When Did Modern Factory .357mag Ammo Get Weaker?

[Colts4me]

Which brings me to wonder why the new Smith PD alloy guns don' suffer the same fate unless the ammo is down loaded.

 

[Medic!]

Which brings me to wonder why the new Smith PD alloy guns don' suffer the same fate unless the ammo is down loaded.

Some do. And much worse.

 

[Tony617]

I tended to shoot more 38 special loads on my 686 since was cheaper compared to 357 magnum loads. Just had to clean the cylinders more since the 38 special cases were bit shorter. I do have a few 50 round boxes of 158gr Gold Dot loads but they are expensive to replace.

 

[Medic!]

And just for the record. I don't have a j-frame .357. Stole pic from interweb.
Closest thing I have is a C.O.P..

 

[teflon6string]

I tended to shoot more 38 special loads on my 686 since was cheaper compared to 357 magnum loads. Just had to clean the cylinders more since the 38 special cases were bit shorter. I do have a few 50 round boxes of 158gr Gold Dot loads but they are expensive to replace.

+1 on that Tony.
I start beginners with a little 9-shot H&R .22 revolver, and then right over to the 686 (6" barrel) with .38 specials. Smooth, gentle, and super accurate. Nothing fancy or exotic, just a nice, well-behaved pistol. +P and magnum loads only if they want.

 

[DLS]

...

It just seems like that trademark poop-yer-pants magnum noise and recoil I recall from the 80s is a thing of the past.

Newer powders (and newer formulations of older powders) are part of this. Same velocity with less muzzle flash/blast.