shooter995 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) I know it is kind of a crazy idea, but I am considering re-barreling my open gun in 9mm since 38SC brass is expensive & you loose most of it at matches. I know 9mm guns need a little more work to run as well as the 38S/SC guns, so I wanted to load up 20 or so rounds to see if I had any ejection issues. I have found a few guys on here loading 9mm to 1.220, so my thought is load it long to make up the difference. So has anyone ever tried it?? I have a STI TruBor with a 38Super barrel, Aftec Extractor for 38SC. Thanks for all the help! Edited May 1, 2011 by shooter995 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I know it is kind of a crazy idea, but I am considering re-barreling my open gun in 9mm since 38SC brass is expensive & you loose most of it at matches. I know 9mm guns need a little more work to run as well as the 38S/SC guns, so I wanted to load up 20 or so rounds to see if I had any ejection issues. I have found a few guys on here loading 9mm to 1.220, so my thought is load it long to make up the difference. So has anyone ever tried it?? I have a STI TruBor with a 38Super barrel, Aftec Extractor for 38SC. Thanks for all the help! Interesting theory. You can shoot 9 mm in most 38SC guns, it goes bang and my friends Benny Hill 38S gun runs my 9 major loads reliably. I don't recommend it. I recommend buying some Dykem red or blue, take a 2x6 and drill a 100 holes in it and start marking your brass. 9 Major and I have 4 is a viable caliber for open, it is not inheriently cheaper than 38SC. I buy 20,000 once fired brass at a time and it last me about a year. If you want a reliable performing 9 major you use it once and let it go. I also run mine thur a casePro same as I did for 38SC. I bought 2K pieces of 38SC brass 3 years ago, shot 38SC for 2 years and I still have 5K pieces of 38SC brass. It didn't breed, I pickup an 38S or SC, or TJ, you know stuff left behind by lazy shooters, and trade the non SC off to other shooters. I also RO a few big matches each year, for the brass. You can shoot 38SC 20 times which makes it cheaper than 9 major. I run AFTEC 38SC extractor, just had to loosen it a bit for 9 major, still runs 38SC 100%. But if you must I recommend Bob at Brazos custom guns, have him fit you a new barrel, whack the fat off the slide, and put a few puke holes in it, should cost less than 10K of 38S brass, when you call Bob he will try to talk you out of 9 major. He knows what he is doing. Keep the 38S set up. Two of my guns go either way 38SC or 9 just swap the barrel. When I went to the Nationals last year I put the 38SC barrel back in, go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 So has anyone ever tried it? Yep - seen it done, and tried it once. Win White Box ran just fine in my .38 Super. Or at least, it ran pretty well. Maybe a couple of malfunctions in the 20 or 30 rounds fired. Don't remember, it's been several years. I was getting primer flow like crazy. If I had found that brass at the range, I'd say someone was trying to blow up a gun. In reality, you have more of a gap between the case head and breach face, which allows the primer to flow and flatten out, even though chamber pressures are within spec. You're not going to hurt your gun trying out a few 9mms, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. CocoBolo makes some good points too. I'm still running a few thousand pieces of .38 Super brass that came with my gun, plus match pickups. The 9mm Major stuff I've loaded get tossed after being shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hmmm...interesting. Someone handed me a piece of brass this weekend that looked like one of my .38SC rounds that had been fired out of a .40 Glock, didn't look like it worked very well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hmmm...interesting. Someone handed me a piece of brass this weekend that looked like one of my .38SC rounds that had been fired out of a .40 Glock, didn't look like it worked very well... Not uncommon. You find those at the range from time to time. 9mm through .40 and .40 through .45 being the most common. I once saw someone shoot a .38 Super through a .45 ACP by accident. I'd have never believed the extractor would have held the round in place in a .45 chamber well enough to make it go bang if I hadn't been there when it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hello: The extractor is the same for 9mm and 38 SC. The ejector will work the way it is. If you want a 9mm open pistol just buy the barrel/comp setup you want and fit it. I load to 1.170" OAL for 115-125 grain bullets. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Not uncommon. You find those at the range from time to time. 9mm through .40 and .40 through .45 being the most common. I once saw someone shoot a .38 Super through a .45 ACP by accident. I'd have never believed the extractor would have held the round in place in a .45 chamber well enough to make it go bang if I hadn't been there when it happened. Here's a .357Sig case after being fired through the .40 barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter995 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Well I tried it today! Ran 50 rounds of 6.8grns of AutoComp with OAL of 1.215. it worked in the 140mm mag & my big stick without spacers. I had 2 stove pipes tho.....I have a feeling the case was hitting the C-More mount. I also found out that if I re-barrel my 38 Super gun that STI won't warranty anything after that, so I might just sell it, & build a new gun in 9m major. Thoughts....opinions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hello: Rebarrel it with a Tru-Bor barrel that is chambered in 9mm? Maybe STI will do that for you? If not pick a barrel and comp you like and install it. Just my thoughts. