What do you think: 38Super commander or 9mm commander ??

[roscoe780i]

I'm making plans to buy my next 1911, either a 38Super Commander or
a 9mm Commander & I'd like to get some ideas on which some of you
would approach this.
Which ever way I go will be a swap top barrel conversion & the super
wil be a carry defense gun, second only to my Para-Ordnance LTC 45;
the 9mm will be for practice & hopefully one for getting my grandsons
started into shooting.
I've narrowed my choices down to 2 guns, so tell me what you think
about my choices & my plans. #1 Colt LW 38super commander in
stainless; #2 Para-Ordnance 9mm LTC in black. Right now I'm kind of
leaning to the Colt, because I do want to have it bobtailed eventually &
I understand there's not a lot if any refinishing to do on stainless.
Next, who would you recommend for the 2nd barrel ? I've been thinking
Bar-Sto or maybe Kart & Briley. The reason I mention Briley is because
I've read & been told also that their products are just as good as the
other big names out there. Also, they're in Houston, Tx & I live just
north of Houston about 45 miles.
Anyway, these are my plans & ideas; any comments or ideas you'd
care to offer would be helpful & appreciated.
Thanks,
roscoe780i

 

[bradvanhorn]

I did about the same as you are thinking. I bought a 5" Colt in 38 Super and had it converted to 9mm. Shooting 9mm is too easy, and 9mm is so much cheaper than 38 Super (unless you reload perhaps), so I never bother with 38 Super any more. I've become very uninterested in the whole stopping power fuss, since modern hollowpoint ammo in the major calibers (typically 9mm up to 45) are all well designed these days. So, I think you could skip the whole 38 Super thing for carry, but if that's what you like, then there's also no convincing reason not to do it either. Since you said you were already leaning toward the Colt, I suggest you just get the Colt. Buy a 9mm barrel - any of the manufacturers you mentioned would be fine (I bought my 9mm barrel from Kings as I recall) - and have it fitted by a competent gunsmith. I think you'll find proper fitting is usually (though not always) a lot more important than the name stamped on the barrel.

 

[mnw42]

I just got a LW Commander in .38 Super and I have been pretty happy with it. 9mm does make for some cheap plinking. I have thread about it here with pics.

I plan on having EGW fit a 9mm barrel to it when I have some extra scratch. Some day, if I get board with the super, I'll upgrade to a 9x23.

Like it has been said before: You can't go wrong with any of the known good makers (Kart, Brown, Bar-Sto, etc.), but the key is to have a good 1911 smith fit the barrel and bushing properly. Colt makes very good barrels I've seen more than a few people with Colt barrels and a fitted bushing.

 

[brickeyee]

the biggest problem with the .38 super is the low level most commercial ammo is loaded to in case some bozo tries to run it through an older gun, or even a .38 auto.

 

[mnw42]

I'd love to see some properly loaded defensive ammo from one of the larger makers. Core-Bon appears to be the only maker with properly loaded ammo.

I had posted some very limited chrono results in the thread I had linked to above.

I finally got an opportunity to run some ammo over a chronograph this past Sunday and I thought you might find the information useful since all of the information I've seen is for a 5" bbl. As I've stated before my Colt as eaten everything that I've fed it. The chrono. was 10' from the bench.

Corbon 125gr DPX, 1350 fps 506 ftlb - from muzzle
1 - 1259 fps
2 - 1262 fps
3 - 1259 fps

Federal American Eagle 130gr FMJ, 1200 fps 416 ftlb - from muzzle
1 - 1200 fps
2 - 1232 fps
3 - error
4 - 1200 fps

______________

I just got four boxes of regular 125gr JHPs from Cor-Bon and I may post some velocities If I get the opportunity.

 

[rcmodel]

The 1911 is designed to work with .45 ACP length ammo.

The .38 Super is.
The 9mm isn't!

rcmodel

 

[gandog56]

Ehhh, 9mm is cheaper to shoot and easier to find.

 

[makarovnik]

The .38 super is higher velocity and you should get the same mag capacity as 9mm. I would go for the .38 super if you like the 1911 platform. That way you get the best of both worlds: more knockdown power and increased capacity.

Now, .38 super ammo is more expensive so a 9mm is going to be cheaper to feed. But, if you go with a 9mm I would probably look for a different platform.

 

[Geno]

Problem is that most current .38 Super is loaded about 100 to 120 FPS over most 9mm Luger. I have a .38 Super and really like it, but if I were use it for CCW, I would have to handload to get proper speed.

Best of luck, and please advise as to your decision, then post a picture.

Doc2005

 

[rkamp]

For years my main gun was a Colt Government in .38 Super. Today my main defensive weapons are two Kimber 9mm's. One is a LW Pro Carry. They make it in both stainless and blue. I had a .38 Super Lite Commander a while back and should have kept it and converted it to 9mm using a ramped barrel. The ramped barrel in an aluminum frame gun is almost a must.

