.38 Super/SAECO 383

[RJM52]

I started shooting the .38 Super back in 1980. Used to shoot a lot of cast bullets back then especially the 160 grain cast round nose. At 1170 fps it easily made Major and gave me two extra rounds over the .45/1911s as back then there were only 7 round magazines for the .45 vs. 9 for the Super.

One bullet I always loved was the SAECO 383. It casts up in the 135-140 grain range. There was a commercial caster in Dallas where I lived who was the Secretary of the Cast Bullet Association. He made me a 1000 out of linotype metal and they were very accurate. Just got back into casting last year after not casting from about 1981. Found one of the SAECO 383 two-cavity moulds on ebay so I thought I would give it a try.









The bullet has to be seated right to the top of the bearing surface or it will not make the max LOA. These are sized .355 and I did another batch at .357 for some .38 Super revolvers I have. Thought with the nice wide meplat it would work well on small game. One would also think that with the big flat point the bullets wouldn't feed smoothly but these slide right into the chamber like butter...

These are powered by 6.0 grain of Unique which should give in the 1200 fps range...

Anyone else use this bullet in 9mm or Super?

Bob

[yman]

I am just starting to load for a 38super I picked up awhile back, its super accurate, i never could figure out why the
round didnt catch on. Great looking bullet.

[RJM52]

I have a bunch of articles on the Super and 9x23. The first one I ever read was back around 1968 in SHOOTING TIMES. The loads that they were running were VERY hot. 8.0 grains of Unique and 9.3 of SR4756 with 124/5 grain gullets...this would run 1420-1460 fps... I've run those loads but don't recommend them. And never reuse the brass especially from an unsupported chamber barrel.

Only glad that I waited till 1980 to get my first gun as Colt Supers made prior to 1990 had chambers that headspaced on the case rim instead of the case mouth like a .45 and 9mm...a holdover from the transition from the 1903 Automatic in .38 Auto. Accuracy was poor to horrible. The groups in the 1969 GM and 1952 Commander that I bought in 1980 were 3'...yes FEET and 18" at 50 yards with factory ammo. After the installation of BarSto barrels in both guns the groups went 3" and 3.5" at 50 yards with the same box of ammo. BarSto didn't start making headspaced on the case mouth barrels until the late 70s so I would have been pulling my hair out if I had bought one back in 1970 when I started buying handguns...

I've also shot the Lyman 357156 Lyman/Thompson gas checked bullet and it runs pretty well also.

Bob

[bobthenailer]

I really like the 38 super ! i have two 1911s one with a Nowlin and another with Kart barrel

I have the Saeco #929 147gr swc , #377 122gr tc, #384 122 gr rn for use in the 38 super & 9mm, generaly speaking the 384 is the least accurate and the 929 the most accurate .

[475/480]

I have a Taurus 1911 38 Super , shoots very good with 115gr /124 gr JHP at 1350+, the Taurus will NOT run the 147 gr FP cast from a accuratemolds mold #147S. Also have a Tanfoglio Limited 38 Super that likes everything and will shoot the 147 gr cast great . The 147 gr cast load runs 1100 fps.

Sean

[RJM52]

Can't go wrong with a Super...I have never seen one that wouldn't shoot as long as the barrel was good...

Bob

[RJM52]

Put about 100 rounds of the bullets pushed by 6.0 grains of Unique. Surprisingly they ran 1240 fps from a 5" Super Elite.

Put several magazines through each of three guns:

1969 Governmant with a BarSto match barrel

Stock Kimber Stainless Target II

Colt Super Elite with original Series 70 barrel but the collett bushing have been replaced with a match tight one.

All three guns were extremely accurate with the looad and there were no failures to cycle. The two Colts have non-ramped barrels and the Kimber barrel is ramped.

Today I cast with a friend in Connecticut and was able to heaping fill a one pound coffee can. I think this is mainly going to be used in the Goverment sized guns as I have plenty of good loads and bullets for the Commanders. One exception may be a Series 80 stainless Combat Commander that I sometimes use as a field gun...it really shoots well however with the 124 Hornady or Berry's FP.

...maybe an order for a 4-Cavity is in order...

Bob

[curioushooter]

How long is it from shoulder to meplat? Is it even possible to not exceed max oal in 9mm with the #383?

