Destroyer rifles & 9mm Largo...

M

Magnum Wheel Man

New member
ran across one of these the other day... kinda looked cool in a bolt action tactikool sort of way...

can these guns chamber 38 super ??? anyone really know the difference between 9 mm Largo & 38 Super ???
 
The two cartridges are almost identical, but that does not mean they are the same. The 9mm Largo (aka 9mm Bergman-Bayard) is a more tapered case than the .38 Super (and .38 ACP) so the latter will not always fit into a 9mm Largo chamber.

Plus the bullets are not the same diameter, the Largo being .355 and the Super being .358, but that is not enough to really cause a problem. The main difference is that the .38 Super has a semi-rim and is intended to headspace on it, while the 9mm Largo is a true rimless and headspaces on the case mouth.

In brief, you might be able to use the .38 Super in a Destroyer carbine with no changes, or some modification might be needed. I would consult a gunsmith before making any changes, though.

Jim
 
9mm Largo is 9mm Browning Long, aka 9mm Bergman-Bayard, and has a dase length of .8". 38 Automatic and 38 Super have a case length of .9". Bullet diameters vary by manufacturer, some loading .355" bullets, spec being .357" bullets. Long story short, 9mm Largo is not the same as 38 Automatic or 38 Super.
 
9mm Largo is 9mm Browning Long, aka 9mm Bergman-Bayard
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9mm Browning Long (aka 9x20) is NOT the same as 9mm Largo (aka 9mm Bergmann-Bayard) (aka 9x23). It is a shorter round by 3mm, and is a semi rimmed case while the Largo is rimless.

The 9mm Browning Long, developed by John M. Browning for use in blowback pistols, is a shorter version of the .38 ACP that was used in the Browning Model 1903 pistol (and the 1907 Swedish Husqvarna version of the 1903), a couple of Webley & Scott autoloaders and one LeFrancais auto pistol. The 9mm Browning Long can be made from .38 ACP cases by trimming them back.

Also, all the data I have seen states the bullet diameter of a .38 ACP/.38 Super is .356, not .358.
 
Some 9mm Largo weapons will chamber .38 Super, and the modification to 'fine tune' the fit is very easy - did my Star Modelo Super pistol and it works flawlessly. HOWEVER - .38 Super can be much more powerful, and has a higher SAAMI pressure rating. I reload using .38 Super brass when I cannot find 9mm Largo brass, but I keep my loads to 9mm Largo specs.
It pays to go easy and be safe with these old guns!
 
Some 9mm Largo weapons will chamber .38 Super, and the modification to 'fine tune' the fit is very easy - did my Star Modelo Super pistol and it works flawlessly. HOWEVER - .38 Super can be much more powerful, and has a higher SAAMI pressure rating. I reload using .38 Super brass when I cannot find 9mm Largo brass, but I keep my loads to 9mm Largo specs.
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+1 on that caution, but .38 ACP is pretty much safe to shoot in Largo chambered pistols provided you have a sufficiently oversized breech face to accommodate the semi-rim of the .38 ACP.

.38 Super has identical dimensions to the lower powered .38 ACP and really shouldn't be used in Largo pistols, unless, as Bigdog57 pointed out, you reload down to Largo specs.

And, although a bit tedious, .38 ACP/.38 Super brass can be chucked up in a lathe and the protruding semi-rim can be easily turned down. This gives you brass nearly identical to 9mm Largo.
 
A lot of questionable info here

9MM Largo factory loads are loaded to higher pressure
and velocities than the .38 ACP. On the other hand, the original factory loads for .38 Super were loaded at higher pressures and velocities than 9MM Largo.

That was then,,, but today things are different. Today's factory .38 Super has been reduced to the equivalent of the original Largo specs because the lawyers got involved. Seems somebody kaboomed a .38 ACP pistol using the Super cartridge.

Bottom line: Any gun that can safely handle the 9MM Largo should be able to handle the newer factory .38 Supers. But, (and big BUT it is) if you feed your 9MM largo with the semi rimmed .38 round, you will damage the extractor and the gun will no longer cycle the rimless round.

Since the hoarding crap started in 2008, Starline is no longer producing the Largo case. It is more profitable to produce faster selling products.
 
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