.38 super vs .38 super auto?

[benny]

I have found a few nickle .38 super and .38 super auto at the range I use. There is the obvious differance of the bulging case but I would like to know some of the history behind these two calibers.

How did they get started and what is the differance between them other than the straight case vs the bulging case?

Benny

[crbutler]

.38 Super and .38 Super auto are the same cartridge, just different manufacturer's headstamp.

There is also a .38 auto that is dimensionally identical but much less powerful. If you shoot a .38 super in a .38 auto gun, you can have trouble. These are semi rimmed cases, they have a detectable rim, just not as noticeable as a revolver cartridge.

There is also a bunch of practical pistol specialized stuff. Pretty much all of it will shoot in a .38 auto/super chamber. The idea with them is to improve feeding in a high cap magazine.

.38 Super comp- less rimmed, but still semi rimmed Will feed/eject fine in a .38 super.

.38 TJ (Todd Jarrett) a rimless .38 super. May have some trouble with the extractor in a factory .38 super.

9 super comp- rimless to slightly rebated rim Will shoot in a .38 Super, but with its rim size it may not work well in factory set up .38 guns.

9x23 Comp- essentially a 9x23 winchester case (very slightly shorter than .38 super, but will work in them) but not as heavily constructed.

9 mm Largo- a 9x23 case that is lightly built for the old spanish army guns. essentially loaded like a .380, but the case is really as strong as the super brass, the guns are not...

9x23 winchester- essentially a cut off .223 case. Much higher pressures than standard guns.

The bulging you are seeing is probably an indication that you found some race gun ammo that was showing some pressure signs. That stuff would likely blow out in an unsupported chamber and cause some damage. If you find a live round, either throw it away or break it down to reuse it.

[benny]

Maybe, but I found a lot of the bulged brass and it looks like a factory case. It is the standard rim but about a third the way up the case it is bulged out like it was formed that way and they are all the same.
I will try to get some pics loaded tomorrow.
Benny

[rugersol]

Maybe, but I found a lot of the bulged brass and it looks like a factory case. It is the standard rim but about a third the way up the case it is bulged out like it was formed that way and they are all the same.
I will try to get some pics loaded tomorrow.
Benny

... not hard to bulge a semi-auto pistol case!

Could also be, someone was havin' issues, and dremmel'd the piss outta the feed-ramp ... then dremmel'd the piss outta the bbl, to "match"?!

Could be some combination, of the two?!

[Seismic Sam]

Maybe, but I found a lot of the bulged brass and it looks like a factory case. It is the standard rim but about a third the way up the case it is bulged out like it was formed that way and they are all the same.
I will try to get some pics loaded tomorrow.
Benny

I doubt that somebody dremeled out the chamber itself, although if they did I got dibs on the n00b that did it!! That guy with the 3rd party mixed strength 45 handloads tasted like a cross between old deisel fuel somebody peed in and a garbage fire, so I need a good, fresh, totally clueless n00b!!

I think what you're seeing is brass from a gun that was running really high pressure loads, and the gun was ejecting the empties while the pressure was still up there, so the case was part way out of the chamber when it bulged....

Regardless, all of it is scrap anyway

[noylj]

Yes to Seismic Sam:
If you can SEE the bulge, the case is not safe to reload.
Also, from what I have heard per SAAMI, all .38 Super brass is now to be labeled ".38 Super +P"