.38 Super

typePistol

service
used_by
wars

designer
design_date
manufacturerColt's Manufacturing Company
production_date1929
number
variants

is_SI_specsyes
parent.38 ACP / .38 Auto
case typeRimless straight
bullet9.02
neck9.75
shoulder
base9.75
rim_dia10.31
rim_thick1.27
case_length22.86
length32.51
case_capacity1.14
rifling406 mm (1 in 16 in)
primerSmall pistol
max_pressure251.66

is_SI_ballistics
bw190
btype1JHP
vel11557
en1485
bw2100
btype2FMJ
vel21450
en2467
bw3115
btype3FMJ
vel31395
en3497
bw4130
btype4FMJ
vel41305
en4492
bw5150
btype5FMJ
vel51148
en5439
test_barrel_length5'
balsrcAccurate Powder from Accurate Powder


The ".38 Super" or ".38 Super Automatic" (C.I.P. designation) is a pistol Cartridge (weaponry)cartridge that fires a diameter bullet. The Super was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP or .38 Auto. The old .38 ACP propelled a bullet at . The improved .38 Super Auto pushed the same bullet at .Speer Reloading Manual 13, 1998, 1999. The .38 Super has gained distinction as the caliber of choice for many top pistol match competitors; it remains one of the dominant calibers in International Practical Shooting ConfederationIPSC competition.Boatman, Robert H.: 'Living With the 1911: A Fresh Look at the Fighting Gun', page 15. Paladin Press, January 2005. In overall sales, it lags far behind most other modern pistol cartridges today.

Design
The .38 Super is dimensionally identical to the older .38 ACP but is loaded to higher pressures. It was intended that the cartridge would headspace (firearms)headspace on the Rim (firearms)semi-rim, however all new .38 Super pistols headspace on the case mouth as with other cartridges in this class. Because the semi-rimmed case can cause some feeding trouble in magazine (firearm)magazines, especially double stack magazines, rimless variants of .38 Super like .38 Supercomp, .38 Super Lapua and .38 TJ (.38 Todd Jarrett) have been developed.

In 1974 the industry added the +P headstamp to the .38 Super to further distinguish it from the lower pressure .38 ACP. Most current ammunition manufacturers label ammunition for the Super as .38 Super +P.

The cartridge was designed for use in the M1911 pistol and was capable of penetrating the body armor and automobile bodies of the time.

Even though .38 ACP and .38 Super are the same size, it can be potentially dangerous to use .38 Super ammunition in a firearm chambered for .38 ACP. There are over a dozen autoloading pistol cartridges, both semi-rimmed and rimless, in this caliber. Often, foreign or ambiguous headstamps make identification impossible. When in doubt, it is best not to fire suspicious cartridges in any firearm.

Cartridge dimensions
The .38 Super has 1.14 litreml (17.6 grain (measure)grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.



".38 Super maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions". All sizes in millimeters (mm).

The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 406 mm (1 in 16 in), 6 grooves, ø lands 8.79 mm, ø grooves 9.02 mm, land width 3.07 mm and the Percussion capprimer type is small pistol.

According to the official C.I.P. ('Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L'Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portatives') guidelines the .38 Super case can handle up to 230 MPa (33,359 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every pistol cartridge combo has to be Proof (firearms)proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .38 ACP or .38 Auto is set at 182.72 MPa (26,500 Pounds per square inchpsi), piezo pressure.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the Overpressure_ammunitionCommercially_available_.2BP_cartridges.38 Super +P is set at 251.66 MPa (36,500 Pounds per square inchpsi), piezo pressure.

The C.I.P. and SAAMI specified .38 Super (+P) has a Rim_(firearms)Semi-rimmedsemi-rimmed cartridge case.

Rimless .38 Super cartridge cases
In recent years rimless cases became available that transformed the .38 Super into a Rim_(firearms)Rimlessrimless cartridge. A reason for the development of rimless .38 Super cases was that the semi-rimmed .38 Super case did not always feed reliably from double column box magazines used in several semi-automatic pistols that are popular in practical shooting sports such as IPSC. The rimless case improves feeding reliability in these pistols. As the name suggests, the semi-rim was eliminated. The new rim diameter is close to the case wall diameter. On measured samples of cases, the rim (R1) diameter was no more than 0.18 mm (0.007 in) wider than the case wall (P1) diameter (in typical semi-rimmed cases the rim (R1) diameter is roughly 0.51 mm (.020 in) wider than the case wall (P1) diameter). The rimless cases are intended to headspace (firearms)headspace on the case mouth.

Performance
The .38 Super offers higher bullet velocities than the 9x19mm Parabellum in factory cartridges. The greater case capacity allows for more powder and results in higher muzzle velocities at approximately similar pressure levels. The .38 Super is generally regarded as a well-balanced cartridge with a flat trajectory, good accuracy and capable of delivering plenty of energy. In fact most loadings will deliver more kinetic energy than most factory-loaded .45 ACP rounds.Boatman, 16

Muzzle velocity
7.5 g (115 Gr) Full Metal Jacket: 425 m/s :
8.0 g (124 Gr) Full Metal Jacket: 410 m/s :


Corbon ammunition offers the .38 super +P in several full power self defense style loads with advertised velocities such as 115 Gr 1425 fps and 125 Gr 1350 fps. Testing of their ammunition other then by Corbon has shown greater velocities on average of 25 fps to 50 fps more.

Usage
The .38 Super has made a huge comeback in IPSC and United States Practical Shooting AssociationUSPSA sports shooting raceguns, particularly when equipped with a muzzle brakecompensator, because it meets the minimum power factor to be considered a 'Major' charge, while having more manageable recoil than .45 ACP.

Apart from its popularity in the shooting sports, the .38 Super is one of the most popular pistol cartridges in Latin America due to local restrictions on civilian ownership of firearms chambered for the military cartridges, such as the .45 ACP. Boatman, 16

.38 Super cartridge ballistics have been improved by the use of modern propellants. Ammunition is now available with velocities exceeding 1400 ft/s. This is impressive from a semi-automatic pistol and is comparable to the .357 SIG and similar cartridges. The .38 Super +P is not only popular in Latin America and competition shooting, but is finding its way back into the role of a Concealed carry in the United StatesCCW caliber. Ammunition can now be found in the hollowpoint style bullet with excellent ballistics. A standard 1911 style semi-automatic pistol holds ten to eleven rounds (depending on magazine) with one in the chamber.

Synonyms
.38 Colt Super
.38 Super Auto
.38 Super ACP
.38 Super +P
Super 38
9x23mmSR +P

See also
References


External links




en.wikipedia.org