Advice on a Colt 1911 in 9mm or 38 super please

[Warren Sear]

Can anyone confirm that the new Colt Government pistols in 38 Super caliber do indeed headspace on the case mouth? Just curious.

I have had 100% perfection with mine shooting 38 Super factory ammo and my own 38 Super Comp handloads.

 

[BE Mike]

I bought a new Colt Gold Cup 45 ACP in the mid 80s. That pistol would really shoot! After a while, I decided I didn't like the wide trigger or the big, blocky adjustable sights.

In the end, of course, only the buyer can decide which manufacturer, model type, and caliber is right for him. Not a big deal if that buyer later changes his mind.

I actually tried to use my series 70 Colt Gold Cup for formal bullseye pistol shooting. It wasn't up to the job.

 

[TheTinMan]

If I could find a 4” 2011 with an Officers length frame chambered in 38 Super, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

Someone asked if the Colt .38 Super 1911s have a fully supported chamber (ramped barrel). That would be an important criteria for me.

I always find the “with modern bullets and powders X cartridge is just as good as Y” arguments amusing. In this case, you can load .38 Super with a “modern” propellant and current hollow point bullet and pull well ahead of 9mm Luger +P.

In 2009, I made the mistake of having a CCO 1911 made for me in 9x23 Winchester. I say “mistake” because the cartridge is dead now - Winchester stopped making ammo years ago and don’t even make the brass anymore. However, 124 grains at over 1,400 fps out of a 4” barrel is fine IMHO. Now I also have two full-sized 1911s in 9X23 Winchester, but wish all 3 pistols were .38 Super.

Magazines: I recommend Tripp Research .38 Super mags first with Wilson Combat a close second choice. (9x23 uses the same magazines)

 

[DWalt]

My experience has been that .38 Super (or .38 SC) works OK in a 9x23 Win barrel. Also, 9x23 Win works OK in a .38 Super barrel. I reload everything with .38 Super dies, although I do have a 9x23 die set also.

 

[Greyman50]

Interesting thread. Am an Older Colt guy, 3 LWs, few match, Mid Range, Few Series 70’s, GI 1911 A-1 and a Tisas. Had close to 20 at one time, all in 45 ACP except the Mid Range. Have seriously thought about a 38 Super but not sure I really need it at my age. In light of the good comments regarding the CZ Colts may look at one, why not?

 

[BLUEDOT37]

9x23 Winchester... Winchester stopped making ammo years ago and don’t even make the brass anymore.

Starline makes their version of the brass, 9x23 COMP.

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[STORMINORMAN]

Nice to finally have seen this thread for the 1st time!

I bought the TISAS 1911A Stakeout in both 9mm & 38 Super a couple months ago. Forged steel, Series 70, two barrels, two mags (the 38 Super mag is an Ed Brown) and the gun is finished in electroless nickel! Titanium firing pin.

My 1st Turkish firearm, but not my 1st 1911 (two nice Remington R1s in 45acp)...

1st impression: one of the cleanest, most beautiful pistols I have encountered. Finish was perfect, machining flawless. My 38 Super dies and brass hadn't arrived yet, so the 1st trip to the range was 9mm only. Fired about 8 different 9mm loads (from mild to almost "wild") with absolutely no issues of any kind. Accuracy was outstanding. Could not have been more impressed or happier, but...

Last week PSA had them on $ale for $399.99!

Cheers!

P.S. Notified my good buddy of this amazing deal and he's now just waiting for it to come out of the State of Washington's unConstitutional 2 week firearms jail. Starline brass primered and expanded yesterday, 1st hundred 38 Supers to test on today's to-do list.

 

[J10mm]

Lots of good feedback. I'll start by saying, if you want a 9mm, but a gun that was designed around the 9mm OAL. The 1911 was build on the 45ACP that equates with 38super and 10mm.


I shot a P16-40 high cap for many years in USPSA competition. The best advise I got while struggling to get the P16-40 to consistently feed was from another competitor. He said "That's a 1911 action and the 40 S&W is too short. Load your rounds to 10mm OAL and you eliminate your feed problems." It worked. I ran heavier bullets to get my seating depth to basically 10mm OAL length and my problems went away.



Long way to get back to 38super as the preferred, natural cartridge for a 1911 action. Especially if you reload, simple straight forward cartridge to manufacture. I cannot quantify, but I'm more accurate and have quicker follow-up shots with the 38super.



My recommendation: Get the 38super and Enjoy! If you get bored, buy a 9mm barrel and recoil spring to make it a dual caliber gun.

 

[Warren Sear]

Nice to finally have seen this thread for the 1st time!

I bought the TISAS 1911A Stakeout in both 9mm & 38 Super a couple months ago. Forged steel, Series 70, two barrels, two mags (the 38 Super mag is an Ed Brown) and the gun is finished in electroless nickel! Titanium firing pin.

My 1st Turkish firearm, but not my 1st 1911 (two nice Remington R1s in 45acp)...

