Anyone else becoming enamored with .38 Super - Page 2

Model12Win · October 3, 2018, 09:45 PM

.38 Super: it’s like 9mm, but for men.

**Mike Irwin** · October 4, 2018, 07:50 AM

Hum....

The Rock Islands are pretty attractively priced...

Hum...

Brutus · October 4, 2018, 06:24 PM

Have no idea what a 9x25 Dillon is, no data for it in any of my manuals.
Sounds interesting and would like to know more about it, if it could be had in anything but a Block.

Just read up on the 9x25, no thanks, bottled necked for more hassle reloading, velocities that wear out guns, Competitors who used it then dropped it.

9 x this 9 x that the 38ACP. was invented by John Moses before all of them. Just took a few years to make a pistol that could handle it.

agtman · October 4, 2018, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Have no idea what a 9x25 Dillon is, no data for it in any of my manuals.
Sounds interesting and would like to know more about it, if it could be had in anything but a Block.

Just read up on the 9x25, no thanks, bottled necked for more hassle reloading, velocities that wear out guns, Competitors who used it then dropped it.

tipoc · October 4, 2018, 09:02 PM

Most people don't know what the 9x25 Dillon is. It's quite a rare number. Folks can read about it here to start.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9%C3%9725mm_Dillon

It's a proprietary caliber developed by Dillon Precision. A 10mm necked down to 9mm.

Of a class like the 400 Cor-Bon. A 45 case necked down to 10mm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.400_Cor-Bon

There are some others as well. These are niche cartridges, which don't make them bad just makes them not so common.

tipoc

Brutus · October 5, 2018, 07:55 AM

It's ballistics are quite impressive but boy that has to be hard on the gun.
Biggest turnoff for me is reloading bottleneck pistol cases, bad enough doing it for rifles. Have toyed with the idea of a 9x23 but don't consider the slight increase in performance worth the trouble. Besides this pistol is for target shooting as my preferred self defense rounds all begin with a .45 in front of them.

Don P · October 5, 2018, 07:57 AM

Nope, the last thing I need to is start reloading another caliber and tha'ts the only way I would recommend to a person about 38 super is if they reload.

Quote:

Biggest turnoff for me is reloading bottleneck pistol cases

38 super is NOT a bottle neck case. It is a straight wall case just like 38 spl

Brutus · October 5, 2018, 08:29 AM

I was referring to the 9 x 25 Dillon which is bottlenecked.
Sorry for the confusion.

claydoctor · October 5, 2018, 11:28 AM

I was in one of those "what don't I have" moods about a month ago, when CDNN sent out an e-mail offering Colt Competition Lew Horton .38 Supers. Only 100 were made. Completely devoid of any sales resistance, I jumped on it. Glad I did because they disappeared rather quickly from CDNN's ads. I had not fired a .38 Super in years. About 30 years ago, I had a 1947 vintage Colt in .38 Super, which I foolishly sold. I fired it once on an indoor range and remembered it being a rather hot cartridge to the point of flames coming out of the barrel.. So far, I have about 200 rounds of various commercial ammo through it and I find it pleasant to shoot. The 5 inch Colt has a nice heft to it. Recoil-wise, it seems comparable to a 9mm. I shot it this week against my Nighthawk Heinie PDP .45. Even in my hands, it was obvious, the Nighthawk shot tighter groups. I guess that's what you get for your extra $3K.

Brutus · October 5, 2018, 12:14 PM

Claydoctor,
"what don't I have moods" must be some kind of virus as that's what bit me.

There I was browsing thru Gunbroker not really looking for anything when this Dan Wesson PM-38 caught my eye. The opening bid was very attractively priced so I thought what the hell and placed a bid at that price.

Well low and behold no one else wanted it and I won the bid.
My first reaction was "Oh crap what have I done" but in hindsight I'm glad it happened that way as I never would have bought one otherwise.
Now I'm loving it and having a lot of fun working up loads for it.

74A95 · October 5, 2018, 12:47 PM

If you're looking at maximum performance 38 Super loads that are still within normal operating pressures, check out this link:

http://www.shootingtimes.com/editori...38-super/99160

claydoctor · October 5, 2018, 06:44 PM

It was the late gun and outdoors writer, Gene Hill, who described the "what don't I have" phenomenon. In one of his essays, entitled "How Many Guns Are Enough". he related getting a letter from the wife of a gun enthusiast, saying that her husband had many guns but always seemed to be shopping for new ones and she wondered "How many guns are enough." He patiently explained that men don't think in those terms. Instead, they dwell on "what don't I have?"
He gave as an example, that to his dismay, he did not own a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H and he knew it was only a matter of time, before one of his friends, over whiskey and cigars would ask to see said Winchester, causing him untold embarrassment.

Model12Win · October 5, 2018, 06:48 PM

Does Colt’s currently make a .38 SUP?

74A95 · October 5, 2018, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Model12Win

Does Colt’s currently make a .38 SUP?

You could check their website and find out. I did, and found the answer to your question. And it took less time than it took to write this response.

claydoctor · October 5, 2018, 07:32 PM

I don't know if they made one today but you can buy NIB examples all day long on CDNN and Gunbroker. I did as noted above .

