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So 38 Super... it seems like a good round, particularly for reloading
- Thread starter RCB
- Start date
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What is your intended use and platform?
38 super in a 1911 has pretty mild recoil for a round that can be loaded to move right along (something like 1400 fps?).
No experience with 357sig so I will just
EDIT: Some factory +p stuff moves right along!
38 super in a 1911 has pretty mild recoil for a round that can be loaded to move right along (something like 1400 fps?).
No experience with 357sig so I will just
EDIT: Some factory +p stuff moves right along!
Last edited:
I’ve always liked the 38 Super. In its day it was a hot rod and is still popular in countries where the peasants aren’t allowed to own weapons in military calibers. My only issue is that there just aren’t many factory loads for it. If you reload it’s great but finding store bought ammo not so much. Some of the modern 9mm loads get close in velocity but the Super is still up there. I’ve been looking for an affordable Pre 70 Series LW Commander for ever but finding that will never happen I’m afraid. I have a couple 1911 Government Models and a DW Guardian but just want an old Colt for nostalgic reasons.
Lol. I have a couple of old Colts because thats was what was on the market years back. My thing 1 is after the parkerized one.
In a 1911 its a great round.
38 Super is cool if you reload, I have shot some handloads that Chronod at 1500~ with a 124gr bullet. That being said you can also hotrod 9MM Major rounds if you want that will get you close.
Brass will be the hard and expensive part IMHO, even amongst competition shooters you don't see 38 Super a lot anymore. If I were going to get into handloading again it would be for 9mm and 10mm
Brass will be the hard and expensive part IMHO, even amongst competition shooters you don't see 38 Super a lot anymore. If I were going to get into handloading again it would be for 9mm and 10mm
shootersix
Master
- Mar 10, 2009
- 4,321
- 113
If you get cdnn sports emails they advertise the Colt “Mexican” over runs the ones like the “el preisendete” with the “faux pearl” grips, the gold “engraving” and other things that make them ugly, and because they’re Mexican over runs they’re all 38 super, because why??? Military calibers are illegal for civilians to own
I got into 38 Super when I came across an old Llama 1911. My Dr friend has a Colt 1911 in it also.
My son shot it and fell in love on the first mag. My LGS has the ammo stocked at a reasonable cost and still has it in stock today.
If you want a 1911 frame that can do a quick and easy mag dump, this is the caliber for you. If you grip it like it is .45acp the follow ups are just about instinctive.
All I run is factory FMJ and haven't even looked for hollow points but I imagine they would be much harder to locate.
My son shot it and fell in love on the first mag. My LGS has the ammo stocked at a reasonable cost and still has it in stock today.
If you want a 1911 frame that can do a quick and easy mag dump, this is the caliber for you. If you grip it like it is .45acp the follow ups are just about instinctive.
All I run is factory FMJ and haven't even looked for hollow points but I imagine they would be much harder to locate.
What is your intended purpose for the cartridge? Personal defense, range, competition or just to have something different? Do you reload?
For personal defense 38 Super will deliver more energy on target while maintaining the same ammo capacity vs 9mm.
Punching paper at the range with 38 Super is just more expensive than 9mm IMHO.
For competition, I have been told that it is easy to make major power factor with 38 Super and that was a main reason for its popularity a few decades ago. But now a days major power factor can be reached in more cost effective ways. (I don’t shoot competitions, so this is just what I’ve been told).
It can be hard to find a variety of off the shelf ammo in 38 Super these days. Especially if you want good self defense rounds. If you reload then this isn’t a problem. Reloading is really where the 38 Super shines. It can be loaded with .355 9mm bullets so the options are nearly endless.
Having said all that, I have a double stack 1911 in 38 Super and it’s a lot of fun and I love it. I also reload for it.
For personal defense 38 Super will deliver more energy on target while maintaining the same ammo capacity vs 9mm.
Punching paper at the range with 38 Super is just more expensive than 9mm IMHO.
For competition, I have been told that it is easy to make major power factor with 38 Super and that was a main reason for its popularity a few decades ago. But now a days major power factor can be reached in more cost effective ways. (I don’t shoot competitions, so this is just what I’ve been told).
It can be hard to find a variety of off the shelf ammo in 38 Super these days. Especially if you want good self defense rounds. If you reload then this isn’t a problem. Reloading is really where the 38 Super shines. It can be loaded with .355 9mm bullets so the options are nearly endless.
Having said all that, I have a double stack 1911 in 38 Super and it’s a lot of fun and I love it. I also reload for it.
I have a 1911 that came in 9x23, which was a round developed for competition shooters a while back that just never caught on, and it has a 38 Super barrel. AllenM fit a 9mm barrel to it so now it’s as easy as changing barrels and magazines to fire 3 different calibers. Haven’t tried the 9mm yet but the 9x23 is a lot of fun. Very hard to find ammo though.
I handload but all of my 1911's are 9mm. I originally wanted a 38 Super, but I just cannot get over the limited and more expensive factory ammo, and limited availability of once fired brass. It would suck to leave expensive 38 Super starline brass (or any Super brass) on the ground at a match. If you don't mind the extra costs, everything I have read suggests that 38 Super is a wonderful and versatile cartridge to handload and shoot.
I'm intrigued by the round. A couple of years ago, a LGS near me had a Colt in 38 Super in the case for a while. Nobody seemed to want it, but it had a cool factor that should have made me pick it up. Sadly, it was gone before I could talk myself into it.
