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9mm in a 38 Super Comp


Shadyscott999

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Well, it can't be too short, or your gun will not go into battery, and I presume at some point too much free space in the front will also result in problems - poor accuracy, maybe?

So far the experience is telling us 2 to 4mm of free space SEEMS to present no problems.

When discussing using 9mm in a .38 chamber, you should also be aware that the bottom of the 9mm case has bigger diameter, but that too, seems to be OK, due to typically over-sized chambers. I tried 9mm in three different .38 guns, and none of them failed to chamber a good 9mm rounds.

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Is the extractor for 9mm the same as 38 super since the shell plates are the same?

I was using the 38SC extractor, which is slightly different from that for 38 Super.

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I had my backup 38 SC open converted to 9 major. Practiced for about 6 months with it. Thought I would leave my brass and wouldnt have to pick it up. Cheaper to shoot also. Just converted it back to 38 SC and will stay with it. My 38 SC is way more accurate. Will not go back to 9.

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I had my backup 38 SC open converted to 9 major. Practiced for about 6 months with it. Thought I would leave my brass and wouldnt have to pick it up. Cheaper to shoot also. Just converted it back to 38 SC and will stay with it. My 38 SC is way more accurate. Will not go back to 9.

I don't think it is wise to dismiss the whole caliber based on some limited experience. Maybe there was something wrong with the barrel, or it simply did not like the bullet - it happens. I easily get around an inch, sometimes less, at 25 meters with my 9mm's, and that is more than enough for me.

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Accuracy shouldn't even play a role in the 9 major vs 38 S/SC debate. Even in a 38 super comp chamber the bullet jump isn't enough to effect accuracy for our sport.

After consulting with a good gunsmith, it seems this is fairly safe unless you have an extremely long firing pin. If the round slipped past the extractor some how and the pin was long enough to still hit the 9 major round in front of the extractor, this could maybe be an issue. Still it would be unlikely to have any real serious issues. The biggest issue would be in matches. If the round got in front of the extractor then it could be a real serious jam. This is all really tempting, but at the end of the day putting a 9 major round in a $3, $4, $5000 supercomp gun seems, well... Terrifying to me. I just don't want to be that guy starting a kaboom thread on the time my supercomp gun decided it didn't want to play with 9 major.

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  • 1 month later...

I tried some 9mm minor loads in my 38SC open gun today and they cycled fine, even with a 10# spring.

These were some old reloads using Berrys bullets and the accuracy was unacceptable. Maybe the soft lead and the .356 diameter were part of the problem. I'm gonna load up some .355 MGs and try them.

I'm using an aftec extractor and it seems to manage both the SC and 9mm just fine. Anyone else finding the same to be true?

I just want to practice gun drills etc with some cheaper loads than the 38SC with VV powder I'm using in competition. I'm also getting tired of chasing my brass all the time. Seems reasonable. If it works I can always invest in a 9mm barrel for 9mm minor and major. Lots cheaper than a whole new gun.

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I guess my biggest question is why would you want to do this. When you reload the difference between the two calibers is about $1.50 a box give or take. Some are lost brass matches but not all of them. 38 gives you so many better options in powder, bullet and accuracy. It doesn't stop there, I even shoot major PF loads for three fun. It has more horsepower for steel, less drop at distance and since you're shooting one load for everything your timing isn't effected. Not to mention 38 in a 2011 is more reliable than a 9 can be.

Could you, yeah. Should you, probably not.

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Accuracy shouldn't even play a role in the 9 major vs 38 S/SC debate. Even in a 38 super comp chamber the bullet jump isn't enough to effect accuracy for our sport.

After consulting with a good gunsmith, it seems this is fairly safe unless you have an extremely long firing pin. If the round slipped past the extractor some how and the pin was long enough to still hit the 9 major round in front of the extractor, this could maybe be an issue. Still it would be unlikely to have any real serious issues. The biggest issue would be in matches. If the round got in front of the extractor then it could be a real serious jam. This is all really tempting, but at the end of the day putting a 9 major round in a $3, $4, $5000 supercomp gun seems, well... Terrifying to me. I just don't want to be that guy starting a kaboom thread on the time my supercomp gun decided it didn't want to play with 9 major.

There's a saying, "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." There are probably many threads not being written by guys who have blown up their guns for this & other reasons. Also after years of watching people sight in their gun just prior to a weekday fun match, I can positively say there are lots of guys out there who could not tell the difference between a gun/ammo that groups 1" at 15 yards vs. one that groups 6" at 15 yards.

