38spl +P?

[bongfoo]

hey all, i'm just wondering.... can a 38 spl case be loaded to +P? or is that considered unsafe.

i've got some once fired brass and noticed that most of them are marked 38special and a few of them are marked 38+p. is there a dofference in material used? or are they the same casings just loaded hotter.

[bruceflinch]

Nope. The +P cases are marked 38SP+P.

I believe they have a thicker case wall to handle a hotter load.

[ojisan]

It's also to identify these higher pressure loads and hopefully alert owners of older guns not to use them.
I hand load, anything beyond standard pressure loads go into cases marked +P or I use nickel plated cases so it is easy to identify these more powerful loads later.