[msjdgman]

Over the last several months I had been doing a little research on the 38 Super, and for a little diversity in my 1911 lineup, have just bought a RIA in 38 Super. With a good deal of the reading I`ve done on the subject, and the fact that the ballistics on the potential loadings of this cartidge seem rather impressive, I find it rather odd that the 38 Super doesn`t have a bigger following or popularity. I have mine now and think I`m going to love it, but what do you all think about this?

 

[Primersinmyshoe]

I shot an open class 38sup when I competed in IPSC matches. The super is a flat shooting round that made major power factor, and you can stuff 18 rounds in a hi cap mag. Around here factory ammo is hard to come by, and expensive when you do find it. I eventually sold the gun and all the reloading supplies.

 

[shoot-r]

Msj, In NRA Action Pistol, if you use a 1911 style pistol it will almost always be in .38 super. Their just so accurate when set-up properly.
Mine is a Caspian 5" comped, scoped, tricked out with most of the bells and whisles. A few years back Ken Tapp (pro-shooter ) fired this gun through the NRA practical event, at 50 yards using my hand loads he had 12 rounds on each target dead center in the x with a group of around 3/4."
In the book "The Government Model" the author asked several of the nation's top pistol smiths "If there was a contest that the prize was a million dollars for who could build the most accurate 1911, what caliber would it be?" All said it'd be .38 super.
My wife uses .38 super for minor in USPSA matches, she loves it!
If I could only have one calber it'd be the super.

 

[Bud White]

A lot of it is the lack luster loading from the Factorys due to fact the 38 super is the same size as the 38 acp which those guns will come part if shot with supers ..

So for real loading you have to reload and lots of people dont want to be troubled with it

 

[Barry in IN]

I think part of their lack of popularity is from the lack of decent factory loads...and the lack of decent factory loads is due to the lack of popularity.

Of course better stuff is out there- I know of four loads from CorBon and a [email protected] or so from Georgia Arms...at least- but most people either don't know about it or can't find it locally. So most assume they are limited to 9mm ballistics, and if so, why not carry a 9mm?

Then you have the 1911/45 thing. You think of one, and you think of the other.
They go together like...1911s and the 45ACP.
I admit that even though I like the Super and have a couple- when I carry a 1911, it's usually a .45. That's changed some in the last year or so, but it's still a 45 more often than not.

 

[msjdgman]

I will admit that finding factory ammo has been a bit of a costly challenge, but I`d guess if popularity increased as well as demand, the manufacturers would follow suit and prices would decline somewhat. I will probably eventually start reloading....my best friend has everything stored away for the job, and to contain costs for shooting this round, I may be forced to do that. I`m amazed at the lack of felt recoil from this platform. Now, having shot it myself, I think my wife will be able to handle this much better than the .45. That is if she can rack the slide. I`ll know the answer to this question when spring gets here and I can get her out shooting again. Thanks everyone.