9mm in a 38Super

[geneinnc]

:D OK, I have been shooting 38Super for years, handload it and love it. I was told today at the gun range you can run 9mm through my Colt Combat Elite 38Super. Thats new to me. I know the super case is a touch longer, and i have seen loads from .355 to .357 bullets for the super. I use the identical powder charge in super as 9mm. I sure would never try this unless i got a definite YES IT WORKS from a competent gunsmith. I would think that headspace would be a problem, but I am by no means an expert. I have a close friend ask me if he could plink with 9mm and carry 38super +P for defense. I know, the 45 is a better choice, but he has made up his mind that 45 recoil is too harsh, and nothing will change his mind.

Thanks for any help

[Hunter]

According to the NRA firearms fact book, NO. According to the Hornady handloading handbook the 9mm bullet diameter is .380 and the 38 Super in .384. 4 thousands of an inch may not seem like much but I would imagine it would pose a serious problem. Also the 115 grain round nose bullet col is 1.105 and the .38 Super 115 grain round nose col is 1.245 and that would pose a headspace and feeding problem. Unless someone knows different than me I would defiantly not try it. I am not sure who told you this but I would think they are incorrect.

[geneinnc]

i agree, but i'm trying to save a friend from making a very bad mistake.

[Hunter]

To save on recoil (although even +P .38 Super does not seen bad) you could handload a .38 Super as mild as even mild 9mm as I am sure you know. For his plinking I think that would be the way to go. Where in N.C. do you shoot?

[geneinnc]

Hickory Area

[seminole]

This is a yes and no deal. 9mm luger ammo is by no means interchangable
with 38 super. On the other hand 9mm largo ammo is absolutely identicle
to 38 super in every aspect except it not as powerful. Problem is largo
ammo is somwhat hard to find. The only commercial ammo for sale in the
US is CCI blazer. It is aluminum case and not reloadable. I own a star super
model 9mm chambered for largo ammo and I do somtimes shoot 38 super in
it.

[Hunter]

Isn't the 9mm Largo the same as the 9mm Bergmann? If so it is interchangeable with the .38 ACP but .38 Super is a little hotter than the 38 ACP. I know the .38 Super can be interchanged with the .38 ACP but I would be careful going the other way. I do not know for sure that is why I am asking.

[brickeyee]

If you try and run 9x19 through a .38 super chamber it may headspace on the extractor and go bang. It is not a very good idea to even try.
These cartridges headspace on the case mouth not the extractor.

[seminole]

Yes you are right. 9 largo and 38 acp are the sane round with different names.
Largo is the original spanish designation and 38 acp is what we named it in the
U.S. You are also right about not firing super rounds in 38 acp guns. They are
higher pressure and could cause major failure. My star is a strong gun and handles 38 super ok. I do however use only handloads of super that are
loaded to lower pressure than most factory ammo.

[dreampiper]

I'm not sure if this will help at all, but...

I had a 9mm Ruger sp101 that a gunsmith had modified to fire 38 super. All he did was cut the chambers down enough to headspace the cartridges on their mouth. I could still shoot 9mm through it but I had to use moon clips to headspace the cartridge properly.

[emiddio]

why shoot 9mm thru a 38sup chamber ? are you sure that is what you were told ? i shoot 9mm thru a 38super gun -- but i put a 9mm barrel in -- and no problems.

i fitted 9mm, 38super, 9x23 -- barrels to different guns i have -- my 9mm shoots all 3 now, my 9x23 gun now shoots all 3, and my 38super now shoot all 3.

barrels dont cost that much and i have fitted them with good results for range use -- have a few thousand rounds thru each of the barrels ive fitted so far.

get a 9mm barrel for the 38super -- dont shoot 9mm in the 38super barrel.
similiarly -- ive heard you can shoot 40sw in 10mm glocks -- but WHY ?

BUT -- in my experience -- my guns shoot 9mm with 38super and 9x23 magazines just as or more reliable than the 9mm magazines. -- so you dont have to buy extra mags if you dont want.

[dreampiper]

The gentleman I got the gun from said he had done it. I never bothered to. He is a very reputable gunsmith from all accounts I've heard from other sources and always did top notch work for me, so I trust his word. 9mm can be had for cheaper is the only reason I can figure for doing it. Or perhaps for reduced recoil. The 38sup had a sharp recoil in that snubby.

[Bluey]

According to the Hornady handloading handbook the 9mm bullet diameter is .380

Um, I hate to nitpick here, but if you're talking about the 9mm Luger or Parabellum, then that bullet diameter quoted is way off the mark. I know this because I had my Beretta 92 barrel 'slugged' to check for optimium diameter and it was .358. Normally, the 9mm Para or Luger projectile diameter is .355 or .356 for some certain pistols but projectiles at .355 or .356 weren't as accurate in my Beretta but extremely reliable though, like a kid chomping on a double choc-chip icecream :D

[Hunter]

The diameter is was referring to but my wording was unclear was the diameter of the case mouth to the outside. I was trying to illustrate the fact that the outside diameter of the 9mm round at the case neck was .380 and the outside diameter of the .38 super was .384 at the outside of the case neck. That is where I see feeding trouble between the two. The diameter of a .380 automatic (9 mm Kurz), a 9 mm Luger, a 9mm Parabellum and a 9x19 bullet all are .355

[brickeyee]

The diameter at the case neck will not matter since if you attempt to fire a 9x19 through a .38 super (9x23) you will be headspacing on the extractor. If the 9x19 slides all the way in to headspace on the case mouth the firing pin is unlikely to reach far enough for reliable ignition.

This is just a bad idea and anyone who told you it is OK should not be allowed to spread this disinformation.

[bigcottonmouth]

According to the NRA firearms fact book, NO. According to the Hornady handloading handbook the 9mm bullet diameter is .380 and the 38 Super in .384. 4 thousands of an inch may not seem like much but I would imagine it would pose a serious problem. Also the 115 grain round nose bullet col is 1.105 and the .38 Super 115 grain round nose col is 1.245 and that would pose a headspace and feeding problem. Unless someone knows different than me I would defiantly not try it. I am not sure who told you this but I would think they are incorrect.

I think that you are wrong, dont have a manual in front of me and it has been a hell of a long time since I have loaded the super, but I believe the diameter of the 9mm parabellum and luger projectile is .355, which is the same as for the Super. I almost can remember using the same Bullet for both loadings
The parabellum or Luger cannot be fired in a 38 Super auto gun as stated earlier they will not headspace correctly.

DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!


edited to add you made it more clear while I was typing this, I have no Idea what the case mouth OD is...disreguard.carry on....

[Hawkmoon]

The diameter is was referring to but my wording was unclear was the diameter of the case mouth to the outside. I was trying to illustrate the fact that the outside diameter of the 9mm round at the case neck was .380 and the outside diameter of the .38 super was .384 at the outside of the case neck. That is where I see feeding trouble between the two. The diameter of a .380 automatic (9 mm Kurz), a 9 mm Luger, a 9mm Parabellum and a 9x19 bullet all are .355
Now you have me really confused. (I know, nothing new about that!)

I thought 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum and 9x19 were all the same round under different names. Are they different? I know the .380 is 9x17, and the Makarov is 9x18, and I know there's a 9x23. But THREE different 9x19s?