Whats the best 38sp semi?

[gunoil]

Whats the best 38sp semi auto pistol?

[alg3205]

Best 38 special semi auto is the Smith and Wesson Model 52, limited to flush loaded wad cutter. A number of shops put together 1911s that had been converted to 38 special.

[bouncer50]

Yes the S&W model 52 the most accurate auto i ever fired

[gunoil]

oh lord, u guys have expensive taste, my mama always said. I like the convert idea of 1911. Thanks.

[country gent]

I built a 38 spl 1911 several years ago. Mine was with a 6" bar sto barrel and colt mags. It uses a 6-7 lb recoil spring and fuctions flawlessly. From bench and sand bags quarter size 10 shot groups with hollow based wadcutters and 2.7 grns bullseye are normal. There are 2 ways these have been built. Colt made a run that were blow back operated and used a 12-16 lb spring. The AMUs and most custom makers are lock up guns like mine and use 6-7 lb recoil springs. I beleive the mags are slightly diffrent between them also. When fitted and built right they are second to none and a real dream to shoot. The 1911s are flush seated wadcutters only also. Ive seen S&W 52s that would throw a fliers occasionaly but were other wise accurate guns.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The S&W M52 served me well in BE comp for many years. It worked with commercial brass and mil-spec brass equally well. Bullet used was H&G #251 with lube in one groove and 2.6 grains of 700X behind it. Other loads like 2.7 grains of Bullseye worked well too. It has been a magnificent gun for target work and I appreciated its performance now for a long time. LLS

[tazman]

If you load a heavy boolit in a 9mm, you for all practical purposes have duplicated a 38 special load. I have a couple of loads for my 9mm with boolits that weigh 145-153 grains that give me 900-950fps with excellent accuracy and perfect reliability.
This can be done with a much larger selection of semi-auto pistols than are available for 38 special.

[beezapilot]

There is a 52 for sale at my club... Oh... man.... I really like that pistol...

[bhn22]

oh lord, u guys have expensive taste, my mama always said. I like the convert idea of 1911. Thanks.

Actually, by wanting a 38 Spl semi-auto, you are the one with expensive tastes. Everyone else here are simply enablers. Check the auction sites, 38 Spl 1911s commonly run over $1500.00, sometimes well over!

[Joni Lynn]

The 52 is a wonderful gun, it was made in three different generations, all nice. (52, 52-1 & 52-2)
The custom made 1911 in 38 Special is probably a better gun than the Colt Gold Cup National Match Midrange. It was a blowback design without the pivoting link system. They are also very picky eaters when it comes to the magazines. If you're going to use it, get a 52 unless you find a custom 1911.

[BCRider]

If you truly want a .38Spl pistol there is no cheap road. Either you pay for a 52, pay the price for a built up 1911 or pay for a 1911 and all the parts and then custom fit the 1911 and new parts using the usual work done on 1911's. But this is highly skilled and knowledgeable work that is typically done by expensive gunsmiths that specialize in such work. Things like peening the rails, custom fitting the barrel bushing and selecting the barrel link to provide the optimum lockup does not come cheap. Nor does the sort of work to correctly fit a fixed barrel and get the magazines to feed it correctly.

In fact I would suggest that simply sucking it up and buying a 52 IS the budget minded option. Otherwise you might wait a very long time before you trip over one of the custom made 1911 guns at a lower price.

[Crosbyman]

Another choice is the Coonan 357.

[Ola]

If you don't mind me asking: why .38 SPL?

Why not something like this?: http://www.midwestshootingacademy.com/pistols.shtml#5

(The logic here is that if one wants an ACCURATE semi-auto pistol for paper punching, the .32 S&W Long is the current standard. It made the .38 "obsolete" in sport shooting)

[country gent]

One can find the 1911s built up into 38 spl with some looking and searching no they are not cheap. They are normally built by the top smiths and are very accurate and reliable. I have seen and shot both the blow back version and have a lock up version of my own. I perfer the lock up style. I have seen 2 1911s set up and built for 32 S&W long also much more rare and harder to find parts for. ( I do have a barrel here but no mags or other parts yet). The easiest place to find these pistols is where they are used the most, NRA Bullseye pistol matches. I see 2-3 for sale every year at Camp Perry when I go to commercial row during the pistol matches. Figure around 1300 -1800 for one thats all done up. Otherwise you have one built on your gun. Figure slightly more cost new parts and a 1-2 year wait on the top smith. You can do it yourself but these normally arnt "drop in" parts and require fitting and alot of hand work. I built mine up myself Started with a new Springfield GI 1911 for the platform. Fired 500 rds of 45 thru it to break in and test ( once converted warrenties are void so wanted to know any ussues before). Fitted the slide to the frame ( lightly peened frame and slide) lapped to finish. Fitted bushing to slide firm snug fit, I need a wrench to turn. Bored and honed bushing to fit barrel with little clearence. mines less than .0005 clearence. fitted lug hood locking lugs to frame and slide. When done correctly everything locks up in the same place everytime. I then fitterd cylinder and slides trigger set into frame and set at 3 lbs pull. Last was extractor and tuning ejector. Once converted mine took 200 rds to break in and function and feed reliably. Now after several thousand rounds its the smoothest 1911 I own. With the 6 lb recoil spring almost anyone can work the slide easily also. WIth the weight of the pistol and the light target loads recoil; is very managable for almost every shooter also. Im hoping to find the rest of the parts so I can build one in 32 S&W long also. The AMU built guns can be very desireable if they can be found. One by Clark or wilson are ussually very good shooters also. Not every smith is willing to do this conversion as its painstaking delicate work and has to be done right to work.

[Combat Diver]

Another choice is the Coonan 357.

Just need a lighter recoil spring for the Coonan in .38 Spl. My two Model Bs would feed an .38 wadcutter load but had to be hand cycled.


CD

[SSGOldfart]

oh lord, u guys have expensive taste, my mama always said. I like the convert idea of 1911. Thanks.

well you did ask?????????? right

[SSGOldfart]

this is a build I've been thinking about for a long time guess I'm just a little tight when it comes to firearms,I'd like a 38spl auto too. just to waste ammo with