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Both are factory stock except for the grips.
38 super ins and outs
- Thread starter beeenbag
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Both are factory stock except for the grips.
tipoc
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The 38 Super was always capable, from the 1911, of good service accuracy but not as much of bullseye accuracy. The stories of this are overdone. In truth most semis headspace off the the extractor and never touch the semi rim or the chamber mouth. The 38 Super is a niche cartridge for reasons that have nothing to do with it's accuracy.
Up until the 1970s the U.S. was mostly a nation of wheelgunners. Until the postwar period only one U.S. gun company made semi-auto handguns in a major service caliber. That was Colt who had the 1911 in 45acp and 38acp. Colt was also the first to chamber a gun in 9mm and that was in 1948.
Until the appearance of the 10mm the 38acp from a 1911 was the most powerful round, energy wise, that could be fired from a semi-auto pistol.
The problem was that semis were considered military guns in the U.S. Law enforcement preferred revolvers. Even U.S. law enforcement did not use the 1911 in 45 acp in large numbers before the war. The appearance of the 1911 in a new version of the gun in 1928, called the "Colt Super 38", chambered in a more powerful version of the 38 acp did lead to increased sales of the 1911 to law enforcement. It also help S&W to speed up the development of what led to the .357 magnum in 1935. This helped limit the spread of the "38 Super" round (the beefed up version of the 38 acp in a gun called the "Super 38").
It was only after the War that the popularity of semi autos took off in the U.S.
But the end of the war also brought with it a major change in military doctrine. The era of the da/sa pistols dominance began. The U.S. military announced that they wanted to leave the 1911 and go to a da/sa gun in 9mm that carried at least 10 rounds and weighed less than the 1911. This move ruled out the 38 Super as the only gun that it was chambered in at that time was the 1911. Now they lacked the budget to make that change and they stayed with the 1911. But the doctrine that the DA/SA was best continued. S&W finally make a semi in a service sized gun in the early 1950s and it was a da/sa gun in 9mm.
In the 1970s when the Illinois State Police were the first to leave revolvers behind they chose a S&W da/sa pistol in 9mm. The 38 Super was again bypassed.
38 Super was used by some in the FBI, Melvin Purvis famously, and the Border Patrol, and some agencies. In was a popular cartridge in a low key way. It took off in the 1980s with the rise of both IPSC and IDPA competitive shooting. The story of that is pretty well known. It dominated that sport at the top levels, for about two decades.
It is slightly more powerful than the 9mm. For the 9mm to match the 38 Super the 9mm has to operate at +P or +P+ pressures. You feel that in the recoil. Whereas the 38 Super just puffs along at it's standard low pressures. (The +P in 38 Super +P is there only to distinguish it from the older 38 acp.) This feel and recoil makes a difference to some shooters, as it does to barrel life.
tipoc
Up until the 1970s the U.S. was mostly a nation of wheelgunners. Until the postwar period only one U.S. gun company made semi-auto handguns in a major service caliber. That was Colt who had the 1911 in 45acp and 38acp. Colt was also the first to chamber a gun in 9mm and that was in 1948.
Until the appearance of the 10mm the 38acp from a 1911 was the most powerful round, energy wise, that could be fired from a semi-auto pistol.
The problem was that semis were considered military guns in the U.S. Law enforcement preferred revolvers. Even U.S. law enforcement did not use the 1911 in 45 acp in large numbers before the war. The appearance of the 1911 in a new version of the gun in 1928, called the "Colt Super 38", chambered in a more powerful version of the 38 acp did lead to increased sales of the 1911 to law enforcement. It also help S&W to speed up the development of what led to the .357 magnum in 1935. This helped limit the spread of the "38 Super" round (the beefed up version of the 38 acp in a gun called the "Super 38").
It was only after the War that the popularity of semi autos took off in the U.S.
But the end of the war also brought with it a major change in military doctrine. The era of the da/sa pistols dominance began. The U.S. military announced that they wanted to leave the 1911 and go to a da/sa gun in 9mm that carried at least 10 rounds and weighed less than the 1911. This move ruled out the 38 Super as the only gun that it was chambered in at that time was the 1911. Now they lacked the budget to make that change and they stayed with the 1911. But the doctrine that the DA/SA was best continued. S&W finally make a semi in a service sized gun in the early 1950s and it was a da/sa gun in 9mm.
In the 1970s when the Illinois State Police were the first to leave revolvers behind they chose a S&W da/sa pistol in 9mm. The 38 Super was again bypassed.
38 Super was used by some in the FBI, Melvin Purvis famously, and the Border Patrol, and some agencies. In was a popular cartridge in a low key way. It took off in the 1980s with the rise of both IPSC and IDPA competitive shooting. The story of that is pretty well known. It dominated that sport at the top levels, for about two decades.
It is slightly more powerful than the 9mm. For the 9mm to match the 38 Super the 9mm has to operate at +P or +P+ pressures. You feel that in the recoil. Whereas the 38 Super just puffs along at it's standard low pressures. (The +P in 38 Super +P is there only to distinguish it from the older 38 acp.) This feel and recoil makes a difference to some shooters, as it does to barrel life.
tipoc
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