first time i fired it i couldnt believe how flat shooting it is. Thus, Johnson was off the ballot in the general election unless Johnson could do something quickly. . I certainly do! In the 1911, there is no penalty for using the .38 Super over the 9mm. It was my Grandfathers gun and one of my favorite in the gun safe. Lot 1183: The nickel-plated Colt Single Action Army carried by Texas Ranger Jack Dean is chambered in 38-40 WCF with factory engraving and carved steer grips. I am thinking of finding them a new home and cant find much info as far as value. If you have a question about an item, please call or e-mail for more information before placing your order. HT108, W:D71) and the lever-action rifle with a .35 Remington Model 8 semiautomatic rifle (p. W:D72) with 20-round magazine extension (both weapons offering superior penetration against bullet-proof vests and the heavy Ford V8 sedans Clyde Barrow was partial to). His favorite longarm was a .30-30 Winchester M1894 lever-action rifle. 1939 Super .38 serial number 32239 - in new condition with original box, . And now looking at either carrying the govt or maybe a commander. While this is often the stated purpose of the .38 Super, there were two other roles that were more important on a commercial basis. Got my Star in 1970 and the Colt in the early 1980s. Hamer also owned many other guns. Your gun and its caliber are a tool to be used for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. John B. Jones, 1860 Colt Army Richards Transition Revolver, 1878 Smith & Wesson New Model No. After catching the rustlers, Hamer led a successful effort to organize his neighbors and several other counties around Kimble County to improve the roads so that merchants and farmers could get their products to and from places like San Antonio. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. A gun of that type will shoot a hole right through any bulletproof vest ever made.. Out of stock. Ralph Rohatsch was a friend and associate of my father, who was the sheriff of San Patricio, County Texas . I have been reloading .38 Super since 1982 and find it to be a great round, very accurate and hits harder than 9mm. It took a few years to solve that problem, but by then the .357 Magnum becames the Cats Meow, especially among Law Enforcement (Colts original target market). All rights reserved. Ive made hits with the Colt at 300 yards using Remington factory 130 grain FMJ. I rank the .38 Super along with the .45 ACP and the .44 Special as the 3 best calibers in America. Notify Me When Available. However, it certainly wasn't his only one. COLT 1911 45 ACP STAINLESS . Love my Colt 1911 in .38 super. At the time, you had to know not to fire a .38 Super in older Colt 1903 pistols. That is, you cant have a gun which is chambered for any cartridge which has been used by any military anywhere at any time (Im sure theres an exception for 12 gauge shotguns and rimfires). I found that using 9mm bullets expanded the available range of bullets without affecting accuracy. And an interesting thing that I hope is pure BS was that my FFL dealer told me when I got the .38 Super that buying it was going to cause the ATFE to keep a close eye on me because its such a popular gun south of the border, used by the drug cartels, and since I live in Arizona, the ATFE folks would be watching me, as though I was gun dealer or drug runner, I guess! While I enjoy the wonderful 45 cartridge I much prefer the higher capacity and easier control of follow up shots with the 9mm and 38 Super. Today, many thousands own pistols reflecting the success of Bill Wilsons foray into pistolsmithing and his commitment to producing the best that Wilson Combat can offer. The FBI Special Agents, the Border patrol, many Texas Rangers, St. Louis P.D.,and many leos, particularly in the South West of the U.S., favored the round due to it's superior penetration over the .45acp. Since Capt. I first discovered the .38 Super when I read one of Stephen Hunters Bob Lee Swagger books. This is where I am supposed to say, and the result was the Wilson Combat Texas Ranger Model. Well, not exactly, as I found out when I requested one. When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com. Please be respectful of others. Your email address will not be published. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. This is a well-known gun in Texas as it was displayed in several major museums (including the LBJ Library in Austin) for a two-year exhibition in the early 1980s, a listing at RR Auction reads. It balanced very well, and the sights were quick to recover. I am a reloader and shoot it all the time. Ships from Tallahassee, FL, United States. The crowd threw stones at the courthouse, forced the doors to the courtroom corridor and rushed toward the courtroom. The Rock Island is a fun gun to fire and use. Paul Harrell has good things to say about the cartridge if you look him up. In the future might try to acquire a Sig in 38 Super. Description: Belgium Texas Ranger 38 COLT SPL. 2007-2023 Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore. This is easily my favorite caliber to shoot and i have guns in .357 magnum, 9mm 45acp 50ae 44 magnum 10mm 380acp 38special. Some are accurate, but most require a Bar-Sto barrel for best results. My 45 ACP (handload and hot) was stuck between the second and third books. An excellent representative for Wilson Combat! Had some minor feed issues with HP ammo but one of our range guys is a gunsmith. It was customized with Wilso Combat grip safety, skelontized trigger and green fiber optic front sight. Self-sufficiency has been a common thread throughout Texas Ranger history, because there have always been so few Rangers at any time (even today there are only134 commissioned positions). The caliber saw extensive use in the hands of the FBI and figured into the demise of dangerous fugitives such as Baby Face Nelson. It has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and clarity. Shot well and handled very similar to a baby eagle. Thanks for your article, it helped shed some light on the history, i might try to pick up another 1911 in that caliber. 