.38 Super boolits for a 1951 original Colt Commander with aluminum frame

[pan957]

This question may have been covered in other posts but I couldn't find them. I picked up a mint 1951 .38 Super Colt Commander a couple years ago. I cast revolver and .45 ACP boolits. I wish to shoot the .38 Super sparingly with lead boolits only. I am not looking to hotrod it - factory pressure loads are just fine due to the alloy frame. I wish to use a 130 grain SWC boolit -if it will feed without modifications. If not what accurate 130 grain round nose boolit is recommended? Lee or Lyman are preferred. Also what flavor of Starline brass is recommended for an unaltered Commander?

[gwpercle]

Lee doesn't make a 130 gr. SWC for the 38 Super , they do make a 120 gr. truncated cone and a 125 gr. round nose .

Lyman's offering is #356634 which does weigh 130 grains but is a truncated cone , not exactly a SWC but sorta .

I have had success with the Lee 105 gr. SWC in 9mm Luger in a WWII era Walther P-38 , I wanted a load that wouldn't batter the old war horse excessively ...the Lee 105 gr. boolit (358-105-SWC) over 4.7 grains Unique was just the ticket for a soft recoiling load and it shoots to the P-38's fixed sights .

As these projects go you usually have to try a few different boolits and a few different powder charges to get it all worked out ...but don't close your mind to 120 gr. , 125 gr. or even 105 gr. bullets untill you try them.
I would have never dreamed the Lee 105 gr SWC would be my P-38's favorite boolit and no modifications were required !
Gary

[onelight]

Lee has the 140 swc but I have not tried it in 38 super.

[sundog]

Arsenal has a 358-135 Ranch Dog, along with several other offerings.

[marlin39a]

Any RN or TC profile bullet for a 9mm will work. I use 2 NOE bullets for my Super. A 124 TC GC and a 155 TC. Both sized .357.

[rintinglen]

I've had good luck with the round-nose, Lyman 356-242, mine come out ~125 grains. 5.0 grains of WW-231 or 5.5 grains of Unique gets me 1100 fps +/- and reliably functioning. Both are mid- range loads, chiefly selected because 5.0 and 5.5 are easy to remember, they are powders I keep on hand and they work. They both seem milder than factory ammunition.

[arlon]

The old LEE 356-153-2R mould was designed for the 38 super I think. Might be worth googling. Have the mould but no personal experience with it in 38 Super.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use the NOE 358-128-SWC in my 1911 38 Super.

[1hole]

Starline makes good brass, use it. No one has a chart specifying what each handgun maker or alloy type "needs" by specific brand of cases.

[Thin Man]

PM headed your way.