If brass were free, what open pistol caliber would you choose?

[GrumpyOne]

Another thread got me thinking about something Gman-Bart (thanks for the idea!) said. If brass were free for the taking, any amount, what open pistol caliber would you choose and why?

I know I've probably left some off the list, so make suggestions and we'll get the list updated, ok?

PS. I'm not going to vote in this poll as the owner of the poll, so it is purely based on what you, the forum members vote.

Edited September 4, 2010 by GrumpyOne

[al503]

38SC. Straight walled case. Negligible rim. Promotes the highest capacity in your mags. Powder choices galore. Almost the most internal case capacity for more powder, which equals more gas for the comp. Longer case length promotes better ejection. I think that's about it.

[Sarge]

I voted for SC. I don't shoot open yet but I have read enough to see most of the obvious benefits.

HOWEVER, I think it is unrealistic to think I could ever get any brass I want for free. I have never purchased brass and in less than two years have amassed well over 10k 9mm as well as more than a few thousand 40's. I don't have too many 40's since I generally leave that to the 40 shooters who want it. In that same time I have found fewer than 100 38's.

I shoot in enough local matches of various types to literally pick up brass until it is dark if I so choose. It is for that reason that I have been considering shooting 9major when the time comes.

But like I said, SC if it's free.

[calishootr]

since all of my guns are set up for the original .38 super I'll stick to it

[edwin garcia]

38SC, but if I'm allowed second choice, it'll be 38 TJ. Why, because they're both designed for competitive shooting. Why settle for anything less.

[Pat Miles]

38 SuperComp for all the above reasons and the fact that I have three of them.

Pat

[Seth]

38SC. My 9major gun was quite reliable, but the ejection was erratic and the powder options were limited.

[10ring]

I'm going to vote 38TJ because the extraction groove in the case is larger and will have less of a tendancy to get caught on the extractor hook. It also has the other desirable attribute of rimless.

Otherwise I'd just go with the 38SC.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I vote for 9mm since I shoot that in my Glock,1911 and open pistol Thanks, Eric

[Whitefish]

I voted for 38 TJ, but 38 SC is what I use in my two open guns chambered for it. TJ may give marginally better extraction, but I think the difference is so small as to be in the margin of error in a well tuned open gun. I have a 9 major Dawson mini-stroker and a couple of Glock 17 open guns in 9 major as well. All are reliable, but both 38 SC or 38 TJ give a wider ranger of bullet/powder combinations that are workable. I like that I can use a much slower powder like N105 or 3N38 in the 38 TJ or SC that I cannot use in 9 Major - easier on the guns over the long term.

[CenTX]

I used both SC and TJ in my Open gun and while I know technically they are different, in my experience they are interchangeable.

[CDPMatt]

.38SC.... my Bedell runs great and I pick up what i can.

[larry cazes]

38 supercomp. It is what I shoot now. Reasons have already been stated. It is certainly not free but compared to other expenses it is negligible.

[XD Niner]

.38 Super for me. It is much easier to reload than 9mm for Major. The brass cost issue is tremendously overblown. Just do the math. One piece of .38 Super brass typically costs between 14₵ and 16₵. It is good for at least 8 reload cycles which equates to no more than 2₵ per piece per shot.

Of course, this assumes that you can retrieve your brass after each shooting session. I can because we must pick up all our brass at the range where I practice. I just shoot it seven times and on the eighth use it at a match.

Unless you can really get 9mm brass for free, the per shot cost is certainly no less and likely to be much more when you consider that you can reload to major only twice or maybe three times if you're willing to push it.

[dansy]

38SC and my brass is not Free

[Joe4d]

The problem with 38 sc isnt so much the cost of brass its that it seems to be made of unubtanium, I really dont want to pick up brass during a match or worry about specific brass, normally before and after a match I can pick up a bunch, and get plenty of 9mm and .40 to use, I saw a lot of great deals on 38 sc guns get posted here sold and repeatedly reposted as people found out they couldnt get brass. Everywhere I have shot with minimul effort 9mm brass is free, and mailordering once fired is pretty dang cheap, the last time I saw 38SC it was only available new, and was $150 a thousand,

[caspian guy]

If someone else was paying for the brass, and I never had to pick any up...38sc would be my choice.

I have 2 9mm guns and a set of mags that are 100% but it took a bit more effort to get there than when the same 2 guns were 38 sc.

There are more powder choices for 38 sc (though if kgunz successes in getting sp2 into the country that part of my argument would go away ).

So will I ever go back to 38 sc? No, not unless the cost of once fired 9mm goes through the roof...

[Soi]

Now, 9mm.

Next, (December ) 9mm.

[G-ManBart]

The problem with 38 sc isnt so much the cost of brass its that it seems to be made of unubtanium,

Joe,

I've seen you say this repeatedly over the last year or so, and while it's been harder to get, it hasn't been impossible. Every time folks scream "there's none to be found" I go digging around and find one or two sources within a couple of days and then post it here. Sometimes it's been more expensive, at Midway or Dillon, but is has been available. Right now both Angus and Starline have it in stock ($123 and $124 per thousand). It's simply a matter of buying enough to last for a couple of months at a time....if people reuse their cases, that might be only a couple of thousand. R,

[Joe4d]

But unubtanium is such a cool word !

I really do see 38 sc and tj as a better mousetrap I just wish it was more available, Are there any Super guns that wont run on SC ? Any reason Winchester or Remington couldnt quietly switch their factory brass ? I see Starline does list it as available, but I guess I have just built up the habit of not worrying about brass during a match, At tear down there is usually plenty of .40 or 9 to be picked up on the last stage to replace what I have dropped. About a year ago there were some killer deals on SC open guns and I just happened to have the money, but everywhere I looked I was unable to locate any brass, which kinda scared me away from .38SC, of course now I am horse poor and cant even afford a .22 open.

[GrumpyOne]

The purpose of this thread and poll wasn't to start an argument or discussion about which is better or cheaper. The purpose was to take the brass out of the equation, thereby making it a pure thread on what the forum members would shoot in open if all things (brass) were equal.

So, right now, it seems more like a trade off. Shoot 38S/SC an have a lot of powder choices, easier loads, easier to make run, or, 9mm and get cheaper brass, but the gun is generally harder to make run right, have problems with mags, limited powders, etc.

All in all, each caliber is paying a price, whether up front or down stream.

[G-ManBart]

But unubtanium is such a cool word !

I really do see 38 sc and tj as a better mousetrap I just wish it was more available, Are there any Super guns that wont run on SC ?

LOL....yeah, it is a cool word. It's really only been the last year or so that SC was harder to come by; before that it was almost always in stock, or so it seemed.

My Super won't run SC and my SC guns won't run super, but that's just an easy extractor swap if you want to switch.

[Tzygä]

Now I have three 9X19 and one 38 SC barells in my open guns.

If the brasses were free I would shoot absolutely 38 SC brasses.

I just hate to collect brasses. That is why I shoot 9 major now.

[Front Man]

I use 38SC but voted for TJ because I do believe it is superior to everything listed above.

I also think it is stronger where it needs to be.

FM

[larry cazes]

But unubtanium is such a cool word !

I really do see 38 sc and tj as a better mousetrap I just wish it was more available, Are there any Super guns that wont run on SC ?

LOL....yeah, it is a cool word. It's really only been the last year or so that SC was harder to come by; before that it was almost always in stock, or so it seemed.

My Super won't run SC and my SC guns won't run super, but that's just an easy extractor swap if you want to switch.

I didnt realise supply has been sketchy at all. I have been able to get it from both Starline and Angus at will for more than 7 years without fail.

Edited September 7, 2010 by larry cazes