2 extra rounds in the magazine. 10/22 Ruger; 1903 Springfield; 1911 Colt 45; 308 Rifle; 32 Caliber; . A tribute to the revered Commercial Government Model pistols of the past, the 1911 Classic features the Series 70 firing system and rollmarks, national match barrel, staked on front sights, and spurred hammer. Trace, in the Texas Ranger tradition, had a few of his own ideas to personalize the pistol, opting for a stainless steel slide, coated with black Armor Tuff. The Democratic State Central Committee proclaimed Johnson the winner of the primary by a 29-28 vote (then a deal was consummated in which states rights Democrats were run out of the convention) while Stevenson was granted an injunction by the federal district court. The rifle was modified to accept a police only 15-round magazine. Texas Ranger Colt .45; Texas Ranger Matt Cawthon's M1911; The Guns of the Dillinger Gang; WWI Navy and Marine 1911's; Historic 1911 Pistol Visual Display; Historical Articles On The M1911 Pistol . I own 2 Colt 1911 ( gov model and custom shop) and they are amazing! No single model could . Colt Cobra TT 38 Special +P Rated Double Action Revolver with Black DLC Cylinder $749.00 $619.99; Notify Me When Available; Brand: Colt; Item Number: COBRA-TT2FO; Colt Cobra 38 Special Used Police Trade-in Revolver $699.99; Brand: Colt; Item Number: 169389LW; Colt Cobra 38 Special Double Action Revolver with Wood Grips . I always loved that pistol. Couple tips / strong suggestions: The roads were poor and Stevens crossed several rivers with steep banks and few bridges. Own a Taurus 1911, and have used it in matches. One is the Colt Competition 1911, one is the Taurus PT and the third one is an EAA Witness, which holds 17 + 1 rounds. 1819 North Flintlock Pistol Texas became a proving ground and nearly the only market for Colt's revolutionary product. Bill Wilson and Trace understood this, and Wilson had a simple solution: Offer each Ranger any 1911 Wilson Combat made, modified as they requested, but with special Texas Ranger markings. Picked up 150 Rounds of 38 Super by mistake. But when you are not much from arms length of a life and death situation I suggest a 45acp in 180 xtp hollow point. For nay sayers, look at the ballistics compared to a 9mm or .38 Special and you will understand. NW Nevada. $135.00. Over the next four years, they became household names before their deaths at the hands of a Texas posse that had been tracking the gang since it helped break several friends out of a Texas jail. Engraved First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver Owned by Two Generations of Texas Rangers and Inscribed to Legendary Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson with His Badge and Personalized Tooled Leather Holster and Extensive Documentation Auction Date: December 1, 2017 Estimated Price: $ 4,500 - $ 6,500 Price Realized: Details I reload for mine so ammunition is not a problem, All loads are made up in rimless Starline match brass and with a load the pistol likes I can get 2 groups at 25 yards. A .38 Super fired in a .38 ACP could prove disastrous. They deserve top-notch tools, and Wilson Combat 1911s are that! If so, Ill take it off your hands. Can someone give me an idea of what they are selling for? Known as Mr. Texas, Stevenson represented a kind of independent thinking in politics that makes it now seem inevitable that he and his old hunting partner, Frank Hamer, would be destined to walk down the streets of Alice together under the hard stares of George Parrs pistoleros most of whom were armed with rifles and shotguns. As a result, the American Tactical recently announced the company will offer two new bolt-action rifle systems from Black Creek Labs. He had great regards for the 38 but seemed to like the 45s more. Gun is heavy but soaks recoil nicely, shoots straight. What these stories contribute to the readers world view needs no exaggeration. Austin called them Rangers because they ranged across the new Republic of Texas in their line of duty. The testimony that the lawyers gathered- as a result of the names of voters that later testified they had never voted- and jotted down while in the bank- demonstrated, beyond any doubt, according to Robert Caro (the definitive Johnson biographer)- that Lyndon Johnson had personally conducted one of the most massive election frauds in U.S. electoral history. Does anyone know how I can obtain ammunition ? Hamers first stint as a Texas Ranger was with Captain John H. Rogerss Company C. In his first assignment he put a stop to murders and riots in the Rio Grande Valley that, notwithstanding the efforts of federal troops, had been raging unabated for many months. Crime was rampant in the Roaring '20s and peace officers found themselves at a disadvantage when armed with revolvers firing the standard round-nosed .38 Special. A 2.5 to 3-inch group for five shots at 25 yards is the standard. Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. His entrance into politics commenced when local leaders asked Hamer to catch a crew of rustlers that included the son of a prominent ranching family. This Texas Ranger collector firearm features handsome 24-karat gold decorations, including the hammer, slide stop, safety lock, grip screws, barrel bushing and magazine catch. I have two .38 Supers and both are Great shooters. One of rioters ran up to cut a fire hose with an axe. Its low muzzle blast, light recoil and accuracy are hard to duplicate. At about the age of sixteen Coke Stevenson began his career as the sole proprietor of a freight hauling business traveling back and forth across the rugged Hill Country of West Texas every week. The Colt .38 Super Model Automatic pistol was first introduced in 1929 as a variation on the Colt Government Model 45 but chambered for the powerful new 38 Super cartridges. It is a great, slim design and functions flawlessly like most Colts. Complementing the overall design are the handsome rosewood grips checkered in the classic "double diamond" pattern on this Colt .45 Pistol. In 1971, they received an out-of-court settlement. His lawyers argued about strategy for hours and Johnson finally turned to Abe Fortas who happened to be in nearby Dallas on business. It is also doubtful John Moses Browning expected that his most famous and enduring creation, the 1911, would be alive and kicking, with no signs of retiring, nearly 100 years after he finished the last of the Armys requested improvements. When asked by one of the rioters whether he would surrender the prisoner, Hamer replied,Any time you feel lucky come on, but when you start up the stairway once more, there is going to be many funerals in Sherman. This quieted the crowd for twenty or thirty minutes according to Hamers official statement. At about 9:15 AM just after the thundering torrent of lead subsided, Frank Hamer, Sr. approached the 1934 Ford V8 with his 1911 style .38 Super drawn. It is a great calibre that is moribund because too many shooters jump on the bandwagon of whatever is popular at the time. Finding specific guns right now is a be-otch. His reputation as a Texas Ranger would have made him a legend even if he had not apprehended Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in Louisiana. BELGIAN TEXAS RANGER .38 SPECIAL 1920S REVOLVER. I have a letter from Colt showing the shipment. Competition shooters are .38 Super Auto fanatics. The 38 Super fills the bill here. 150 grain cast Elco design, AA7 and starline plus p brass makes for a ten . My son went from a intelegence analyst to a diplomatic security agent and was only allowed a issued 9mm for his side arm. Hamer was also an officer for Harris County before joining the Rangers again in 1915 and was assigned to patrol the South Texas border around Brownsville. Bonnie Parker was just 24 in 1934 when she and Clyde Barrow died in a hail of gunfire after being ambushed by authorities in Louisiana. He eventually took a job in a bank and started the study of law the old fashioned way- reading law books in a nearby law office. Where in AZ do you live? I loved my .38 super so much i bought a colt competition series a few years ago. This new pistol was called the Walker Colt. Bill was glad to do it. The lynching of a black prisoner in Sherman started when George Hughes, a farm hand, admitted to raping a white woman. Is the .38 ACP Super a viable personal defense and tactical combination today? In 1948, Stevenson led the Democratic primary with 39.7% to 33.7% against Lyndon B. Johnson. Nelson killed Federal Agent Baum at Little Bohemia with a .38 Super machine pistol. And Colt got the finest product placement/celebrity endorsement in marketing history: his guns were the official guns of Texas Rangers. Hinton called his Congressman, got a BAR from the government and a back seat full of ammunition, and learned how to shoot the roaring automatic rifle.. Look at some old gangster photos for 1911s with curiously small holes in the barrel. One often hears that the Texas Rangers and other Texans were among Colt's best customers for the early Super .38. . Judge Carter stopped the trial and planned a change of venue. All fitted with the best barrels money can buy manufacture by Fred Kart. There is no pistol faster to an accurate first shot than a 1911 handgun properly carried cocked and locked. The mob, estimated at 5,000 people, then proceeded to burn black businesses. $1,836.00. I presently shot mostly bullseye. Seller: Craig Barter. The polished blued finish is accented by a bordered golden rampant colt, Texas flag, and vine and leaf engravings, pairing a timeless elegance with . Ted Hinton, in his book Ambush, declares that two of the Colt automatics at the ambush were .38 Supers. $1,999.99 $1,699.99. I chose an inexpensive Swenson barrel from Brownells for this project. $901.00 $901.00. