Ive seen a NIB .38 super 1911 type pistol that intriuged me. Now Im almost strictly a revo man but I did like the looks of this baby. How does the .38 super compare ballistically to a .38 special or .357 mag or sig for that matter? Is this round expensive, commercailly available? are their any good self defense loads for it?
.38 super in a 1911?
- Thread starter Pezo
- Start date
Cor Bon ammo is very close to the .357 Mag/Sig stuff in the 125g weight. Pretty much you can think of it as a really hyped up 9mm.
I carry an older Llama chambered in it occasionally. I carry Winchester Silver Tips because they feed better than the Cor Bon ammo in this gun. Practice ammo is PMC FMJ. Ammo is sorta hard to find and a little pricey. I usually buy mine off of the 'Net.
I carry an older Llama chambered in it occasionally. I carry Winchester Silver Tips because they feed better than the Cor Bon ammo in this gun. Practice ammo is PMC FMJ. Ammo is sorta hard to find and a little pricey. I usually buy mine off of the 'Net.
Peter M. Eick
New member
Do a search on the super and you will find tons of post on it. It is sort of a cult round. I like it. I have a 38 super Baer PII and it is very accurate and easy to shoot.
Ammo is available, but not bulk cheap. You will pay for it a reasonable sum.
The semi-rim can have issues. You can have mag feed errors until you learn to load the mag consistently. Older (70's and before) Colts used the semi-rim for headspace and they were not that accurate. Nearly every modern one I have seen headspaces on the rim or the extractor and are accurate to good enough.
All in all they are just plain fun guns to shoot!
Ammo is available, but not bulk cheap. You will pay for it a reasonable sum.
The semi-rim can have issues. You can have mag feed errors until you learn to load the mag consistently. Older (70's and before) Colts used the semi-rim for headspace and they were not that accurate. Nearly every modern one I have seen headspaces on the rim or the extractor and are accurate to good enough.
All in all they are just plain fun guns to shoot!
I have had .38 super before and loved them. I had both a Colt and Llama in this caliber. It is a lot more popular in the southwest and south america. It was used as a major at one time. I do not follow the competitions that much anymore so do not know about now. It was known to be inherently very accurate. It was on the same power level as the .357 at one time. There is/was also a older round known as a .38 Auto. I believe they started under loading the super because a few people tryed to shoot them in the Auto. If I remember right both would chamber in the same gun, but I could be wrong about that. Just seems to stick in my mind.
I carried this as my personal protection caliber for a number of years in the 70's. Back then I thought it was the best load for personal defense you could get in a auto. I still like it but now a days the ammo companies do not load it as hot as they use too. I have not checked on what it is putting out for a while. Maybe time for a google search on it.
Like has been said before, the ammo is not that common in most places and is not at bargain barn prices but still reasonable. I feel it would make a fine defensive round and would never feel underguned with it.
I carried this as my personal protection caliber for a number of years in the 70's. Back then I thought it was the best load for personal defense you could get in a auto. I still like it but now a days the ammo companies do not load it as hot as they use too. I have not checked on what it is putting out for a while. Maybe time for a google search on it.
Like has been said before, the ammo is not that common in most places and is not at bargain barn prices but still reasonable. I feel it would make a fine defensive round and would never feel underguned with it.
.38 Super had a lot of development in IPSC, particularly after the prohibition of 'making major' with 9 x 19.
By using light bullets (125 gr) and loading very hot, compensators become very effective at reducing muzzle climb.
Subsequent rules changes may have negated some of the advantage, but I do not follow IPSC much any more.
In a 1911 recoil is significantly less than a typical 230 gr .45 load, and feeding can be even more reliable.
The original .38 Super chambers used the rim to headspace and had accuracy problems. The barrel hood in a 1911 was the only area that provided metal, and there is just not a lot there. Nonte tweaked the chambering to headspace on the case mouth and accuracy is very good when chambered this way (a Nonte reamer cuts away the inside of the hood enough to ensure case mouth headspacing).
Starline has brass as .38 Super Comp and 9mm Super Comp. Check with the barrel maker (or slug the barrel) to determine the exact size.
By using light bullets (125 gr) and loading very hot, compensators become very effective at reducing muzzle climb.
Subsequent rules changes may have negated some of the advantage, but I do not follow IPSC much any more.
In a 1911 recoil is significantly less than a typical 230 gr .45 load, and feeding can be even more reliable.
The original .38 Super chambers used the rim to headspace and had accuracy problems. The barrel hood in a 1911 was the only area that provided metal, and there is just not a lot there. Nonte tweaked the chambering to headspace on the case mouth and accuracy is very good when chambered this way (a Nonte reamer cuts away the inside of the hood enough to ensure case mouth headspacing).
Starline has brass as .38 Super Comp and 9mm Super Comp. Check with the barrel maker (or slug the barrel) to determine the exact size.
big daddy 9mm
New member
spring field
makes a 38 super 1911 pistol and it is beautiful!
makes a 38 super 1911 pistol and it is beautiful!
Person of Interest
New member
I like the Super and I have owned several over the years. I have done some load development on this round and as someone noted the factory specs have been reduced in recent years. I have not checked the specialty companies like Cor-Bon but the Winchester and Remington stuff has lost over 200 FPS from what it used to be.
I load the 115 JHP to around 1425 FPS for carry and this seems to work fine in the guns I have tried. The original factory load was a 130 at 1250-1300 FPS but the last box of factory Wins I clocked were running at 1080 FPS. I have gone to 1525 FPS but these start to show some pressure signs and I feel good at the 1425 level.
I load the 115 JHP to around 1425 FPS for carry and this seems to work fine in the guns I have tried. The original factory load was a 130 at 1250-1300 FPS but the last box of factory Wins I clocked were running at 1080 FPS. I have gone to 1525 FPS but these start to show some pressure signs and I feel good at the 1425 level.
Dave Sample
Moderator
About 20,00 hot rounds and still going strong. Shoots better than ever!