WOW, that looks nice.

I'm not familiar with that caliber. Where does it stand in the ranking of self defense calibers? Better than 45 ACP? Beautiful gun.

The Super is kind of a snappy 9mm and would make a fine defense round. Its been used by many in IPSC competition. Dont know how hot it needed to be loaded to make their power factor. I believe it has relative cartridges like .38 TJ and others. Its always been known as a accurate cartridge. I had a hard time finding it locally years back. I think was posted here about loading it too hot as not all 1911 pistols have a supported chamber and the cartridge can be made to generate some pressure.

There is something sexy as hell about a blued Colt Government model...

Never had a 38 Super, but it's been on my list. I had at one time wanted a P220 in 38 - but decided that Colt would be the 38 Super that I purchase.

I already purchased several magazines for the Colt, just not the Colt itself..

^^ Not to be "that guy", but, seriously, if you get the chance to have both then get both. The SIGs are pretty consistently amazing shooters and more than one person has commented on the 220 in that chambering as having a beautiful balance between power and weight.

Excellent photos. I certainly wouldn't mind picking one of those up.

That there is probably fairly similar what John Dillinger was using back in the day.

Now you have no excuse to go track down a P220 in .38 Sup.

Boss

Beautiful pistol, but that stainless magazine has gotta go. It's like brown shoes with a tuxedo.

quote:

Perhaps a nickle model as the stainless Government Model didn't show until '87 or '88. At that time they were all .45 ACP.

Your right. It is a 2004 model. I have no idea why I typed 1974.

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I started looking at a new DW Guardian in 38 super and I had to force myself to quit. I don't need it nor do I need to get into a new caliber...and an expensive one at that. But I LOOKED.

You should look again. I think it's the best value in a .38 Super. I absolutely LOVE mine!

quote:

Originally posted by Delta-3:

quote:

Perhaps a nickle model as the stainless Government Model didn't show until '87 or '88. At that time they were all .45 ACP.

Your right. It is a 2004 model. I have no idea why I typed 1974.

Early on they may have called these XSE. It wears the ribbed Gold Cup slide. At this time Colt was sort of learning to make and install the beaver tail grip safety. Needless to say, they didn't do a good job. Just my thoughts. It could well be 1990 that the first stainless Government Models appeared. That was the year their workers strike ended. Those first stainless guns were beautifully made. Some said machined on all new cutters. Durring the strike, Colt had people other than skilled workers trying to make guns. There were serious quality issues. When the affordable 1991s showed up, again, they were well made for the price. No excuse for the sorry beavertail work of the XSE guns.

That is very interesting history. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Delta-3:

quote:

Perhaps a nickle model as the stainless Government Model didn't show until '87 or '88. At that time they were all .45 ACP.

Your right. It is a 2004 model. I have no idea why I typed 1974.

That's the pistol I had except mine was a Commander. The stainless steel Colt Government "Enhanced" Commander in .38 Super. I owned it back around 1992. I put a Bar Sto barrel and a Videki trigger in it. It was a great pistol. I should never have sold it.

The early 1911s with the ribbed slides and scallop under the trigger guard were called "Enhanced" models. About the same time the 1991s came out. Bare bones, 80s series, black parkerized models. I owned two of those: a 1991 "Government" and an "Officers ACP" in .45. Both were very good guns. I carried my Officers ACP when I was doing collections. In the early 2000s I think the "XSE" came out. I had one of those, blued, in .45. Another excellent gun, but with a thumb safety that was so stiff it hurt my thumb to use. Back in those days I was gun poor and pretty much needed to sell a gun to buy a gun. So many good guns passed thru my hands.

Not so important to the OPs .38 Super topic but, a interesting tidbit of trivia, Colts earliest use if stainless steel in a auto pistol was the Model 1971. They blackened the stainless in the early few guns that were made. Yes the year 1971. The M1971 was a DA/SA 9mm double stack magazine pistol, decocker included. With no interest from the public in what was actually quite a nice pistol for the time, they never went into production. Prior to the DOD XM trials Colt brought back the pistol, renaming it SSP for its stainless materials. It didnt win as a submission to the Army against all other contenders. I have never seen either a M1971 or the SSP pistols. Ive read they were made in very limited numbers and, some in .45 ACP. Its my understanding the submitted SSP guns for the trials had a removable fire control system of some sort. That little bit of info tells me such a FC unit is not a new idea.