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38 super ammo question

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  • DCortez

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    I have two S&W 642's (.38 spl +p).

    One will fire 38 super +p and the other only makes a dent on the primer and will not fire the ammo. I emailed S&W and they said both guns could use this ammo and both should fire it. Any thoughts or ideas?
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    Texas1911

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    Whoa, do not fire .38 Super in a .38 Special gun. The pressures are nearly double and the bullet is larger than the bore.

    Are you sure you didn't mean .38 Special +P? If so, have you tried double striking the primer? Is the ammo factory and new? What brand is it? Some brands are known to have hard primers and it's possible you have a relaxing spring.
     

    DCortez

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    I was having a hard time finding 38 special. I specifically asked S&W about that Super +p ammo, before buying, and they said it was okay to fire. The brand was Winchester and the box was brand new. The super +p is shorter than the special +p, but the bullet (lead) size looked identical.

    Sounds like I should have trusted my gut and kept looking for special +p.
     

    Charley

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    Whoa, do not fire .38 Super in a .38 Special gun. The pressures are nearly double and the bullet is larger than the bore.

    Are you sure you didn't mean .38 Special +P? If so, have you tried double striking the primer? Is the ammo factory and new? What brand is it? Some brands are known to have hard primers and it's possible you have a relaxing spring.

    I must be missing something... My .38 Supers run all day on jacketed .355 or cast .356 bullets. My .38s and .357s run on .357 and .358 diameter bullets. How does .355 or .356 become larger than a .357 .38 Special bore? I do agree about the pressure, though... Don't do it!
     

    DCortez

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    It took S&W 7 or 8 days to get back to me, that should have been a sign that the janitor was returning emails for their support group. Cheesed, but safe, and a little wiser. :(
     

    robocop10mm

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    .38 special is a rimmed revolver round. .38 super is a semi-rimless semi-auto pistol round. The two are NOT interchangeable. DO NOT TRY TO FIRE .38 Super in a .38 special.

    If someone in a gun store said it would work, take the Super ammo back and tell them they are idiots. Say it in a loud clear voice so everyone esle knows the gun store employee is a complete MORON.
     

    dbgun

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    .38 special is a rimmed revolver round. .38 super is a semi-rimless semi-auto pistol round. The two are NOT interchangeable. DO NOT TRY TO FIRE .38 Super in a .38 special.

    It's a good thing i read this thread awhile back. I just got back from the Academy in Pasadena, where a guy was asking for some .38 special ammo, which they didn't have. The guy then sees a couple of boxes in Winchester White box of 38 super +P and asked the kid behind the counter if he could shoot them in his 38 revolver. The kid tells the man, "Yes you can, my manager just told me so the other day". Maybe I should have minded my own business, but I told them that that you can't shoot the 38 super (a semi-auto bullet) in a 38 special revolver. They did have some MagTech HP's in 38 spl. that the guy bought, after all.
     

    mortdooley

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    Just last week I loaded a box of 38super and I can tell you that the bullets are the same as 9mm because that is my source for all 38super loads. Now to confuse the issue let me add that I do not own any 38super dies. I used 30mauser shell holder,38special resizer and flairing dies and 9mm seating and crimp die. These loads are fired from a Star model M 9mm Largo. Now if I had a 38spl revolver and no ammo I would hand load lower pressure rounds in super cases but would not push my luck and firearm by loading to 38super pressures. Just because it fits doesn't make it safe and not many people behind a gun counter are experts at mix and match.
     

    dbgun

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    biglucky

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    9MM bullets can be used in .38 super loads. Many competitors in things like Steel Challenge will use lighter 9mm bullets to load minor power factor rounds. I load .38 Super for IPSC Open division to a fairly high power factor (about 178-180). These loads can not be shot through many if any commercial .38 super guns. I use 121 Grain Zero JHP bullets that are .356 as opposed to the 108 Grain Zero JSP 9mm bullets (.355) I use for minor loads.
     
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