9mm +P JHP is pleantiful and I feel well armed with it. I own 4 1911's and aint one in 45ACP. I love going into a sporting goods store and being able to buy relatively inexpensive practice ammo. Some places want $35 for a 50 round box of Win 125 gr Silvertips in Super. I can buy gold dot +p 124 GR JHPs for ~$20 all day long that exceeds most Super loads (except Cor-Bon).

 

[Harold Mayo]

Buy the 9mm Para for all-around use.

.38 Super is a cool round but underpowered in most commercial offerings and sometimes difficult to get. 9x23 solves the power problem but getting commercial ammo is next to impossible.

Hot 9mm loadings can be had for the same or less money as regular .38 Super.

Finally, 9mm works fine in a 1911 platform. Human beings, having tool-making and problem-solving abilities, CAN solve little problems like that and most current-production 9mm 1911-style pistols should work just fine.

 

[bannockburn]

roscoe780i

The main advantage to starting with the Super .38 frame is that the ejector can be used with both cartridges; the 9mm. ejector will be too long to work with the Super .38. I have had a number of Commanders with this convertible configuration, and all of them have worked just fine. The only other modifiaction you might want to consider would be a set of high visibilty adjustable sights to compensate for the point of aim for the two different calibers. I would also consider going with a ramped barrel set-up as this will give you added strength and safety if you decide to go with hotter loads in the Super .38.

 

[paul45]

because I do want to have it bobtailed eventually &
I understand there's not a lot if any refinishing to do on stainless.

The frame is alloy, anodized, and has to be re-finished if you cut on it.

 

[Pilot]

I think ammo cost and avialibility is the deciding factor here. If you reload or plan to reload then .38 Super is a viable alternative. If you don't reload then 9MM is your more practical choice.

 

[Sam]

I really like the Super and the 9x23 even more.
Get one in super, run 9x23 and buy a 9x19 bbl setup for practice

Sam

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Hmmm....I'm torn between the price of 9mm and the fact that I've always wanted a .38 Super. Guess I'd leave it to manufacturer, and in that case I'd take the Colt.

 

[mnw42]

This thread needs some gratuitous pics

 

[Zak Smith]

Just get the 9mm barrel throated so you can "load long" 9mm. It'll still work with factory 9mm, but if you want to load - and you'd be loading for 38S/9x23 anyway - you can load long.

 

[Kosh75287]

I was wondering about how people feel about converting .38 Supers to 9x23 Winchester. It's a reloading proposition, but worlds of possibilities there.

 

[roscoe780i]

Hey guys, thanks for all your comments so far. I've been doing a
little digging of my own out here on the net & found another
candidate I can include, the Kimber Pro Carry HDII; its a 4" barrel
which is still good by me. The only thing I don't like on Kimber's
are the sights; they're downright FUGLY!!!; I did notice last night
over at Kimber's sight they've got a set that very closely resembles
Novaks that really look good, so thats something to think about.
Now, on to another question & comment about this combo gun I'm
trying to plan, last night over at 1911forums.com., I ran across a
thread about a fellow who did this same conversion, but in a different
way,by having I belive his 38super barrel reamed ?? & rechambered, so
now it will 38super, 9mm x 19, 9mm x 23, 9mm Largo ect. This sounds
like it could be a good ticket instead of an extra barrel. The poster
said it was done by Springfield for $150.00, I believe it was. It would
seem to me that an experienced gunsmith should probably be to do
this type of mod also; any comments??
On a side note, I found out Monday that I'm getting a new grandson
in December, in addition to my 2 year old grandson, that I have now.
We're also getting another grandchild, don't know what yet, about 3/4
weeks after the new one; another boy would be great. I guess I'll go
broke getting them all set with 1911's & I guess they'll have to do a
3 way coin toss to see who gets my Harley when I'm called home.
Again, thanks for your comments & keep 'em coming.
Be safe & be careful.

roscoe780i

 

[poet]

cheaper to shoot the 9mm so I say get both. One for a conversation pieceand the other for target pratice.

 

[mnw42]

You do not want to shoot 9mm in a .38 super/9x23 barrel or .40 S&W in a 10mm barrel etc. Pistol cartridges head space on the case mouth. If you put a cartridge in a long chamber you will be effectively head spacing on the extractor. All that will do is eat up extractors. You may also get the cartridge stuck in the chamber past the extractor.

There is some play between 9mmLargo/.38 ACP/.38 Super/9x23mm depending on the gun and how the chamber is cut in .38 supers and 9x23s. Just because you might be able to get away with it - I don't think that I would try.

They are not like .38 special/.357 Mag. Those two head space on the rim so the case and over all length is less critical.

As a rule you should only use ammunition that match the markings on the gun.