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The .38-caliber revolver taped to Bonnie Parkers inner thigh when she and Clyde Barrow were killed by a Texas posse in 1934 has been made federally compliant and will be auctioned later this week. Talk about a tack driver, fun to shoot gun. There are a lot of opinions on the .38 Super. Likewise when ordering 124gr 9mm bullets to reload for target shooting I noticed the 9mm labeling also said they were not the typical .355 but .356 that I had previously been buying seperatelyfor the 38 super, now I just buy the one size 356 124gr for both. Ironically, they may be a better choice again given the advancements in bullet design. Item Number: O1911C-SS38-DHM. GA Sales: 62. I shoot 100 rds a week so ammo is not a problem: plenty of choices at moderate prices. Gun #: 999474294. DISCLAIMER: Some firearms can be sold on our sales floor before they are removed from web. Those arent 45s. The question is this. recoil spring and a shock-buff. In those days, the lawmen were revolver men. Guy I worked for said to try this, a Colt Combat Commander in .38 Super. No remorse, excelent gun/caliber combination. My father said that one reason she had the gun taped to the inside of her leg was that, in those days, no gentlemen officer would search a woman where she had it taped Sometime later, my father gave this gun to Buster Davis who had been a Texas Ranger and was, at the time, an FBI Agent.. Just pick up your brass. Home Texas Ranger Museum Artifacts & Exhibits Firearms Colt 38 Super . He resigned in 1908 to become the Marshal in Navasota, Texas, a violent boom town in which shootouts on the main street were so frequent that in two years at least a hundred men died.. 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Advice: Buy ammo when ever you find a good price ( I need to start reloading again). I have heard all the bull about the 9mm. My father removed this gun from the inside thigh of Bonnie Parker where she had it taped with white, medical, adhesive tape. Two men were convicted and sentenced to two-year terms and more lynching and riots ensued in Texas and Oklahoma. In my youth I looked for a .38 Super, but in South Texas every time I got a lead on one, it was already sold. I agree that the round can stand its own with the 9 and .45. Like many lawmen of his era, Hamer adorned Old Lucky with carved pearl stocks,. In 1905, he captured a horse thief while he was working on a ranch in West Texas. Veteran Deputy Bob Alcorn had chugged away with his hefty Browning Automatic Rifle and ripped some respectable holes all the way through the car. Looking for even more I bought some 923 Winchester brass and long story short from the 5 Super 38 barrel using VV 105 powder and 124 gr. Five days later Barrow and Methvin killed Constable Cal Campbell and kidnapped Commerce, Oklahoma Chief of Police Percy Boyd. For more on Wilson Combat visit www.wilsoncombat.com. (AP file). Little did anyone with whom Bill Wilson began his 1911 shooting, well over three decades ago, realize his interest in Colt 1911s would prove such a driving factor in his life. First, a frame handling eight-round Wilson magazines, for a nine-shot capacity, and one on which you can always get all your fingers. I purchased a Colt Commander .38 Super in 1959 from Abercrombie & Fitch in San Francisco for $45.00. Has been in my hip for nearly 20 years loaded with 125 gr Silvertips. These loads offer excellent feed reliability. Colt 1911 Texas Ranger commemorative chambered in .38 Super with a 4 1/4 inch barrel bright bore and good grooves with a display case and Texas Ranger Medallion. My next project is an AMT Back Up in 40 S&W that I recently converted to 357 Sig and would like also make into 38 Super if I could find a barrel. . Git!, he admonished and then, Fall back!. What you end up with is a 10 shot stiff 9mm or a 10 shot 357 Magnum+P and after dropping 2 deer with the 923 I can attest to its effectiveness. Lock up okay, but gun is likely non functional. Most were marked " For .38 Colt Special " which is nothing more than the S&W .38 Special but with a flat nose. No FTF, as long as no lead exposed @ tip. Still use it? Both can be purchased through the Texas Ranger Museum Gift Shop. Have shot it in bullseye competition and USPSA. Very inexpensively made and prone to breakage with no parts availability. Its a little bulky for concealed carry, but its under the seat of whatever vehicle I happen to be driving. Caliber: 38 COLT SPECIAL. This beautiful Colt was shipped to a hardware store in 1932 in El Paso, Texas for Texas Ranger Ralph Rohatsch, who at the time was a member of the Texas Highway Patrol.. Serial # 16205 Manufactured in 1891. He had to pull it on several occasions, but only used it 3 or 4 times. Gun #: 962326740. Ahhhh, the good old days. It is made to use Colt 38 Colt Model 1889 U.S. Navy Revolver. Barrel is 5-1/8 inches. Out of stock View . I would have expected he would have carried a 4 inch Triplelock. From what I have read, 1911s in .38 Super were the most popular contraband in Obamas Fast and Furious debacle. All rights reserved. Originally (and this was a biggie), it headspaced on the cases semi rim, which affected its accuracy compared to the 9mm and the 45ACP. Note that I give the same respect to the 357sig as the 38 super, both available in concealed carry frame size. Hamer stood in the doorway of the bank and a long confrontation ensued until finally Parrs gunmen walked away. Perusing the museum, which is an absolute must for anyone living in Texas or simply traveling Interstate 35, I found one sole surviving 1860 Army full fluted cylinder Colt.