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9x23SC vs 38SC


9X23Guy

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So I've been shooting my first open gun for a full year now. STI chambered for 38SC, Schuemann barrel. The gun came with Starline 9x23 Supercomp brass. It functions flawlessly. Changing the optic/mount for next year and now that's its the off season getting ready to stock up on new brass. I like the idea or 9x23SC because of the thicker base where a 38SC will usually swell. Length of case is the same, rim is the same. I know the 9x23 is slightly tapered. What is the advantage of running 38SC instead of 9x23SC and what am I missing. Starline 9x23SC case, 124 MG JHP, 8.0 IMR 4756, 1.245 OAL, 166.5 PF. Couldn't find what I was looking for with the search. Thanks.

Edited by 9X23Guy
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I don't know if I'm right but it was my understanding that most 38 SC guns are built with a .355 (9mm) barrel instead of a .356 (38) barrel and that acually makes most 38SC guns 9x23 am I right.

Edited by Joe139
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Schuemann sells .355 short chambered barrels so I don't think the .356 for 38 s/sc and .355 for 9mm is valid.

They do sell a 38 s/sc specific AET barrel but I think that has more to do with his proprietary voodoo to gain a bit more accuracy.

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I don't know if I'm right but it was my understanding that most 38 SC guns are built with a .355 (9mm) barrel instead of a .356 (38) barrel and that acually makes most 38SC guns 9x23 am I right.

No. 9x23 is a tapered case. It's a longer 9mm. .38 super variants are essentially straight walled.

Loading 9x23 with super dies will mostly smash the case into the shape of a super. The base and rim will still be larger than supercomp.

A super chamber should not accept a properly sized 9mm case as the base is larger than a super. Some smiths oversize the chamber so the gun will still run on crappy ammo. The oversize chamber is bad for case life.

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If I want to lock up my .38 Supercomp, all I have to do is mix in one of my friend's 9X23s! He can run my .38 Supercomps in his 9X23 though.

I run .356 in everything, including Glocks, Sigs, and M&Ps. :cheers:

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the OP is worried about 38 SC uaually swelling? i dunno but ive ran some pretty high pressures and not had the SC swell. besides, when you run out of brass, and you will if your serious in the open division, win 9x23 or 9mm SC (starline 9x23) will cost you an arm and a leg, where 38 SC aint so bad. maybe someone else has different idea then me.?? welcome to open!

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the OP is worried about 38 SC uaually swelling? i dunno but ive ran some pretty high pressures and not had the SC swell.

I'd have to agree - the only time I've seen .38 SC swell is in chambers that were originally 9x19 that someone had "reworked" to .38 Super (ends up with the back end of the chamber being oversized, but it works). They seemed to resize down just fine, though (using a Dillon size die).

besides, when you run out of brass, and you will if your serious in the open division, win 9x23 or 9mm SC (starline 9x23) will cost you an arm and a leg, where 38 SC aint so bad. maybe someone else has different idea then me.?? welcome to open!

Well, .38 Supercomp is admittedly not cheap. 9x23 Comp (which is what 9 Super Comp is called, now) is even less so, but it's only $20 more per thousand than .38 Supercomp...

At this point, 9x23 seems to be relatively dead. It offers no real performance advantage to anything out there. I could see it as an alternative if you had a 9x19 gun and wanted to convert it to a caliber that would allow you a wider variety of loads, etc, but it's a rather expensive route to go for that in terms of brass cost.

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The only real advantage to running 9x23 is if you also reload 9x19 for a different gun such as production or perhaps for shooting Steel Challenge.

They, 9x19 & 9x23, use the same dies so it would just be a change in the seating die and you are off to the races.

Also, the same Casepro dies to roll size brass work.

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In some geographies (Israel for one), reloading is verboten, so the people that want to shoot Major Open do so with 9x23 factory rounds (at 180+ PF!)

Except for that sort of wackiness, Supercomp seems to have pretty much won that war.

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All the Open shooters in Jamaica shoot win9x23 in their guns. When they come here to the States they shoot 38supercomp without changing anything. The guns run flawless with either and i shoot both thru my SV IMM.

Edited by RoryW
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the OP is worried about 38 SC uaually swelling? i dunno but ive ran some pretty high pressures and not had the SC swell.

I'd have to agree - the only time I've seen .38 SC swell is in chambers that were originally 9x19 that someone had "reworked" to .38 Super (ends up with the back end of the chamber being oversized, but it works). They seemed to resize down just fine, though (using a Dillon size die).

besides, when you run out of brass, and you will if your serious in the open division, win 9x23 or 9mm SC (starline 9x23) will cost you an arm and a leg, where 38 SC aint so bad. maybe someone else has different idea then me.?? welcome to open!

Well, .38 Supercomp is admittedly not cheap. 9x23 Comp (which is what 9 Super Comp is called, now) is even less so, but it's only $20 more per thousand than .38 Supercomp...

At this point, 9x23 seems to be relatively dead. It offers no real performance advantage to anything out there. I could see it as an alternative if you had a 9x19 gun and wanted to convert it to a caliber that would allow you a wider variety of loads, etc, but it's a rather expensive route to go for that in terms of brass cost.

The reason 9x23guy shoots that round is he got a screaming deal on a nice open gun. Wish I had the money at the time I would have bought it.

Pat

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