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Posted: 8/8/2026 11:36:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: yamahawarrior89][Edited]
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I picked up a Jarvis 38 Super barrel for my Springfield Prodigy. It's a threaded commander length bull barrel so it should be somewhere around 4.75". The gun has a flat bottom firing pin retainer, and a full-length guide rod with a 16lb flat wire recoil spring. As always, work up your handloads and use my data as reference only. Ran some handloads with various powders from 110gr up to 158gr. Gun: Attached File 110gr Remington SJHP - these were the softest of the bunch, and looking at the primers there was a little more room to go. Attached File 125gr Remington SJHP - AA#7 is magical Attached File 125gr Remington Golden Saber - I liked this one for the 125 grainers. Attached File 158gr Remington SJHP - Didn't expect to hit 1300fps with these but with AA#7 it was a pleasant surprise. Attached File The nice thing with using 357 bullets are they are shorter in length compared to 9mm bullets. More room for powder. 
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147gr Federal HST - AA#5 is a good midrange powder and I have a ton of it. Wanted to work up a decent load with the 147 grainers. It can spike sooner so I don't want to push it too much. Attached File |
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Disclaimer - OP is bad at knowing things, and might catch on fire.
Vet - Op MMAMA
Every other species kills off their stupid......we cater to them. -- spin-drift
Nobody ever called 911&said I just did something smart. -- TheFlynDutchman
Vet - Op MMAMA
Every other species kills off their stupid......we cater to them. -- spin-drift
Nobody ever called 911&said I just did something smart. -- TheFlynDutchman
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Originally Posted By RegionRat: Does this brass require anything special in terms of magazine? Brass was virgin starline 38 super brass. The mags are Springfield Prodigy mags, they are marked 9mm/38. Haven't had any issues with rimlock or anything yet. The max oal I can run with hollowpoints is 1.23-1.24". At 1.25" they start to kiss the front of the mag.  I did adjust the extractor for the 38 super rim but it wasn't much. Runs like a top. |
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38 Super is a great cartridge - I don't know why it hasn't caught on in the US like other places. Its really a 9mm Magnum. It was what I ran in the 80's IPSC fun runs... my 1911 had a Barsto barrel with a comp on the end. Back then we made the (old) Major PF (just barely, with a 160.LRN and AA7)... then around 1999 or so, AA started measuring psi instead of cup... they reduced their manual charges drastically, and in a conversation with their lab ballistician, he told me their (pre-2000) manual load data was WAY overpressure and to reduce it quite a bit... I knew it was hot so I reluctantly ended up pulling all my stock. Then they reduced the min. Major power factor so it wasn't an issue after that. I would suggest at the least, use an 18lb spring with some of those loads + a shock buff behind your guide rod if you don't already use one. |
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Better than 9mm with 147 gr. sub's:Attached File Somehow I have nickel +p cases! I size them in an undersize 9mm RCBS carbide die. |
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Originally Posted By SyberSniper: 38 Super is a great cartridge - I don't know why it hasn't caught on in the US like other places. Its really a 9mm Magnum. It was what I ran in the 80's IPSC fun runs... my 1911 had a Barsto barrel with a comp on the end. Back then we made the (old) Major PF (just barely, with a 160.LRN and AA7)... then around 1999 or so, AA started measuring psi instead of cup... they reduced their manual charges drastically, and in a conversation with their lab ballistician, he told me their (pre-2000) manual load data was WAY overpressure and to reduce it quite a bit... I knew it was hot so I reluctantly ended up pulling all my stock. Then they reduced the min. Major power factor so it wasn't an issue after that. I would suggest at the least, use an 18lb spring with some of those loads + a shock buff behind your guide rod if you don't already use one. There is something about the rim or “semi-rim” on the .38 Super that can cause jam issues or feeding issues. Supposedly. So the solution to that, supposedly was to get rid of the “semi-rim”. It was called either .38 Super Comp or .38 Todd Jarrett. Attached File I don’t know when exactly 9mm Major was allowed in the USPSA Open division. Before 2010, for sure. Most likely before 2006, but like you said, the major power factor floor got lowered to 165. The advantage for the Open shooters for like the past 16 years plus has been 9mm brass is everywhere. So the Open guys can just “fire and forget”. No need to be bent over or on your hands and knees after a match “whoring up the brass”. |
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