[Sailormilan2]

How long is it from shoulder to meplat? Is it even possible to not exceed max oal in 9mm with the #383?

It's doable. I have to load it a bit shorter than max COL because of the wide meplat. The nose is so wide, that loading close to Max causes the edges of the me plat to rub against the magazine. 1.2650-1.27+" seems to have enough clearance.

[RJM52]

I have not loaded the bullet into a 9mm case in a long time as I usually run a 115-124 TC in 9mm. I did find the last box I loaded a couple of years ago and shot them up in a S&W 6906 I believe... No issues with the magazine. As I recall the bullet shoulder was right at the top of the case mouth...

Bob

[RJM52]

ps...a cheap way to try this bullet is buy some...Montana Bullet now makes them...

https://www.montanabulletworks.com/p...-140gr-swc-pb/

[jd9770]

I recently acquired a kimber in 38 super. I’ve been toying around with different cast bullets. This thread is helpful. Thanks

[RJM52]

I have two Kimbers in .38 Super and this bullet is VERY accurate in them...

Next time I load this bullet I'm going to push it to see what it will do... Since it is doing over 1200 fps with just 6.0 grains of Unique, I am pretty sure I can make over 1300 with Unique or AAC-7....

Bob

[Sig556r]

I'm getting back to this caliber & got a Sig barrel in .38 super being fitted by Eddie Jimenea for my 9mm STI single stack.
Used to shoot this caliber a lot until CBs (147g & up) started making major using cheaper brass, then, DIY shake/bake PC made it even more attainable.
However, the fun of shooting .38 super still lingers...it's like shooting .357sig even if .40SW is cheape.

[RJM52]

Anyone have any .38 Super revolvers? Makes a great round for them also....

S&W 686-7 PC





S&W 66-2 3"...found an extra cylinder and had TK Custom modify it...will also run 9mm...





...and the same done to this 60-10....





This 649-1 just had the original cylinder done...





Also had one of the 627 PC Pin Guns but accuracy was poor to say the least....it went down the road...

[Hardcast]

Bringing this thread back to the top as I find this boolit fascinating. My new 4 cavity Saeco 383 mold should be here in another 10 days if the estimate is accurate.

[RJM52]

I was able to buy a 4-cavity SAECO 383 mold off of ebay last fall. Can't remember the price right now but it had handles and looked barely used...it was about 1/2 of retail...

Over on the 1911 Forums there is a post on this bullet that the shooter is getting 1300 fps using Blue Dot.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=991544

"Using a Saeco 383 bullet sized to .357 for my .356 barrel I got right at 1300 fps using 7.9 gr of Blue Dot. A Saeco 383 bullet has a long wide SWC nose, a short bearing surface, so it takes up a little less room in the case. FC case, Win Small rifle primer."


Bob

[Hardcast]

I was able to buy a 4-cavity SAECO 383 mold off of ebay last fall. Can't remember the price right now but it had handles and looked barely used...it was about 1/2 of retail...

Over on the 1911 Forums there is a post on this bullet that the shooter is getting 1300 fps using Blue Dot.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=991544

"Using a Saeco 383 bullet sized to .357 for my .356 barrel I got right at 1300 fps using 7.9 gr of Blue Dot. A Saeco 383 bullet has a long wide SWC nose, a short bearing surface, so it takes up a little less room in the case. FC case, Win Small rifle primer."


Bob

Bob, glad to see you post here again. I have tried to rally interest in a group buy for this boolit, but very few responses so far, That is why I ordered the new 4 cavity Saeco. I looked on Ebay several times, but never found one. The pic in my avatar is one you made.

[cwlongshot]

I have two Kimbers in .38 Super and this bullet is VERY accurate in them...

Next time I load this bullet I'm going to push it to see what it will do... Since it is doing over 1200 fps with just 6.0 grains of Unique, I am pretty sure I can make over 1300 with Unique or AAC-7....

Bob

I need to try this. I did try them with one powder in my 350 legend and they where average.

CW

[Hardcast]

I just posted this pic in the Group Buy Discussion sub forum, but I want to post it here too. It works great in my two 9mm guns. Have not tried it in 38 Super yet.