Using 38 Super as a fun functional addition.

Here's the deal, I just finished my first bullseye season and am learning a lot, my best score was right under 2300 which was a big impovement from where I started. I shoot an old S&W 41 and a Led Baer Conecpt III in CF and 45.

I'm having fun getting better and have fun competing with myself as much as others.

I also enjoy collecting guns and am always on the hunt for my next gun. I'm thinking of picking up my second 1911. I was initially thinking of a 9mm commander but am now thinking of a full sized Colt government 38 super. This will mainly be a fun gun that might see some competition use. I reload and cast my own bullets. How light can the 38 super be loaded while maintaining accuracy? I know 38 special is a better serious choice but options on that front are very limited and often expensive hence my reason for going with a 38 super. I've thought of a old S&W 52 but my 41 gives me enough trouble so not really sure I want another vintage gun now.

I once had a 5 inch 38 Super built for some of the action games.  It was wicked accurate with 124s around 1000 fps.

Some Bianchi shooters get awesome accuracy from Supers.  The old Colt barrels generally weren't very good as they tried to head space off the tiny semi-rim.  Properly built Super barrels can be as accurate as anything else.

I would skip/pass on the colt government. I seriously looked at them and they just don't have the quality your looking for in Bullseye. I did like the idea of a 38 super. I bought a new Range Officer in 9mm and decided to turn it into a 38 super. I have had so much fun shooting it as a 9 that I have not got the barrel yet to turn it into a super. It is as easy as swapping barrels and magazine and you can be shooting either. Turning either pistol (9 or 38 super) into a tack driver takes more work. The RO right out of the box held 10 ring at 50yds so I have not put more money into it then a great trigger job. The other answer is that the super can be loaded very light. Light enough that you can get great results out of lead bullets. I still have not found a satisfactory load for the 9mm with lead.

Len

Well that some good input. I actually cast all my own bullets so if the 38 super is a better with lead then that is definitely a plus.

I've been eying the Sig Sauer Traditional Match Elite, it's under $1000, comes with target sights and seems to have a much better finish quality compared to the Colt government.

I really do wish someone made an off the shelf 38 special auto pistol for $1000, seems like it would sell well.

Sig makes a nice 38 super. Also check out the STI Trojan and the Kimber Stainless Target II. And for pure fun look at the EAA Witness. You did mention that it was for fun.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_231/products_id/411549039/EAA+600318+Witness+Elite+Limited+Pro+17%2B1+38SUP+4.75%22

I shoot a .38 super for the CF and I really enjoy it . My load is 3.8 BE, starline brass, Dardus LSWC 126 and fed
GM100M primers.

Skid how would you compare the recoil of your 38 super target loads to 45 target loads? I'm currently running 185 grain SWC bullets over 3.9 grains of WST.

The .38 super feels a little lighter to me especially in rapid fire.

Skid did you do any comparison between your 126 grain SWC to the standard 115 grain who bullets, those seem to be the standard jacketed round from what I could tell.

I would give my left nut if S&W rebooted the 52 pistol. I've never minded getting gently used guns but I get uneasy buying target guns that may have been used a lot with parts either hard to get or very expensive.

zanemoseley wrote:....... but I get uneasy buying target guns that may have been used a lot with parts either hard to get or very expensive.

Try nonexistent.  Many of the model 52 parts are just not available!

- Dave

Holding a couple of Bullseye built 38 Supers here.  One by Dan Norwood and one by KC Crawford. Started shooting the KC Super in CF matches late last year. Running a 147 grain bullet at just over 700 FPS with WST based on what KC got the gun to do with 150s and 452AA.  Gun shoots good and recoils quick and soft.    A few 1000 rounds through it and the gun has yet to malfunction. Dang WST burns so clean. High realistic hopes for a personal best 2016.
The KC Super


The Norwood Super

Heck since you've got 2 might as well send one my way.

While I have not thoroughly embraced JT's "A Pair and a Spare" rule I am a firm believer in having a backup close by.  That is why KC gave me a 38 Super.  I had Dan build one just about the time I quit competing in the 90s.  When I started back I wrote a bit about the Super here, talked about acquiring a backup, and BOOM KC supplied one!  May you have the same luck I did!

Zane,
Check Commercial Row for a Clark .38 Spec Jon Eulette  has posted a link to. I have a couple of these older .38's and they generally shoot well and seem to retain their accuracy better than .45's, possibly due to bein shot less. I wouldn't even consider a 52 v a 1911 converted.

my .02.
Ron Habegger

The guy from target talk actually contacted me after seeing a post in their bullseye forum. He's a very nice sincere guy. The pistol on the other hand is nearing 60 years old and seen better days. I'm not really wanting to roll the dice and hope it runs well, not to mention I'd be tempted to refinish it which some purists would cringe at.

I had a hundred year old P-08 re-blued. It needed it. That shooter would look great with a new dress. That's a personal opinion of course.

Len

It is more of a shooter than a collectors piece.  But still it could be a crapshoot as to its accuracy.

Zane I have not done any comparing between the 115gr bullets and the LSWC 126 that I use but I have used Hornady's 124 JHP's and Sierra's 125gr JHP. I just started at that bullet weight and had good result's so I stayed right there and I can't remember who told me to start with that bullet weight and I've always been between 3.8 - 4.0 in powder weights.

interesting combination of checkering and stippling on the second pistol.

what loads of WST are you running with the 147s ?

Something around 3.0 grains of WST under the Magnus 147 TC is my current load.  FWIW brass seems to be critical for 50 yard loads.  I ended up using new brass for best accuracy.  Keeping the brass closely segregated to see if matched brass shoots equally well.  Mixed brass shoots fine at 25.

This is one way of getting your 38 super for close to $1000.00. This is the plain Jane Springfield RO in 9mm but if you want something nicer looking you could do the same thing with a PI9134LP in stainless ( Target Loaded). When you have all the parts you basically have one pistol that fires 2 different calibers.

The pistol:  http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=530958097  700.00


The barrel:  http://www.nowlinarms.com/product-info.php?Nowlin_1911_gun_barrel-pid187.html  250.00
The magazines: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MecGar-1911-Magazine-Government-9-Round-38-Super-Pistol-Mag-MGCGOV38N-/181847790132?hash=item2a56f91234:g:UOsAAOSwMmBV3kJZ 42.00

I'm kind of looking at this Sig Traditional Match Elite Stainless. Might go with a RO though.

Also one of these years I may get a custom 38 special pistol worked up but don't feel like scraping up a few grand now to get one.

Well I just ordered one of the Sig Traditional Match Elite SS models like shown above in 38 super. I'm pretty excited.

Give a report sometime. Have fun with it.

Len