Home › Browse Calibers › .38 Super
Common uses: Self-Defense, Competition
| Type | pistol (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 130gr Magtech 38 Super Auto +P FMJ (38S) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1215 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 426 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.159 |
| Case length | 22.9 mm |
| Overall length | 32.5 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 36500 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:16" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1215 | 426 | -1.5 |
| 50 | 1097 | 347 | -0.1 |
| 100 | 1014 | 297 | -6 |
| 150 | 953 | 262 | -20.3 |
The listed uses do not identify an explicit big-game hunting role, so deer- and elk-sized energy references aren't shown. Evaluate the named load using its available source data and any displayed trajectory, then verify the result for the listed target, competition, defensive, tactical, or duty context.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own firearm.
The .38 Super is best known today as a mainstay of practical pistol competition, where it earned a reputation as a favorite chambering for building race guns that make major power factor with lighter recoil and faster follow-up shots than the .45 ACP. It splits the difference between the 9mm and .45 in the 1911 platform, delivering higher velocity and flatter trajectory than either while feeding from a single-stack magazine. Its main drawbacks are practical rather than ballistic: ammunition and factory pistols are less common and often pricier than mainstream calibers, and older designs headspaced on the semi-rim, which could hurt accuracy until modern chambers began headspacing on the case mouth. Beyond competition it still sees use for self-defense and general handgun shooting, retaining a devoted following among 1911 enthusiasts.
Colt introduced the .38 Super in 1929 as a higher-pressure loading of the older .38 ACP (.38 Auto), chambered in a variant of its Government Model 1911 pistol. The heavier loading was aimed at law enforcement of the era, giving the flat-shooting round enough velocity to defeat automobile bodies and the primitive body armor of the day. For decades it was overshadowed by the .45 ACP and 9mm in the U.S., but it found lasting popularity in Latin American countries where civilian ownership of military-caliber pistols was restricted.
Run this cartridge in the ballistic calculator · Compare it against another cartridge · How this data is produced