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        The .38 Super or .38 Super Automatic is a pistol cartridge that fires a 0.356 in diameter bullet.   The .38 Super was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP or .38 auto.  The old .38 ACP propelled a 130-grain bullet at 1,050 ft/s.  The improved .38 Super Auto pushed the same 130-grain bullet at 1,280 ft/s.  The .38 Super has gained distinction as the caliber of choice for many top pistol match competitors; it remains one of the dominant calibers in IPSC competition.

      The .38 Super retains the original dimensions of the .38 ACP case . It was intended that the cartridge would headspace on the semi rim, however all new .38 Super pistols headspace on the case mouth as with other cartridges in this class.  Because the semi-rimmed case can cause some feeding trouble in magazines, especially double stack magazines, rimless variants of .38 Super like .38 Supercomp, .38 Super Lapua and .38 TJ (.38 Todd Jarrett) have been developed.  In 1974, the industry added the +p headstamp to the 38 Super to further distinguish it from the lower pressure .38 ACP. Most current ammunition manufacturers label ammunition for the Super as .38 Super +P.  

        The cartridge was designed for use in the M1911 pistol and was capable of penetrating the body armor and automobile bodies of the time.  Since the .38 Super is dimensionally the same as the .38 ACP, an unsafe condition can be caused by loading .38 Super cartridges in a firearm designed for the much lower pressure .38 ACP.

        In recent years rimless cases became available that transformed the .38 Super into a rimless cartridge.  The primary reason for the development of rimless .38 Super cases was that the semi-rimmed .38 Super case did not always feed reliably from double column box magazines used in several semi-automatic pistols that are popular in practical shooting sports such as IPSC. The rimless case improves feeding reliability in these pistols. As the name suggests, the semi-rim was eliminated. The new rim diameter is close to the case wall diameter. On measured samples of cases, the rim diameter was no more than 0.18 mm (0.007 in) wider than the case wall diameter.  Rimless cases are intended to headspace on the case mouth.

        The .38 Super offers higher bullet velocities than the 9x19mm Luger including +P and +P+ in factory cartridges. The greater case capacity allows for more powder and results in higher muzzle velocities at approximately similar pressure levels. The .38 Super is generally regarded as a well-balanced cartridge with a flat trajectory, good accuracy and capable of delivering plenty of energy. In fact most loadings will deliver more kinetic energy than most factory loaded .45 ACP rounds.

        The .38 Super has made a huge comeback in IPSC and USPA sports shooting raceguns, particularly when equipped with a compensator, because it meets the minimum power factor to be considered a "Major" charge, while having much more manageable recoil than .45 ACP. Recoil from the .38 Super +P is comparable to that of the 9x19 Parabellum in a pistol.  Apart from its popularity in the shooting sports, the .38 Super +P is one of the most popular pistol cartridges in Latin America due to local restrictions on civilian ownership of firearms chambered for the military cartridges, such as the .45 ACP.

        .38 Super + P cartridge ballistics have been improved over the years by the use of modern propellants. Ammunition is now available with velocities exceeding 1400 ft/s. This is impressive from a semi automatic pistol and is comparable to the .357 Sig.  The .38 Super +P is very popular in Latin America and Australia in regards to competition shooting and is also finding its way back into the role of CCW caliber. Ammunition can now be found in the hollow point style bullet with excellent ballistics. A standard single stack magazine 1911 style semi-automatic pistol holds nine to eleven rounds with one in the chamber. Double stack magazine pistols in this cartridge holds fifteen to eighteen rounds with one in the chamber.

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