Shoot or don't shoot...
- Thread starter JohnKSa
- Start date
stinkeypete
New member
"Guns are for shooting" my dad told me many years ago. "Why wouldn't you shoot it?"
I would shoot that little pistol and think of the good times had with relatives present and long gone. I'd keep one of the targets too, dating it. I am sentimental that way.
Put me in the camp of "buy two boxes." I might not shoot one whole box but I would save the brass.
I know my family would be proud to know that years after they are gone, family is still enjoying something they owned.
I would shoot that little pistol and think of the good times had with relatives present and long gone. I'd keep one of the targets too, dating it. I am sentimental that way.
Put me in the camp of "buy two boxes." I might not shoot one whole box but I would save the brass.
I know my family would be proud to know that years after they are gone, family is still enjoying something they owned.
According to the Speer loading manual, the +P 'name' was added to the 38 Super Auto in 1974 to further distinguish it from the 38 Auto because they had different pressure levels. But the manufacturers had been marking them different for years, with descriptions in the catalogs, and the "Super" version was usually loaded in nickel plated cases and the standard Auto version in brass cases.
SAAMI recognizes two rounds today. The 38 Automatic (max pressure 26,500 psi), and the 38 Super Automatic +P (max pressure 36,500 psi). There is no longer such a thing as a 38 Super Auto without the +P.
JohnKSa referred to Buffalo Arms, not Buffalo Bore. They are not the same. Click on the ink and see where it goes.
Here's an article on rimless 38 Super cases:
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2019/7/23/rimless-38-super-brass-everything-you-need-to-know/
I can only say that I've shot my 1914 example on several occasions. Don't have any experience with currently produced 38 ACP ammo. I load 124 grain Speer TMJ bullets to approx. 950 SPS for my old gun. Started even lighter, and tested reloads intended for the Pocket Hammer in a modern 38 Super to make sure they were as light as I intended. Never had a malfunction with this load.
The only factory 38 ACP I ever bought is an old box of Peters "38 Colt Automatic" that I think might be about as old as the gun. Only bought the old box of ammo because it looked "old timey" and haven't actually shot any of it.
The only factory 38 ACP I ever bought is an old box of Peters "38 Colt Automatic" that I think might be about as old as the gun. Only bought the old box of ammo because it looked "old timey" and haven't actually shot any of it.
I'd shoot it. I bought one a couple of years back and have put a couple boxes of ammo through it. I've only ever used reloads. I've come up with a couple of recipes in the 900 to 1,000 FPS range with a 124 grain bullet. It's a very easy gun to reload for.
Mine is very accurate. I don't think it was ever shot much and is in pretty good condition, but not so good that I feel bad about shooting it. The sights are small but work well enough.
Mine is very accurate. I don't think it was ever shot much and is in pretty good condition, but not so good that I feel bad about shooting it. The sights are small but work well enough.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Jim Watson said:
74A95 said:
Mea culpa. Sorry.
I can understand the desire to shoot the gun though. Both my maternal and paternal grandfathers owned full auto Thompson’s. One grandfather was a cop, the other, for the lack of another term, a gangster. Man, I would love to own both those guns and to be able to personally fire both!
Wow, a lot of good responses. Guess I shouldn't be surprised.
I appreciate the effort put into providing good information.
I really don't want to damage the firearm, so a big part of this is trying to get a warm fuzzy that there isn't going to be any sort of negative event.
Firing it would be fun and interesting, but not so fun and interesting that I would be willing to run any significant risk of breaking it.
As far as I know, it was never shot very much although I do know that it was fired some. It came with a box of .38ACP that is older than I am which I want to keep with the gun since my great grandfather almost certainly purchased it based on the age. It also came with another 6 loose rounds of different, much older ammunition, which suggests that at least one other box of ammo was purchased and used in the gun. Also, my grandfather told me stories that involved his father firing the gun.
I'm going to reread the responses and think about it some more.
I appreciate the effort put into providing good information.
I really don't want to damage the firearm, so a big part of this is trying to get a warm fuzzy that there isn't going to be any sort of negative event.
Firing it would be fun and interesting, but not so fun and interesting that I would be willing to run any significant risk of breaking it.
As far as I know, it was never shot very much although I do know that it was fired some. It came with a box of .38ACP that is older than I am which I want to keep with the gun since my great grandfather almost certainly purchased it based on the age. It also came with another 6 loose rounds of different, much older ammunition, which suggests that at least one other box of ammo was purchased and used in the gun. Also, my grandfather told me stories that involved his father firing the gun.
I'm going to reread the responses and think about it some more.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
John -
See if you can find out whether or not the slide is hardened. I tried to Google it, but I came up blank.
The early M1911s did not have hardened slides (that didn't come about until WW2), and the M1911 (and the M1911A1) is known for suffering cracked slides. This is why so many of the 1911s recently sold by the CMP have replacement slides on them. I would proceed on the assumption that the slide is not hardened unless/until you can find convincing evidence to the contrary. And, if it isn't hardened, I would not shoot it.
The best expert I can think of on the 1903 is Bill Laughridge, of Cylinder & Slide. Perhaps if you pop off an e-mail to him he'll be able to settle the question.
"Laughridge, William (C&S)" <wrl@cylinder-slide.com>
See if you can find out whether or not the slide is hardened. I tried to Google it, but I came up blank.
The early M1911s did not have hardened slides (that didn't come about until WW2), and the M1911 (and the M1911A1) is known for suffering cracked slides. This is why so many of the 1911s recently sold by the CMP have replacement slides on them. I would proceed on the assumption that the slide is not hardened unless/until you can find convincing evidence to the contrary. And, if it isn't hardened, I would not shoot it.
The best expert I can think of on the 1903 is Bill Laughridge, of Cylinder & Slide. Perhaps if you pop off an e-mail to him he'll be able to settle the question.
"Laughridge, William (C&S)" <wrl@cylinder-slide.com>
Jim Watson
New member
You can't do much about the strength of the slide, but you can get a hard steel slide lock.
https://jack-first-gun-parts.myshop...38acp-pistol/products/colt-1902-38-slide-lock
https://jack-first-gun-parts.myshop...38acp-pistol/products/colt-1902-38-slide-lock
Jim Watson
New member
A non-zero number. Consider that slides were a pretty high volume spare part.
No.
It will take a specialist to describe the failure mode.
No.
It will take a specialist to describe the failure mode.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
They don't crack due to age, they crack as a result of repeated firing.dahermit said:
https://ezine.m1911.org//showthread...iginal-M1911-M1911A1-or-Colt-Government-Model