Lee Loader

I have a 1875 Uberti Schofield in a .38 Special/S&W .38. Long. It is a great shooter with a 7" BBL and weight forward. While I shoot regular (standard) .38 Special loads in it out of difference to its "break action", I was wondering if anyone knows if Uberti considers +P OK? (I do realize that Uberti does not make this pistol in a .357 or .44Mag, but +P does not constitute a major jump in pressures or increase in powder in a pistol with better steel than the originals.)

Uberti does not recommend high velocity loadings in their top break revolvers. I couldn't find a reference to +P loadings specifically. My practice in the past has been to only use +P loads in a revolver or pistol designed for them. Uberti makes Cimmaron revolvers and they say +P voids the warranty.

https://www.cimarron-firearms.com/cimarron-faqs

I would check for proof marks then reference CIP pressure for 38 Special .
CIP is the Euro companion of our SAAMI for setting , certifying etc cartridge standards .

Many cartridges have much higher CIP ratings than SAAMI . 45-70 comes to mind along with 8×57 .

C.I.P. and SAAMI use a different measurement process. The Italian made Uberti has to be made to the C.I.P. standard. The two standards are not directly comparable even when both are given in PSI.

https://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/20 ... amber.html

All firearms made or sold in Italy must be proofed to 30% above of maximum commercial loading under the C.I.P. standard. Unlike SAAMI the C.I.P. standard is a legal not voluntary one. The proof marks will include the stamp PSF ( Polvere Senza Fumo is Italian for smokeless powder) with a star and then a final proof house stamp (a star and proof house crest). Uberti uses the Gardone proof house.

I use Quickload a lot when working up loads but the results I get for 38 Spl in both regular and +P loads from QL differ quite a bit from published data regardless if I use SAAMI or CIP as a variable. I stick to published, regular loads for my K frame S&W MP10 and use my Ruger .357 Blackhawk for the experimenting.

+P loads may be perfectly safe in your Schofield but may cause premature wear. (I have read Uberti beefed up the top strap and barrel in their copy). The best advice is to contact the distributor.

https://www.uberti-usa.com/contact-us

Macd -many thanks for the Uberti eMail; I did send them an inquiry. (I own several Uberti firearms, and found early on that unless you deal with each individual subsidiary, such as Cimmaron, Taylor, Navy Arms, etc. they can not assist you in most matters involving any repairs.) Although Beretta is now the parent company of many of these Italian makers, other than the administrative work, the other companies keep their individual "lines" separated.

I got a response back from Uterti (U.S.A. division of Benelli) regarding the Schofield .38Spl. I quote: "The ammo used for all Uberti revolvers must be within SAAMI specifications for that caliber". (I guess they don't use CIP testing for their fireams anymore!?!)

Kaiser wrote:I got a response back from Uterti (U.S.A. division of Benelli) regarding the Schofield .38Spl. I quote: "The ammo used for all Uberti revolvers must be within SAAMI specifications for that caliber". (I guess they don't use CIP testing for their fireams anymore!?!)

Did you check for the proof Mark's. Seems they are giving the " safe" answer.

Macd - I did check for proof marks and with the aid of a Magnifying glass, I found two very small markings that signify PSF next to a "star", and a proof mark that could signify "Gardone Proof House". Even though the method of testing pressure differs between SAAMI and CIP, the CIP lists the max pressure for the .38Spl at 5000psi higher than SAAMI's standard loading (it even exceeds SAAMI +P loads by 3000psi).

While I am perfectly happy with the accuracy and velocity of the standard loads in the Schofield, it is good to know that if my Lee auto powder measure happens to dump a couple tenth's more powder than expected, it should not cause any problems. Thanks.