I have a box of 158gr SWC Super Vel 38 spl ammo,I would like to carry this in my mdl 36 which isn't rated for plus P.
Is this ammo just std 38 or hot like the 110gr police ammo they made?

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Anchors

I have a box of 158gr SWC Super Vel 38 spl ammo,I would like to carry this in my mdl 36 which isn't rated for plus P.
Is this ammo just std 38 or hot like the 110gr police ammo they made?

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Anchors

Do what you want, but if it were me, I'd keep the Super Vel for its collector value or sell it to a collector, and get some late production ammo for carry, probably either Speer 135gr. Gold Dots or Federal FBI loads. I believe, but do not know for sure, that the Super Vel would have been loaded to +P specs. I personally will use +P in post-1955 steel J-frames, in limited quantities, whether or not they are "rated" or "approved" for +P. The little beasts are pretty stout.

When the SuperVel company was producing ammo circa 1965 to 1975, there was no such thing as +P back then. SuperVel went out of business before the organization SAAMI aka Sporting Arms and Ammunition Makers Institute became the official watchdogs of the arms/ammo business in this country.

The 110 gr JHP SuperVel load was very hot. It was rated at 1000 fps in a two inch barrel. I've shot this ammo and I always got flattened primers in my early Model 60. The 158 gr LSWC SuperVel was standard pressure (18,900 C.U.P.) The 158 gr rounds I bought and shot gave slightly better performance than the 158 gr RNL rounds from the Big Three.

So the answer to your question is yes. You can shoot these rounds in your Model 36. However, if the ammo in question is a full 50 rounds in the yellow factory box, I would not shoot it because it has some collector value.


Roadster

Thanks, The box is 98% and has a full 50 rounds,so maybe I'll save it.

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I agree, save it. It was great in it's day, but I'm sure that the best modern stuff is better for defense.

I agree, some Super Vel is hot and some is not.

I have not found it to be especially collectable, expect by certain people who want to obtain an example of every box they made. I recently bought a full box of Super Vel 9mm 90 grain rounds in an excellent condition box for $9, that had survived the first two days of a big gun show without being purchased.

The 110 grain .38 Special you mentioned chronoed for me out of a 4' M15 at average 1221 fps. That was hot. A box of 158 grain .357 magnum SWC KK Super Vels averaged only 950 fps from a 4" M28. That's not hot, obviously. I was so surprised that I immediately fired some older WW 158 grain .357's, and they averaged 1258, so I know the low Super Vel reading was correct.

In the '70s I did a fair amount of "Ammo Testing" and the conclusion I came to was that the Super Vel ammo was less than "High Quality" ammo. I found double charges of what looked to be Bullseye power in their .38 Specials, in their .357 Magnums and in their .45ACP loadings.

I also found a large difference in the grain weights of their bullets. In fact, I found one 158 grain bullet in a box of their 125 grain loadings. I also heard of several other departments who had "Bad Things" to some of their LEOs who were using this stuff.

"<span class="ev_code_RED">SuperVel went out of business before the organization SAAMI aka Sporting Arms and Ammunition Makers Institute became the official watchdogs of the arms/ammo business in this country.</span>" As for this comment I think you'll find that SAAMI has been around a whole lot longer that this comment would indicate.

Before bashing SuperVel, it should be known that after Lee Jurras folded the original SuperVel company, another company opened up using the same name. Apparantly Jurras didn't trademark the name or let the trademark expire when he closed his doors. The subsequent company only lasted a short time, but was reputed to turn out some of the worst **** in the industry. The original SuperVel was cutting edge for it's time, and only closed because it got increasingly more difficult for them to buy the components they needed in sufficent quantities to pay the bills.

It's been a long time ago, I believe there were several issues that contibuted to SuperVel shutting down. One of these was the decision of the "majors" to compete with SuperVel in producing ammunition other than RNL.

IIRC, after SuperVel shut down, Jurras released their loading data for use by those interested. I know I took detailed notes that are still tucked away in one of my loading manuals.

One of the companies which succeeded them and obtained the name was H & H Cartridge Corp. out of Greensburg, Indiana. Here is a somewhat unusual container which has 2 rows of 9 cartridges which snap into place.
Ed

I have, I believe, boxes of every type of Super Vel that Jurras manufactured and actually started using Super Vel in the early 1970's. I can tell you that 1. Its quality was never in question 2. Its very 'hot'! 3. I seriously doubt that any pressure testing was ever done. 4. Yes, when the niche market Lee developed was judged profitiable, the big companies started to compete. 5. I think Super Vel would still hold its own with any current manufactured ammunition for self defense.-Dick