Home Forums Gear Free Classifieds SEEKING a .38 SUPER PISTOL in GOOD/USED CONDITION

Friends,

As my Lady & I are planning to retire to Latin America in 2019, I'm seeking a GOOD QUALITY .38 Super 1911-style handgun, for EDC "down there". ====> ANY manufacturer, domestic or foreign, is OK, as long as they make a quality firearm.
(The .38 Super is LAWFUL to carry on all of the Latin American nations that allow civilians to bear arms, including Mexico.)
The .45ACP, 9x19mm, 9x18mm Makarov & several other calibers are considered to be "weapons of war" & may only be possessed by the national military forces. = NOT even the National Police & Civil Guard can carry a 'weapon of war".

Please send photos & price in first PM, if you have such a good/used .38 Super pistol for sale.

THANKS, tex

This deserves a bump to the top. Good luck Tex !

Another option.....

I bought a new Ruger Lightweight Commander in 9mm, and ordered a new 38 Super drop-in barrel from Fusion Firearms....presto!

Jarhs; aalf,

THANKS gents.

yours, tex

aalf,

What I'm also considering is a Series 70, 1911 "parts kit" in 9x19mm less frame (I have a frame that I bought nearly 15 years ago for 50 bucks & never used, = The serial number, believe it or not is: 1911) AND then buy a new barrel in .38 Super. - Now I have to find it.
(A NOS Sig-Sauer 5" barrel is 50 bucks on sale.)

I think that I remember that I also have a NOS military surplus 1911 "replacement" slide from the Korean War era & that was thrown away, along with some other 1911A1 stuff, about 30 years ago. = I retrieved it from the dumpster behind the Battalion S4 section.
(IF I can remember where I "hid it from myself", that would also save me some $$$.)


What think you of that possible plan??

yours, tex

I guess I prefer the easy button.......

Since you're want it for a carry gun, I'd want a lightweight frame. Also, if you feel the need, the Ruger LW 9mm has a factory ramped frame/barrel, and the ramped Fusion barrel was a drop-in. You could peddle the factory barrel to recoup a little jingle from the new barrel. I paid a hair over $700 for the original Ruger, $180 for the barrel.



https://www.fusionfirearms.com/1911-commander-barrels

aalf,

Fyi, I found a NOS Colt's Series 70, .38 Super barrel, that headspaces on the case mouth, for FIFTY BUCKS about 3 hours ago.

Also, my career in the MPC was largely spent while armed with a 1911AI, as built by Colt/Remington-Rand/US&S. = I was VERY tempted to "accidently lose" the 1911 that I last was issued & sign a "statement of charges" to pay the US government for it.
("My" 1911A1 cost the government 72.oo, when it was purchased.)

Whatever ,38 Super that I end up with will be as near the weight/feel of a standard GI Model, as that's what I'm used to, (including the arched mainspring housing.) as possible. = Further, I still have several NICE holsters for the standard 1911.
(The only time that I wasn't armed with a 1911 was when I was working for the OAS, when we were each issued a pair of Belgian BHP & a Garand in 7.62 NATO & for a relatively brief period when there were NOT enough .45 ACP pistols to "go around". = During that period, I took all the 1911 pistols from the NCOs & officers & issued all of us "supervisors" a Colt's or S&W .38 SPL revolver.)

yours, tex

You'll enjoy a 1911 38 Super. I find mine to be ideal to shoot, a little heavy in configuration for carry, but really like it anyhow. .

Fireball2,

I've shot ONLY ONE .38 Super extensively, which belonged to a CWO4 at one of the posts where I was stationed, years ago. = That one, according to the serial number was sold in 1948 & it shot BEAUTIFULLY out to beyond 50M on our pistol range, with every sort of .38 Super ammo that we tried in it.
("The Chief" kept trying to trade me his pistol for my 9x19mm Steyr GB, which he liked very much.)
Note: The GB digested the German Border Patrol (& "blazingly HOT") SMG ammo without complaint or signs of difficulty.

