Going .38 Super

I'm just finishing up a 9mm to .38 Super conversion. All I can say is wow! I haven't built a super in many years. It shoots phenominal. I look forward to the guns owner working up some soft loads for it and letting me know how it shoots. With factory ammunition I shot one of the tightest 25 yd groups I've ever shot. 8 of 10 shots looked like 3 shots. So if you're debating it just do it!
Jon

I want a 38 Super and bought one of those $40 barrels when someone posted about them but I have to get a 52-2 bought first.  Don

Hello Jon,

What rifling twist rate did you use and how does it compare to the factory standard?

Thanks.

Jim

Jon, how does the super compare to the 38WC in terms of recoil and accuracy? I've long been interested in a 38 but wouldn't want to put up with something that needed to be loaded hot to perform well.

Jim

I haven't tried soft loads. I hear they are similar to the .38 spl in velocity and accuracy. Benefit of the Super is ease of magazine availability and round nose bullet feeding. I understand that 147's shoot great at lower velocities.
Jon

For reliability's sake why not .38supercomp instead of .38super? Same case, but rimless.

mpolans wrote:For reliability's sake why not .38supercomp instead of .38super? Same case, but rimless.

.38 Supers "are" reliable (and the cases are cheap).  They have only had issues, minor at that, in double stack magazines.  As an aside, the .38 Supercomp is still semi-rimmed....it is just smaller (I believe the rim is in 0.003 - 0.004" range).  

Jim

we shoot nothing but std. 38 super cases and have zero issues with feeding.. we have five of us who shoot it for centerfire most of the time... we all use the 126 SWC Dardus bullet with BE or WST. All are slide mounted Dots.

thinking seriously of building a super EIC pistol

I've got a pair that I play with.  My idea was just to reduce the wear and tear on my wrist and elbow.  KC built my primary gun.  His load was with a now unavailable bullet and powder.  I use the Magnus Bullet Company 147 and WST in 38 Super cases.  KC sent me this with my gun. 
 

As Jon said, mags and bullets are much more available.  You can download a Super to 38 Special velocities and have a very soft shooting CF gun.  The groups Ax posted ran at 710-715 fps, that gun was a dream to shoot.