.38 Super questions...

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K

Kentucky Rifle

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I just received an order of ammunition today and the company accidentally sent .38 Super instead of .38 Special. Looks pretty good to me and just may be a sign to buy a new pistol. (Oh alright! ANY old excuse will do!:) )
What are my choices? Anybody really dislike/really like .38 Super?

Thanks,
KR
 
.38 Super is a pretty neat cartridge... basically, it gives you 9mm +P+ velocities with factory ammo. You can get PMC ball for pretty cheap usually, too. Its advantage is that it is more feed-reliable in a 1911 than 9x19. Obviously, recoil is pretty mild in a 5" 1911. Most ammo companies make self-defense ammo for it.

Downsides? Well, you probalby want to get a ramped barrel in .38 Super, since the case is kind of on the weak side, especially if you plan on doing some reloading with it.
 
I'm a huge fan of the .38 Super round. I've had (or have) .38 Super guns from Colt, SVI, STI, Kimber, and SIG.

.38 Super and .45 ACP are my favorite rounds. While I have some 9mm handguns that I love, I get a little bored with them. I tried .40 and .357 SIG to get a little variety but they just weren't "it" for me. Finally ran across a .38 super and just fell in love with the round. It's just plain FUN!!!

I don't compete & I don't reload...just shoot at the range (a lot). If you don't reload, you probably do not want to get a "race gun" in .38 super since they function best with longer loads than you'll be able to get from factory ammo. With that said, my SVIs and STIs were absolutely stunning guns. My Colt & Kimber were 100% also at a fraction of the cost. Haven't shot my SIG yet (in fact I'm just in the process of buying it).
 
I had the Colt Government Model Super 38 and it is an outstanding fireball producing machine. I bought a bunch of plus P 130 grain ammo and had a ball producing huge yellow fireballs from the bbl and ejection port in broad daylight!

The 38 Super is just a little bit better than current loadings of 9mm, prolly about the same as 357 SIG. There really is not a whole lot of difference in my mind. But the fireballs are awesome! :cool:
 
Wow...fireballs. Never had any other them even though my SVIs were ported. I did occasionally have "stuff" come out of the port and burn me a little (gov size gun had a 6 port Schuemann barrel and the commander size gun had a 4 or 5 port Schuemann barrel). I know the blast coming out of the ports would cause the ceiling tiles (indoor range) to drop little white specs of foam (or whatever they are made of) all over me.

The percussion from the SVI ported guns was magnified due to shooting at an indoor range and I finally sold them. I wear double ear protection but that did little good against the percussion. When I go to the range I shoot several hundred rounds at the least. The STIs I had were commander/office size and they didn't "fireball" either. That would have been awesome. I did notice that some ammo was definitely hotter than others. In fact PMC was so weak that it didn't always cycle my SVI/STI guns until the recoil springs were really broken in.

Anyway, great round!!!!!!
 
I bought a Colt Super .38 a few years and this year decided to shoot ESP class in IDPA with it. I've only shot one match with it so far but I think I'm going to like it. Ammo runs about $10-11/box, but it's easy to reload.
 
It is a good round, with good velocities. I have three and probably have more in the future, I usually stick to the 9mm family and the super is a great cartridge especially for a 1911.
 
Yeah, it looks like a sign that I should have picked up the new 5" Colt in .38 Super Saturday. I went back and looked at it four times, but just never quite could bring myself to reach for the money.

Next show is the 25th.

John
 
The Winchester Plus P Super 38 130 gr FMJ in the White Box is the load that puts out the fireballs. I think I bought it from KY Imports, anyway it was out of Shotgun News.
 
Don't know anyone who has a .38 Super and doesn't like it. (I have two.) In stock form, it's a 9mm on steroids, in a race gun with ramped barrel, it can be hotrodded to frightening levels.

You need one.
 
And just think..

You used to be able to buy one mail order

38super.jpg
 
Here's a few manufacturers that currently make them. I've had .38 supers from all of them except Springfield Armory & Witness. They are just tooooooo fun.

Colt
Springfield Armory
Kimber
Witness/EEA (whatever they're called)
SVI
STI

Of course you can find others that are NIB or close to it that aren't currently in production such as SIG & Detonics. In fact, I just purchased a NIB SIG P220 today.

Here's a few of my pictures (can't find the Colt pictures, sorry).

Kimber Gold Match SE II
fdd6f4f8.jpg


SVI Commander Ported
fcc70414.jpg


SVI Government Ported
fcc70413.jpg


STI VIP
fcc7027e.jpg
 
i have a100% factory colt series 70 in 95%+ condition. i have 3 colt mags for it. i have only put a couple of boxes thru it. it's been in the SDB at the bank for about a year. i am planning on selling it as soon as i can get some pics to post. i love the gun i just dont have much use for it. there are some IPSC guys around town who keep wanting to buy it, but i have a feeling they will adultarate her.
 
Guys...

My fingertips are getting little painful rips in them from shooting outside. (It got down to 16 DEGREES in Kentucky last night! Sheesh!!) I have to start shooting something with a little less recoil 'till it warms up. ~~This is what happens when the only indoor range in Louisville closes! This .38 Super looks like a small round, how's the recoil? Maybe about the same as my Airweight .38 Special snub? That'll be OK.

David: "You need one". Yep, maybe you're right. :) I'm getting more sure of it every day.

KR
 
The .38 Super is a neat round but it's always interesting to hear some people sing its praises then turn around and bash the .357 Sig.
 
I've got a 0.25 inch "split" in my right thumb, caused by recoil from shooting outside in the cold, that's driving me nuts. It's like a paper-cut. Only deeper. This hurts *nearly as bad as the time I got my thumbnail just a little too high (WHAT stupidity!) and when the slide came back, my thumbnail flew over my shoulder. I *tried to get to the restroom before everybody noticed that I had a "gusher" on my thumb~~but no such luck! I could STILL hear the laughter while I was in the restroom applying pressure & water trying to stem the flow of blood. We NEED a good heated and air conditioned indoor range in Louisville! Preferably, one I can WALK to. :)
Man! I DO like the looks of that STI!!
.38 Super sounds just great. (Jeff OTMG got it right in an e-mail last night. Pretty smart guy!:D )

KR
 
The 357 Sig is not that great to reload. Its strong point in my mind is its ability to fit into a 9mm Luger sized pistol. The 38 Super, due to length, must go in a 45 ACP sized pistol. It's also easier to reload than either 9mm Luger or 357 SIG, due to its extra length (at least to my fingers).
 
.357 Sig is also a good round as far as function goes. I don't think I've ever heard someone say that their .357 Sig jammed. Anybody ever have a problem with jams in pistol chambered for .357 Sig? I went to the gun shop to buy a Glock 33 (.357 Sig for those few who don't know.), but I came away with a Glock 27. (.40 cal for those who don't know.) It would be neat if Glock made a pistol chambered for .38 Super, now that I think about it a little.

KR
 
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