Posted: 11/28/2006 7:49:32 AM EDT
Hey all! I just picked up my first 1911 in 38 Super (6 1911's total now ). What are your guys thoughts on this cal? Is this a cal that is ment mostly for reloaders?
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I love the round. Fun to shoot, accurate, but a pain to find ammo for around the Quad City Area (Illanoys and Iowa). It is a little pricey for factory ammo, but with a reloader, brass, and some time, you should be fine. I set my race gun to shoot jacketed +p rounds. 2 port comp requires an 11# spring with a lightened slide. Take care, Bob |
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It's a great round! My usual carry gun is in .38 Super (a Springer Mil-Spec). You can get factory .38 Super from pretty much anywhere. It's a little more expensive than your usual plinking 9mm and finding stores that stock it might be trying, but you can always order in bulk. If you reload, you can really up the wattage. Cor-Bon makes a defensive load for it too using hollowpoints...However, on mine, they really flatten the primer. The gun runs just fine with it, but it does give me slight cause for concern. The Cor-Bon loads are hot. I have yet to try Winchester or other brand defensive rounds.. ETA: From Cor-Bon's site: Product ID Caliber Bullet Velocity/Energy Barrel Length SD38X115/20 38 SUPER AUTO+P 115 GR. JHP 1425FPS/519FTLBS 5.0 SD38X125/20 38 SUPER AUTO+P 125 GR. JHP 1325FPS/487FTLBS 5.0 |
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The last box of Corbon that I saw had three pierced primers in the first ten rounds. The same gun fired pretty much everything else just fine. My handloads seem match the Corbon's velocity without over-pressure signs, which may or may not tell you anything. I carry Silvertips. I shoot UMC and harvest the brass. YMMV. |
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My carry gun is a commander sized STI 2011 in .38Super. I carry Winchester Silvertips, 17+1 rounds. www.talonarms.com |
I don't know why it was developed but Mexico like Italy does not let civilians own firearms in military calibers. So while the U.S. thinks the 45ACP is the shits, the Mexicans thing 38 stupid is the shits. It gained popularity here as did the 9X21 Italian Cartridge due to the Power Factor in IPSC shooting, both could be loaded to make IPSC major power factor bullet weight X velocity, so 38 Stupid became one of the High Capacity Race Gun Calibers of choice. Now that IPSC allows 9X19 major loads the 38 Stupid will be a dying breed. It will still be the fantasy gun of all the Mexicans that come into this ocuntry, because that is the gun thier history is based upon. And to the guy who understands that Mexicans are also Americans kudos to you. One of my pet peeves is people who think and act like only U.S. citizens are Americans. |
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Yeah, you can load up 9mm and make power factor for major, but you better crack that sucker just right. The 9X19 case doesn't leave much room for error, especially when you have the .38 Super, .38 Super Comp, .38 TJ, and 9X23 available. The Super has been around a long time, and it isn't going away. BTW, the Super was developed by Colt to penetrate early body armor, and body panels on cars. .45 wouldn't do it, but the Super would. For a while, it was the most powerful autoloading cartridge around. Police revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum is what laid the .38 Super dormant for so long. |
Makes sense on the surface but locally the open shooters are shooting super or super comp. The ones that start out with 9 major evenutally get a ream job and switch to the super. Super seems to run a comp better and the super brass, well can be shot several times. Super for carry is kinda a headscratcher for me. |
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I can get once fired 9mm for 270 + shipping in lots of 10k. I cant find once fired 38 super. I did find new brass for 120 + shipping per 1k. non match I'll recover about 90-95% of brass fired and in matches about 10%. I see 9mm as rather cost effictive. current I use 45 acp for ltd 10, brass recovery is 20% When I use 40 for ltd, brass recovery can be over 100%. |
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First, and I don't recall the total history of it, but the .38 Super was developed a long, long, long time ago. I'll have to dust off a Layne Simpson book or two to find out. As for 38 Super dying any time soon, nothing can be further from the truth. The Top 16 at the Nationals is always a great gauge of what are the real guns to use or are being used. The overwhelming round calibers are still .38 Super and .38 Supercomp. Why? 100% reliability. Reliability above everything else is the key to success of your equipment. The 1911 is designed around a cartridge about 1.2" in OAL. Yes with mag inserts, etc. the 9mm can run and many have been able to make it run successfully, however the headache of seating long, compressed loads and less than 100% reliability is not worth it. Brass is still cheap in Super/Supercomp and in reloading ammo, you should never factor the cost of brass since after the 2nd loading it's free anyways. All that aside, .38 Super is an awesome personal defense round. Medium/heavy bullets are available and they still are screamers. Good purchase and hope you have fun with it. Rich |