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Post by sixshot on Oct 4, 2023 19:29:29 GMT -5
Well Bob has been rattling my chain about the virtues of a 38 Super for a long time now & I finally took the bait. Last week I found a place in Alabama that had some new 38 Super barrels for $65, bingo! I ordered one & a new 38 Super Kimber magazine & today the barrel showed up. I had to take the link off of the barrel on my 10mm & put it on the new Super barrel, gave the barrel a good scrub & patched it out, put it back together & ripped down to the range before dark to see what all this fuss was about these Supers. Bob has been ragging on me for quite a while now & I think he has 30 years worth of them & probably as much experience as anyone reading this so here we go, I had to give it a test drive before it starting raining again. I stapled a target onto a box & set it up at 15 yds to check the zero since just an hour ago the Kimber Eclipse had been a 10MM. Offhand, with my left arm against a steel post this was the first 3 shots. I had used the same 18 lb. spring that was in the 10MM so the slide wasn't cycling all the way back with this load...but the load was shooting very good, at least for me. I ran 2 plate racks at 20 yds without a miss. My question is, would you stay with this load & go with a lighter spring, or up the powder charge & lean on it a bit more. What say you?    Dick |
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Post by 500fksjr on Oct 4, 2023 19:38:29 GMT -5
Up the load a bit first if that hurts or messes the great target up then do the spring...My 2 cents
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Post by rjm52 on Oct 4, 2023 19:42:21 GMT -5
...43 years but who's counting... ;-)
Before doing anything I would clock the load to see what it is doing. If within what you are looking for I would drop the spring rate. If lower than you want, up the charge.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 4, 2023 19:58:17 GMT -5
Agree with RJ, chrono and check speed. Accuracy is good, if speed is slower than what you’re looking for then step,it up. 18# sounds a bit much for a 38Super, heck a hardball spring is 16#. I run 12-14# in my 5” Super.
Trapr
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Post by rjm52 on Oct 4, 2023 20:49:27 GMT -5
I've toned my Super loads down over the last ten years and probably need to backoff the recoil springs a little.
Many of my recent Supers are converted 9mms and still using the factory 9mm springs that are probably in the 12 to 14 pund area...
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Post by revolvercranker on Oct 4, 2023 22:57:34 GMT -5
I built a tuned 38 Super many years ago. I had an old original Colt slide and I bought a Caspian 1911 9mm frame. Did all the gunsmithing tricks to it. I didn't want to settle for the typical 38 Super barrels that were really running a .354 to .355 groove which is for a 9mm. I'm friends with Freddy Kart so I talked into making ( and also changing his 38 Super barrel dimensions) to a .356 groove. I got the first one he made and fitted to the pistol I built. To say it's accurate would be an understatement. I also ran the my cast bullets above just slow plinking loads and also ran the heavier spring. What's insteresting is that I also load full wadcutters and hollow base wadcutter at a much slower velocity still with the heavy recoil spring and it still functions. The pistol is slicked up pretty well so that may be the reason I get away with it. This all started with me wanting to build a 38 Special wadcutter pistol like the S&W Model 52 and a friend talked me out of it saying you can achieve the same thing with a 38 Super and not have to deal with that 38 Special rim. By God he was right. The 38 Super is one hell of a cartridge and far better then a 9mm Luger would ever dream of being.
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Post by sixshot on Oct 4, 2023 23:43:52 GMT -5
Well the load was like shooting cotton balls but I wanted to hear from the experts, I'm a revolver guy & one of my other two 38 Supers is an 8 shot S&W N frame. I'm sure I've run this load through the clock but it's been a while. I was surprised how easy this came together but Bob has been telling me even I could do it..... I'm guessing my gunsmith son will have a 14 lb. spring I can pilfer tomorrow & continue testing, might even get to chronograph if it doesn't rain again. Most of our trout have drowned.
Any idea where to find another link & pin, I don't like removing them. Also I had some questions about the holster, it's by good buddy Doc Barranti & I've had it for a long time, great holster & it the gun comes out quick if you need it.
Dick
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Post by rjm52 on Oct 5, 2023 6:52:24 GMT -5
I picked up a 5 pack of Wilson links on ebay...you can probably get the pins there also...
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gnappi
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,394
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Post by gnappi on Oct 5, 2023 7:27:29 GMT -5
I picked up a 5 pack of Wilson links on ebay...you can probably get the pins there also... Spare link packs are a great idea. OP, 18# recoil spring is too much for the super. Since the frame is a 10mm whatever it is, the mainspring may be too much also. Even if you're gonna run barn burners I'd spring it before anything else. Since it's cocking the hammer? I'd start with the recoil spring. |
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 5, 2023 10:50:19 GMT -5
The spare link is always a good idea, when I have custom 1911/2011 made I ask the gunsmith to include a spare fitted link and extractor. Funny thing is I’ve never needed to replace either in any of them, and some have round counts in the “holy crap” range. I’m guessing a properly fitted part lasts a lifetime, when it’s kept properly maintained. Imagine that!!!
Trapr
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Post by rjm52 on Oct 5, 2023 20:01:14 GMT -5
If one is running 9mm +P loads 14# recoil spring with a stock mainspring is fine...
Running a 158 grain bullet at 1170 which is what my IPSC load was will benefit from a heavier spring.
"REAL" Super loads that run 125s in the mid to upper 1300s and 115s at 1450+ also work well with a heavier spring.
Lost River Ammo has a HC 147 that runs 1250 fps...functions just fine with an 18# recoil spring. A lot more effective than a 9mm Outdoorsman load at 1100...
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Post by sixshot on Oct 6, 2023 0:47:02 GMT -5
I bumped my load up today & also ran some loads with a 140 gr FN cast but I'm still getting a jam with the fired round, it won't eject. The fired case is hanging up over the top of the loaded round in the mag. It seems like it might be an ejector problem more than a power problem. When I fired the last round with the mag now being empty it still wouldn't eject, but the cases will fall right out of the gun if I remove the mag & tip the gun up!!!  Dick |
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Post by rjm52 on Oct 6, 2023 2:24:11 GMT -5
Extractor adjustment or replacement needed...
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Post by bigbrowndog on Oct 6, 2023 8:53:57 GMT -5
Trying to rely on an extractor tuned for a 10mm, can be done but will probably require an AFTEC extractor.
Trapr
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Post by sixshot on Oct 6, 2023 10:47:45 GMT -5
That's what I figured, now where do I get one Trapr?
Dick
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