Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 1991 in .38 Super...the more I...

Very nice Colt.

That is why I told him but.......

I get hot and bothered just looking at that thing.

I did too... I took the pictures poor as they are...I offered him $1500 for it, that is when he realized I was serious. I told him he needed to find an Colt expert and have it appraised and then a reputable auction house if he wanted to sell it.

...that starts at $5K and works up....

Bob

If its really legit and truely in the condition it appears to be in, it will go for over $10k. Pre war Supers just go for big money. A two digit Super is a big freakin deal!

Let me just say it is legit and let it go at that he is keeping it for a while to decide what to do. I told him my offer was still good...he laughed at me but that is what friends do...

That one would be highly prized, by any Colt collector

I played around some with a Springer in .38 Super. It was perfectly reliable; and in fact would even function with .38 ACP ammo.

I even still have a bunch of new cases for the Super, but have not owned one of the pistols in a few years. I also had a barrel marked "9x23" for it, and worked a little with that fire-breather. Factory ammo clocked 1525 fps with 125's - and pierced more than a few primers

These are fun rounds, but for defensive use I'm not sure what they buy you versus a 9mm, with modern, top-notch ammo. Kimber made a few target models in the Super, as well as a Commander-length gun. They used ramped barrels, which adds some safety margin for warmish loads

Kimber made more than a "few" Stainless Target II and ProCarry HDs...they are still in their line. I had a HD and still have a STII. One of the best out of the box 1911s I have ever owned regardless of caliber.

STII with Kimber .22 Conversion Unit instaalled..



The 9x23 is a very hot round. .357 Magnum and .38 Super run 35K psi...9x23 runs at 60K. All of my Supers will run 9x23 but to do it right a 22-24# recoil spring, buffer and a square bottomed firing pin stop all need to be installed.

This Commander is set up for 9x23. The original barrel chamber is so match tight it won't even run a .38 Super reload if the case is at all bulged. I bought a second barrel from a friend with Colt XSE Commander that had converted the gun to 9mm and the guy he sold the gun to didn't want the Super barrel. It had the same match tight chamber so that one was opened up to run 9x23. It will also run all the out of spec reloads. Fitted a square bottom firing pin stop, 22# spring and a Kings Recoil Buffer it is light, reliable powerful carry gun. Winchester Silvertip 9x23 runs 1440 from a 5" and the soft point white box 1460. PowR"Ball upper 1500s.

9x23 barrel has the silver bushing of the XSE Commander...the black is the original Super barrel...



10 yards with the Super barrel...





As usual Colt marketed the 9x23 all wrong and also got sued for stealing someone else's idea.....

Bob

Can someone explain the square bottom firing pin stop and how/why that's different than normal etc.?

Not versed in that.

The square bottom helps delay unlocking of the slide, which is desirable with the higher pressure cartridges, like the 10mm, Super, 9x23, etc.

They are available from Brownells.

From what I read the original 1911 had a square bottom firingpin stop. The Army complained that because they carried with an empty chamber and hammer down racking the slide was "difficult". Brownings answer was to bevel the leading edge of the stop for greater mechanical advantage when pulling back the slide with the hammer down.

Bob

And, all things being equal, with normal cartridges especially, allows you to use a somewhat lighter weight recoil spring.

In all my 5" 1911's, I use 16.5 or 17lb variable rate RC's for all loads, with the square bottom FPS & a 21 or 22lb mainspring (23 is std)

In 4.25" guns, it's the same setup with an 18 or 19lb variable rate recoil spring.

As you probably can conclude, I'm not a big fan of heavy recoil springs & prefer to use the lightest weight that will consistently function correctly.

The original standard recoil spring weight is 16.5lb.

MM

Wanna sell that barrel?

It's long gone, along with the pistol, I'm sorry to say.

Be still my heart!!! Why do I just go so weak in the knees for those pre-war guns? Oh yeah, because they're so dammm cool!!

The Calvary complained. So JB changed it.

Buy directly from Wilson Combat or EGW. Depending on whether you have a 70 or 80 series. It is supplied oversized so it will take some fitting. very easy.

Kevin-

I have two S&W DK's. Love them. Like you, I go out and see how far away I can hit $hit!

Ever see a Colt Black Army?