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcs Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 (edited) Well I tried it today! Ran 50 rounds of 6.8grns of AutoComp with OAL of 1.215. it worked in the 140mm mag & my big stick without spacers. I had 2 stove pipes tho.....I have a feeling the case was hitting the C-More mount. I also found out that if I re-barrel my 38 Super gun that STI won't warranty anything after that, so I might just sell it, & build a new gun in 9m major. Thoughts....opinions?? STI Trubors come in 9 Major configuration also. If you really want 9 Major and are worried about the warranty, call STI and I bet STI will refit the gun with a 9 Major barrel and Comp for a price. You can lose a whole lot of 38SC brass before you will recoup the cost of a new barrel, comp, and labor to change it to 9. I would not shoot 9 Major out of a 38 Super barrel. The cases are quite different. Edited May 2, 2011 by lcs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter995 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Well I tried it today! Ran 50 rounds of 6.8grns of AutoComp with OAL of 1.215. it worked in the 140mm mag & my big stick without spacers. I had 2 stove pipes tho.....I have a feeling the case was hitting the C-More mount. I also found out that if I re-barrel my 38 Super gun that STI won't warranty anything after that, so I might just sell it, & build a new gun in 9m major. Thoughts....opinions?? STI Trubors come in 9 Major configuration also. If you really want 9 Major and are worried about the warranty, call STI and I bet STI will refit the gun with a 9 Major barrel and Comp for a price. You can loss a whole lot of 38SC brass before you will recoup the cost of a new barrel, comp, and labor to change it to 9. I would not shoot 9 Major out of a 38 Super barrel. The cases are quite different. I don't plan on shooting 9mm through the 38 super barrel, just wanted to see if the gun would run it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcs Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Well I tried it today! Ran 50 rounds of 6.8grns of AutoComp with OAL of 1.215. it worked in the 140mm mag & my big stick without spacers. I had 2 stove pipes tho.....I have a feeling the case was hitting the C-More mount. I also found out that if I re-barrel my 38 Super gun that STI won't warranty anything after that, so I might just sell it, & build a new gun in 9m major. Thoughts....opinions?? STI Trubors come in 9 Major configuration also. If you really want 9 Major and are worried about the warranty, call STI and I bet STI will refit the gun with a 9 Major barrel and Comp for a price. You can loss a whole lot of 38SC brass before you will recoup the cost of a new barrel, comp, and labor to change it to 9. I would not shoot 9 Major out of a 38 Super barrel. The cases are quite different. I don't plan on shooting 9mm through the 38 super barrel, just wanted to see if the gun would run it! You asked for opinions. What clubs do you shoot out of in Ohio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter995 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 (edited) LOL! Yes I did, I mainly shoot at Rayner's & Briar Rabbit. I used to shoot all the matches at PCSI. There Steel Match & USPSA. But a full time job at Vance's (in Columbus) & a part time job with a Department kinda cuts into that!!! What about you?? Edited May 2, 2011 by shooter995 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glockcomma Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I've tried it in my 38SC and it runs just fine but I was told that it can harm your barrel buy flame cutting the rifling where it meets the chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Out of curiosity I fired about 200 rounds today through one of my 38 SC guns. It functioned 100%, accuracy, recoil, etc were all the same, no observable difference of any kind. Brass looked perfectly normal too. Anyone know more about detrimental long term effects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Merricks Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I've not heard of anyone loading 9 that long since USPSA lifted the restriction kind of bullet are running at that length? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Spoke to my gunsmith, he was rather relaxed about it, saying some of his clients do it a lot with no noticeable ill effects. He does not recommend it with a new gun, but if you already have some wear on the barrel then you are probably not going to hurt it more. His recommendation - not to use it in matches, as there is small chance of stoppage, but for practice - by all means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter995 Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 I've not heard of anyone loading 9 that long since USPSA lifted the restriction kind of bullet are running at that length? I did it with Montana Gold 124grn JHP's & Hornady HAP 125grn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter995 Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 I kinda figured it would work & not be that harmful. Considering I shoot .40S&W through my Factory Glock 20 Barrel, yes I know it's a Glock & not an STI! But I still figured it would work, & it did! If anyone else tries it, please post your outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbairborne Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I had an older STI Grandmaster 38 Super rebarreled to 9 major. Had to put a 90 degree Cheely CMore mount on it because ejecting 9mm brass would bounce off the Allchin mount and get stuck between the breechface and barrel hood. Also changed out the extractor to an Aftec. I found on this particular gun it would only run with one spring in the Aftec, not the standard 2 springs. Now I can run 38 SC with one barrel or change that barrel out to a 9 and run 9 major. It runs 100% now with either 38 SC or 9. The sighting is slightly different with the different barrels, so after a barrel change, it needs to be zeroed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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