Quote:
Originally Posted by Hair Trigger
I've read this thread with much interest, trying to learn about .38Super. I just bought a RIA GI Standard FS 1911, and bought a box of factory ammo to play with until I get dies to reload with. I've wanted a .38 Super for some time, and the RIA seems a well-built 1911, very tight.
I'm curious regarding the specs on the ammo box. it's PMC ammo, 130 gr. FMJ, and the box says "+P", and 1100 fps MV. When I compare this to the .38 Super loads in my 10th Ed. Hornady manual, Hornady shows 1100 fps as sort of mid-range for both 125 and 140 grain bullets in their load data (they don't list a 130 grain). If that's the case, then is the PMC ammo really +P? In any case, it should be fine to shoot, right?
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Your RIA made 1911 is perfectly safe for any factory 38 Super ammo. As for the stated velocity you will find on boxes of factory 38 Super, measured velocity will vary depending upon the length of the test barrel. If PMC used a 4 inch barrel, then 1100 fps sounds about right. I think most manufacturers use a 5 inch barrel and 130 grain bullets typically make 1200 fps. It's also possible that PMC is worried that someone will chamber their ammo in an older, 38 ACP pistol, so they have downloaded it to something just a tiny bit more than 38 ACP.
If you want to reload 38 Super to its full potential, I'd recommend one very important change to the pistol. The firing pin stop in the 1911-A1 has a very generous radius on its bottom edge, this was to make it easier for horse mounted soldiers to rack the slide to chamber a round. Fitting a 1911 style firing pin stop with a tiny radius (aka: flat bottom firing pin stop) will add a lot of resistance to the slide as the slide begins to move rearward during firing. This is a more reliable way to control the unlocking of the breach rather than swapping in heavy recoil springs that will make the slide slam forward with far more energy onto the slide stop pin.