Is .38 Super sufficiently uncool?

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I am rather curmudgeonly. I own a. 308/7.62 NATO rifle but I have no enthusiasm for the cartridge. I remain a fierce partisan of the 30-06 and it's progeny cartridges and own a lot of rifles that shoot rimmed cartridges. I own a 6.5mm rifle: the ancient Swede, not the modern cool kid version. I despise the 9mm Luger cartridge and all pistols that chamber it (except the BHP, blessings upon JMB), and would not accept a pistol so chambered if offered to me. Indeed, it is only with some serious misgivings that I purchased a striker fired semi-auto pistol in recent years. Happily, it is in the obsolete, very untactical, soooo uncool .40 S&W, so I feel ok about it. Sort of.

So, I need help. I have always fancied a 1911 in .38 Super. The 1911 is sufficiently uncool with the europhiles and tectikewl crowd that I feel confident there. But I'm hoping some millennials and 9mm aficionados will tell me how hopelessly out of date, backwards, useless, and otherwise uncool the .38 Super cartridge is so that I am at no risk of being trendy, up to date, or 'with it'. God forbid.

So, Glockmeisters, have at it please.

So you don't like old calibers like the 9mm.
You like newer calibers like .45 ACP.
Got you.
 
A "retired" .38 Super race gun I picked up cheap (For what I got) off of GB. Everyone dropped single stacks and I benefited. It came with an Aimpoint 5000 which is now on my 9MM AR.
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So you don't like old calibers like the 9mm.
You like newer calibers like .45 ACP.
Got you.

It's nothing to do with age, thanks. It's the chippy inanity of the 9mm fan club that causes me to despise it. Cheers.
 
Walkalong

I like both as well, I just can't learn to love the fourty.

Same with me! Love the .45, the 9mm., and the .38 Super but just never could get all that excited over the .40 S&W. Had a Springfield Armory P9 (a CZ75 clone), HK USP, and a Kahr CW40; all were decent enough performers though none of them stood out as being very accurate.
 
460Shooter

I’ve always wished for a Springfield XDs in 38. No idea if it would suck or not but given the frame length it makes sense.

I still kick myself for not buying a Browning BDA (a.k.a. SIG P220), in .38 Super way back when. Would like to believe that it would have been as accurate and soft shooting as my BDA in .45 was.
 
It would of been softer... and very accurate in my experience (based on 1911's).
 
A "retired" .38 Super race gun I picked up cheap (For what I got) off of GB. Everyone dropped single stacks and I benefited. It came with an Aimpoint 5000 which is now on my 9MM AR.
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Probably still a very fun gun for running plate racks or dueling trees!

Some of those obsolete old gamer guns are amazing for pure shooting joy. I've got an old 625 (S&W n-frame revolver in .45ACP) that was someone's old USPSA gamer gun. It's not viable in that game anymore (8-round revolvers totally dominate, and revolver is thin division these days anyway), but it's still a great shooter.
 
If it was good enough for Melvin Purvis, its good enough for me and the fact that Melvin liked them makes it super cool.
 
Voila! Kimber Team Match II, stainless. Made for USA Shooting. No longer made in .38 Super, so clearly sufficiently uncool.

https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2018/05/kimber-team-match-ii-pistol/

https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/kimber-team-match-ii-review/

Looks great. Barrel in great condition. A little powder residue cleaned out but no signs of copper fouling. From the magazine, it appears this was comp gun, but very little sign of wear. Nice feature: the beveled magazine well. Nice rubber Hogue grips show no wear.

However, can anyone tell me the possible purpose (see pic 5 below) of the recessed ring guide spring retaining cap other than to inflict maximum pain on whomever attempts to manually depress it?
7663667A-2C39-432A-B62D-7B74EBDA622F.jpeg 2CEEBE33-3044-40FB-A871-4EB6F91C00B0.jpeg BE387E10-6610-4D91-B85A-35AB4B1E4715.jpeg F7BF4D63-EB43-4109-ACFA-B8A4D77D04AD.jpeg AFB297C7-3EE7-4C28-B7F6-D1B0CB95AEB0.jpeg
 
Masochism.

It is to keep you from being too smug about the new pistola. Even though it is clearly dripping cool.
That way you won't get all giddy and look foolish giggling at the tiny, little groups. There by, keeping up the appearance of curmudgeon.

You can giggle in the truck on the way home...:)



That, and it has a full length guide rod. Without the hole, the slide wouldn't cycle.;)
 
I picked up a Star model super years ago in 9mm largo. Talk about not being able to find ammo. I converted it to 38 super and now really enjoy it. It shoots flat and fast and is easy to reload for. The conversion is easy and I would definitely put in a new recoil spring.
 
CoalTrain49

Saw one at a gun show some years back. Thought about it but kind of felt like you did that it was just a little too blingy for my taste. Would have probably ended up buying some sort of faux pearl grips just to complete the whole effect!

Picked up my Colt Commander instead (more my style). I always have liked my .38 Supers with a Commander length slide versus the longer slide of the Government Model. Don't know why, I just do!

View attachment 837904


...And you know what General Patton said about pearl handgun grips!:evil:
 
Ahhhh.... wow.

I know, no pics; it didn’t happen. But in my exuberance I forgot.

Picked up some Winchester white box 130 FMJ at LGS and went a shooting.

First 9 rounds down the barrel were an 89 on a B16 target (albeit set at 15 yards) with six in the X.

I am, at my best, a mediocre pistol shot. I had run 3 mags each from my 1943 issue GI 1911 that my father took home from the Pacific and my RIA compact. If I hit paper at 15 yards with the tiny GI sights, I’m well pleased. With my RIA compact, I had about 3 Xs and maybe another 5 in the 10 ring out of 21. Not bad by my ability.

The trigger is probably 2.5 lbs. What a treat! I might get into this...
 
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