What's so super about 38 super?

[shovelwrench]

Heres Mine

Kimber Pro Carry HD

Custom home build Fusion 6" wearing Ford's hard chrome, black nickel small parts.

 

[Center Villian]

Very Cool

Man I am lovin' that custom longslide. That gun has been on my wish list for a long time. Thanks for sharing those pics.

Sammy

 

[alphabrace]

flat trajectory

How much flatter is a 38 super over the other the 9, 40 and 45 at 25 yards? I guess I am asking for trajectory curves? BTW nice pics shovelwrench of a couple of real keepers!

 

[Tom M]

What's not to like? Since I got these, I haven't even fired a .45 caliber 1911.

 

[shovelwrench]

How much flatter is a 38 super over the other the 9, 40 and 45 at 25 yards? I guess I am asking for trajectory curves? BTW nice pics shovelwrench of a couple of real keepers!

Thanks for the kind words.

Trajectory, is a factor of velocity. The flatter you want a bullet to go, the faster it has to go. Look at it as time in the air, the more time spent in the air, the farther a bullet drops.

A 115gr will go over 1600fps from a super, 9mm is 400fps slower with the same bullet. 40, 45 go substantially slower yet.

 

[Ed333]

action pistol round

at my club, the race gun guys are split about 50-50 between .45acp and .38 Super, all handloaded with dialed down loads and lightened slides, compensation, softer springs, optics, etc, the usual race gun goodies.

 

[Spotteddog]

Alpha,
Generic trajectory numbers are available from all the major manufacturers web sites out to 50 yards. Just be aware, some will use a "test barrel", some may/or may not use an actual weapon for their spec's. And still others may use a different barrel length?

Cartridge Comparisons

 

[Rolando]

I know it is a popular pistol in Mexico. Something about not having larger caliber than the military made them available and they are still popular. Reading Mexican newspapers it seems that besides the usual "cuerno de chivo" 38 Super seems to be a popular gun in Mexico.

 

[BUFF]

Dick Metcalf wrote in SHOOTING TIMES magazine that he shot .38 Super ammunition in his Model 52-2 with no modifications and it ran just fine.

My only current .38 Super is actually a dual-caliber conversion. I bought a new Colt Government Model in 9X23 Winchester some years back. The .38 Super and 9X23 are dimensionally very close. I bought a new .38 Super barrel and fitted bushing and recoil spring and they run great in the 9X23 gun. Uses the same magazines.

Actually, the 9X23 Winchester, from the factory, is ballistically what folks are usually trying to handload the .38 Super into.

 

[shovelwrench]

What I find funny is the 9x23 and the .38 super are only .006 different in case length.???

 

[safearm]

While they shoot the same bullet and can generally be loaded to the same velocity, the big difference between the 9mm and the .38 Super is the case. The .38 Super has a straight wall case versus the tapered case of the 9mm. Because of concern of chambering a high power .38 Super load in older guns (.38 ACP), I believe the .38 Super was never loaded to its full potential. With hand loads, modern cases, and modern guns, you really can have a .357 Auto. Other than the versatility of shooting two rounds from the same breech size (.40 S&W and .357 SIG), I don't think there's much advantage of the .357 SIG over a properly loaded .38 Super.

 

[signsrup]

If you want a 38 cal 1911, it's the only way to go. Most 9mm (luger) 1911's suffer from feeding issues of one degree or another. The 38 super guns don't seem to be affected at all.

 

[CBennett]

I have a couple of .38 Super handguns, and they are exceedingly accurate. The round is flat shooting and a joy on the range. As mentioned, it's real potential can only be attained through reloading these days. I like 124 grain cast bullets in mine, driven over 1,350 fps.

Hope this helps.

Fred

I was gonna mention accuracy. A lot of local guys at the local indoor range shoot this round out of a 1911 platform in competitions for its accuracy.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

Here's a pic of my Les Baer Premier 2 in 38 Super. The test target is 50 yards, 10 rounds out of a machine rest. If you like the deluxe cardboard target then you should see the custom cardboard box they come in.

 

[M29since14]

Here's a pic of my Les Baer Premier 2 in 38 Super. The test target is 50 yards, 10 rounds out of a machine rest. If you like the deluxe cardboard target then you should see the custom cardboard box they come in.

10 rounds! That is some shooting iron. I was thinking of a PII .38 Super but haven't talked myself into spending the money. I agree that the PII has some oddities. Other than the cardboard box, I thought my .45 was marked poorly, came with a hideous set of grips, I never liked the magazine furnished with it - and only one was sent. For a gun costing what a PII does, I thought all of these areas would be handled better - particularly the marking.

Back to the thread, Supers are just something else to shoot, but there is certainly no harm in having one. I have had a .38 Super Commander since I was a teenager and always was fond of the gun but dissatisfied with accuracy. A Bar-Sto barrel fixed that. My particular barrel shoots very well with Hornady 147 XTPs, but not like that PII!

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I've changed the grips added a S&A magwell and a Dawson tool less full length guide rod and got a couple Wilson mags which work great except they won't lock the slide back when the mag runs empty.
I don't even know what brand of mag LB provided but it works as it should.
I'd have to say that a shooter can tell the difference between a standard LB which should do 3" or better at 50 yards and one with the 1.5" option. It's not much of a difference but it's there.

If you decide you need one, call John at Proload and he'll treat you well.

 

[shovelwrench]

Dawson tool less full length guide rod

FOR SHAME

 

[Joni_Lynn]

It makes take down so quick and easy and no spring pressure to deal with. The arthritis in my hands likes them too!

 

[shovelwrench]

It makes take down so quick and easy and no spring pressure to deal with. The arthritis in my hands likes them too!

Just kiddin Joni, I promise not to tell the purists on the other site

 

[Joni_Lynn]

That's okay, they already know I use those. Otherwise my guns all use the short guide rod in them.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Joni,

When I got my Baer custom 10mm 1.5" gun, I talked to Mr. Baer and he stated that he hand shoots each group off of bags and does not use a rest. I also found out that the smith that builds the 1.5" guns has to stand there while Mr. Baer is shooting the targets and changes the targets, loads the mags and does any clean up work that Mr. Baer says needs to be done.

Nice 38 super PII. I have a 45ACP like it and a 10mm Heavy Weight Monolith which I love!

 

[Joni_Lynn]

Thanks, I stand corrected. Either way the guns really shoot well.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

.38 Supers...1st one is a Springfield Armory...2nd one is a Rock Island Armory. Both have factory finish. The SA is nickel & the RIA is bright hard chrome.

I handload for them...Hornady 124 grain XTP's and 125 grain cast lead.

 

[M29since14]

...If you decide you need one, call John at Proload and he'll treat you well.

I hate it when I hear things like that, but thanks! Appreciate the info.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Joni,

Your target is better then mine. I asked Mr. Baer to do it with Winchester Silvertips which I have since learned are not that accurate. It does meet the 50 yrd 1.5" guarantee though.

The RZ next door is only a 25 yrd target but its still a good one.

 

[Pisgah]

The .38 Super is what I have pointed to as illustration that there's nothing new under the sun when I've heard folks rave over the .357 SIG.

 

[zenfly]

Double Tap is super..

Caliber : 38 Super+P

Bullet : 115gr. Barnes TAC-XP

Ballistics : 115gr @ 1425fps / 519ft. lbs. from a 1911.

 

[Texas1941]

"The .38 Super uses .355 diameter bullets"

Actually, SAAMI specs call for a bullet diameter of .356" for the .38 Super and .38acp. I size all my 9mm and .38 super bullets to .356" and they work perfectly. Most commercial bullets for the .38 Super are sized to .356".

Hope this helps.

Fred

No experience with anything but Colt's, so I don't know about Wilson, LB, etc. With Colts, two things need to be checked: bore diameter and headspace. The bore on older Colt's tends to run .357 or higher. I have a pre Series 70 that runs .358+ and headspaces on the rim (the Super is a simi rimmed ctg) It will do 3" @ 25' with good handloads using .357 bullets. Any thing sized .354-.355 will produce shotgun-like patterns.

The second Super is a Series 80 which runs .355+ and headspaces on the ctg mouth, like a 45ACP. It will shoot most anything into 1.5 or 2 inches.

I have never heard of the headspace issue on anything but Colt's.

 

[Blue Box]

I shoot bowling pins with a 38 super Springfield 1911 Factory Comp. there is very little recoil, but the pins go off the table like your using a 45!

 

[smokinj38]

super rounds.

i start this out with" don't try this at home kiddies" but then i do.
with the new podwers and rounds for the "38" you can make it REALLY nasty. some that i loades up for a resent match were traveling at about 1530 with a 121 grain zero. with no presure signs. take that 357!!!!!