.38 Super Single Stack Mags

[colt45]

I am trying to find .38 Super Single Stack Magazines that will load to full capacity without binding up @ around the 7th or 8th round. I have stock Colt mags that do good up to about the 8th round,(9rd total capacity), and Chip McCormick"s 10rd mags that work till about the 7th round before causing trouble. I think the semi-rimmed cases are over-lapping one another and not stacking up correctly. I will be using this gun,(stock Colt Goverment Model) for the Single Stack Classic in Barry @ the end of April. It would sure be nice to have 10rds available and working in all my mags. Maybe I should try .38 Super Comp Brass because of its rimless design??? Other than the mag problems, the gun runs and runs. Any suggestions would be helpfull. Thank's, Colt45.

[mikegot38]

I shoot .38 super single stack for steel and have always tried to get the 10th round. Cannot with any of the mag brands. and I,ve tried them all!! The best you can hope for is 9 in the McCormicks. They work flawlessly with 9 rounds.

[ammo_burner21]

have you tried metalform mags?? i can get 10 rounds of super, both rimed and rimless, in them with no problems

[MTrout40]

I use shooting star mags with 38 super and long loaded 9mm in a Springfield S/S with good success.

What exactly is binding on them? Is it getting them to full capacity? Do they function in the gun with what you can get in them?

[Jaxshooter]

I have a Wilson 38 super single stack with mags from Wilson that hold 10 rounds with no problems.

[rishii]

way back when the single stack super was the ticket, I used shooting star 10 rounders. tried the wilsons and they both held 10 rounds without problems.

supercomp may help, but the rimless design primarily aids feeding. the first thing I would check is your seating depth, if your loading them to near max length, the rounds may be binding on the half bottom of the tube. again if your seating depth is near max, try seating a few around 1.250 and see if that solves the problem.

[superdude]

Curious problem. I’ve had no problems with McCormick or Colt mags using the semi-rimmed cases. I always get 10 rounds in the McCormick mags, either semi-rimmed or rimless. I guess the question is exactly how are they binding? Can you get 10 rounds in them? Are they binding while loading them and when firing or only in one situation?

Rishii has a good point and that might be the first place to check. If the bullets are seated a bit too long that can cause binding in the magazine. Max overall length is 1.280 for the super. Some hollowpoint bullets have a rather flat nose, for example the Speer Gold Dot bullets, and need to be seated a little deeper to prevent hanging up in the magazine. A seating depth of 1.240-1.250 might be required. Experiment a bit. and there might be a little variation in some mags. i noted that a Wilson Combat mag i had briefly (see below) was not happy with long overall length rounds that would fit fine in the McCormick mags.

You can increase the capacity of your Colt mags to 10 rounds. I bought the Wilson Combat magazine kit from brownells (catalog # 965-266-038). It replaces the Colt follower and spring and it will now take 10 rounds no problem. I’ve put in 2 in my Colt mags and they work great.

I recently bought a new Wilson Combat 10 round 38 super mag. I could not get 10 rounds in it to save my behind. I disassembled and reassembled it twice with no luck. I never did figure out where it was binding, so I sent it back to Brownells for a refund.

Good luck

[Rabe]

Curious problem. I’ve had no problems with McCormick or Colt mags using the semi-rimmed cases. I always get 10 rounds in the McCormick mags, either semi-rimmed or rimless. I guess the question is exactly how are they binding? Can you get 10 rounds in them? Are they binding while loading them and when firing or only in one situation?

Rishii has a good point and that might be the first place to check. If the bullets are seated a bit too long that can cause binding in the magazine. Max overall length is 1.280 for the super. Some hollowpoint bullets have a rather flat nose, for example the Speer Gold Dot bullets, and need to be seated a little deeper to prevent hanging up in the magazine. A seating depth of 1.240-1.250 might be required. Experiment a bit. and there might be a little variation in some mags. i noted that a Wilson Combat mag i had briefly (see below) was not happy with long overall length rounds that would fit fine in the McCormick mags.

You can increase the capacity of your Colt mags to 10 rounds. I bought the Wilson Combat magazine kit from brownells (catalog # 965-266-038). It replaces the Colt follower and spring and it will now take 10 rounds no problem. I’ve put in 2 in my Colt mags and they work great.

I recently bought a new Wilson Combat 10 round 38 super mag. I could not get 10 rounds in it to save my behind. I disassembled and reassembled it twice with no luck. I never did figure out where it was binding, so I sent it back to Brownells for a refund.

Good luck

If you have access to a 9 round 10mm magazine you might want to try that. I have been using the Wilson 9 round 10mm mag for my supers/9mm loaded long for a while. The indent on the sides are not as deep as on the 38 super mags and that lets the rounds stack slightly off center which allows for easier seating on the reloads. The feed lips are narrow enough to keep rounds from self ejecting.

[Steve J]

Never had a problem with CMC 9- and 10- round 38 Super Magazines. Back when I was shooting Colts, my 38 Super was my most reliable pistol. FTFs were non-exsistent.

[Carmoney]

I have 8 older Shooting Star 10-round .38 Super mags, and they all work flawlessly in my Kimber and in my compensated Caspian steel gun, loaded to full capacity of 10+1.

[hopalong]

I had the exact same problem with my springfield, and Chip McCormics in both 8 and 10 rounders(.45 cal)

got the dial calipers out.....my ammo was 1.260....too long for .45 ACP!

shortened them to 1.245 and they feed 100% and I can fill them to full capacity!

give it a look.

Hopalong

[George]

All my Metalform 9 round .38 stupor mags run perfectly with 9+1

All my Shooting Star 10er's run perfectly with 10+1 too

[tfs]

All my Metalform 9 round .38 stupor mags run perfectly with 9+1

All my Shooting Star 10er's run perfectly with 10+1 too

What brands of .38 Super mags that are still available in the market?

Thanks!

[George]

Bought all these in 1990, have no idea if the exact same ones are still available.