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Can A .40 Slide Be Used For A .38super Gun


mtho

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I'm currently shooting a dual caliber gun built by Benny Hill. He built the gun with BOTH 38 Super AND 40 S & W bbls. The same Caspian slide is used for both calibers. The 38 S is a bushing bbl for IDPA and the 40 is a bull bbl for IPSC limited. It takes about one minute to swap calibers and the gun shoots just GREAT. After some 7K rounds, there have been little or no problems. It's a real joy to shoot even with my limited "C" abilities. btw the gun is built with an STI frame w/ Caspian slide. Kudos to BH. Hope this helps...

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The .40 slide will work for super because of the rim. It will not work for any of the rimless 9s. But I would sell or trade the slide, with a 9mm/ 38s slide and a super chamber it is possible to fire 38s. 9sc and 9x23 in the same gun if your gs knows how to set up extractors.-----Larry

Edited by lkytx
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I would not sell the slide, I have Two guns I use with a 40 slide. One has a 38 super barrel and the other is 9mm. They work flowless. the differance between the 40 and 9/38 is only 15k.

All you have to do is tighten up on the extractor a little more than usual. I have read some where on the threads that Benny Hill has done this as well.

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I'm currently shooting a dual caliber gun built by Benny Hill. He built the gun with BOTH 38 Super AND 40 S & W bbls. The same Caspian slide is used for both calibers. The 38 S is a bushing bbl for IDPA and the 40 is a bull bbl for IPSC limited. It takes about one minute to swap calibers and the gun shoots just GREAT. After some 7K rounds, there have been little or no problems. It's a real joy to shoot even with my limited "C" abilities. btw the gun is built with an STI frame w/ Caspian slide. Kudos to BH. Hope this helps...

precision40,

what load of ammo do you feed your 38super? i'm building mine for open division and would feed it major load ammo. do you think i'll have a problem with the major loads?

I would not sell the slide, I have Two guns I use with a 40 slide. One has a 38 super barrel and the other is 9mm. They work flowless. the differance between the 40 and 9/38 is only 15k.

All you have to do is tighten up on the extractor a little more than usual. I have read some where on the threads that Benny Hill has done this as well.

hdgun,

do you feed your 38 super major loads?

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Funny thing. One of my little "quirks" is that every slide I get goes through my measuring ritual with various micrometers. Even with the same manufacturer there are dimensional inconsistencies. However slight, they get "noted". Sometimes I have gotten a slide that was delivered as a .40/10, and another delivered as a .38/9, and after going through my measuring stage were too close to tell apart???? Don't ask, for I won't tell who done it!!!! It has been more than one, for sure. (Top brand names too!!) The "moral" of this is that "manufacturers tolerances" are very subjective...

While I do not endorse (for liability reasons) the utilization of a slide "marked" for a specific caliber to be used in another, most of the slides are actually "not marked", and it is indeed a "judgement call" for the builder. The tightest tolerances in certain areas are not conducive for a "flawless" operating firearm. Your 'smith usually knows where to keep/make tight and where to loosen up for smooth running. It all comes down to your level of know how/what and similar experience, rather than hearsay. But sometimes hearsay will get you started in the right direction. As in these forums. "Maku Mozo!"

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hdgun,

do you feed your 38 super major loads?

I have put a few matches through the gun with major loads. I use this gun for a steel gun mostly. 135-140 PF. gun runs great.

Caspian 38 super

Caspian wide body frame

5" 6 port hybrid only (no comp)

Optima 2000

9.3 HS6 with 124fmj

And like 10mm Dave said, It is LOUD

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There should be no problem making major, but if I'm not mistaken you had asked if there would be a problem using a 40 slide for 38 super.

The answer in MHO is no problem, I have been doing it for years without a single hickup.

Edited by hdgun
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  • 4 weeks later...
any of you use an aftec extractor on this type of set up? what model of aftec did you use?the one for 38 super or the one for supercomp?

In everything 1911-ish! In the past, I had a gun w/ a rimless extractor (.38SC/9xXX) that would also run regular .38 Super brass with no problem. Basically, it just has higher extractor tension than it should in that case. Going the *other* way may also work, but might be more subject to the extractor slipping off the case head, due to abnormally low extractor tension. Definitely get the one that corresponds to your main brass - then, if you happen to load some with the other brass, and it works, so be it :)

BTW - .38 Super and .38SC aren't going to be interchangeable in your shellplate on your press, anyway, so....

Of course, you could always buy *two* extractors, and swap them between brass changes, too.... :lol:

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my main brass would be in 38super. but my slide is for .40s&w, so i was thinking of getting an aftec for rimless brass because I need more tension. am i correct with my assumptions?

Edited by mtho
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Hi,

Yes, a .40 slide can be used for a 38 super gun.

I recently got a Benny Hill limited gun in 40 S&W and 38 super. I have several SVI's with the interchangeable breechface and I thought this is what Benny was going to use. When it showed up with the solid breech I was a little skeptical. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't shoot it myself, but as of today, I have run 300rds of 40 and 300rds of 38 super with not one malfuncion. I didn't think it was possible to have an extractor that would work with both, but go figure. It really is a perfect setup. I use the 40 for IPSC limited and for tactical matches and IDPA I have the bushing 38 super.

I have run both light 38 super rounds through it at about 1150fps with a 115gr Zero HP and and 38 super at 1350 with a 130gr fmj. Worked well with both. I would say go for it and use the same slide for both, but make sure the smith knows what he is doing when it comes to tuning the extractor.

Tom

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The .40 slide will work for super because of the rim. It will not work for any of the rimless 9s. But I would sell or trade the slide, with a 9mm/ 38s slide and a super chamber it is possible to fire 38s. 9sc and 9x23 in the same gun if your gs knows how to set up extractors.-----Larry

This is not correct. A slide made for .40 can be used for .40, 9mm Para, 9x21, .38 Super etc. I have interchangeable breechface on my SVI but I don't change it when I put my 9mm Para barrel in the slide. The guy who owned the gun before me had a .38 Super barrel installed.

So my .40 slide has been used with .40, 9mm para and .38 Super barrel with the same extractor with total reliability.

\\gorgon

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