What is your favorite SD load for your handgun??

yours, tex

Tex, I don't carry the Super much since getting a Sig in 9mm. Lighter and smaller. But I will tell you that when I go to sight my rifles in I shoot the Super at the same time. Targets are no fun so I blast rocks in the abandoned rock quarry. Many rocks embedded in the dirt hillsides above the quarry appear to be hanging on by a thread so the big challenge is to knock them loose and get them to roll down. We are talking 30 miles up in the mountains, so no people around.

Since we're set up for rifle shooting at 100 yards, most of the rocks fall beyond 100 yards, to 130 or 40. It is surprising how easy it is to hit with a Super to that range on soccer ball sized rocks, sending them to the bottom. If that fails, and a particularly dastardly rock requires*edumacation*, I may break out the Savage 1899 in 38-55. Even a close miss with that one educates the most ignorant rock! LOL.

Resistance is futile! My 38 Super is a Colt, but has been highly modified by a man named Swenson, quite well known as it turns out. Neither I nor my dealer friend were aware of Swenson at the time I purchased the Colt, but I discovered a little about him right here on this forum, and have since read up on his work. I'm not much of a pistol shooter, so if I can hit at those ranges, it must be the craftsmans workmanship not my ability making that happen! 38's are a real breeze to shoot and enjoy, my favorite by far.

Here's a photo of the beloved Super- I've found the hard chrome finish to be durable as hell

Fireball2,

When I was a young officer in then early 1970s, I bought & constantly carried a "Armand Swensen-ized" Colt's GM Model in .45ACP but I've never actually owned a .38 Super. - The GM shot BEAUTIFULLY.

Mr. Swensen was a TERRIFIC gunsmith. = His work is PROOF POSITIVE that a "Plain Jane" handgun can become a "real treasure".

As Darla & I are planning to retire to Latin America, where "weapons of war", like the .45AC/9mm Lugar/etc. are PROHIBITED to the police or licensed civilians, the .38 Super is perfectly acceptable to the governments "way down there", along with .38SPL, .357 Mag & various other calibers that aren't used routinely by armed forces.

When I had a conversation with a CPT of the National Police, his advice: "Do yourself a favor & get a .38 Super pistol but don't bring your Sig-Sauer P225 into the country." (PAUSE) "That's what most of us carry." (PAUSE) "As a retired officer & his wife, you 2 will have no trouble getting licensed. - We will see to it."
(I can deal with that. = I suspect that my Darla will carry a 2" Colt's Cobra down there.)

Note: My current EDC handgun is a Sig-Sauer P6, that I got surplus from the German Forest Service long ago, when the foresters went to the P7M8 or P7M13.

yours, tex

Interesting that they don't want you to have weapons that shoot the same cartridge as theirs. I assume they must be super more dangerous'er.

My guess would be that *less free* countries than our own wouldn't want civilians to have access to weapons that shoot LE or military ammo so civilians could never have large amounts of ammo to fight back with!

Good luck with your search for a 38 Super.

Hey tex, you could OWN that country with a Super like this!

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788903553

Or literally, with this one!

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788838823

Fireball2,

You just may be correct about that. = What I need/want is a "working gun" that is suitable for EDC.

yours, tex

BBTTT.

yours, tex

To All,

As of tonight (11MAR19), I'm STILL looking for a GOOD/USED .38 Super pistol. = The 70-series GM that I had planned to buy from a local/retired deputy "fell through", as he decided to NOT sell his Colt's pistol.

yours, tex

The Colt has a ramped barrel which results in an unsupported chamber.

i have about 500 pcs of nickle brass left over from when i used to shoot 38 super for $50 shipped.twice fired

Tex, curious where you plan to retire and why you are going to retire outside the United States.

If it's none of my business, you can just say so.

local_dirt,

I'm tired of being POOR (I'm living on about 1/2 of the income that I made before I retired.) = MANY retired military are retiring abroad for exactly that reason.

yours, tex