1911 in 38 super?

[GuillermoAntonio]

Anyone here that can comment (based on personal experience) on that round?
Im about to pull the trigger and buy me a kimber carry pro II in 38 super.
The .45 is also available but honestly im not a fan of the .45 recoil. I would like to be able to carry this gun and from time to time take it to an idpa match or a steel match and for that I wish to have less recoil.
I have read several articles saying the 38 super is a fine SD round....
I understand the price of 38 super is not that much better than the .45 but thats OK because I usually shoot matches with my CZ 75 sp01. So the 1911 primary use will be CCW and therefore dont expect to use much ammo often.
If any of you have experience with this round please let me know, i Have been watching some youtube videos and it seems as if the recoil of it would be comparable to that of a hot 9mm round?
Thanks in advance

[L84CABO]

Tagged for interest...

What are the benefits of 38 Super over 9mm for an IDPA round? I know very little about this round...as you can probably tell.

[jshot]

I have a RIA 38 super, and I love it! I wanted to get a 9mm 1911 but since the RIA 9mm is off roster I got the 38 super and bought the 9mm barrel. I like the 38 super so much that I have not used the 9mm barrel. Rounds are pretty hard to find but I just go to gun shows to buy some. Recoil is very managable and has a louder bang. Very fun caliber! I mainly use mine for indoor target practice. Good luck!

[smle-man]

I like mine, I load with blue dot powder. It is accurate and has more power reserve than the 9mm. Perhaps I like mine so much because it is different than the other auto pistols on the range. Recoil is like a 9mm for me at least.

[GuillermoAntonio]

I have a RIA 38 super, and I love it! I wanted to get a 9mm 1911 but since the RIA 9mm is off roster I got the 38 super and bought the 9mm barrel. I like the 38 super so much that I have not used the 9mm barrel. Rounds are pretty hard to find but I just go to gun shows to buy some. Recoil is very managable and has a louder bang. Very fun caliber! I mainly use mine for indoor target practice. Good luck!

So.... you get to just swap out barrels? No fitting required? Wonder if that can be done with the kimber as well

[Oceanbob]

If you're going to run .38 Super consider reloading.

[Bill Steele]

1911 and .38 Super (and Supercomp) go together like peas and carrots...

[zoid52]

Ive got a ParaOrdance in 38 super. This is an extremely accurate pistol. I love this 1911 gun more than 2 Colts in 45acp. I bought 1000 brass cases from Starline & fed it 147 gr .357 cast bullrts. A tackdriver. You really need to reload to get the full potential of this cartridge.

[rdubya]

I bought a Doug Koenig Performance Center in 38 super with the intent to swap out the barrel to 9mm. Had a lot of issues with the extraction, seems the external extractor needed to be "tuned" for the 9mm. I just shot it in 38 super. Bought a Rock Island Armory in 38 super and had it built into a 9mm so I have both. It is a dream to shoot and would recommend this route to any one. All that is needed is a 9mm barrel and 9mm mags (38 super mags can be used but are not reliable in competition).
38 super ammo is not plentiful even in good ammo times. Reloading is a must, not only so you always have ammo but to down load to get a nice comfortable round to shoot. Recoil is on par with 9mm factory (steel framed 1911's soak up a lot of recoil) so it isn't bad, I just like to shoot a lighter load when competing.
If you want a gun/round not a lot of people have 38 super is the one.

[mcisniper]

If 38 Super were called something else would it have been more popular; Magnum 9?

I have a Pro Carry II in .45 and i love it. Have 3 in 38 Super on order. guess how much I got laughed at? I was told the wait is around a year... If you find one, grab it.

[Miltiades]

Colt Gold Cup in .38 super

About 17 years ago I bought a 1911 in .38 super, this Colt Gold Cup Elite, a limited run of guns from the late 80s. I considered shooting it, but the gun was unfired when I got it and I decided to leave it that way. I had plenty of other 1911s in .45 to shoot, so I didn't feel deprived.

So it has become a safe queen that will probably never be shot by me. But I still have an urge to try this caliber and have considered one of the modern Kimbers in .38 super.

[GuillermoAntonio]

Thanks everyone for your replies, in regards to reloading, i currently dont have a garage, but probably will buy me a small press that i can use in my small patio. That will be later, no hurry, as i stated before I am buying this gun for CCW, idpa steel or uspsa will just be a plus, just for the heck of it, remeber its a 4" barrel. For competition I use my CZ75 sp01, great gun.
Going forward I think may buy me a RIA and convert to 9mm as rdubya did, but that will be later this year, perhaps next year.

If 38 Super were called something else would it have been more popular; Magnum 9?

I have a Pro Carry II in .45 and i love it. Have 3 in 38 Super on order. guess how much I got laughed at? I was told the wait is around a year... If you find one, grab it.

I see you are in Chula Vista, (scary) You made me run!
The gun is now in jail, dont bother LOL

About 17 years ago I bought a 1911 in .38 super, this Colt Gold Cup Elite, a limited run of guns from the late 80s. I considered shooting it, but the gun was unfired when I got it and I decided to leave it that way. I had plenty of other 1911s in .45 to shoot, so I didn't feel deprived.

So it has become a safe queen that will probably never be shot by me. But I still have an urge to try this caliber and have considered one of the modern Kimbers in .38 super.

IMHO it takes a lot of ballz to keep a gun unfired 17 years.
A beauty.
Let me know if your will has space for one more fellow gun enthusiast, right below the serial number of this safe queen.