Caleb and Tam both have posts up about the under-loved .38 Super, which still hangs on as a gamer round but lags far behind the 9mm, .40 and .45 as a defensive cartridge.
I’ve been wanting one for a few years now, but it’s low enough down on my “OMG I MUST HAS!” list that nothing serious has come of my Super jones. I do keep an eye on the market to see what’s available. Colt puts out a steady trickle of Supers, Kimber has a few models in the catalog, and Springfield builds a run of guns every couple years. The one I’m eyeballing right now, though, is the STI Trojan 5.0.
I have zero hands-on experience with STIs, but I know Joe Huffman is a big fan, and I respect STI’s decision to tell California to fuck off. The Trojan has a lot I like (ramped barrel, which I think is a wise idea on a .38 Super, stippled frontstrap, factory-installed thin grips) and a few things I don’t (full-length guide rod, ugly & HUGE rollmarks, plastic mainspring housing). Were I to order one, I’d opt for the hard chrome and fixed sights. I’d also immediately drop in a GI-style stub guide rod and plug, and probably swap the mainspring housing for a stainless steel unit with machined checkering. Otherwise, I think it would be quite satisfactory.
If only I could talk them into building me one without that damn billboard on the slide…
I’ve always liked the 38 Super. If I was going to have a toy handgun cartridge to reload and compete with, that would be it. It makes a lot more sense in the 1911 platform than the 9mm Para does. If EAA wasn’t composed of suck and fail and built the least reliable pistols on the planet north of Lorcin, I’d probably own a 38 Super Witness.
If I was going to get a 38 Super, I’d probably build one myself out of parts from the Brownells catalog. I bet you could get it done for under $700 with the features you want, without the retardo slide billboard, and it’s less likely to go full-auto on you.
Does any 1911 builder sell guns without slide markings? I know you can get a Caspian Frame and slide fitted together without they’re name on it, but then you’d have to build the rest of the pistol. If you can live with drop in parts, it may be an option.
I will say that STI is one of the big names in double stacks, and have an excellent reputation.
Les Baer also makes a couple of different guns in .38 Super if you’re inclined to over spend on a 1911. S&W does the 1911DK, which is built out to Doug Koenig’s specs in .38 Super as well.