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Taurus 1911 in Super .38

4K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  hpconvert 
#1 ·
Anybody had any experience with this weapon in Super .38? I have a chance to purchase a new one for a very reasonable price and have not had a chance at a Super .38 of any variety at anything close to a decent price since 1986.
--Ray (back from the dead)
 
#2 ·
I've seen the Taurus 1911 in .45 ACP but not one of the .38 Supers to date.

Perhaps it is just my perception but it looks like the .38 Colt Super Automatic to use the full name is starting to make a comeback. And I am not referring to the use of the cartridge in hot rodded form as a "major caliber" for IPSC competition.

Colt still produces the Super in the fullsized Gov't Model. Not sure about Commanders anymore. S&W has their 1911's in .38 Super available. Springfield Armory likewise. Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) offers the Super. Every photo I have seen of a RIA shows the pistol in bright nickel plate with ivorex or ersatz MOP. The high dollar pieces like the Les Baer can be had in .38 Super if one has the money. And now Taurus....

I still own a Colt Mark IV 70 Series GM in .38 Super that I purchased new back in 1979. It has been modified with a Barsto barrel/bushing unit, Bomar sights, Wilson trigger and trigger job, Pachmayr flat MSH and wrap around neoprene grips. Out of the box the accuracy was non existent. It had the old style barrel whereby the cartridge headspaced on the small rim at the top of the barrel. Twelve inch groups at 25 yards in the Ransom Rest were the norm. But now it will do sub two inch groups at that distance and do it with hot loads like the Corbon 115 and 125 grain JHPs. The 115 grain load chrono's at 1465 fps in the five inch tube. The 125 at 1390.

I wish that there was a better selection of factory ammo available but the ammo makers have pretty much ignored the .38 Super for the last three decades or so. This is why guys like me handload in the first place.


Roadster
 
#4 ·
Speaking of .38 Supers, I've never seen a pre-war Colt .38 Super in person and haven't really paid attention to the post-war version not being interested in the cartridge when they were available. Is the frame size different from the original .45 1911? I'm noticing that the Taurus, a rather heavy brute, seems to be on the full size .45 frame, and the RIA in .38 Super is advertised as made on the .45 frame. Have all the Colts and other 1911 versions been on the .45 frame as well?
--Ray
 
#6 ·
Local range owner ran one through extended testing and found that it got a little sloppy after about 5000 rounds, other than that everybody I know that has one loves it, but they're all in .45. After reading some literature I got at the Texas Ranger memorial in Waco, a lot of the Rangers after WWII went to the .38 super 1911 for a duty pistol. Food for thought?

Remember the old saying, "One riot, one Ranger!"
 
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