.38 super

[gschoelles]

I was at the range Saturday and while picking up my brass found some .38 supers. I reflected a bit and looked up the characteristics for this cartridge and just don't understand why it's not more popular. It looks more powerful than a .40, and less than a 10mm which I would think to be an excellent crossover gun.

Thoughts or explanations?

[OneSevenDeuce]

It looks more powerful than a .40, and less than a 10mm

What do you mean by powerful? And how do you know this by looking at the brass?

[ke6guj]

I was at the range Saturday and while picking up my brass found some .38 supers. I reflected a bit and looked up the characteristics for this cartridge and just don't understand why it's not more popular. It looks more powerful than a .40, and less than a 10mm which I would think to be an excellent crossover gun.

Thoughts or explanations?

What do you mean by powerful? And how do you know this by looking at the brass?

he said he looked up the specs, he didn't just look at the brass and decide that .38super was more powerful than .40S&W.



Both cartridges are in the same range of "power" with energy being in the 400-500 ft-lbs, depending on the load.

As for why it isn't more popular, the .38super round is semi-rimmed, which makes feeding from a mag more difficult than a rimless round.

[OneSevenDeuce]

he said he looked up the specs

Still doesn't make sense to me. A lot of people manufacture .38 super. Who's specs did you look up? What made you think it was a more "powerful" round?

[Colt]

Well, he said he looked up the specs...

Anyway, I think .38 Super was popular with the feds during the gangster era - the Colt 1911 was chambered with this cartridge to shoot through windshields and such. Don't know a lot about it - but some folks seem to love it.

[OneSevenDeuce]

Well, he said he looked up the specs...

WHAT specs?

[Colt]

Google it - lots of info...

[OneSevenDeuce]

Google it - lots of info...

You don't understand what I'm saying. I'm saying that a lot of people make .38 super. Their specifications can vary widely. To say that someone looked up the "specs" doesn't mean anything.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

...To say that someone looked up the "specs" doesn't mean anything.

I'm guessing that he looked up the muzzle energy of various loadings of .40 S&W, .38 Super and 10mm and noticed a trend.

[OneSevenDeuce]

I'm guessing that he looked up the muzzle energy of various loadings of .40 S&W, .38 Super and 10mm and noticed a trend.

Now that answer makes some sense.

[Sailormilan2]

The 38 Super has never had a sterling reputation for accuracy. Unfortunately, this is due to the design of the case and chamber. The case, for some reason, was designed as a semi rimmed case, and then the chamber was designed to have the cartridge head space on the rim. Due to manurfacturing tolerances, often times the rim didn't do its job, and accuracy suffered.
Reportedly, new Colt made barrels(and probably some after market ones) have a redesigned chamber, where the case headspaces on the case mouth. Like the 45 acp.
Another issue I have heard, is that many of the older barrels are .357 barrels, but most bullets loaded for the 38 Super are .355(9mm bullets). I think this is partly due to the 9mm bullets being designed to work in a semi auto, especially the hollow point bullets. The Colt 2 piece feed ramp really doesn't lend it self well to feeding exposed lead hollow point bullets unless there is a bit of polishing done to the ramp.
On the old style barrels the rim headspaces at a "notch" or ledge cut in the chamber hood, the extension at the rear of the chamber.
I have been looking for a new style barrel for my 38 Super Commander for some time now. All the replacement barrels I find are the old style.

[BigJB]

The Soooper rules in Mexico

[BigDogatPlay]

The Soooper rules in Mexico

Because los hombres can not legally possess anything that shoots .45 ACP or 9mm.

The Super was hard pressed for many years to be accurate as it was most often headspaced on the case rim. Manufacturers have moved to headspacing on the case mouth, as noted above, and that has helped a great deal.

.38 Super found it's legs in the IPSC movement of the 70's and 80's as it was the only sub .45 caliber cartridge commonly available that could be loaded to meet Col. Cooper's major caliber power factor. It shoots a lot like a 9 in a well set up gun, and gave enough power to not handicap a competitor.

[psango]

It's the nostalgia factor

Because los hombres can not legally possess anything that shoots .45 ACP or 9mm.

The Super was hard pressed for many years to be accurate as it was most often headspaced on the case rim. Manufacturers have moved to headspacing on the case mouth, as noted above, and that has helped a great deal.

.38 Super found it's legs in the IPSC movement of the 70's and 80's as it was the only sub .45 caliber cartridge commonly available that could be loaded to meet Col. Cooper's major caliber power factor. It shoots a lot like a 9 in a well set up gun, and gave enough power to not handicap a competitor.

Yep that pretty much sums it up!

I have a Sig P220, and Springfield 1911 in 38 Super. They will be less practical to have if the mail order ammo ban goes into effect.

I don't reload, and to find ammo I have to order it online. Most stores in my area don't stock it regularly. I've had a super of one sort or another since 1968. I guess it's the nostalgia factor that has kept me shooting them.

Sig Sauer P220 38 Super c.1994


Springfield 1911A1 Mil-Spec. 38 Super c.2004

[Colt]

You don't understand what I'm saying. I'm saying that a lot of people make .38 super. Their specifications can vary widely. To say that someone looked up the "specs" doesn't mean anything.

I do understand - look at various manufacturers and other sites - I assume that's what OP did.