[SingleAction]

i recenently purchased a colt SAA chambered in .357 mag. Shortly after the buy i was talking to a friend of mine and he told me a story about .357 mag colts having reliability issues due to the fact that the frame was originially designed for the stress of the .45 long colt. he said that the frame can weaken and that critical parts (revolver drum, barrel.) can need replacing after 10000 shots. Does anyone have any input?

[matt g]

You're planning to fire an old SAA?

[JiroZero713]

It's the greatest handgun ever maaade.

[SingleAction]

yeah. its just a third gen assembly line colt SAA. i have always been a fan of single action revolvers, and after purchasing a tarus nock off i decided that there is nothing like a pony

[Bob Wright]

Shoot the thing! The Colt SAA is rugged enough for the .357 Magnum round.

The only trouble I ever had with a .357 Mag. Colt SAA was my own, which had been customized with the addition of a Smith & Wesson rear sight. Removing metal to install the sight weakened the top strap so that it stretched from my heavy bullet loads.

An unaltered Colt SAA is fine with all .357 Rounds.

Bob Wright

[Virginian]

Everyone owes it to themselves to have at least one Colt SAA before they die. Shoot away with any .357 rounds. There is a whole lot more steel left to surround those 38 sized rounds than there is when she is bored out to 45.

[SingleAction]

so there wont be any ill effects from the much higher power of the .357?
i did a little research and found out that it puts alot more stress on the frame then 45 long colt but couldnt find anything about potential effects on the infrastructure.
im just cautious because i have never paid close to as much for a peice as for this colt. gotta be careful

[Bob Wright]

I don't believe the .357 Magnum puts that much more stress on the frame than the .45 Colt, this just from my observations and experience.

The .357 Magnum is a high pressure round, to be sure. But I don't believe pressure, within reason, is that much of a culprit in revolvers. Certainly pressures can be elevated to the point that cylinders bulge or rupture, but pressures that are within the working limits of the cartridge are safely contained by the chamber walls.

From my experience, recoil is the greater adversary. Recoil causes battering of the internal parts and of the cylinder within the frame's "window" for the cylinder. All parts mush ahve some clearance, or "slack" for smooth operation. This slack results in battering of the components under recoil. And, heavy bullets contribute far greater recoil, such as the 255 gr. slug ov the .45 compared to the 158 gr. bullet of the .36 calibers.

Of the guns that I have had break down, most have been the big .44s and .45s. The only failures I have had with .357 Magnums were the stretched frame of my Colt SAA and the sheared off ejector rod housing screw of my Ruger Blackhawk. Most of my .44s have had the ejector rod housing screw shear off, not once but several times. Also, the ratchett has imprinted itself into the standing breech, requiring some stoning down of these parts. Bear in mind most of my guns have been fired in excess of 10,000~15,000 rounds.
AQnd, the Colt that failed had been customized to the point the topstrap had been weakened, and I had been shooting hot .357 Magnum ammmunition built around 175~180gr bullet weights.

Again I say, shoot that .357 Magnum SAA.

Bob Wright

[SingleAction]

thanks for the help. i have been itching to use this thing. Just to be safe ill stick to .38 spl at the range and lower grain .357 in the great outdoors. i hope to enjoy this pistol for 20000+ and eventually make it a family heirloom. maybe thats just wishful thinking though.
again your expertise is appreciated

[skyking68]

Shoot It! and enjoy it. No problem with the .357.
I have a couple of SAA 7 1/2 .45s. I have been Thinking about a Colt 357 because the cartridges are less $. I have a Ruger, but the Colt is so much more American and American History. A Colt should be shot unless one has the $$ just to collect spares and look at them.