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.38 Super VS. .38 Short Colt


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First off, it's gonna be a little while before I buy a new gun. It sucks, but I got a few revolvers so it's okay. ;) I really have no need for an 8-shot revolver, but it might be fun to have one with a red dot for steel and the slim chance that I decide to drive 4 hours to the nearest ICORE match. I just started shooting steel and I find it's a good excuse to justify getting virtually any gun I want just 'cause. (Open revolver? Minor Single Stack? Plastic .45? Well, I guess I could use it for steel...)

I ran across a .38 Super 627 on GunBroker. It is of course obscenely expensive. That made me wonder, why not just get a .357 and rechamber it to .38 Super? You'd be coming out ahead monetarily, and I've read that the bore on the Super is .357 anyway, so there wouldn't really be a disadvantage.

But then I thought, is there really any reason why .38 Super would be more advantageous than Short Colts? Doesn't the Super case kind of have a rim anyway? Is there any reason I should be lusting after a 627 in .38 Super?

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It's probably only advantageous if you already own a gun in 38 super and like me have a very large amount of brass for it. I've been told that the 38 super guns prefer .357" bullets to shoot well. I've tried some .357" bullets in my 627 - 357 magnum and got only so so results.. I'm thinking unless we/you find out that they are the same barrel that this might make a difference. I own 2 - 627PC's now both in 357 magnum and kind of want one in 38 super now.. It was too rich for my blood though.. For that price, I'm happy shooting 38 long colts or 38 spls in my 357 magnum gun.

Edited by sargenv
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I am, to my very core, an absolutely cheap bastard, so I probably won't pay up for a Super unless I'm convinced there's some problem with changing a .357 to Super or a major advantage to using Super over Short Colts.

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I used to own a Super...nice gun, but not worth what they are going for these days. I use Short Colt exclusively in my 627s now, I dont know if I have shot a 38 special in them in the last two years...... ;)

DougC

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I had a L frame 357 Professionaly recut By a smith in Iowa for the 38 super, it works great. I bought a 38 super reamer from Brownells and recut an old wore out 8 shot for the 38 super myself. Not so well done. I used the 38 Nowlin cutter which is supposed to be tighter than the normal 38 super. That may have been my downfall. The individual rounds will fit but when loaded in a clip it is a no go. I may should have gone with the 38 short colt with that one. I could not get what I wanted out of the 38 short colt for accuracy, but probably did ot work at it enough as other shooters have great loads and good accuracy out of their revos. Live and learn, well maybe learn tomorrow. :blink:

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Short Colt is considerably shorter than a .38 Special. Short, fat cases in a moonclip are easier to "throw" into the cylinder than long skinny ones.

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If you do a search on the Revolver forum I think you will find a lot of info on the short colts and there is load data as well on the reloading forum as well. It was a pretty popular topic awhile back..... ;)

Have fun,

DougC

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Hi Mike- I'm getting some .38 short colt brass for my 627. What are good loads for steel plate/ipsc shooting?

I'm looking for a new load myself. Unfortunately, my favorite Short Colt load utilized a bullet made by a company that recently went out of business.

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

Edited by Tom E
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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

We are using a 38 Spec/357 mag seating die and a 9mm crimp die with our short colts and it works quite fine. We are using all dillion dies and have to use a 9mm powder funnel to bell the case.

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

We are using a 38 Spec/357 mag seating die and a 9mm crimp die with our short colts and it works quite fine. We are using all dillion dies and have to use a 9mm powder funnel to bell the case.

But are you using the 38 short colt case for 165 (USPSA major) PF loads or just for light ICORE/steel loads?

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

We are using a 38 Spec/357 mag seating die and a 9mm crimp die with our short colts and it works quite fine. We are using all dillion dies and have to use a 9mm powder funnel to bell the case.

But are you using the 38 short colt case for 165 (USPSA major) PF loads or just for light ICORE/steel loads?

ICORE
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I am using a 38 SC load of VVN320 3.8 grains under a 125 Gr. as cast LRN (mold from Lee) 1050 or so FPS. I load using a 38 SC die set and a 9mm factory crimp die from lee. Starline Brass.

Great load and Little FFL will shoot this load tonight at the ICORE match in Tontitown.

I don't have a Ransom rest so I can't really check the accuracy.

the gun I chrony the load in was a 686+ 6" barrel.

good luck.

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

I believe Lee is making short colt dies now.

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

For a short while, USPSA ha a stupid rule that you had to use .357 cases, I was shooting open with a Taurus 608, so I used the shorter brass. You may want to double check the rules.

In a 686, I would recommend that you try to drive a 158 at about 1100 fps. Pretty easy shooting and doesn't seem to slap the hand too much.

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One of the guys I shoot with uses a 686 and is just starting to reload. For USPSA major, 38 Long Colt is appropriate? Or does he need 38 Special? He's starting from scratch. The cylinder is cut for full moons.

can anyone tell me were I can find a 38 short colt seating & roll crimp die ? wanting to try this for myself

I believe Lee is making short colt dies now.

I bought an old Lee '.38 short colt' die set years ago. It had a .38/.357 resizing die, a 9mm powder die, a .38 seating die, and, I believe, a 9mm crimping die in it. Least that what was written on the outside of the dies.

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But are you using the 38 short colt case for 165 (USPSA major) PF loads or just for light ICORE/steel loads?

Hi Tom,

I`m using the 38SC for IPSC Major PF (in Germany: 170) in a 6" 586 - the recipe is a long seated (30,5mm OAL) 158 grs RN bullet (H&N HS) with Kemira Vihtavoury N350. For Minor Steel load I use a 125grs RN bullet (also H&N) and Titegroup.

Works fine!

Best,

Sascha

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  • 3 weeks later...

the 9mm through the super guns shoots, but its not anywhere near accurate. it depends on what you are shooting with the gun. same with any of the short brass in a long cylinder. it is not accurate when compared to the full length case. most of the short cases cause keyholes out at 25+ yards and some will keyhole closer than that. my opinion anyways

Scott Shepherd

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