[Tarowah]

From time to time I see people asking about Super Vel ammo and I have had a full and a partial box of .380 Super Vel 88gr JHP for a while now (mine were packaged in Shelbyville, Ind) and I decided to burn off a few to see what the hub bub was all about..

Let me say that these things are H O T, I am talking shooting fire 2 feet out of the end of a TCP hot, so hot in fact that every one of the spent cases have a massive bulge bordering on complete case failure.

My wife and I went through 100 rounds of S&B .380 and I checked a dozen or so of the spent brass and found no deformations of any kind so I dont think it is a lack of chamber support in the PT738 barrel.


Without further ado, here is a shot of a couple of the fired cases, I have a shot that isnt cropped if you want something clearer but not nearly as close up.

[Tarowah]

I posted these pics on another forum and a few folks questioned if the round was fully supported, I assumed it was but I assumed wrong.


Here is a shot of a Super Vel cartridge in the TCP barrel.




Here is a shot of a Super Vel case next to a WWB case fired from the same weapon.

[PAPACHUCK]

Super-Vel .380's destroyed a pistol of mine many years ago.

Yes, they are HOT!

[ColCol]

Those rounds me be older than dirt. I don't think they've made Super Vel since around 1990 or so...could be wrong though. I have some old Corbon 185 and 200 gr I've shot recently and while relatively hot, probably not like Super Vel was-and no bulges.

[Retseh]

Wow a .380 that may just be hotter than Spanish Santa Barbara, which I still happen to have a sizeable stash of - and that stuff is really spicy.

[Vdoc]

Id sell it with disclaimer like for "collecting purposes only"
I sure wouldn't shoot any more in that Pistol!

[ldrichard]

Super-Vels were definitely the hottest round around when Lee Jurras introduced it those many years ago.

I don't think I would use it now due to its age unless it has been stored in a humidity controlled environment.

I first tried it in .38spl, wikedky potent.

[Randy from Kansas]

Thanks for posting the pictures and information very interesting if I ever come across some of that stuff I will steer clear. I don't need to blow up a gun.

thanks again

[CTSixshot]

So...the box of Super-Vel 44 Russian that I have should be treated as though they are loaded to .44 Magnum pressures? I think I'll just keep them as a keepsake...

[chippy]

I have some old SuperVel in 9mm. Never did trust that stuff!

[Sheepdog689]

Hmmmmmm, just noticed this thread. I have a partial box of Super Vel ammo that I used in my S&W Model 39 back in the 70's.

I think I'll use my bullet puller on the whatever I have left in the box and reload the brass with something that won't destroy my pistol.