.38 Super

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The .38 Super pistol cartridge is the child of the famous firearms company Colt. It fires a .356 inch diameter bullet (a mere .001 inches larger than the .355 bullet used in the 9 mm Luger). The Super was introduced in the late 1920s, though its essentially a hotter version of .38 ACP introduced in 1900. The old 38 ACP propelled a 130 grain full metal jacket FMJ bullet at 1050 feet per second (fps). The improved 38 Super Auto pushed the same 130 grain bullet at 1280 fps. (Speer Reloading Manual #13, 1998, 1999.) Although a relatively rare chambering that enjoyed only modest commercial success, the .38 Super has gained distinction as the calliber of choice for many top pistol match competitors.

1 .38 ACP
- 1.1 .38 ACP pistols
2 .38 Super
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] .38 ACP

Image:Colt M1900 AdamsGuns.jpg

.38 ACP is a firearm cartridge. It stands for the caliber and 'Automatic Colt Pistol'. It was introduced at the turn of century on the Colt M1900 manufactured by Colt, engineered by John Browning. It had first been used on his Model 1897 prototype, which Colt did not produce. The metric designation for the round is 9 x 23 mm SR (SR - Semi Rimmed) (not to be confused with the modern 9 x 23 Winchester).

One of the least successful of Browning's semi-rimmed cartridges, it was too powerful for a blowback pistol and not powerful enough to be considered for the United States Military. However, it did see small but steady sales up until the introduction of the more powerful .38 Super. Europe would slowly come to use 9 mm Parabellum that was developed in the 1902-1906 from the 7.65 mm Parabellum. The Luger was the ballistic twin on this cartridge in a smaller package. Browning himself was not done with .35 caliber cartridges and would soon introduce the 9 mm Browning Long in 1903 and the .380 ACP in 1908. Today, the .38 ACP is obsolete.

[edit] .38 ACP pistols

[edit] .38 Super

[edit] Design

The .38 Super is dimensionally identical to the older .38 ACP but is loaded to higher pressures. It was intended that the cartridge would headspace on the semi-rim, however all new .38 Super pistols headspace on the case mouth as with other cartridges in this class. Because the semi-rimmed case can cause some feeding trouble in magazines, especially double stack magazines, rimless variants of .38 Super like .38 Supercomp, .38 Super Lapua and 38TJ (38 Todd Jarrett) have been developed.

In 1974 the industry added the +P headstamp to the 38 Super to further distinguish it from the lower pressure 38 Auto. Most current ammunition manufacturers label ammunition for the Super as 38 Super +P.

The cartridge was designed for use in a modified 1911 pistol, and was capable of penetrating the bulletproof vests and automobile bodies of the time.<ref>Ayoob, Massad. ".38 Super", Guns Magazine, 2001-03. Retrieved on 2006-04-01.</ref>

[edit] Performance

Image:IPSCshooter.jpg The .38 Super offers higher bullet velocities than the 9 mm Luger, and it is better suited for hot-rodding as it has a longer casing which allows for larger powder charges. The .38 Super has made a huge comeback in IPSC sports shooting, particularly when equipped with a compensator, because it meets the minimum power level to be considered as a Major charge, while having more manageable recoil than .45 ACP.

[edit] Muzzle velocity

7.5 g (115 Gr) Full Metal Jacket: 425 m/s : 1395 ft/s
8.0 g (124 Gr) Full Metal Jacket: 410 m/s : 1346 ft/s

[edit] Synonyms

.38 Super Auto
.38 Super ACP
.38 Super +P
Super 38

[edit] Notes

Due to Mexican laws which have restricted the civilian use or possession of ammunition classified as "military caliber," such as 9 mm, this is a popular round in Mexico.

Even though .38 ACP and .38 Super are the same size, it can potentially be dangerous to use .38 Super ammunition in a firearm intended for .38 ACP. There are over a dozen autoloading pistol cartridges, both semi-rimmed and rimless, in this caliber. Oftentimes, foreign or ambiguous headstamps make identification impossible. When in doubt, it is best not to fire suspicious cartridges in any firearm.