Brutus · October 5, 2018, 08:20 PM

What "I don't have list" is endless but my bucket list keeps changing.
Need a DA 41. mag, an M1 carbine, a 6.5 Creedmore, a Colt new frontier.
This year I fulfilled the 38 Super need and will be happy enjoying it for probably the next year or so until the next gotta have strikes my fancy.
Such is the way with my obsessions.

October 4, 2018, 07:50 AM	#27
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Hum.... The Rock Islands are pretty attractively priced... Hum... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

October 4, 2018, 06:24 PM	#28
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	Have no idea what a 9x25 Dillon is, no data for it in any of my manuals. Sounds interesting and would like to know more about it, if it could be had in anything but a Block. Just read up on the 9x25, no thanks, bottled necked for more hassle reloading, velocities that wear out guns, Competitors who used it then dropped it. 9 x this 9 x that the 38ACP. was invented by John Moses before all of them. Just took a few years to make a pistol that could handle it. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill. Last edited by Brutus; October 4, 2018 at 07:01 PM.

October 4, 2018, 09:02 PM	#30
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	Most people don't know what the 9x25 Dillon is. It's quite a rare number. Folks can read about it here to start. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9%C3%9725mm_Dillon It's a proprietary caliber developed by Dillon Precision. A 10mm necked down to 9mm. Of a class like the 400 Cor-Bon. A 45 case necked down to 10mm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.400_Cor-Bon There are some others as well. These are niche cartridges, which don't make them bad just makes them not so common. 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.

October 5, 2018, 07:55 AM	#31
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	It's ballistics are quite impressive but boy that has to be hard on the gun. Biggest turnoff for me is reloading bottleneck pistol cases, bad enough doing it for rifles. Have toyed with the idea of a 9x23 but don't consider the slight increase in performance worth the trouble. Besides this pistol is for target shooting as my preferred self defense rounds all begin with a .45 in front of them. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill.

October 5, 2018, 08:29 AM	#33
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	I was referring to the 9 x 25 Dillon which is bottlenecked. Sorry for the confusion. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill.

October 3, 2018, 09:45 PM	#26
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	.38 Super: it’s like 9mm, but for men.

October 5, 2018, 11:28 AM	#34
claydoctor Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 450	I was in one of those "what don't I have" moods about a month ago, when CDNN sent out an e-mail offering Colt Competition Lew Horton .38 Supers. Only 100 were made. Completely devoid of any sales resistance, I jumped on it. Glad I did because they disappeared rather quickly from CDNN's ads. I had not fired a .38 Super in years. About 30 years ago, I had a 1947 vintage Colt in .38 Super, which I foolishly sold. I fired it once on an indoor range and remembered it being a rather hot cartridge to the point of flames coming out of the barrel.. So far, I have about 200 rounds of various commercial ammo through it and I find it pleasant to shoot. The 5 inch Colt has a nice heft to it. Recoil-wise, it seems comparable to a 9mm. I shot it this week against my Nighthawk Heinie PDP .45. Even in my hands, it was obvious, the Nighthawk shot tighter groups. I guess that's what you get for your extra $3K.

October 5, 2018, 12:14 PM	#35
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	Claydoctor, "what don't I have moods" must be some kind of virus as that's what bit me. There I was browsing thru Gunbroker not really looking for anything when this Dan Wesson PM-38 caught my eye. The opening bid was very attractively priced so I thought what the hell and placed a bid at that price. Well low and behold no one else wanted it and I won the bid. My first reaction was "Oh crap what have I done" but in hindsight I'm glad it happened that way as I never would have bought one otherwise. Now I'm loving it and having a lot of fun working up loads for it. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill.

October 5, 2018, 12:47 PM	#36
74A95 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2016 Posts: 1,568	If you're looking at maximum performance 38 Super loads that are still within normal operating pressures, check out this link: http://www.shootingtimes.com/editori...38-super/99160

October 5, 2018, 06:44 PM	#37
claydoctor Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 450	It was the late gun and outdoors writer, Gene Hill, who described the "what don't I have" phenomenon. In one of his essays, entitled "How Many Guns Are Enough". he related getting a letter from the wife of a gun enthusiast, saying that her husband had many guns but always seemed to be shopping for new ones and she wondered "How many guns are enough." He patiently explained that men don't think in those terms. Instead, they dwell on "what don't I have?" He gave as an example, that to his dismay, he did not own a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H and he knew it was only a matter of time, before one of his friends, over whiskey and cigars would ask to see said Winchester, causing him untold embarrassment.

October 5, 2018, 06:48 PM	#38
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Does Colt’s currently make a .38 SUP?

October 5, 2018, 07:32 PM	#40
claydoctor Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 450	I don't know if they made one today but you can buy NIB examples all day long on CDNN and Gunbroker. I did as noted above .

October 5, 2018, 08:20 PM	#41
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	What "I don't have list" is endless but my bucket list keeps changing. Need a DA 41. mag, an M1 carbine, a 6.5 Creedmore, a Colt new frontier. This year I fulfilled the 38 Super need and will be happy enjoying it for probably the next year or so until the next gotta have strikes my fancy. Such is the way with my obsessions. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill.