# Any fans of 38 Super?



## ebbiv (9 mo ago)

To me the .38 Super is close to the perfect round for any need. I carry a 1911 and while not only an extremely accurate round, its also pretty nasty with the right loading and theres even some specialty manufacturers offering balistics just shy of a base 357. Even its standard loading isnt too shabby. Its a shame it’s rarely remembered or even know outside the competition world . Ive heard of some people handloading some really hot speed demons with them and would like to hear anyone with a lot of knowledge on the topic.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Always wanted to try a 38 Super 1911. But, ammo is more expensive and harder to find.


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## ebbiv (9 mo ago)

Shipwreck said:


> Always wanted to try a 38 Super 1911. But, ammo is more expensive and harder to find.


I find it online, for ball its really not bad and defensive jhp aren’t much different than 9mm. Its really a 9mm bullet in. Long case, similar recoil to a plus p 9. And if you’re used to 45 1911s it feels like nothing and very controllable. I picked up a nice colt limited run lightweight combat commander and its a really nice gum to shoot. If you get a chance to try one you’ll want one for sure


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## old tanker (10 mo ago)

In some circles the Super 38 was chosen because of restrictions on the ownership of guns in military calibers. This is the explanation of given to explain its popularity in Mexico and parts of Latin America. Others favored its increased penetration, especially against the sheet metal of car bodies in the Thirties. Legendary Texas Ranger Frank Hamer reportedly carried one during the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde. Earlier Super 38's suffered from varying degrees of accuracy. The reason being if the chamber dimension was 'loose' with the cartridge head-spacing off the rim the round would be able to tilt ever so slightly in the chamber, never a good thing where accuracy is concerned. Some time in the Seventies Bar-Sto introduced barrels which head spaced on the case mouth which provided an advantage for accuracy.


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## JamesCC (Mar 21, 2019)

Ammo costs right now make me second guess my range run


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## Arizona Desertman (10 mo ago)

My very first handgun is a Colt 1911 in .38 Super of which I still have, it was made in 1941. It had been re blued at least once that I know of. The bluing started to wear and rust in spots from carrying it on a daily basis and from perspiration from shooting it. So I had the frame refinished in metalife a matte chrome plating that is more durable. I also changed the grip safety to an all stainless steel one. I converted it over to 45ACP using a Colt Commander upper mostly because there wasn't a wide variety of ammo available for it. Next using a full size Colt upper with a chrome plated slide. From there I bought a nice set of Wilson grips and installed the original hammer, trigger and thumb safety to give it more of an original look. 

With the wide variety of ammo available in 9mm, 40 and 45 I kinda lost interest in that particular caliber. I still have all of the parts to convert it back if I want. I really don't know why it's not more popular? It would make for a really nice sub compact pistol as it's more powerful than a "nine". Its velocity is in between a 9mm and 357 Magnum. I haven't fired that cartridge in a long time. From what I remember it had a relatively mild recoil especially out of an all steel pistol. When I first got it and as my first handgun I really didn't know shit about handguns other than I liked that particular gun. After the first few years of owning it and gaining more knowledge about handguns I decided to make the switch to 45ACP.


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## ebbiv (9 mo ago)

The trick is specialty or hand loaded stuff which can put it on par with base 357 mag loads. Buffalo has 115,124,147gr with the 115 at nearly 1500fps with am ME of 537flbs bs a 115 9mm police load i once carried at .355 flbs and even. Factory +p only does 451. So loaded right the recoil is still light and would not want to get hit with it. In LE i ditch 9mm after the horrible performance in dept shootings. Vice agent was being run down and pumped 8 or so in the windshield, 147 gr 9. Only 2 penetrated and hit drive leaving 2 tiny cuts before being recovered from seat i shit you not. Worst LE round there is. Around same time they allowed you 40, 45, 357 and one dick head brass Do nothing was allowed a 10mm. I went 45. Hit someone with a 230 jhp and jobs done, the 40 made no sense at that time speed of non and hit of 45, so carry 45. As for 357 forget it, one shot done. They made fun of a guys python daily till some 6’7 giant oulled a shot gun during a domestic and one shot bit the ground dead dead amd dead. No teasing after that. Any i just like odd stuff, tryiing to find a 1911 in 38 special, coonan i know but colt back in the 60s supposedly did a short run. Would just be so cool but prob priced far out of reach, hell i have an hk p7 m13 and they’re bring 5-7-10k insane. Paid $1100 new in 90


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## JamesCC (Mar 21, 2019)

The markup really has gotten insane


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## Babbalou1956 (Sep 2, 2014)

I just watched a YouTube video by Paul Harrell called "Shooting 38 Super in 38 Special & .357 Magnum Revolvers. Being a semi-rimmed case it fits in some revolvers & he shot it out of a few. Loading pressure & energy is about double the 38 Special which is longer. If someone made a 38 Super revolver I'd consider it just for something different.


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## ebbiv (9 mo ago)

Babbalou1956 said:


> I just watched a YouTube video by Paul Harrell called "Shooting 38 Super in 38 Special & .357 Magnum Revolvers. Being a semi-rimmed case it fits in some revolvers & he shot it out of a few. Loading pressure & energy is about double the 38 Special which is longer. If someone made a 38 Super revolver I'd consider it just for something different.


I just like odd stuff, work years in LE, and carried .45 there,, Would never ever carry a 9mm, at least not with the typical 115 or 147gr rounds, They always made fun of the 357 guy and my 8 round 45 mags, but of all the shootings over the years that you could look up, nobody survived the 357 or 45. I was present of a few shootings, none myself but one that I arrived on minutes after, proved fact is sometimes stranger than fiction. A Vice detective was at a stop light, and the car behind him bumped into him.. Back in the 90s there was a string of carjacking's that became known as Bump and Rob. basically you bump into the person, and then they get out to see what happened, and in the process take a beating and lose their car. 

Anyway, the detective thinks hes a mark., so he gets out, and was in plain close and left his Id in the car, so he approached the car. and the driver think hes' about to be a victim as the detect sad as this is to say was a black man, and had he been in normal clothes prob no issue, but he was in ghetto wear posing as a drug dealer, so the other driver was a young white male, so then it all goes to shit,, the kid nails it in reverse and then thinking the dective is the bad guy attempts to run him over, so he pull his Glock (another joke) and starts shooting. He somehow dumped he whole magazine at the car, 8 hit the windshield and the rest hit the side of the car as he jumped out of the way. 

fast forward to the mess, they find out the kid although 18 had been driving all of a week, and was his father was a judge, and so oops there, on the detectives end, if you're dressed in criminal attire, and you say stop Sheriffs Office, and have no identifiable way for someone to know if you really are you'd probably regardless of race get run down too.. Now the best part. Those Shitty 115gr 9mm silvertips should be in the museum of useless pistol round because of the 15 or so, none penetrated the door, and of the 8 in the windshield, on 2 went through, and they both struck the drive in the chest, so bad right? lol,, they had lost so much veolocity that each left a tiny tear on the t shirt and two little scratches. the bullets where found in his lap between his legs. Never will I ever see something that crazy, nor will i probably ever again. 

Just a day in the life


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