What's .38 Super?
I was looking at some 'race' guns in a couple of auctions and was wondering what exactly is the .38 super caliber? I've seen the competition shooting on tv before (looks fun) but have always wondered about the choice of caliber. Is this pretty much all it's used for? How long has it existed?
GL
GL
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This was a cartridge that Colt brought out in 1929 to update the original .38 auto cartridge used in the early 1900 series automatics. Dimensionally it was the same, but the super was loaded about 200 fps faster then the earlier .38 auto cartridge. It was popular for a while when it was first brought out. After the war when the 9mm luger became so common the Super lost much of it's following. The Ipsik guys with their race guns brought it back into the public eye about 20 years ago. I've shot it and reloaded it a lot, the only advantage over the 9mm is that it has a 3 grain greater case capacity. You can only utilize this if you reload for it. The ammo companies are so scared of the lawyers, the stuff they sell is only equivalent to 9mm in power. 0 -
Greenlantern;
The .38 super was a Colt development to replace the .38 auto. The main difference is the .38 auto was a rimmed case where the super is rimless. it has greater volume than it's predacessor and when carefully hand loaded can approach .357 ballistics. It is a good all round cartridge and a good defence gun. The best factory ammo can be had from Norma precision, but it is pricey. I have a 70 series gold cup in .38 super, and would not part with it. However, hand loads in the higher pressure ranges should only be fired in top notch pistols in top condition.0 -
The cartridge cases of the .38 Auto and the .38 Super Auto are exactly the same, both semi-rimed and approximately .900 long. If anything the .38 Super case might have less capacity then the .38 Auto. I believe some of the early loadings of the .38 Auto might have been with the old balloon head cases? 0 -
GL, rufe-snow is correct in most respects. It's never been especially popular here and the primary reason it continued to exist in factory Colts was South American sales, where in several countries private citizens could not own handguns in military calibers. Same situation as the "Indian" rifle cartridges of the British Empire which was even more extreme and silly. The low pressure factory loadings are due to the existence of the .38 Auto pieces still out there which cannot handle the higher pressures - same idea as the low pressure factory loads in rounds such as .44-40, .45-70. Only way you will get high velocities out of these calibers is to handload. Original chamberings headspace (locate) on the slight protrusion of the semi-rim. I've forgotten the details, but there is a school of thought that this is not terribly reliable and many have been reworked to headspace on the case mouth as with 9mmP or .45 ACP, etc. I had an early original for a while mumble years back. It was OK, but didn't ring any bells with me and soon became trade bait. 0 -
GL: there's a excellent article on the 38 super in the dec 2002 Rifle's Handloaders magazine, page 16 it should answer a lot of your questions 0 -
Python, Where exactly are you getting your information? Thanks 0 -
Ok, if these .38 super race guns are basically built on a .45 frame and such, why not just do away with the .38 and shoot the .45 for competition? So I'm really asking, what's the .38 got that the .45 doesn't? 0 -
More rounds in the mag... Better yet is the 38 super comp which is basically a 38 super with a 9x19 type rim. results in less feeding dificulties due to lack of the rim and maybe a couple more rounds in the mag. also cheaper to load due to cost of bullets. super bullets are $40/1000, .45's are $70. the other reason for the 38 is pressure, the comps on race guns require more pressure to work effeciently.
A man with a gun is a CITIZEN, a man without a gun is a subject.0
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