Edited by eric nielsen
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It has more to do with time and energy. I'm a senior and by the time you do your brass prep, chase brass, bend over hundreds of times etc., I'd rather buy 9mm for $.03, load it once and let it lay. I don't always shoot at a range where it is practical to chase brass either. My old hands get tired shooting more than a couple hundred major PF rounds an hour during practice. I'm not a 9mm major fan and don't see myself going that direction. On that, I'm with you.

If I start to shoot 9mm minor a lot, maybe steel challenge, I'll fit a barrel for my gun rather than continue to run it through the 38SC.

I don't really see why it's a big deal. I think I know enough (may not be true!) that if I find the 9mm getting in front of the extractor it's going to hurt the gun. I've had that happen testing a .40 in a 10mm. The guy dropped a round directly into the chamber and then shot it rather than feeding it through the mag. Yes, you can immediately tell the difference. That has never happened to me feeding through the mag. Maybe that's one of the things that needs to be said under this topic. DON'T DROP YOUR 9MM INTO THE CHAMBER OF YOUR 38 SC GUN, ALWAYS FEED USING A MAG SO THE EXTRACTOR IS HOLDING IT JUST LIKE IT WAS A 38 SC.

I'm not recommending this as a long term solution, but rather a temporary situation to see if you like the lighter kick of 9mm minor, steel challenge, or another non-PF game. I enjoy playing lots of different games, but when I start shooting different guns, I start seeing negative effects. This way one gun all the time.

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You may want to consider getting a new barrel in 9. That way you could shoot 9 major if you want to but with a spring change you could shoot minor as well. Then you would just have to worried a out being zeroed but still not that bad of an idea.

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I agree completely. That's what I was trying to say when I said I would "fit a barrel", but I can see that I wasn't clear about it being a new 9mm. I've actually been checking on it and I believe the general consensus would be to go with a Trubor T1 for 9mm minor. It should also practically drop into this gun. (hoods cuts and the like, but pretty straightforward)

I'm gonna try a few different loads and see if it's worth doing (another barrel). You're also right about the cost. I figure I lose about 20% of my SC brass at every match. That comes to about $.03 (brass cost per round) every time I shoot 38 SC, which is the same as leaving the 9mm brass behind. The only difference is you're not brass rat'n all the time. To maintain that 20% loss I use dykem on it so there is extra time polishing the old Dyken off and remarking it every time you shoot. (Nuisance factor)

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Interesting thread. I have two 38 Super open guns and have gotten tired of picking brass after matches (usually only get about 60% anyway). I have shot a couple of mags of 9 major through my gun without problems. Would like to rebarrel for 9 major, but if the only risk is wearing out the current barrel, which I would be abandoning anyways, why not just shoot 9 major through it until accuracy of functionality suffered?

However, it just seems wrong... :unsure:

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However, it just seems wrong... :unsure:

I am generally inclined to experiment, and I don't recall how I came across that idea, but just a few shots put my mind to rest. As I mentioned, I shot the whole season like that, with perfect zero issues, and no single malfunction of any kind.

Just relaying my personal experience, not trying to convince anyone. :)

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However, it just seems wrong... :unsure:

I am generally inclined to experiment, and I don't recall how I came across that idea, but just a few shots put my mind to rest. As I mentioned, I shot the whole season like that, with perfect zero issues, and no single malfunction of any kind.

Just relaying my personal experience, not trying to convince anyone. :)

Thanks for the info.

Did you switch back and forth or just stay with 9major?

I was thinking of running 9 at practice and local matches and 38 super at bigger matches...

Cheers.

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Once I started shooting 9 there was no going back... :) There was that newly-discovered sense of freedom, and I did not feel there was any reason to go back.

These days I can get once-fired brass for $8 a thousand.

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So, being the kind of guy who will try anything once... I took my 38 super open gun that I bought 3 or 4 days ago to the range tonight. I bought a box of 38 super $25.00 :surprise: and I brought a box of 9mm from home that was loaded to 158pf. The 9mm was loaded with 135grn Bayou moly bullets using auto comp powder. The factory stuff was Fiocchi 129 grn. The gun ran great with either ammo The all cycled fine from the super mags with no spacers. They ejected fine in short the only difference I could tell was the reduced recoil from the 9mm I only shot 50 rounds of each so I didn't notice a bunch of crud in the comp or anything. The accuracy seemed to be better with the supers but I did not have a rest or anything. I will be doing more in depth testing for sure. $130.00 per thousand for super brass $30.00 per thousand for 9mm and that has been case pro'd.... I would love to shoot 9mm at least in practice. :cheers:

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AT $25 a box, you'll be reloading them pretty soon. There's not much difference in cost ofreloading between the two, but I just can't leave 38 SC brass laying on the ground and it gets in the way of my shooting. I did quit picking up 9mm's a couple years ago! Almost feels good.

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