Indians For Guns

What is the difference between .38 super and .380acp.

is .38super also NPB like the .380acp.

thanx
Parag

Dear Parag,

The 38 Super is a NPB calibre.I dont know how it compares to the 380 but the 38 super is a very nice calibre according to me.I have owned a Colt 38 super in the past and loved it.It was very accurate.I found it concealable as well even though it had a 5" barrel.I was using a galco s.o.b holster at the time.

The only reason I sold the pistol was because of the unavailibility of ammunition.

Cheers

Ashar

Both are NPB and both are actually dimensionally identical. But the .38 Super is loaded to higher pressures, and therefore produces much higher muzzle velocities for identical bullet weights. So in essence the .38 Super is a +P loading for the .38 ACP.

So you can actually use .38 ACP loads in a gun designed to handle the .38 Super the reverse is not true and can be very dangerous - due to the higher pressure loading of the .38 Super.

AFAIK it is relatively easier to source .38 ACP ammo in India than it is to source .38 Super ammo, so I would imagine quite a few owners of .38 Super handguns end up using the lower powered .38 ACP ammo.

Edit: Just saw that you were talking about the .380 ACP (aka 9mm short), this is a shorter and less powerful cartridge than the .38 ACP and the two should not be confused, nor are they interchangeable!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Dear Abhijeet,

I tried using the 38 ACP in my pistol but there were two problems.One was that the bullets were getting stuck in the magazine and I could only put 2-3 bullets in it.Second was the feeding problem and jamming.

Ahh I miss that pistol.

Ashar

HydNawab";p="55125 wrote: Dear Abhijeet,

I tried using the 38 ACP in my pistol but there were two problems.One was that the bullets were getting stuck in the magazine and I could only put 2-3 bullets in it.Second was the feeding problem and jamming.

Ahh I miss that pistol.

Ashar

The feeding problem was most probably due to the fact the the recoil spring would be a much stiffer one - being designed for use with the more powerful .38 Super ammo. This could be possibly rectified by using a softer recoil spring.... though you would need to change back to the stiffer one when using the .38 Super rounds, otherwise the slide would "batter" the action a lot harder than it's supposed to leading to premature wear of parts.

Cartridges getting stuck in the mag?

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Yes Abhijeet.Whenever I used to put cartriges in the mag, it would only take 2 to 3 and if I tried to force a few more in, it would get stuck.What I mean is the 3rd or the 4th cartridge would get stuck in the middle of the magazine and would not come to the top.The magazine was an original colt 38 super.The dealer had promised me 400 cartridges but sent me the 38 ACP instead of the 38 super.

Ashar

What make was the ammo? Was there any inconsistency in size? How old was it? The original Colt mags are not the best, there are better after market options for the 1911 like the ones by Chip McCormick (rated very highly on the 1911 forum).

It's a shame you had to let the gun go... there is so much one can do with a 1911 in terms of improving it with (widely available) after market parts.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Abhijeet,

They were winchester rounds and there was inconsistency in the actual sizes of the bullets as you rightly guessed.Another doubt that I had was that they were lead coated instead of copper.I asked the dealer but he said that they will work fine and if I had any problem, he will change them.Later he said that he will arrange new 38 super rounds and kept on postponing the matter.He later said that the it will take time say 4-5 months.So I had to sell the thing.

Now that I come to think of it, I think they were reloads(38 ACP)

Cheers

Ashar

I am planning to buy a pistol for myself (in the US). i have the following in mind. I will be returning for good in about 2-3 yrs. i am considering all the factors of ammo and application of licence after i return (on a TR) before i decide

i have the following pistols that i am interested in

1. 1911A .45acp ( i live in mumbai where it ie NPB)
2. 1911 .38( i think its called colt super the one that ashar owned)
3. berreta 84 cheetah .380acp
4. berreta 81 .32acp

this may be the wrong section to post about handguns. just wanted to inform you all why i was interested in the ammo.

warm regards
Parag Gad.

HydNawab";p="55131 wrote: Abhijeet,

They were winchester rounds and there was inconsistency in the actual sizes of the bullets as you rightly guessed.Another doubt that I had was that they were lead coated instead of copper.I asked the dealer but he said that they will work fine and if I had any problem, he will change them.Later he said that he will arrange new 38 super rounds and kept on postponing the matter.He later said that the it will take time say 4-5 months.So I had to sell the thing.

Now that I come to think of it, I think they were reloads(38 ACP)

Cheers

Ashar

Yep sound like reloads and not very good ones at that. The "reloader" clearly did not resize the cases at all or at least not properly prior to reloading with cast bullets. Going by his carelessness in this aspect, I would doubt very much if he would have even bothered to weigh the cast bullets to ensure a consistent "load".

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Go for the .380 ACP Beretta. BTW what's the mag capacity on this model? In India high cap mags carry a serious premium... Or better still if you can find a SIG in this calibre I'd actually rate that higher than the Beretta...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Dear Parag,

My suggestion would be the first one.1911 45.The second option might be the Beretta 81 or the 84.

All the best.

Cheers

Ashar

abhijeet,

the mag capacity for the 1911 .45acp is 7+1 or 8+1 depending on the model.

regards
Parag

archer";p="55144 wrote: abhijeet,

the mag capacity for the 1911 .45acp is 7+1 or 8+1 depending on the model.

regards
Parag

Archer I was asking about the mag capacity of the Beretta 84. I'm fairly familiar with the 1911, being lucky enough to own one

My suggestion of going in for the .380 ACP is it has a bit more power than the .32 while still being an NPB calibre. The status of .45 ACP is iffy at best and therefore it's valuation here isn't that great... even though it is a great pistol.

SIG's are fantastic handguns and you may want to consider this make as well - I would.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

sorry abhijeet,

i realised that after i posted it. i am aware that you are one of the lucky ones around, i hope to be one too.... so lets just hope for the best....

the cheetah ie berreta 84 has a 13 round mag....this may be incorrect, data is from wikipedia.

thanx
regards

Parag