Starline 38 Super +p Or Plain Super?

[ErikW]

I want some 38 Super Auto brass I'll load and shoot twice to 170+ power factor with 115 gr bullets... once in practice, once at a lost brass match.

Is Starline's "38 SUPER" @ $75/K any worse or less safe than their "38 SUPER+P" @ $96/K?

[Paradox]

Ironic that you ask this, as I have asked Starline about the differences between the standard and +P cases. This is related to my .45 Super loading question. I asked which .45 case was the strongest (that they manuf.). The answer was .45Acp +P, even over the .45 Super, .451 Detonics, .460 Rowland..etc.. For the heck of it, I cross sectioned a .45 +P case and it is noticeably thicker in the web area. In short, I have never experienced any problems associated with weak Starline brass (+P or not).

My .02 - I would save the extra $21/K and get the "38 SUPER", especially since you are only going to get 2 loadings out of it.

[Perf40]

I know several shooters that shoot 38 super Starline brass ($75/K) at major power factor and have had no problems with the brass. These guys shoot them a lot more than two loadings. I use the lower priced brass all of the time and I can't wear them out but I'm shooting a lower power factor (140) for steel. If your gun functions well with 38 super brass vs. supercomp or TJ brasss, I would go with the lower priced Starline.

[Nolan]

1k Starline +P brass $96.00

Match Fee $150.00

Travel (food/gas/etc) $400.00

No split, bulged, blown out cases.......PRICELESS!

[ErikW]

Yeah, maybe when I had an income. Now that I'm jobless, I'm eating PB&J, and I ordered the $75 Starline. I'll load it up once and shoot it in practice, then reload it and shoot half at the Crazy Croc and take the other half to the Nationals.

On the other hand, somebody was telling me he got 15 reloads out of his (RP?) Super brass. That's encouraging... I thought mine was old in the tooth at 4 firings.

[joshua]

With the old power factor I will get 4 firings out of my Starline 38 Sup +p and similar results with Winchester 38 Sup +p brass. I usually use the 5th or 6th firing at a loss brass match. I remember a grandmaster shooter who use to shoot regular super brass from starline, but didn't ask how many times he can fire them at the old major pf. With the lower pf I will usually lose brass before getting them to turn guppy shape. My gun will run good with 38 sup+p brass if I don't use my big sticks. When it's time to use the big sticks it's supercomp time. josh

[Dan Bone]

I don't know, nor do I care, how many firings I get out of my 38S brass. If it's a match that's important to me. I'll use New brass (Starline) once fired during practice and chrono check, then I'll load that batch for the match. Everything else goes through "the process". After cleaning I'll pick them up by the fist full and roll them around. You'll hear the difference if you have a cracked one in your hand. I'll also look at them QUICKLY and throw out any that don't look right in color, shape (guppy shape) or that I just plain don't like. The rest get loaded. After that they all get chamber checked. Those that pass, go to the local matches ammo box. Those that don't, are used in practice and reloaded until they crack or I loose them. How many times, couldn't say.

As to whether to use +P or not. Both will work just fine - trust me. But consider this... the +P has a thicker web therefor a somewhat smaller case area or volume and therefore a likely different and probably high pressure than the 38S case. Consistencies (esp at the chrono table) are very important to me. So whichever cases I used I'd want them all the same.. Don't mix!

My gun with a standard extractor doesn't like Super Comp or TJ because of the rim dia. So unless you've tuned your extractor to run that particular rim I wouldn't mix them up with the 38S or 38S +P either.