What's the Big Deal About 38 Super?

[Mikul]

I have been pushing 9mm loads pretty quickly and thought that instead I should be looking to another caliber and I began looking into .38 Super... same thing, longer case, sounds perfect.

When I look at loads in the load books, the same weight bullet is about 50fps fast in .38 Super than 9mm.

So what's the big deal?

 

[bogie]

Problem is that .38 Super can be sorta finicky, and it is VERY easy to exceed the case pressure limits, which results, when using unsupported case heads (like in a 1911) in a case rupture.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I think it had to do with competitions. In IPSC, .38 Super could legally be loaded to make "Major" whereas 9mm Luger could not.
Not really much difference, as you stated. The .38 is semi-rimmed, which isn't that great for reliability. The .357 Sig makes it even less relevent.

 

[MLC]

9x23?

Handloading would probably get you 1400-50 fps with a 124 grain bullet.

 

[Jeeper]

The loads pub lished for super are way less than most people are actually using for IPSC. Of course now that 9mm is legal in OPEN class and the power factor got dropped I think the 38 super will be less popular since 9mm brass is so much cheaper.