What is your experience with 38 super?

[sheepdog697]

Picking up a custom 1911 from a friend in 38 super! It has a nowlin barrel. Was wondering what kind of experiences any of you have had with the round? What ammo did you like? If you had a 1911 what magazines did you use? Thanks in advance.
Here's some pictures.

 

[Doublehelix]

No advice, other than to say "She's a beaut!!!" Wow. I love it. Congratulations on a fine-looking gun. I am sure it will shoot just as well!

 

[PaulF]

I inherited a .38 super 1911 from my dad. I had never heard of that round before. It is actually a very comfortable round for range time.

I do not carry that pistol, due to its high sentimental value.

 

[indiucky]

I inherited a .38 super 1911 from my dad. I had never heard of that round before. It is actually a very comfortable round for range time.

I do not carry that pistol, due to its high sentimental value.

Gunaria just picked up a Spanish Destroyer carbine converted to 38 super....He loves them...Very popular south of the border due to .38 super not being a military round (at the time) civilians in Mexico could own .38 super....It's also why Ruger made a Mini 14 in .222 and it's so rare...Made for the Mexican market...You could not have a .223/5.56 but a .222 was no problem....There is even a film with Tab Hunter called "Super Colt .38"...

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[DoggyDaddy]

Gunaria just picked up a Spanish Destroyer carbine converted to 38 super....He loves them...Very popular south of the border due to .38 super not being a military round (at the time) civilians in Mexico could own .38 super....It's also why Ruger made a Mini 14 in .222 and it's so rare...Made for the Mexican market...You could not have a .223/5.56 but a .222 was no problem....There is even a film with Tab Hunter called "Super Colt .38"...

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That should have been a pretty easy conversion. I wonder what (other than a little adjustment of the chamber) had to be done, since the .38 super and the 9mm Largo are so close in size?

 

[indiucky]

That should have been a pretty easy conversion. I wonder what (other than a little adjustment of the chamber) had to be done, since the .38 super and the 9mm Largo are so close in size?

As best as we could see it seems like just a beefed up extractor...It was pro done for sure...The old caliber x'd out and .38 Super stamped on top of the breech...It's a good looking piece...he may come in and chime in...

 

[Leadeye]

I use 38 super cases for guns chambered in 9mm Mauser with no issues, just have to load them heavier than 38 ACP.

The original Colt super 38 might have been the 38-40 which really is more of a 40 caliber.

 

[Bigtanker]

I've used to work with a guy that had one. Factory ammo is/was a little weak, similar to the 10mm. If you reload or buy some hotter boutique ammo, you can get into more power if needed/wanted.

Nice looking pistol too!

 

[sheepdog697]

I inherited a .38 super 1911 from my dad. I had never heard of that round before. It is actually a very comfortable round for range time.

I do not carry that pistol, due to its high sentimental value.

Very cool. Any pictures? I definitely wont be carrying this one either. Mostly a range toy.

 

[sheepdog697]

Gunaria just picked up a Spanish Destroyer carbine converted to 38 super....He loves them...Very popular south of the border due to .38 super not being a military round (at the time) civilians in Mexico could own .38 super....It's also why Ruger made a Mini 14 in .222 and it's so rare...Made for the Mexican market...You could not have a .223/5.56 but a .222 was no problem....There is even a film with Tab Hunter called "Super Colt .38"...

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I actually did read something about that as well when i did some google searches on the round. I seems to be very similiar to the 9mm just with more case capacity. Apparently all the "new" ammunition is marked as 38 super +p to distinguish from the older version. At least thats what i read online. All of the ammo i found with the gun was marked 38 super +p as well.

thanks for chiming in, and thats a cool movie poster!

 

[sheepdog697]

I've used to work with a guy that had one. Factory ammo is/was a little weak, similar to the 10mm. If you reload or buy some hotter boutique ammo, you can get into more power if needed/wanted.

Nice looking pistol too!

Thanks,

What do you mean by the ammo being "weak". Ive never shot a 10mm so not sure what you mean.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

As best as we could see it seems like just a beefed up extractor...It was pro done for sure...The old caliber x'd out and .38 Super stamped on top of the breech...It's a good looking piece...he may come in and chime in...

