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38 Super as a duty weapon ?

nashflash
This has probably been discussed in the past but I'd like to know if the 38 Super should be considered for duty carry or even off duty carry. [?]
nashflash

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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • SP45
    No reason why not to use it in a reliable platform. It rates higher the 9mm and a lot of people still use them.
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  • kingjoey
    Yeah, I definitely wouldn't feel at a disadvantage with a 38 Super.

    Love them Beavers
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  • bobski
    i may be wrong, but dont leos have caliber requirements for compatablity reasons?
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  • beantownshootah
    Why not? Apparently it was designed for that purpose originally (read down for some historical perspective):

    http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun_reviews/target_0728/

    Its a good round, not really all that different ballistically from any of the hot 9mm auto variants, like 9x23, or hot-loaded 9mm +P, or even 357 SIG.

    But if its just the ballistics you are after, you could just go with the 357 SIG, which is probably a bit more popular in law enforcement circles right now, has more guns available, and is probably a bit more easily convertible to .40 should you feel the need to do that.
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  • bobski
    i think it has to do with logistics and what your buddy has. i/e: bank robbery, etc... you have 38 super, everyone else has 9mm. you run out of ammo. now what???
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  • rldowns3
    quote:Originally posted by bobski
    i think it has to do with logistics and what your buddy has. i/e: bank robbery, etc... you have 38 super, everyone else has 9mm. you run out of ammo. now what???


    Bring more loaded magazines. [:D][:p]

    But seriously, nothing wrong with the .38super as a defensive round. 99.9% of stateside gunfights usually end before either the good guy or the bad guy is out of ammo.

    If it's a stand off situation, odds are you've probably gone to your trunk and pulled out the long guns already so the pistol is a moot point in this scenario.



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  • cntrmass
    Isnt ammo for this caliber exspensive?
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  • 1armbandit
    A little point of interest: The famous picture of Jack Ruby shooting Oswald; the guy handcuffed to Oswald had a Colt in 38 super under his jacket. I have a buddy who bought it along with the guy's badge after he retired.



    Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
    --General George S. Patton, Jr.
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  • tr fox
    quote:Originally posted by 1armbandit
    A little point of interest: The famous picture of Jack Ruby shooting Oswald; the guy handcuffed to Oswald had a Colt in 38 super under his jacket. I have a buddy who bought it along with the guy's badge after he retired.



    Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
    --General George S. Patton, Jr.


    Can't help but wonder if that was just plain .38 caliber rather than a .38 Super. Just wondering.

    4lizad
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  • mpolans
    With most commercially available loads out there, it's ballistically equal to the 9x19. But there's a greater variety of 9x19 ammo available (especially for defense/duty loads) and it's cheaper. Thus, given a choice, there's no logical reason to consider .38 Super.

    While my IPSC .38 super loads might approach .357 magnum performance, there's no way in hell you should be using handloads for defense/duty.
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  • beantownshootah
    I think it bears mentioning that many IPSC type shooters favor the 9x23 which is for practical purposes the same round as 38 super, just in a rimless, instead of semi-rimmed case. The practical advantage is better stacking of the cartridges and therefore feeding from double-stack magazines. Apparently some guns will even run fine with both (eg EAA Witness in 38 super supposedly runs perfectly out of the box with 9x23. . .even though you would think there should be ejector problems, apparently there aren't).

    Anyway, to be Devil's advocate, I can think of two legitimate reasons why you might choose a 38 Super for carry/duty purposes.

    One is that its the gun you happen to have. (EG you inherited it from your Uncle Larry; you found it in a yard sale somewhere dirt cheap, whatever). If its a good gun otherwise, why not?

    Another potential reason is that you happen to be reloading tons of 38 super anyway (for hunting, bullseye, IPSC, whatever) so you always have lots of it around. You wouldn't carry your own handloads, but if that's the caliber you use and shoot the most, you'll get the most practice with it, so it might make sense to carry it also.
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