.38 Super
Flat-shooting and soft in a heavy 1911 — a competition and Latin American market classic that mainstream American carry largely passed by.
Family
Handgun
Introduced
1929
Origin
Colt, USA
History
Colt introduced the .38 Super in 1929 as a hotter loading of the old .38 ACP for the 1911 platform, marketed for punching through the car bodies of the gangster era. It became a fixture in countries restricting military calibers, especially Mexico, and later a dominant open-division competition cartridge. It survives today in both worlds.
What it's used for
Iconic platforms
Colt and other 1911s, plus race guns from STI/Staccato lineage builders.
Common load types
FMJ, jacketed hollow point, and major-power-factor competition loads.
Reference only — not loading data, not ballistics advice, and KitID links to no ammunition sellers. Know your local law before you buy anything that goes bang.