Sig Sauer .38 Super 125gr V-Crown in Clear Ballistics Gel.

5pins · August 18, 2018, 06:29 AM

Test Gun: 1911
Barrel length: 5 inches.
Ammunition: Sig Sauer .38 Super 125gr V-Crown in Clear Ballistics Gel.
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens.
Five shot velocity average: 1212fps
Gel Temperature 73 degrees.

I don’t think the .38 Super had ever been a very popular round for self-defense and it certainly isn’t now. I did, however, pick up a beat-up franking 1911 recently and picked up a box of this Sig .38 Super V-Crown from Target Sports USA. The reality is, there isn’t very much out there in the realm of SD ammo in this caliber.

I got an average five-shot velocity of 1212fps with a high of 1218fps and a low of 1204fps. This gun shoots a little to the left for me and the bottom two holes in the target were probably me. This round refused to feed in my gun. I have never shot anything but ball in it before so I don’t know if its typical with this pistol but it probably is.

I wasn’t able to set up the chronograph for the induvial shots.

Starting off with bare gel, both rounds penetrated to 16 inches. Round one expanded to .64 inches and had a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Round two expanded to .63 inches with a weight of 124 grains.

Through heavy clothing, round one penetrated to 22.5 inches and expanded to .51 inches and a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Number two penetrated to 23 inches, expanded to .54 inches and weight 123.9 also.

TXAZ · August 18, 2018, 06:38 AM

Cool.
(That might even qualify as art under the First Amendment.

)

Model12Win · August 18, 2018, 08:40 PM

Very cool. The .38 Super is much more effective and powerful than 9mm. This looks like a great defense load!

rock185 · August 18, 2018, 10:08 PM

5pins, Appreciate your testing the SIG 38 Super V-Crown ammo. I've tested some 38S V-Crown for velocity and functional reliability in my Supers, but I'm not sure I've ever seen any 38S SD type ammo tested in gel. Thanks for sharing your test results.

stephen426 · August 20, 2018, 06:54 PM

Looks like some nice expansion and consistent velocities. Thanks for sharing! Too bad .38 Super isn't more popular. I think it fits nicely in between 9mm and the .357 magnum. I think the 10mm is much more popular though and has more top end if fully loaded. Too bad so many 10mm loads are watered down to near .40 S&W loads.

tipoc · August 23, 2018, 11:58 AM

Thanks for the report.

I tried the same ammo, same bullet weight, but in 9mm in a Glock 19. Two out of 20 rounds had a failure to feed in the Glock 19. Same failure which was, the lip of the mouth of the hollowpoint hung up on the edge of the feed ramp. This bullet has a wider than average mouth which helps it expand reliably in gel, etc. I've really never had any hangups like that in my G19 till this round.

It's of interest to note that this same round fed very well in my BHP.

tipoc

Rangerrich99 · August 23, 2018, 07:54 PM

Great, now I think I want a pistol in .38 Super. Thanks (I think) for the test report.

August 18, 2018, 06:29 AM	#1
5pins Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 1998 Location: WV Posts: 252	Sig Sauer .38 Super 125gr V-Crown in Clear Ballistics Gel. Test Gun: 1911 Barrel length: 5 inches. Ammunition: Sig Sauer .38 Super 125gr V-Crown in Clear Ballistics Gel. Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel. Distance: 10 feet. Chronograph: PACT 1 XP with inferred sky screens. Five shot velocity average: 1212fps Gel Temperature 73 degrees. I don’t think the .38 Super had ever been a very popular round for self-defense and it certainly isn’t now. I did, however, pick up a beat-up franking 1911 recently and picked up a box of this Sig .38 Super V-Crown from Target Sports USA. The reality is, there isn’t very much out there in the realm of SD ammo in this caliber. I got an average five-shot velocity of 1212fps with a high of 1218fps and a low of 1204fps. This gun shoots a little to the left for me and the bottom two holes in the target were probably me. This round refused to feed in my gun. I have never shot anything but ball in it before so I don’t know if its typical with this pistol but it probably is. I wasn’t able to set up the chronograph for the induvial shots. Starting off with bare gel, both rounds penetrated to 16 inches. Round one expanded to .64 inches and had a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Round two expanded to .63 inches with a weight of 124 grains. Through heavy clothing, round one penetrated to 22.5 inches and expanded to .51 inches and a recovered weight of 123.9 grains. Number two penetrated to 23 inches, expanded to .54 inches and weight 123.9 also. __________________ www.general-cartridge.com

August 18, 2018, 06:38 AM	#2
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	Cool. (That might even qualify as art under the First Amendment. ) __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

August 18, 2018, 10:08 PM	#4
rock185 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2001 Location: Out West in Rim Country Posts: 1,093	5pins, Appreciate your testing the SIG 38 Super V-Crown ammo. I've tested some 38S V-Crown for velocity and functional reliability in my Supers, but I'm not sure I've ever seen any 38S SD type ammo tested in gel. Thanks for sharing your test results. __________________ COTEP 640, NRA Life

August 20, 2018, 06:54 PM	#5
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	Looks like some nice expansion and consistent velocities. Thanks for sharing! Too bad .38 Super isn't more popular. I think it fits nicely in between 9mm and the .357 magnum. I think the 10mm is much more popular though and has more top end if fully loaded. Too bad so many 10mm loads are watered down to near .40 S&W loads. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

August 23, 2018, 11:58 AM	#6
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	Thanks for the report. I tried the same ammo, same bullet weight, but in 9mm in a Glock 19. Two out of 20 rounds had a failure to feed in the Glock 19. Same failure which was, the lip of the mouth of the hollowpoint hung up on the edge of the feed ramp. This bullet has a wider than average mouth which helps it expand reliably in gel, etc. I've really never had any hangups like that in my G19 till this round. It's of interest to note that this same round fed very well in my BHP. tipoc __________________ 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. 4. Identify your target and know what is beyond it.

August 18, 2018, 08:40 PM	#3
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Very cool. The .38 Super is much more effective and powerful than 9mm. This looks like a great defense load!

August 23, 2018, 07:54 PM	#7
Rangerrich99 Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Location: Kinda near Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,254	Great, now I think I want a pistol in .38 Super. Thanks (I think) for the test report.