Super Vel Super Snub .38

M

MisterMike52

Inactive
What are some opinions about this round? It's a 90gr round going 1250-1350 fps. I'm not sure it has adequate penetration and it kind of reminds me of the old Treasury Load.
 
The "treasury load" is a 158gr LSWC-HP+P. When I still carried a 2" M10 that's what I used and would again. I occasionally carry a 638 with out of production standard pressure 125gr Nyclads and feel comfortable with that. I didn't know Super Vel was still around but 90gr seems awful light to me.
 
Respectfully, the treasury load is 110 gr +p+. The FBI load is the 158gr. load. The Winchester version of the FBI load is great out 4inch but nothing shorter.
 
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Yes, that's partly why I'm optimistic about this load. The Hornady does 11.8 in denim, so the Super Vel howling 200-300 fps more show do comparably, in theory.
 
Sounds good in theory. At that velocity, it could open up immediately and actually could produce less penetration. Of course, that's just MY theory. Or it could do really well and penetrate farther.
 
The original owner, going back quite a few years ago, supposedly was the developer of hollowpoint ammo.

The 'new' Super Vel ammo seems overpriced to me based on the test results I've seen and read about on the internet.
 
Yeah, it's pricey. They have a lot of discounts, I used them to snag a box. What results are you speaking of? I've only seen and found two gel test for this.
 
A gentleman at church is retired LEO from SE Michigan city.

We were talking and he said the original SUper vel ammo was greatly appreciated for the .38 SPl., as they still carried revolvers. Most perps hits declined further shots.

WHen the "Wonderer Nines " came out, Super VEl came through.
 
Wasn't one of their offerings a hollow bullet (tube shape) pushed by a plastic wad?
Click to expand...
Very well could have been....
There was a wholeot of bizzaro-weird-sick-dangerous stuff going on back in the days Lee Juras was doing a lot of his early attempts.
Not only him, but, pretty near the whole slew of people.

Is it possible though that you're thinking of the load where they threaded the inside of the flash hole & screwed a small tube into it? The idea there being that the flash from the primer would ignite the charge from the front and not the back.
That was one of the weird ones.
IIRC, they also used a mix of fast (Bullseye) and slow (2400) powders, carefully placed in the case so they wouldn't mix.

It's a pity people like the late Gale McMillan are gone. He rubbed elbows with a bunch of those people & had a slew of stories to tell.
(for a lot of entertainment - read through some of his posts to rec.guns - the old newsgroup.)
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/Gale$20McMillan

Anyhow -
The original owner, going back quite a few years ago, supposedly was the developer of hollowpoint ammo.
Click to expand...
That would have been Lee Juras. While he didn't invent the hollowpoint, he does deserve credit for the Metal jacketed hollow point for handgun cartridges.
 
Wasn't one of their offerings a hollow bullet (tube shape) pushed by a plastic wad?
Click to expand...

I suspect that you are thinking of the old PMC Ultramag. Was a tubular hollow point cookie cutter style bullet, 66 grains in .38 special and 110 grains in .44 special, with a plastic wad behind it. Fun stuff but discontinued about 25ish years ago.
 
https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/pmc-ultramag-cartridges/5030
That must be them. May have been a Super Vel design that was sold. IIRC Jim Cirillo had input in that design. Back in the day they (NYPD) had a bit of trouble with 38 LRN failing to penetrate bone (skull). Low velocity, the round shape and soft bullet were blamed for the failures and the tubular bullet was designed to correct those problems. Modern hollowpoints have made them obsolete apparently.
 
Has anyone taken a look ARX ammo? Out of short barrels the injection molded copper/polymer 77 grain bullet travels over 1100 fps, has superb penetration and achieves a wound channel similar to a 125 grain +p lead JHP.
 
A load designed for those who worship at the altar of velocity. Penetration would be abysmal. There is a reason why the FBI specifies a high level of penetration when evaluating ammo. Just MHO.

Don
 
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