[kcii]

Just recently, while browsing through some area gun stores with nothing particular in mind, I came across this older Colt Gov't model in .38 Super. I have always loved the looks of the older Colts and I had never had a .38 super before so I could not resist and bought it. The gun looked prety much all stock except for a pair of ugly palmswell grips. I would place the gun as about 85% condition due to some slight pitting. It looked as if it had been neglected for a bit and some surface rust allowed to form. I replaced the grips with a pair of Tru-Ivory grips and changed out the recoil, and firing pin springs and went shooting. The results were about what I had expected considering the old Colt method of headspacing on the small rim. That is to say groups of about 3 1/2 - 4" shot offhand at 15 yards. I have already ordered a Kart barrel for it but, beyond that, I will leave it as is. Overall, I'm very happy with my "new" Colt.

Shawn

 

[Guest]

Now thats a thing of beauty.

clipse

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. With the Kart barrel properly fitted to the gun, I'd expect groups in the silver dollar size at 25 yards. The .38 Super is capable of very good accuracy in my limited experiences with them and I think you have a peach of a pistol in your older Gov't Model.

Best and thanks for letting us see it.

 

[kcii]

Thanks for the compliments. I was able to locate a list of manufacturing dates and found that this pistol was made in 1950. Also, I forgot to mention, when I shot it there were no malfunctions in the 50rds of Win. white box ball ammo that I put through it (all that I had at the time). Not bad for 54yrs old!

Shawn

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello,

Thats a Fine Looking Super, I love those grips, where did you get'em?

Thanks & Take Care,
THE SOCKMAN

 

[kcii]

Sockman,
The grips are called tru-ivory and are an ivory look alike. Tru-ivory has their own website (which I cannot recall offhand) but I obtained these from Brownell's. I have heard that these are the closest to real ivory that you can find, however, never having had a set of real ivory grips, I cannot vouch for that. They are very nice though.

Shawn

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello KCII,

Thanks, they sure look good on that Super.

Take Care,
THE SOCKMAN

 

[jimhigginbotham]

KCII;

Oh man, what a find!

I suppose I like the post war, pre-70 Colts better than just about any other autopisol (I do have a 1939 National Match that I am fond of though).

Interstingly, it was a combination of just such a gun, Jeff Coopers article on the Super Cooper, and me being a cheepskate that made me develop a wildcat I called the 9mm Express (AKA as "the poor man's Super Cooper") which is essentially a 9X24 so that the case headspaces on the long chamber in old Super .38s...I never did get the Colonel's ballistic though...to chicken

It did however cure the accuracy problems due to standar Colt headspacing problems.

Onward,
Jim

 

[davejames]

For great grips pop over to the

www.boonetrading.com site