Not just .357/.38spl? }:D

M

MagnumWill

New member
Many of you will not know this, but I am a *huge* fan of .38 Super Automatic. I think it's a great round, and is like a tried and true 9MM Magnum for auto pistols (not saying .357 Sig isn't, but you get my point). I'm a nostalgia guy as well, I like all the older Colt loads (.38 ACP/.38 Super).

So what got me thinking as I was half asleep last night was this;

It's semi-rimmed... I believe it has a straight case wall... It's using the .355-.357 bullet size... It's operating pressure's right around a .357... Why WON'T it work???

So I checked online, and the operating pressures are 35,000 and 36,500 for the .357 and .38 SA, respectively. I was initially worried about the 1,500 psi over the .357, but I KNOW I have shot cheap ammo where some loads pushed it to like 45,000 (WAAY bigger boom and recoil), and since it would be in my trusty GP100, I'm not too concerned.

Sooo, trying it out, and *plunk* they drop right in like they were meant to be there- and I have a hunch that extraction will be decent, as well.

I read somewhere on some other site (take it as you may) and someone said it was tested in '86, and the results were positive on all fronts, even accuracy (not price, of course).

I'm sure by now, many of you are asking yourself "why the %^*\ would I spend so much more money on .38 Super than .357 and .38 special??"

I was thinking this: stock service class. Would they allow you to run .38 SA in a .357 and still qualify Major? It'll hit, but it won't whoop you like a .357.

Thoughts?
 
The question of .38Super out of a .357 comes up occasionally, so do a search and you'll get much more info. AFAIK, though, it's been done, but it's not recommended.

Sooo, trying it out, and *plunk* they drop right in like they were meant to be there- and I have a hunch that extraction will be decent, as well.
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IIRC, the .38Super's case diameter is a hair bigger than the .357mag, so they might drop right in some guns, but might also be hard to extract once fired and the case expand further. There's also less rim to grab, which greatly increases your likelihood of getting a fired case jammed under the ejector when you reload.

And also IIRC, the rim of the .38Super is a bit thinner than the .357mag rim, so "dropped in" rounds may not even fire. You may have to machine the cylinder to accept moonclips. Moons would make it impossible to get a case stuck under the ejector as well.

I was thinking this: stock service class. Would they allow you to run .38 SA in a .357 and still qualify Major? It'll hit, but it won't whoop you like a .357.
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:confused:

You mean IDPA Stock Service Revolver? You don't have to make "major" in SSR, and you can't use moonclips. And .38Super, with it's skinny rim wouldn't likely work well with speedloaders. And there's that issue of cases getting stuck under the ejector.

IDPA Enhanced Service Revolver or USPSA Revolver? I'd use a .45acp like everyone else, or just use my SSR gun with ammo that makes major. IDPA also mandates that the ammo must match what's written on the barrel, .38 and .44spl ammo in their magnum gun counterparts, and .45AR in a .45acp gun being the only exceptions.

ICORE? You don't have to make major in ICORE, either. If it's moonclipped, you'd be shooting in Limited, so you might as well use a 6-shot .45acp, a moonclipped .38/.357 with Short Colt brass, or a moonclipped 8-shot N-frame. S&W did make the 8-shot 627 in .38Super, btw, and it would make a nice ICORE Limited or Steel Challenge gun.
 
Don't know the ins and outs of the rules, but I fired a couple .38 Supers in my T/C G2 with custom .357 barrel. They fired fine, hit the target at 15 yards, but extraction was tough.
 
I have a friend from long ago that moved from town to way out in the country. He decided he needed a home defense gun. He found an old break top 38 s&w revolver. An iver johnson I think.

He couldn't find any 38 S&W ammo but somehow came up with a couple of boxes of 38 super. Thats what he shot in that gun. I guess it had enough of a rim to headspace and the way over sized bore (.363 or thereabouts) kept the pressure low enough with the .355 sized bullets that it worked. I even shot a cylinder full myself. And you know what? The damn thing was accurate enough to hit beer cans at 20-25 yards most of the time.

So your idea is not new. Just crazy, like my friend.:D:D:D

I think I would just stick with the proper ammo and learn to handload if you want to experiment.
 
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