.38 Super, Anyone Have?

[Valmet]

7 hours ago, Fnfalman said:

They’re Talo LwtCdr “Army” that came out about two years ago. 

Now I want to find one. I'm not a stainless guy and the Commander styles available (Dan Wesson) has the goofy bobtail and Les Baer doesn't mfg it in a LW. 

[Fnfalman]

30 minutes ago, Valmet said:

Now I want to find one. I'm not a stainless guy and the Commander styles available (Dan Wesson) has the goofy bobtail and Les Baer doesn't mfg it in a LW. 

Who knows, there might be new old stock running around. Talo has Colt released two batches of several hundred units each time. 
 

There is something weird about that weird though. My first gun was bought when the limited edition was announced. The second gun was bought after the second run was made. 
 

they’re the same but not identical. The older has the Colt teardrop thumb safety and the newer has the Colt extended thumb safety. Or should I say “had”. I swapped it for a Colt GI thumb safety with a friend who preferred the extended safety. 
 

the older has the kidney skeleton hammer and the newer has the Commander round hammer. 
 

http://www.taloinc.com/colt-firearms/light-weight-army-commander-38-super-o4540xse

[DrB]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:21 PM, Valmet said:

Now I want to find one. I'm not a stainless guy and the Commander styles available (Dan Wesson) has the goofy bobtail and Les Baer doesn't mfg it in a LW. 

I looked at the Dan Wesson also.  That crazy bobtail said "Nope" in my mind.  I looked on Gun Broker and I'm not paying those inflated prices that I see.  One will turn up sooner or later, I'm in no hurry.  Dave..

[Borg warner]

I have an unusual 38 Super. it's a Norinco Tokarev with a 38 super conversion barrel and bushing. The 762x25 Tokarev is very similar. In spite of the slight differences, the conversion is a drop-in and feeds and fictions flawlessly from Tokarev magazines. Most 38 Super ammo is not loaded to it's full potential so it's not hard on the gun and the gun is made for hotter ammo so I'm not afraid to run some buffalo Bore ammo through it. The Tokarev would make a very nice carry gun because of it's flat profile but it's not drop-safe with a round in the chamber and the hammer on half cock, which actually locks the slide which is why it doesn't have a safety.

I was talking with a friend about the lack of safety on the Tokarev and he said that the Russians probably felt that any officer who was issued a sidearm and dropped his gun and shot himself, deserved to be shot! But actually the weapon was never meant to be carried with a round in the chamber. The add-on safeties that importers are required to put on these guns are totally bogus and ruin the looks of the guns

38 Super:

Case length.895"(22.75mm)

Overall length1.28" (32.51 mm)

Case capacity17.6 gr H2O

762x25:

Case length25.00 mm (0.984 in)

Overall length35.20 mm (1.386 in)

Case capacity: 16.8 gr H2O

 

[Fnfalman]

16 minutes ago, Borg warner said:

I have an unusual 38 Super. it's a Norinco Tokarev with a 38 super conversion barrel and bushing. The 762x25 Tokarev is very similar. In spite of the slight differences, the conversion is a drop-in and feeds and fictions flawlessly from Tokarev magazines. Most 38 Super ammo is not loaded to it's full potential so it's not hard on the gun and the gun is made for hotter ammo so I'm not afraid to run some buffalo Bore ammo through it. The Tokarev would make a very nice carry gun because of it's flat profile but it's not drop-safe with a round in the chamber and the hammer on half cock, which actually locks the slide which is why it doesn't have a safety.

I was talking with a friend about the lack of safety on the Tokarev and he said that the Russians probably felt that any officer who was issued a sidearm and dropped his gun and shot himself, deserved to be shot! But actually the weapon was never meant to be carried with a round in the chamber. The add-on safeties that importers are required to put on these guns are totally bogus and ruin the looks of the guns

38 Super:

Case length.895"(22.75mm)

Overall length1.28" (32.51 mm)

Case capacity17.6 gr H2O

762x25:

Case length25.00 mm (0.984 in)

Overall length35.20 mm (1.386 in)

Case capacity: 16.8 gr H2O

 

Sounds like an interesting conversion. 

[blueiron]

Colt is dedicated to the Super cartridge, but the market for it isn't large. Colt makes them in production cycles and occasionally TALO gets the bug to commission something special such as the Lt. Wt. Commander "Army" model. I always wanted a Super and this very model was the first one I purchased. If you can find one, I can recommend them as a nice carry pistol and an excellent shooter. 

I waited decades to get a Super and within two years, I purchased six Supers. 

My issues with the cartridge are the high price per round, it can be difficult to find, and that no major manufacturer produces a Super loading with a modern high performance JHP bullet, meeting the FBI penetration protocols. The recent panic buying hasn't helped availability of ammo and firearms. 

[DrB]

4 hours ago, blueiron said:

Colt is dedicated to the Super cartridge, but the market for it isn't large. Colt makes them in production cycles and occasionally TALO gets the bug to commission something special such as the Lt. Wt. Commander "Army" model. I always wanted a Super and this very model was the first one I purchased. If you can find one, I can recommend them as a nice carry pistol and an excellent shooter. 

I waited decades to get a Super and within two years, I purchased six Supers. 

My issues with the cartridge are the high price per round, it can be difficult to find, and that no major manufacturer produces a Super loading with a modern high performance JHP bullet, meeting the FBI penetration protocols. The recent panic buying hasn't helped availability of ammo and firearms. 

Kind of why I want a Colt Super. It gets in your blood.  Same for me with the .220 Swift.  Not many rifles made today but I got my Ruger M77 heavy barrel when it was first chambered.  I love that rifle/cartridge and it's not going anywhere.  Folks have looked and wondered when they hear that distinctive craaack of a 52 grain bullet leaving the muzzle over 4,000 fps..

I'll find a 38 Super one of these days...  Dave

[Fnfalman]

There are plenty of .38 Suier ammo on the shelves at my local gun shops. No 9mm. No .45 but plenty of Colt Automatic Super .38 caliber. 

[DrB]

8 hours ago, Fnfalman said:

There are plenty of .38 Suier ammo on the shelves at my local gun shops. No 9mm. No .45 but plenty of Colt Automatic Super .38 caliber. 

Same here...

[paul45]

Just down to one now.

 

[DrB]

On 9/23/2020 at 8:04 AM, paul45 said:

Just down to one now.

 

Nice Pistol.  I like.  Dave..

[Fnfalman]

On 9/23/2020 at 6:04 AM, paul45 said:

Just down to one now.

 

 

 

That's the one with the weird "cobalt blue" finish that Colt put on their SS guns, at least for this particular Talo edition.  I'd give my left nut for a Talo edition royal blued or bright nickel plated .38 Super Government Model.  

[ede]

I've got a Gold Cup in 38. Had several others Colt and Kimber I traded for my 1050. I'd loved a S&W 686 in 38, passed on one 12 years ago and never seen another.

[Borg warner]

I've got a Norinco 7.62 Tokerev with an aftermarket 38 Super barrel. The 38 Super and the 30 Tokerev have the same diameter tapered case but the loaded overall length of the 38 SUPER (1.28 in (32.51mm) is shorter compared to the 762x25 Tokerev (1.386 in 35.20mm) and this aids in feeding from standard 7.62 Tokerev magazines, either Norinc0 mags or mil-surp mags.

The conversion is a drop-in and functions flawlessly. The semi-rim of the 38 Super does not cause any problems. I've removed the add-on safety of my gun and made a 1/16th inch thick plate to cover the holes. teh Tokerev does not have a safety but if you put the gun on half cock it locks the trigger.