1st impression: one of the cleanest, most beautiful pistols I have encountered. Finish was perfect, machining flawless. My 38 Super dies and brass hadn't arrived yet, so the 1st trip to the range was 9mm only. Fired about 8 different 9mm loads (from mild to almost "wild") with absolutely no issues of any kind. Accuracy was outstanding. Could not have been more impressed or happier, but...

Last week PSA had them on $ale for $399.99!

Cheers!

P.S. Notified my good buddy of this amazing deal and he's now just waiting for it to come out of the State of Washington's unConstitutional 2 week firearms jail. Starline brass primered and expanded yesterday, 1st hundred 38 Supers to test on today's to-do list.

I checked with Palmetto State Armory, and they out of stock on the blue and stainless versions of the TISAS 1911A Stakeout.

I don't know if I would get one or not, but I left a message to notify me when they are back in stock.

 

[jem102]

I actually tried to use my series 70 Colt Gold Cup for formal bullseye pistol shooting. It wasn't up to the job.

I bought a new Gold Cup in 1973 for bullseye competition and had the same opinion as yours. I only own one 1911 now a Kimber SIS Pro. It is without a doubt the most accurate 1911 "I" have ever owned.

 

[AJ]

I actually tried to use my series 70 Colt Gold Cup for formal bullseye pistol shooting. It wasn't up to the job.

I bought a new Gold Cup in 1973 for bullseye competition and had the same opinion as yours. I only own one 1911 now a Kimber SIS Pro. It is without a doubt the most accurate 1911 "I" have ever owned.

My experience with the original Series 70 Colt Gold Cup National Match manufactured in 1976 is exactly the opposite of yours.

 

[BE Mike]

My experience with the original Series 70 Colt Gold Cup National Match manufactured in 1976 is exactly the opposite of yours.

I sold my series 70 Gold Cup in about 1978 and a few other handguns to buy a new Clark accurized Heavy Slide. Day and night difference.

 

[jem102]

My experience with the original Series 70 Colt Gold Cup National Match manufactured in 1976 is exactly the opposite of yours.

Glad yours was accurate. Mine was not competitive. I had intentions of sending it to Austin Behlert or Clark but never got around to it and sold it after a few years.

 

[LittleAugieMo]

.38 super....not to be confused w/ .38acp that the colt model.of 1900 was chambered in. Two different cartridges!

 

[AJ]

.38 super....not to be confused w/ .38acp that the colt model.of 1900 was chambered in. Two different cartridges!

1902's and 1903 Hammer's were also chamber for .38ACP. Pictured is a 1903 Hammer.

 

[Doug M.]

It is possible to make a 9mm 1911 that works, but it not as easy as it is with the 45ACP and Super 38, which are mostly the same length and a better fit for a 1911. If I wanted a 9mm 1911, there was a scaled down model from ... Springfield, I think, but I don't see it on their website now. My Wilson KZ 9 works great, but again, designed around the 9mm and when I first got it I had work with the shop manager to get the mags right.

In reality, the cost for a 1911 set up for me in Super .38 is not worth the $$.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I checked with Palmetto State Armory, and they out of stock on the blue and stainless versions of the TISAS 1911A Stakeout.

I don't know if I would get one or not, but I left a message to notify me when they are back in stock.

Just checked: the combo 9mm/38 Super in electroless nickel for $399.99!

They have 'em! Please see my PM!

Cheers!

 

[Warren Sear]

Just checked: the combo 9mm/38 Super in electroless nickel for $399.99!

They have 'em! Please see my PM!

Cheers!

Thank you, sir!

 

[aircommuter]

I like the 38 super auto. I have a 45 and the 38. Bought each one for $169 each. New in the box. Took it home the same day and it’s never gotten the violent virus even though I live in CA.

 

[Taj]

I value members opinions here and I'm not a member of any other forums so please allow me to ask a few questions regarding CZ manufactured Colt 1911s. I'm thinking about purchasing a Colt Gold Cup National Match in 9mm or 38 Super. How good is the quality of the new Colts? A gun store in my area has a National Match 9mm in stock or should I hold out for a 38 Super? I know there is a big price difference in factory ammo but I am able to hand load for either. Thanks for your replies.

Updated on post # 80.

Although it's gotten a lot better these days, the 9mm has not been a great round for a 1911 single stack platform. The cartridge is really too short for the platform and the fact the 9muther-muther has a tapered case can give feeding issues. The problem is that in a SS mag, the cartridge under the mag feed lips is only supported at the rear end due to the tapered cases. That plus the cartridge is shorter than the .45 acp makes the 9 want to severely nose dive when the slide is trying to strip it from the mag because it pivots on the case under it. Wilson has a newly redesigned mag which cures most problems and he spent a lot of effort in design because of these issues. A while back I noticed that the S&W 9mm 1911s were being shipped with Wilson mags. On the other hand, the .38 Super feeds like stuff through a goose. The case/cartridge is long enough and is not tapered so works well in the 1911 platform.