11/20/2023 0 Comments Ballistics of 38 special vs 9mm![]() However, this slight reduction doesn’t negatively impact. 38 Super tend to deform, with a smaller frontal diameter, which averages about 1.4 times the original bullet diameter. Due to the higher velocity, bullets fired from the. The second is the reduction in recovered-bullet diameter. The first is the increase in velocity, which is about 200 fps when compared to 9mm Luger loads with the same bullet weight. This increase in penetration is due to two factors. (For what it’s worth, there are only about six quality defensive loads available for the. 38 Super loads tested was 2.5 inches-17 percent-deeper. The average penetration depth for the three. Looking at all the 9mm Luger loads I’ve tested over the years, the average penetration depth in 10 percent ordnance gelatin was about 14 inches. 38 Super to 9mm Luger was a substantial increase in penetration. On average, the major difference I found when comparing the. To find out, I tested three of the four loads I had on hand-one was an FMJ load-in 10 percent ordnance gelatin. 380 Auto designed by John Browning in the middle is the 9mm Luger and on the right is the John Browning-designed-and Colt’s improved-.38 Super. The more important question is, What kind of terminal performance can be expected from a. Of course, this is well within any reasonable expectation for precision from a defensive handgun. Even so, overall, the Commanche averaged 1.5 inches for 20 five-shot groups at 15 yards.38 Super Terminal Performance Two of the loads performed very well, and the other two delivered about average accuracy from a 4.25-inch gun at the tested distance. ![]() I started with five, five-shot groups with each load from a sandbag rest at 15 yards. 38 Super ammunition on hand from Wilson Combat and Buffalo Bore and fed it all through a Les Baer 1911 Commanche. 38 Super ammo can sometimes be hard to find. 38 Super are not limitless and, on top of that. From an external ballistics standpoint, the Super might not be the equivalent of a big-block V8 but is, for sure, a supercharged small block. For an auto-pistol cartridge, the velocity is high, and the recoil is noticeably less than you’ll feel from a. 38 Super as a defensive handgun cartridge? Texas Ranger Frank Hammer carried one, and my good friend and former Texas sheriff, Jim Wilson, is fond of the cartridge as well. ![]() 45 ACP: Making the Right Choiceīut what about the. 380 Vs 9mm: Reasons To Consider The Small ‘Nine’ 45 ACP.įor a time, the Super was the king of competition. By using a barrel with a supported chamber in a 1911 pistol, competitors found they could make major with the Super. Competing with a “major” pistol was a huge advantage, because hits were worth an additional point. With a muzzle velocity of 1,400-plus fps, it will out-penetrate just about any comparable 9mm Luger load.Īt the time, 175 was the lower limit for “major class” (currently, the IPSC major power factor is 165). 38 Super is one of the best defensive loads available. The Buffalo Bore 115-grain JHP load for the. It’s calculated by multiplying a cartridge’s bullet weight by its muzzle velocity. In IPSC competitions, there’s a power factor that must be met. The Super was only marginally successful until about 35 years ago, when it became a favorite of practical pistol competitors. ![]() 38 Super case is semi-rimmed, smaller in diameter and longer than that of the 9mm Luger. This resulted in a velocity increase of about 200 fps. This modernized cartridge had a new name-.38 Super-and the only improvement amounted to nothing more than the cartridge being loaded to a higher pressure: 36,500 psi, as compared to 26,500 psi. In 1929, Colt tried again with an improved version of the. Now, ironically, our troops are carrying 9mm pistols. 45 ACP and the Colt Government Model in 1911. 38 Automatic (ACP) was rejected by the U.S. The 9mm Luger was almost immediately adopted by the German military, but the. Interestingly, this was two years prior to the introduction of the 9mm Luger. 38 Super starts in 1900, when Colt introduced the John Browning-designed M1900. 38 Super are still available.Ī defensive CCW cartridge you’ve never considered: the. Although you’ll be hard pressed to find one under the glass at your local firearms emporium, 1911s chambered for the. ![]()
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