I'm not very educated on the 38 Super but I tend to lean towards 10mm for its versatility. It's a potent self defense round against humans and large critters.

 

38 super is close to 357 magnum
10 millimeter is close to 41 magnum. I've shot both and owned a colt 38 super. If you reload you really can bring the super to life.

 

Jim, I gotta respectfully disagree a bit here. Especially if you hand load. The 10mm and 357 Mag can be made to be quite similar, but a hand loaded 357 will walk all over a hand loaded 38 Super and a hand loaded 41 Mag will walk on a worked up 10mm load.

 

How about both. Can't you use a 38 super barrel in a 10mm? Ejector and slide stop are the same. Bolt faces are very close.

 

You might be able to use 357sig

 

Here is one of the threads I read this in. https://forums.1911forum.com/showpost.php?p=4738666&postcount=6

 

Learn something new today. I apologise for doubting the possibilities

 

I forgot about reloading 357 and 10 millimeter. Thanks for the correction

 

None needed. It's a common misconception among these loads. More so among the comparisons between the 357 Mag/10mm/41 Mag. While they can be loaded very similarly, if you want to max them out, they turn into pretty different animals.

 

38 Super is the most fun/useful cartridge chambered for the 1911......IMO.

 

Well said, Greg! The 38 super has plenty of punch, and is extremely quick to get back on target. Absolutely, my favorite caliber, and really enjoyable to reload.

 

I like the .38 Super since it's a traditional 1911 round.

 

38 super is softer shooting than 10mm. I guess it depends on the size of the critter you are trying to kill.

 

Where I am its mountain lion, black bear and javelina. 38 Super may do the job but I personally have more confidence in 10mm.

 

 

Have a couple 1911s in both and both are more fun if you reload.

 

Excluding Corbon, I find most factory loads for 38 super pretty anemic.

Best to roll your own...

 

I totally agree with reloading.
However this is what I carry in my LW 38 Super Dan Wesson Guardian every day. And 10+1 of 124 gr. Speer Gold dot HP At 1350 fps is darn close to the best 357 sig loads available with less felt recoil than 230 gr .45acp loads. That seems like reasonable help to me.



That being said, I still will not rest until I have 10mm VBob.
Until then my 10mm carry will be a converted G30sf with Underwoods 180 gr Bonded
Speer Gol Dot JHP at 1350 FPS.

 

BOTH . . . .

 

 

View attachment 23234

Since 10 mm and 40 S%W use the same bullet, 180 gr JHP. How come the 10 mm bullet in the picture is soooo much bigger than the 40 S&W?
It is so much bigger that it looks phony.

 

^^^^^^^^ well no follow up shots needed

 

I have owned and shot 10 mm for 25 years. Used to have a first run Colt Delta Elite. I recently (the last 6 months) discovered .38 Super. It didn't take long to fall in love with the round. I think both have their place in any collection.

The .38 Super has a lot of the attributes of 10mm (flat shooting, accurate), but with less recoil. As I age, arthritis and winter some times make shooting 10mm a bit painful. I can shoot .38 Super all day long. I still carry .45 ACP as well as 10mm, but have been carrying commanders in .38 Super more and more.

As others have stated reloading is probably the way to go, with both rounds. That will be my retirement endeavor, reloading and shooting a lot.

 

I have two 10mm, a Glock and a WC. Both are awesome, the round is lots of fun and no doubt a power punch.

 

opcorn:opcorn:
In this order.
10mm, 45acp, 38super,



40sw,






Whale poop!







9mm

 

Interesting. My order of preference goes:

9mm, 10mm, .38s, .45acp, .40sw

opcorn:opcorn:
In this order.
10mm, 45acp, 38super,



40sw,






Whale poop!







9mm

 

That pic always cracks me up! I wonder how they did that if not photoshopped. While I have a 38 Super Colt, being a big bullet or big & fast fan, I have had a couple 10mms and wish I had latter 1 today. The very 1st 10mm I had was the POS Wyoming Arms Parker, and it didn't last long before self disintegrating. That's 1 of the main guns to watch out for & NOT get, another of course is the Laseraim that used the exact same design & metallurgy of parts, but with a laser built in. I'd LOVE it if I could afford to build a longslide 10mm! Between those 2 choices, I'd grab a 10mm in a heartbeat if I didn't already have a 460 Rowland conversion on 1 of my 1911s!

 

DS:

The kiss answer is you should have both. Life is too short for caliber controversy. Open minded and with an inventory which reflects your good taste and versatility.

 

I own, reload and shoot both rounds regularly. If you don't reload, the 38 Super gains little over the 9mm and the 10mm gains little over the 40 S&W. Like many calibers, the ammo companies have continually down loaded these two great shooters to where they are almost anemic. Reloading is what makes them become magic. I've always said if I was forced to pick only one handgun it would be my 6" Nighthawk 10mm loaded with 180gr. Hornady XTP's romping along at something just short of sub-nuclear. For me, it will do everything.

 

Loving this thread. Have 1911's in 45 and 9mm, but looking at next one in 38 super. Isn't the 38 super closer (longer, more powder) to the 9mm (than a 10mm)? Also, curious how you feel it handles vs. the 45.

Thanks, guys.

 

Just going by Hornady's loading manual , the 38 Super looks like 9mm +P . It's fun to shoot ' but my hearts with the 45 acp.