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The .38 Super, also known as .38 Super Auto, .38 Super Automatic, .38 Super Automatic +P (High Pressure Variant), .38 Super +P (High Pressure Variant), or 9×23mmSR, [2] is a pistol cartridge that fires a 0.356-inch-diameter (9.04 mm) bullet. It was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP, also known as .38 Auto.
The .38 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as the .38 Auto, .38 Automatic, or 9×23mmSR, is a semi-rimmed pistol cartridge that was introduced at the turn of the 20th century for the John Browning-designed Colt M1900. It was first used in Colt's Model 1897 prototype, which he did not produce.
It is essentially a .45 ACP case, necked down to .357, resulting in a cartridge similar in form to the earlier 7.65×21mm Parabellum and 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridges. It was created to be a low recoil target cartridge that would function reliably with multiple bullet types, FMJ to cast lead wadcutters without the feeding problems that straight walled pistol rounds sometimes exhibit. [2]
Similar to the "rifle only" loads, the .38 Super could still be chambered in the older .38 ACP guns, therefore producing a dangerous combination. Capable of reaching a muzzle energy of 500 ft⋅lbf (680 J), the .38 Super remains a viable defensive cartridge, though its usage is most commonly found in popular shooting sports such as IPSC.
The closest comparisons are the 380 ACP, which fires much lighter bullets slightly faster than most .38 Special loads; the 9×19mm Parabellum, which fires a somewhat lighter bullet significantly faster; and the .38 Super, which fires a comparable bullet considerably faster. All of these cartridges are usually found in semi-automatic pistols.
Although not originally designed for handguns, several rifle and shotgun cartridges have also been chambered in a number of large handguns, primarily in revolvers like the Phelps Heritage revolver, Century Arms revolver, Thompson/Centre Contender break-open pistol, Magnum Research BFR, and the Pfeifer Zeliska revolvers.
The desire to get the benefit of major scoring has led to some competitors adopting high speed 9 mm cartridges loaded to major, such as .38 Super. The felt recoil of a normal handgun in .38 Super is similar to the .45 ACP, but the higher pressure in the .38 Super provides more gas pressure for muzzle brakes. The .38 Super caliber became popular ...
The eighth edition of Cartridges of the World has a listing in the entry for 9mm Mauser using a 125 gr bullet with a heavier charge of Blue Dot powder than is normally listed as the maximum for 124 gr jacketed bullets in the .38 Super. Using old loading data using modern powders may result in more powerful loads than is intended.