38 auto=38 super brass

[usmc1974]

I was wondering, is 38 auto brass the same as 38 super. I saw some 38 auto for sale in the USPSA members area they, said it was. Others say it is thinner, to my vernier calipers it looks vry close.Wanting to stay safe. Thanks

[BSeevers]

Its the same dimension but not +P and I would only use +P as we shoot hot loads.

Cut a piece in half and check it. Especially the unsupported web.

Edited February 6, 2010 by BSeevers

[Sean Gaines]

maybe good for steel challenge, but I believe it is thinner

[G-ManBart]

I was wondering, is 38 auto brass the same as 38 super. I saw some 38 auto for sale in the USPSA members area they, said it was. Others say it is thinner, to my vernier calipers it looks vry close.Wanting to stay safe. Thanks

It depends on the vintage and the manufacturer. Original .38acp brass has a thinner web and won't handle the pressure of typical .38 Super loads. Most current .38 Super brass is made stronger than original .38 Super brass was. Lots of times this is called +P brass, but I've been told that current +P brass is thicker and stronger than the very earliset +P brass. .38SC, .38 TJ and .38 Lapua Super are all even stronger, with a thicker web area.

When I was running a straight Super I was a broke college student and got a couple thousand .38acp cases really cheap. I used them for steel loads with 125gr bullets at about 1100fps and they lasted many, many, many reloads....not even sure, but it could have been 15 or 20. You couldn't read the headstamps and a couple split so at that point I would shoot and leave them for recycling. R,

[usmc1974]

Thanks, I have about 700 Remington nickel 38 auto brass,new or maybe once fired. This is why I ask. I was also wondering, with the thicker web and mainly thicker 38 super brass do you adjust the load? To avoid higher pressure?

[G-ManBart]

Thanks, I have about 700 Remington nickel 38 auto brass,new or maybe once fired. This is why I ask. I was also wondering, with the thicker web and mainly thicker 38 super brass do you adjust the load? To avoid higher pressure?

I never saw enough difference between various brands of Super brass to adjust the load, but I was using only Rem and Win at the time. I honestly can't recall if I ever compared standard Super brass to Super+P brass. It's possible you'd see a slight difference, but unless you're already well into the danger zone, shouldn't be a problem. It's easy enough to get an idea....just fill one case with powder, even with the top and see whether it'll fill the other case to the same leve, less, or overflow.

If you compare Super to Supercomp, you can normally drop something like 2/10ths when using SC to get the same velocity (and pressure) as Super....that'll vary a little based on the exact powder.

[Steve J]

We had a shooter loading 38 super to minor PF with a bunch of 38auto mixed in that he didn't know about. At minor PF the 38auto was blowing cases right and left. As G-man said - much thinner web.

[GrumpyOne]

I would use only brass marked as +P regardless. I'm a little leary of any brass that only says 38 Super or Super Auto on it.

I have some brass marked only as Midway 38 super, but because it doesn't say 38 super +P, I'm pretty leary of it. I've never even heard of Midway making brass.

Edited February 7, 2010 by GrumpyOne

[gm iprod]

Midway did not make the brass, I believe it is Starline manufacture for Midway, they are only 1 hour apart in MO.

I have swags of 38Super not marked +P, I only use it for NRA AP or Steel. AS long as it is recent manufacture it should work.

38ACP brass is another story, it is likely to be old and thin (like my hair).

[CocoBolo]

My smith bought a bunch of that 38 Super that was primed and loaded it up. What a disaster. The brass would swell and it was down to hard banging it out. He knew better it was just cheap and he couldn't find any good brass.

[McGunner]

I must say that I'm guilty of using the 38auto in my open gun..Back when primers where really scarce I bought up a bunch that where primed and have been using them the past several months without problems. Will I get the same amount of reloads out of them compared to 38 super +P brass? most likely not. I did do as someone mentioned and cut some in half to measure..what I came up with is between a 2 and 3/1000 different in the webbing. So with that I know I wont be getting the same amount of reloads out of them.

[Trini]

Have worked several area and DTC matches in the past years and was really surprised on how much 38 Auto brass is used by the open gunners when going thru the range brass. I figured it cause they are lost brass matches and don't want to donate the good stuff --Super +P. Someone used really weak/used brass cause four of the +P nickle pieces had splits in them..

[calishootr]

nominal operating pressures for the 38 auto are/were similar to the 9mm at around 35,000 cup, now plug in the fact that we, USPSA/IPSC shooters arnt loading to factory/saami specs(a friend back in the day had HP White labs test his 115gr ammo and it went 50,000 cups) the older auto brass will not hold up over time, in a fully supported barrel you are still foolin yourself by playing with it, remember folks, all that pressure is basically atthe end of your arms, when the gun goes bang...

Trini, the nickle brass is work hardened and becomes brittle fasterthan brass, thats why its cracking, cant get as many loadings out of nickle as you do brass