(I have two airweight Smith & Wesson J frames).
Those light framed revolvers don't react well to heavy loads. The recoil can be a little sharp. I had a Colt Cobra with the magnesium (IIRC) frame, and +P 38 Spl loads were uncomfortable if I shot any amount of them. Like a lot of others, I found that 2.7 of Bullseye worked well in every 38 Spl I owned -- with velocities around the 750 fps mark when using slugs in the 148 - 158 gr area. For defense, I would likely use factory 125 gr JHP's of some sort, if they shot well in my pistol.