That makes sense since I think the super is little hotter than the Largo. Never heard of it being done though. Pretty cool!

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

Thanks,

What do you mean by the ammo being "weak". Ive never shot a 10mm so not sure what you mean.

10mm ammo, in its initial years, was loaded hotter than it is now. Factory ammo twnety years ago was in a similiar power range as Buffalo Bore. The round was probably too hot for some people to shoot it well. I even heard that the original loading was really hard on the first guns chambered in 10mm as well

 

[Bosshoss]

Nice custom 1911.
Colt frame and Caspian slide. If the barrel is a ramped barrel you can load up and shoot some seriously hot rounds. If it was built with a non-ramped barrel I would say most any factory round and mid range reloads will be fine.
I have over 150K thru 38 super guns. Most in 1911/2011 platform and the revolver I shoot now is even 38 super. All of this was in competition or practice.
Shot LOTS of 124 grain at 1450 FPS out of ramped barrel compensated autos.
Lots of options for mags Wilson, Chip McCormick, Metalform, all work ok and hold 10 rounds.

 

[sheepdog697]

Nice custom 1911.
Colt frame and Caspian slide. If the barrel is a ramped barrel you can load up and shoot some seriously hot rounds. If it was built with a non-ramped barrel I would say most any factory round and mid range reloads will be fine.
I have over 150K thru 38 super guns. Most in 1911/2011 platform and the revolver I shoot now is even 38 super. All of this was in competition or practice.
Shot LOTS of 124 grain at 1450 FPS out of ramped barrel compensated autos.
Lots of options for mags Wilson, Chip McCormick, Metalform, all work ok and hold 10 rounds.

They are all 38 super specific magazines? How would i tell if its a ramped barrel?

 

[Bosshoss]

Yes mags are specific although some might say 9/38.

Some of the newer 9 mm mags have a spacer in the back of mag to make up for shorter length of 9mm.

Lock slide back and look at chamber thru ejection port a ramped barrel will have the ramp(where the bullet nose rubs going from the magazine to the gun) attached to the barrel. This will hang down quite a bit. A non ramped barrel will have nothing hanging down and the frame of the gun and the bottom edge of the barrel will make a 2 piece feed ramp.

Here is a picture:
https://www.google.com/search?q=191...=CSWYWdPYLcjNjwSY45P4DQ#imgrc=xEqETfmWj403HM:

 

[Alamo]

When I was younger...like 30 years ago... .38 Super was very popular in the IPSC and similar matches. I believe it could make "major" category with less recoil than the .45 ACP, especially with a compensator, hold a couple more rounds, and since it had long been used in 1911 style pistols it wasn't a major redesign to get it to work.

That's a nice looking pistol.

 

[Bigtanker]

Thanks,

What do you mean by the ammo being "weak". Ive never shot a 10mm so not sure what you mean.

The factory 10mm stuff from a majority of the big ammo producers is weaker than what the round was originally speced for.

American Eagle 180 gr. 1050 fps.
https://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/handgun/family/american-eagle/american-eagle-handgun/ae10a

Underwood 180 gr. 1300 fps.
https://underwoodammo.com/shop/10mm-auto-180-grain-full-metal-jacket-box-of-50/

For comparison to the American Eagle, Winchester has a 180 gr 40 S&W at 1010 fps. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2...on-40-s-and-w-180-grain-jacketed-hollow-point

 

[Expat]

I have a 1911 in 9mm, 10mm, and .45 acp... I have always wondered if I needed one in .38 super... But that is another pile of needed mags and another shelf for ammo.

 

[sheepdog697]

Yes mags are specific although some might say 9/38.

Some of the newer 9 mm mags have a spacer in the back of mag to make up for shorter length of 9mm.

Lock slide back and look at chamber thru ejection port a ramped barrel will have the ramp(where the bullet nose rubs going from the magazine to the gun) attached to the barrel. This will hang down quite a bit. A non ramped barrel will have nothing hanging down and the frame of the gun and the bottom edge of the barrel will make a 2 piece feed ramp.

Here is a picture:
https://www.google.com/search?q=191...=CSWYWdPYLcjNjwSY45P4DQ#imgrc=xEqETfmWj403HM:

Oh okay. Right on. thanks for the info.