An interesting video on 38 Super

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wvfarrier
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An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by wvfarrier »

I had never considered this before but this is an interesting video on firing 38 Super in a 357 mag.

https://youtu.be/dKvITAIEorI
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JimT
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by JimT »

I have been shooting .38 Super in my .357 single actions since back in the 1960's. You will have some guns with tight chambers that they won't work in, but mostly they are fine.
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wvfarrier
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by wvfarrier »

Its literally never occurred to me to do it 🤷‍♂️. Is there a performance advantage over 38 +p?
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JimT
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by JimT »

wvfarrier wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 4:18 pm Its literally never occurred to me to do it 🤷‍♂️. Is there a performance advantage over 38 +p?
I have never chronographed them. I started shooting them as a kid because I could find them really cheap.
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JimT
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by JimT »

In 1986 Ed Sanow performed a test using various .38 Super ammo on two different .357 Magnum revolvers, SW and Colt (different twist rates). Since the .38 Super has about twice the pressure of the .38 Special he did not recommend using it in .38 Special firearms.

The longer freebore due to the supers shorter case and the different bullet diameter did not affect accuracy. Actually the Winchester .38 Super Silvertip was more accurate through a .357 mag than all the .38 Special and .357 Mag loads shot during the test.

He concluded that using a .38 Super through a .357Mag is a better alternative than using a .38spl+p. It has better stopping power. Also it is a good alternative if the muzzle blast and shot to shot times prove hard to handle with the .357.
1894cfan
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by 1894cfan »

BTDT, in reloading for my Speed Six I found that .355 bullets worked better. Not quite so fat.
Trailboss
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by Trailboss »

JimT wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 3:44 pm I have been shooting .38 Super in my .357 single actions since back in the 1960's. You will have some guns with tight chambers that they won't work in, but mostly they are fine.
Jim, stop that. Us 38 Super owners have enough trouble finding ammo as it is. :D
Mike Armstrong
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by Mike Armstrong »

When I was a kiddie wandering around "the other Californias" and Sonora MX, there were lots of .38 Supers around, mainly carried by LEAs private and public. And guys who had .38 Spls (mainly S&W Model 10s) seemed to try .38 Supers in their revolvers and used them if they fit.

The only accident I remember was a guy who had an old Colt 1894 .38 Long DA. About the fourth .38 Super out of that old wheel took out the chamber wall. Fortunately nobody but gringos had .357s back then, and they didn't tend to share.
4t5
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by 4t5 »

Now I gotta ask, what about their use in a lever action?
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yooper2
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by yooper2 »

Somebody had a custom Single Six built in 38 Super, don't recall who built it, Alan Harton or maybe Andy Horvath? May have had a 5 shot cylinder too. My cousin showed me some photos of it on another site. Regardless, I found it super interesting as it's very potent for such a small package.


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1894cfan
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by 1894cfan »

4t5 wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 8:43 pm Now I gotta ask, what about their use in a lever action?
Likely too short and not enough rim. It would be like shooting 38 Long Colt in a 357 lever rifle. Also, bullet weight might have something to do with it too. I've tried 86gr jacketed bullets in my 94 30/30 and had trouble with them 'cause the bullet just wasn't heavy or long enough. HTH
1894cfan
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by 1894cfan »

Anybody try Hornady 147gr hp/xtp's in 38 super? Just got a box of starline brass and a box of 147 grainers. Figured they ought to work OK in my Speed Six, a bit better than 124s. Tried loading ONE case with the 147 grainers and checked the fit in the S6, worked! Now to load 12 rds and see how they fire and group. TIA
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Ray
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Re: An interesting video on 38 Super

Post by Ray »

B.T.T.

I shoot super .38s in several of my .357s and at least one .38 spl. that I consider stout enough to handle them (sp-101). I have a .357 contender barrel that has shot hundreds of supers to every magnum and special.

The trick for those cylinder chambers that the supers will not fit is a gentle resizing. More often than not, it is a slight bullet run-out bulge, often visually imperceptible, that just needs ironing plumb. A case of out-of-roundness if you will. A trip of less than an 1/8 th." up into parabellum taper crimp die is all that's needed. If the super case is too fat back towards the base, then more serious resizing.....like up into a .38/.357 sizing die sans expander/decapping pin is necessary.

Just last week I ran a box of 50 of armscor super fmjs up into a 9mm taper crimp die to make them fit a gp-100. Before that, a box of federal a.e. needed more sizing and required a .357 die. New handloads with .357 or .358 bullets will need an extra squeeze down after bullet seating.
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