As was stated elswhere the "little" parts will fail. The frame and cylinder will most likely never fail as they are manufactured of modern steels.
 A steady diet of thousands of full power .357's might cause a parts failure but where and why would a Cowboy Shooter use such loads? Too heavy for the spec's laid forth in the Rule Book , overpowered for the targets!
 I am guessing that you mean exclusively shooting full factory loads but how many? Where and what do you consider a steady diet? How many rounds?
 The manufacturer is the best source to answer the longitivity questions. They alone would have the engineering knowlege to answer this question for real!
 I think that there is no reason to set yourself up for failure, and if you intend to only fire such loads in a revolver, just buy the toughest revolver and buy a Ruger... least chances for a dangerous failure
 ZVP

[Cutter Carl]

The clones are tested to SAMMI specx. so magnum loaded would be safe. 

I'd shoot .38special if it were me.  Less sxpensive, less wear and tear on the gun and the shooter.  I'm a big guy and don"t enjoy magnum rounds in my modern Smith and Wesson that much. 

Remember a firearm is a machine, all machines expirence wear and tear.  A steady diet of magnum loads would cause that machine to wear
faster than lesser loadings.

[dogngun]

I have owned several different SAA's (Non Rugers) in .357 magnum and have not had any problems with any of them, at least none related to the cartridge...I like the SAA in that caliber and when I get another one, it will be a .357...

FWIW, the old stuff about the K frame S&W's came about in the 1970's due to the very high heat and pressures generated by the ammo at the time...such as SuperVel 110  and 125 grain magnum loads...that burned the top strap of the K frames and in some cases eroded the throats. There are NO commercial loads like that available today, and if you are fortunate enough to own a K frame S&W .357 magnum, you can pretty much count on your grandchildren shooting it someday...A lot of things become internet legends
and this is one of them...


mark

[fowler]

 Having had a half dozen of each Ruger and Uberti I prefer Uberti hands down!  Rugers just don,t feel right or look right. I shoot Uberti,s better.  I have never replaced a springs in my uberti,s ,but if I do it will be wire springs. They are easy to change and simple to work on. I shoot a 357 and 45 colt Uberti,s. In the 357 mostly 5grs. Unique with 158 swc. And in the woods 7grs Unique with same hardcast 158 swc. Love those Uberti,s. And yes I sent a ruger back for repairs.