.38 Super

[andrewdl007]

I know this is asked alot but when I did a search I got 10,000 threads and none were helpful. My question is; is .38 Super a good round for carry/home defence. I am interested by the Colt Commander and saw some in .38 Super. I know .45s are more powerful and 9mm more common but Im just asking about the super cause it sounds like a good round but seems to only be uded in competitions theese days. Also, are many guns besides the Commander produced in .38 Super? Thanks

 

[Tribal]

.38 Super is popular in places where civilians aren't allowed to own firearms chambered in military calibers (9x19mm, .45ACP, etc.) and was originally designed for the 1911 pattern. It's also popular in that it's considered a "Major" round in several competitions, whereas the 9mm isn't quite up that level.

 

[mavracer]

is .38 Super a good round for carry/home defence.

yes it is but ammo choices are slim.WW still makes a 125 Silvertip, corbon makes a couple and georgia arms loads a 124 Golddot.the WW load is anemic (still equal to 9mm+p)

Also, are many guns besides the Commander produced in .38 Super?

the only ones I can think of are EAA witness,Taurus PT38S and some full size 1911s

 

[ccmdfd]

As mentioned, SD loads for the Super are quite limited.

Someone here posted a thread where they gel tested one of the available rounds, and it didn't penetrate very far.

 

[ccmdfd]

Ah, found it:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=334364

 

[bannockburn]

andrewdl007

To get a better performance out of the Super .38, you really should consider handloading. That way you can make rounds for practice, and others for self/home defense. The other thing about the Commander in Super .38 is that it's very easy to convert it to 9mm. if you want to use cheaper factory ammo for practice as well. All you need is a complete 9mm. barrel assembly and a 9mm. magazine.

 

[Cowboy2]

.38 Super is a great round. But to get the full potential, you pretty much have to hand load. Most factory ammo only offers you a little velocity than 9mm. Georgia Arms has a 124 Gold Dot load that, IIRC, gets 1350fps. If you handload, it outperforms the .357Sig.

And .38 Super was designed for the 1911.

 

[Walkalong]

Excellent round. Not as many ammo choices as .45, .40, or 9MM, but some good ones are out there.

 

[Moonclip]

Some SigSauer P220's were made in .38super also.

 

[Mastiff]

IMHO it is a great round for home defense/carry. Reloading, as stated, is the best way to go for practice rounds, but I would use the Corbon offerings for real social situations. That is what I do.
You can also use 9x23 Winchester in 38 Super pistols, that was why the cartridge was developed, Ricco wanted to make it easy for competitors to make Major without modifying their 38 Supers, so he developed the 9x23 with a very thick web so as to contain the extra pressure.

 

[DZL HOG]

My neighbor bought a used Astra 38Super dirt cheap a couple weeks ago. 1911 platform with a good weight and feel to it. I handled it, didnt fire it. He fired it a couple times b4 buying it. When he went to get some more ammo, he had to order it. $1 per shot. He sold it the next week.

 

[platform]

Double tap self-defense ammo for the .38 super is very good.

However, in my opninion it does not make sense to get .38 super in Single Stack magazine.

(because you can have 18 rounds of it in a double stack magazine).


I would recommend to look
at the Witness Match .38 super
( it is under 500, excellent Single action trigger and well made, 18 rounds magazines, and buch of conversions available to different calibers as well)

 

[Moonclip]

What .38super was he ordering at $1 a shot? And are you sure this gun wasn't a Star or Llama if it was on the 1911 pattern and it wasn't a 9mmLargo?

 

[Mac Attack]

I shoot a Super and shot it in IPSC back in the early 90's. Too many rounds to even count. Reloading is the key to shooting a Super because practice ammo is hard to come buy and when you can find some it costs a small fortune.

Super can be made to shoot Major but it is my experience that you have to use a heavier bullet. My Major round was a REALLY hot round with a 125 gr FMJ. Later I went with a 162 gr HC over a charge of AA#7 and small rifle primers.

I like the way a super shoots over a 9mm or 45, plus with 10 rounds you have an nice little combo.