[jhh3rd]

My favorite dealer has a new Enhanced Colt Light Weight Commander in .38 super that is tempting me. I already have a govt. model in this caliber and it is a joy to shoot.
Your thoughts on the lightweight as a carry gun? It's a little off-beat but oh so pretty. Also the caliber .38 super is such a great name, kind of like .22 Hornet. Am I thinking too much about form over function?

Thanks, john

 

[Bud White]

Just buy it i would

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I'd grab it were the choice mine to make.

Best.

 

[chiefs-special-guy]

John-
That caliber fascinates me also, but honestly it is obsolete. The ballistics are not better, and often worse, than 357 sig, which does what the 38 super tried to do. I am not so sure there is any practical use for it anymore, but so what? It is cool, and the colts that shoot it are also cool, if a bit expensive. So I say buy it!
God Bless

 

[jhh3rd]

Thanks for the replies. I'll report in when I get it. John

 

[Janq]

Hello. I'd grab it were the choice mine to make.

Ditto.
This would almost be a no brainer as long as the price were right.

- Janq

 

[srfl]

I'd get it too....I have an EAA Witness in that caliber that I am purchasing.....since I'm a reloader, I should do pretty well reloading on the cheap once I get a nice supply of brass.

I think the biggest drawback to the .38 Super today for SD is the lack of variety.....thankfully there's Corbon and Winchester Silvertip....it would be great if Doubletap Ammo or Winchester (in Ranger-T flavor) had loads for it.

 

[QKShooter]

I'm not going to say buy it because you didn't give the asking price.
But, if the price is fair then buy it.
How many different brands of defensive ammo do you need for a carry gun ?
Not very many...just one brand that feeds well & is decently accurate is enough.

 

[srfl]

I'd agree QK but, Winchester Silvertip and Federal 9BP in 9mm were good rounds, but bullet development gave us ostensibly better designed rounds in the various Ranger-T, Gold Dot, and Golden Saber bullets.

I think the .38 Super could similiarly benefit from some development. Whether that will ever happen is anyone's guess due to unpopularity of the caliber for self defense, but I don't think it will happen unless a small company like Buffalo Bore or Doubletap do it....after all I think those companies brought the 10mm Auto round from the brink.

I vaguely recall (I don't remember from where) hearing that Corbon had some sporadic reliability issues; I'd hazard with more common calibers though.

Some guns like one load over others, so the more to choose from, the better in the long run.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Cool counts
Buy it!!!

AFS

 

[pogo2]

Ballistics comparison - .38 Super and .357 Sig

Posters above have mentioned the similarity between .38 Super and .357 Sig. Winchester is a company that loads several types of ammo in both of these calibers. I went to the Winchester website and found this:

.38 Super 125 grain Silvertip Hollowpoint - 1240 fps velocity, 427 ft-lbs. energy.

.357 Sig 125 grain USA Jacketed Hollowpoint - 1350 fps velocity, 506 ft-lbs. energy.

So for these common commercial defensive loads, the .38 Super is a "lite" version of .357 Sig, launching a very similar bullet with about 9% less muzzle velocity and about 16% less muzzle energy.

I also looked on Natchez for pricing on practice ammo in these two calibers, and it was similar, with 50 rounds of .38 Super white box going for $14.34, and 50 rounds of .357 Sig white box selling for $15.26.

But one big advantage of .38 Super, to my mind, is that it is available in the 1911 platform, as the original poster mentioned, while the .357 Sig is mainly confined to modern DA/SA semiautos from Sig, Glock and H&K.

 

[Greg Dunn]

My family (currently my dad) has maintained possession of my great grandfathers 1929 Colt .38 Super S/N 6xx, it is still tight and probably 95-98% of the finish remains (has handling and storage wear).

I haven't fired it personally in over 20 years but it is a great pistol.
.38 Super bullets are better than they were back in the old days.
I would feel comfortable with it as a carry gun.

 

[Team American]

My family (currently my dad) has maintained possession of my great grandfathers 1929 Colt .38 Super S/N 6xx, it is still tight and probably 95-98% of the finish remains (has handling and storage wear).

WOW! I hate to sound like I'm drooling and begging at the same time, but are there any pictures available? That sounds like a real treasure :yup:

 

[David III]

I'd be all over a Colt lightweight if I could afford it. I have always liked the 38 Super, maybe just because it's odd. A Colt in 38 Super would make a fine carry gun, I'd have no problem with that at all!

 

[Greg Dunn]

WOW! I hate to sound like I'm drooling and begging at the same time, but are there any pictures available? That sounds like a real treasure :yup:

I can have my dad take some pics with the digital camera.

It's a real nice gun, but pretty much a safe queen.
I have seen 1st year .38 Supers with box, etc. going for $4500 with much higher S/N's.

 

[JPP]

Ahhhhhhhhh.......

the 38 Super....... takes me back to the early to late 90's when I was shooting USPSA........ I'll always have a place for a 38 super if I run across one again..... and..... I still have all my Dillon reloading dies!

JP