Thoughts on a 38 Super

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Airboss

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Ok everyone I have a little extra money and what I think I want next is a 38 Super I have been leaning toward a Colt Stainless Commander in 38 Super.
Your thoughts?
What or why not a 38 super as I don't have one and have never shot one lots of .45's and 9 mm no 38 super.
Thanks in advance
:uhoh:
 
I like the Super and own two of them. Factory ammo doesn't live up to the cartridge's full potential. In the original loadings the Super surpassed the 9MM Parabellum by about 200 FPS but clocking some recent factory ammo I find it barely beats it at all. I think maybe they are downloading the Super out of fear of someone blowing up their 40 year old Spanish army surplus Star pistol chambered in 9MM Largo. My defense load for the Super is a 115 JHP at 1525 FPS. I went as high as 1625 but pressure was clearly too high at this level so I backed off 100 FPS and these seem to work fine in the 1911 Commander (very limited shooting with hot loads due to the alloy frame) and Government Model.

Factory 130 ball loads from the 1960s usually chronograpgh around 1250-1280 FPS. I tested some recently and it was running around 1100. Pitiful.

If you just want a new pistol in a new caliber the Super works fine. For serious use I need to load my own ammo. Maybe the specialty makers like Cor-Bon have some decent loads.
 
I love the .38 super round. In fact, it's probably my favorite one (for fun at the range). I currently have 2 Colt Special Combat Government Competitions but have owned many other .38 supers including Colt stainless, super bright, SVI, STI and SIG. Colts are the only 1911s I own and I have a well known fondness for them.

I've never owned a commander sized .38 super so I can't comment on how they shoot.

38_super_SCGC2.jpg
 
The 38 Super is one of my favorite "Toy Gun Rounds". I recently re chambered a Star Modelo from 9mm to 38 Super. We are testing it with very hot major IPSC loads in an ongoing effort to blow it up, but so far we have not been able to do it. Please don't try this at home, though. It is a very flat shooting accurate round with a decent barrel installed. I still don't know if Colt got wise and are making their 38 Super barrels right, but in 1929 they were not worth much.

61948007.gif

This one does 3/4 of an inch at 25 yards all day long.

37289583.gif

Here it is with Big Brother.



I used it a lot at the ranch for prairie dawg shoots.
 
Having made the decesion to try 38 Super, why not go all the way and get iit in 9 x 23. You can buy off the shelf ammo which is pushing the limits, unlike 38 Super factory ammo.
 
Get the super. I've got a Springfield Gov't Milspec that shoots mighty nice.

You can ALSO get the 9x23 at some point in the future.

I'll be getting a custom Super with Commander Slide and Officer's Grip ... in about a year.
 
If it helps your decision,

my SVI has a Schuemann (naturally) barrel clearly marked "9X23." It happily shoots .38 Supers all day long. :)
 
9X23

My Briley is in 38S, a race gun, but I have a SA in 9X23. The SA also shoots 38S. It gets carried, and also has a fitted 9MM barrel that is used for practice. :)
 
I have a Springfield Mil-Spec and Colt Enhanced Gov't in .38 Super. They are a hoot. I have shot .38 ACP's (a subsonic load) in both and they both ran fine. I have a 9x23 barrel for the SA, and it is a hoot as well. I will probably get a 9x19 barrel for both guns.
 
What about the 9X23 allows the .38 Super to be fired in the same gun? What is it about the cartriges that is the same?

Thanks.
 
I have a Kimber .38 Super, really great pistol. Accurate and just plain fun to shoot. I was wondering what would need to be replaced to shoot 9mm's out of it. Anyone know? Hopefully just a 9mm barrel. Thanks in advance.
 
I don't see the advantage of the .38 Super over the 9mm unless you want to play IPSC. The velocity increase is minor (~100fps at 125gr) and you have to deal with bullets designed for the lower-velocity 9mm round (speaking of hollowpoints).

The closest thing to a high velocity 9mm is a .357 magnum.
 
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