If I were to go 38 super.

[Mitty38]

If I were to pick up a 1911 in . 38 super.
What would be involved in reloading for it.
Is it cast bullet friendly. Is it similar to loading 9mm?
I have a possibility of obtaining one, always wanted a 1911. But was set on .45 acp.Thinking about doing this far into the future, but......
Buddie has two.
One is a colt.The other is an RIA. He is going to put one up and sell the other because he thinks reloading is unsafe and he cannot find factory ammo.Plus he did not buy enough to keep competing. He ran out so has gone to .45 acp.
Thought I would gather some info and throw the Idea around a bit. I have brass, and one bowls of factory defence ammo.

 

[Ian]

Dies, brass, powder, primers, bullets. I run the Lee 158 RN in mine with a variety of powders.

I read somewhere that if ten gunsmiths build 1911s to win a strictly accuracy competition with a very large prize, every one of them will show up with a .38 Super.

 

[BudHyett]

I owned one, traded for a Springfield M2 .22 LR. Reloaded with Herco, wheelweight alloy, sized .356, 124 grain round-nose. Damn thing threw brass everywhere. Very pleasant to shoot. The only pistol I've had that was louder was a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine.

 

[Joshua]

I don’t own either a 38 super, or a 9mm, but I do own a 40 S&W. They all operate at a similar pressure. Some believe that the higher pressure make for a more finicky cartridge to load for.

That being said, in my case I have a short sharp throat that shaves lead or PC. The pressure makes the leading worse.

A properly throated gun with correctly sized powder coated bullet should run just fine.

I would look at the throat real well with a flashlight and some reading glasses before I purchased it.

 

[Ian]

They are indeed loud. Mine has a compensator and if shot under a roof is positively deafening even with 30dB ears.

 

[JonB]

I sure like my RIA.
see post #25

W-540 powder question

I use it in the 40 S&W. Works good in two guns

www.artfulbullet.com

Mitty, if you get it and you need a set of dies, I have a spare "like new" Lee carbide die set (38 Super) that I can part with.

 

[RicinYakima]

My experience is from before 1990. The 1911's from Colt were made to headspace on the rim and depending up example and brass maker, not always reliable. The standard practice then was to buy a Bar-Sto barrel that head spaced on the case mouth. With good W-W brass trimmed to length, very reliable. We loaded Bar-Sto's at .355" and Colts at .357" and mostly Blue Dot and Herco. Never shot a cast bullet from one.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Love the Supah!! The 1911 super is a nice shooting gun at moderate and high (er) pressures. Saeco 383 mold is a good one!!
Wish I woulda knows I would have filled the box with brass instead of fluff!

 

[RBHarter]

2 loadings and set ups and you'll figure it out pretty quick . (Or so I've been lead to believe it ain't gospel and it may well be very out dated and presently wrong ) .

There is a 38 super that tops out about 25kpsi and ran about 1000 fps with 140ish gr , 1100 or so with 125s in 5" 1911 types .

Then there's a 38 Super Auto that was run up to 35,000 same as the 9mm and is hot on the heels of the 357 owing in part to the closed breech and 5" barrels . Lots of 147s shot in those ......

Knew a girl in California that shot 3 gun and had one tricked out for that very fast actions , extended barrels with external brakes . She ran 8 targets with 6 plates and 2 knock downs 12 rounds in 8-9 seconds and had to move to 3 , 1 step stations .

 

[Mitty38]

I have about 500 or so pc'd 125 lee rf's sized to .358. there from my casting pot break in. Plus a box of factory Remington Super loads that a wall mart clerk handed me a long time ago when I asked for a box of 38 special +p defence loads.
Oh, and About 50 or so pick ups. So Definatly have enough brass and bullets to get started.
Primers I can just tear down some of the back log of 38 special I have built up till things get better.I have a couple hundred 38 special Loads that are just not up to par with my other backstock.
Someone please tell me there is a great H110 load for those.
I am almost sold.
Still a lot to think about torn between it and the O6. Wife says only one gun this year. Never listened to her before but seeing as I did not spend that much stimulus money on her directly, might just listen this time. Or not? LOL

 

[Mitty38]

Looks like there are some universal- unique loads listed. For none +p, plenty of powder here.

 

[358156 hp]

38 Super is much closer to 38/357 as far as loading procedures go, except for the taper crimp, of course. I'm working on acquiring a Colt Super myself as well. It should play nicely with my 357 SIG. I've never understood the reloading die thing for a cast that uses .355ish bullets. I suspect the neck tension might be a bit weak.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I the lil sig here too. Yes thats where many issues lie with it. Neck tension. Some bullets just dont work well.

CW

 

[oscarflytyer]

And over the cliff you go! In process of getting mine set up. Been life's road blocks. But can't wait. and fully set to cast/reload for it. 38 Super's been a bucket list item for me for 30 yrs!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[RicinYakima]

There was great confusion in the 1970's over 38 ACP (38 Auto), 38 Super and 38 Super Auto +P. The 38 ACP was the 1900 Colt design for the double link system and loaded until about 1960 at 26,000 psi. The 38 Super was loaded from 1927 until about 1965 at 36,000 psi. Then for some reason, stupid people (?), started using 38 Super ammo in their 38 ACP because 38 ACP ammo was no longer being made. Guns were breaking and bad things happening, so 38 Super was loaded to 38 ACP specifications.

Then 38 Supers made since 1927 would no longer function with the new ammo. The loading companies and SAAMI went to the "38 Super Auto +P for the old Super load at about 36,500 psi. And every 10 years of so make a run of 38 ACP ammo.

For handloaders who read the gun rags in the 1960's and '70's had no heartburn with any of this, but now there is a lot of confusion again about what happened.

The 1970's 38 Super Auto +P was the fastest auto pistol load commonly available at the time. Only the import of the Tokarov 7.62x25 replaced it as a flat shooting varmint gun.

 

[CZ93X62]

The 38 Super is IMMENSELY POPULAR in Mexico and with immigrants from that country. Military calibers are strictly verboten to all civilians in that country, but 32 ACP and 38 Super are likely the two most popular handgun calibers south of the border. 1,200 sicarios y narcos CAN'T BE WRONG!

 

[Bruce Drake]

I love my 38 Super 1911 but I load it at 38ACP pressures (standard GI recoil spring works just fine.) But I also own and enjoy using my 38-45 ACP chambered 1911 as well.

The reason I load it to 38ACP levels is because I own a Star Super B in 9mm Largo as well and I can then use the ammo interchangeably.

 

[smokeywolf]

Would like to jump into the 38 super cartridge. Have read many articles claiming that the commander sized 1911 and the 38 super cartridge are an absolutely wonderful match.
Been looking for a DW Guardian in 38 super, off-n-on for a year. Pickin's are pretty slim right now. Starting to consider widening my search to include a Guardian in 45ACP.

 

[oscarflytyer]

My 38 Super is the RI. No ramp - lower loads are recommended - which is FINE with me. Not looking to hot rod, and plan to shoot a lot of cast, so...!