9mm or 38 super for Bianchi Gun

[forthill]

Looking at building a new gun. Was wondering if there is a shift towards 9mm or should I stay with 38 super.

Thanks

Edited July 22, 2008 by forthill

[Allgoodhits]

Looking at building a new gun. Was wondering if there is a shift towards 9mm or should I stay with 38 super.

Thanks

Open or Metallic?

If an open gun, some guns prefer hotter loads for maximum accuracy and reliability. In that case a slight edge may go to the .38 Super.

Existing equipment?

If you are already set up for .38 Super with abundance of brass, mags, etc you may be just as well served sticking with the .38 Super.

Starting from scratch?

I have 3 open and two metallic .38 Supers. If I were starting over, I would go with 9mm. Why?

Brass is easier to come by and often less costly. If in a jam for ammo, I could if I had to go to Wallyworld and purchase reasonably inexpensive 9mm ammo to get by on. Likely not an option with .38 Super. With airline issues as they are beginning to become, buying ammo at destination is becoming more desireable. 9mm have proven to be very accurate if set up correctly, and today there is a better selection of 1911 9mm mags than ever before. If starting over, I would go 9mm.

Martin

[gm iprod]

Martin has hit the nail on the heaad.

We were having this exact discussion at the club last week. We have a bunch of new shooters and if starting from stratch most people would be better of with 9mm. Especially if you intend to travel and shoot. 9mm ammo is everywhere. You don't have to reload. If you go 38Super to get the best out of the cartridge reloading is compulsory.

I like the 38Super. I bought a used gun already in 38Super, with as many of the features I desrired and added the rest as time and money allowed. Then when I needed it I purchased a new gun in 38Super, but that was because I was already on the 38Super wagon.

A good gun is a good gun regardless of the calibre.

[Allgoodhits]

Martin has hit the nail on the heaad.

We were having this exact discussion at the club last week. We have a bunch of new shooters and if starting from stratch most people would be better of with 9mm. Especially if you intend to travel and shoot. 9mm ammo is everywhere. You don't have to reload. If you go 38Super to get the best out of the cartridge reloading is compulsory.

I like the 38Super. I bought a used gun already in 38Super, with as many of the features I desrired and added the rest as time and money allowed. Then when I needed it I purchased a new gun in 38Super, but that was because I was already on the 38Super wagon.

A good gun is a good gun regardless of the calibre.

Hitting a nail is not my problem. Hitting the the 10 ring, now that's another issue

A year ago I may have had a differing opinion on this. But the past year, getting primners, bullets that I wanted and primers has become increasing difficult, even if I were willing to pay retail. Some components were just to be had.

This year at Bianchi, when I was trying to round up some ammo for a .38 when one of the MARINES decided to shoot a second gun was very difficult. That being trying to round up enough of the same ammo for sighting, practicing and the match. I ended up being able to purchase a case of ammo from Dave Dupree. Thanks Dave.

However, there were numerous opportunities for 9mm ammo. In fact cases of new 9mm ammo, was available from fellow shooters. That alone was an eye opening observation. So it appears, if you need to borrow a gun, there are plenty of .38 Supers, but if you need ammo, then 9mm is more available. Perhaps we need one of each.

This week I acquired a STI Targetmaster in 9mm. So I will be playing with that a little now. I purcahsed the new 10 rd Wilson 9mm mags, but the wider base pad will not clear the magwell/grips that I use. I tryed my Wilson .38 Super mags and they worked beautifully with four different bullets. I will experiment with that some more too.

Guns and shooting, one has to love it to deal with what we do.

MJ

[Griz]

getting primners, bullets that I wanted and primers has become increasing difficult, even if I were willing to pay retail. Some components were just to be had.

How would 9mm help this situation? If you have a crazy light trigger job with a weak hammer in your 9mm like most guys have in their 38 stupors, you are still going to have to search for Fed100 primers and factory ammo probably won't run. Right?

[shred]

getting primners, bullets that I wanted and primers has become increasing difficult, even if I were willing to pay retail. Some components were just to be had.

How would 9mm help this situation? If you have a crazy light trigger job with a weak hammer in your 9mm like most guys have in their 38 stupors, you are still going to have to search for Fed100 primers and factory ammo probably won't run. Right?

FWIW, My Super/9 with an XL firing pin and a 1.5lb trigger will set off primers my stock Glock and M&P won't.

[gm iprod]

FWIW, My Super/9 with an XL firing pin and a 1.5lb trigger will set off primers my stock Glock and M&P won't.

I make sure all my guns run on factory ammo.

All my 38Super NRA AP guns will run on all the 38Super (newly manufactured) ammunition I can get down here. You just never know. All but one of these guns runs a slick 2lb trigger, th eother is an older AP gun and it has a 1.5lb trigger.

The big thing with it is I reload by preference to keep costs down, improve accuracy and get the load down to minor power factor + not a lot. Factory ammo is to SAAMI specs not neccessarily with any of the aforementioned advantages.

If you travel with firearms and taking ammo is a problem (talk to the guys going to the World IPSC Shoot in October) you will be able to get something that will work in your gun without a major rebuild of the internals.

Martin,

Back on subject.

Are you coming down to the NRA Worlds in November??