.38 Super vs. 9mm ... which to choose

ranbur

ranbur

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I am buying a new 1911 in either 9mm or .38 Super. Currently I have 1911's but only in .45.

Researching the cartridge I see what seems to be a compelling argument for the .38 Super ... flatter shooting, can load to higher velocities, uses 9mm bullets, etc however having never shot one I'm wondering about any recoil differences or if there are any drawbacks that no one seems to talk about.

Another concern is resale ... while the .38 Super seems to be enjoying a bit of a revival I'm wondering if that is short lived ...

Your thoughts?
 
Reselling is tough, not everyine wants a 38super. But as far as i kmow, 38supers aren't made by many manufacturers. Coltis the mane one still.

If you reload, it isn't bad to shoot, but beass isn't chreap, around $250 per 1000.

The hotter the load the straigher it shoots, like 10mm bullets.


why not get a super and fit a 9mm barrel for both choices, everything is interchangeable

i have owned many supers from single stack to hicap, paras, sprinfields, sti, and colts. Stillits one of my favorites.
 
madcow said:
Reselling is tough, not everyine wants a 38super. But as far as i kmow, 38supers aren't made by many manufacturers. Coltis the mane one still.

If you reload, it isn't bad to shoot, but beass isn't chreap, around $250 per 1000.

The hotter the load the straigher it shoots, like 10mm bullets.


why not get a super and fit a 9mm barrel for both choices, everything is interchangeable

i have owned many supers from single stack to hicap, paras, sprinfields, sti, and colts. Stillits one of my favorites.
Click to expand...

Interesting ... can you do the reverse? By that I mean get a 38 Super barrel fitted to a 9mm gun?
 
You can get a 38 Super barrel for a 9mm as long as the barrel length is the same and
the OD at the muzzle end is the same ( so that the same barrel bushing fits ).
I would also suggest that you change the ejector on the frame to a 38 super rather than
the 9mm one as the super is a longer case.
One last thing is that 9mm mags & 38 super mags both fit in the frame ok the 9mm
has some form of an insert to allow the shorter case to feed properly. You will need 398 Super mags.

My suggestion would be to get a 38 Super 1911 and then get a 9mm barrel. Less work.
 
ranbur said:
Interesting ... can you do the reverse? By that I mean get a 38 Super barrel fitted to a 9mm gun?
Click to expand...

interchangeable both ways

I recently bout a used colt commander that had a 9mm barrel fitted for it, the guy shot a box of super through it, but 2k+ in 9mm because it was cheaper for him. I put the super barrel in and don't even remember where the 9mm barrel is. :)
 
Stick to the very common & readily available 9mm.
New ammo, re-loaded ammo, cases & bullets are all cheaper.
Typically the 38Super requires FMJ bullets because of the faster velocity. Plus many indoor ranges don't allow FMJ bullets. Say goodbye to cheap lead reloads. In addition, a faster, flat shooting, expensive FMJ 38Super bullet punching paper indoors is mostly pointless. Plus you will annoy shooters near your position. Dickering around with a 9mm barrel fitted to your Super auto will drain away ammo funds.

38Super is like 357Sig. Both have very good but mostly specific applications. For general all round plinking, mild competition, & reloading, you cannot beat the 9mm. So many platform choices too!
 
Nine is fine. Brass is virtually free because everybody shoots it and you can scrounge abandoned brass left by the non-reloaders. I don't care if I lose a few 9mm cases because I will probably end up with a few extra next time.

You would have to buy new (i.e. expensive) .38 Super brass. I doubt you would be able to find much once-fired, as it isn't very popular. For what new cases cost, I would hate to have to buy them for an auto pistol, considering that you may end up losing some on the first firing.

Any additional velocity you can wring out of the Super has no practical benefit, even outside of paper-punching. The trajectory difference is negligible and 9mm bullets can expand just fine at 9mm velocities.

With some of the latest developments in magazines, such as from Wilson Combat, it is now easier than ever to make a 9mm 1911 function properly.
 
38 Super is a great round if you reload. 9 mm fans are kidding themselves if they think it's a hot round. Do your research and look at different loads, note pressure, if you understand ballistics you will see why 38 Super blows 9 mm out of the water. IPSC is ruled by 38 Super. That said brass is available, lots of bullet choices and the ability to load with slower burn powders make 38 Super way hotter but you have to load or it can get expensive. I have 9 mm and 38 Super, I 'd give up the 9 without much argument, but not the Super.
 
Frig... You guys are starting to get my Want That part of the brain going :(

As to bullets. Your typical cam pro 124gr 9mm stuff would work fine?
 
I used to make major (180 pf),with a super and 115grn bullet.

only reason 9mm major is dominant now is the 165pf, and too many guns destroyed with lighter projectiles


124s work fine in 38super
 
I would recommend the 9mm on brass issues alone;
-expensive.
-can bulge and requires a roll sizer to fix.
-not as readily available as 9mm.

The 38 has never been known for function or feeding issues though (longer) and some people have complained about this on certain model/brands of 9mm.
 
Ive got both 1911s in 9mm and 38 super.I enjoy them both and they both shoot well.If I was starting off again however,I would definitely get the 9mm.38 super brass is quite expensive and hard to find(I dont think ive bought any 9mil brass for 20 years or so,just pick it up at the range) and you use a lot more powder in the 38 super.The super is a high performance round but this doesnt really mean much when it comes to punching paper.
 
How is the feel of the Super vs 9mm?

I find I just can't get into 9mm as the gun just feels ...off... Compared with 45. I've had 3 9mils and sold them all
 
Don't know where the 38 Super brass is expensive statements coming from Higginson's sell 9mm for$26.50 per 100 and 38 Super for $26.00. True your not going to pick up 38 Super off the ground but how much brass do you lose each trip to the range?
 
grumpyold said:
Don't know where the 38 Super brass is expensive statements coming from Higginson's sell 9mm for$26.50 per 100 and 38 Super for $26.00. True your not going to pick up 38 Super off the ground but how much brass do you lose each trip to the range?
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Because everyone compares 38super Virgin brass to 9mm range brass, I don't think anyone buys virgin 9mm brass. I would only use virgin or once fired in a match, then it relegated to practice brass. After 5-6 reloads then it becomes "drop and run " brass for anyone that wants it.

9mm major is reliable too, OAL is a bit shorter than 38 super
 
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Mark-II said:
How is the feel of the Super vs 9mm?

I find I just can't get into 9mm as the gun just feels ...off... Compared with 45. I've had 3 9mils and sold them all
Click to expand...

A super has a bit less muzzle flip than the 9mm in my opinion, maybe due to the pressures and slide speed.

I have a few compensated 1911's, and find the higher the pressures, the better the comps work too.

Mark, too bad you weren't in my part of the country, I'd let you try them all out.
 
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