This is one cat I've never played with. Is it accurate and useful?

Bill I don't know what you are referring to. If a standard Colt factory product then I cannot help you. I do have a custom built 38 Super, built on a Colt 1911 9mm frame and I love the gun. It has a comp and a custom trigger, extended mag and slide release, ramped barrel etc. I used to use it for IPSC back in the day. If the gun you are looking at does not have a ramped barrel then, IMHO you will not achieve the full potential and usefullness of a 38 Super. Accuracy is strictly a function of the barrel, and the lockup of barrel and slide.
I also own a Kimber Pro Carry II in 38 Super. Same basic design as a 1911.
Hope I am making sense.
Peter.

The 38 super was originally ,IIRC, designed to penetrate body armour of the time. The big problem was it's semi-rimmed case .This along with less thann precise manufacture limited popularity .
It wasn't until IPSC types decided to change things .They made it a rimless case an added a proper barrel.They got accuracy , reliability , and met the power factor too.

Buddy has one from the Colt custom shop. awesome.



Mine is a parts gun on a 9mm slde. Colt stopped marking the caliber on the slides at some point.



also the slide stop can be finicky if you build one. some mags work with a 45 slide stop, some don't.

I own two of them, a Colt built in 1939 that is reasonably accurate with the mild loads I shoot thru it and a Kimber that is really accurate with just about anything I shoot thru it.

Karl

Bill (the OP) has not responded yet, but I should add that EAA makes an excellent line of pistols that are also chambered in 38 Super, with supported chambers. I have a regular Witness as well as a Witness Match Elite in 38 Super. Not 1911 type guns though.
Peter.

Original colt barrel that headspaces on the semi rim, not so good for accuracy or reliability. Modern barrel that is ramped and headspaces on the rim works great, and can be quite accurate in a well built pistol. Tens of thousands used in competition today

The modern headspacing of the 38 Super is on the mouth (Nonte reamer) as used in IPSC/competition barrels. These are also invariably fully ramped.

With proper firing pin shape, the use of good +P brass, the ramped barrel, and proper build technique much greater pressures can used.

The old IPSC major loading required 175 Power Factor (bullet weight in grains*velocity in fps/1000). With a safety factor to cover chrono variations it required 1440 fps with a 125 gr bullet.

Have shot thousands of rounds of this stuff ... is fierce and yet the guns handle beautifully! Pretty much a .357 Mag 1911 ... and very accurate! Probably ++P++ pressures and loud!

If your pistol is not built like a bank vault do NOT exceed the recommended max pressures for standard 38 Super +P.

Nothing quite like an IPSC double column Super with comp and extended magazine holding 25 rounds.

Thanks guys. I know the original headspacing caused the famous accuracy issues in early Colts, and that these have been resolved in race guns.
Just always seemed like a much more interesting cartridge than the 9mm. Think it was Jeff Cooper who noted this was popular in old Mexico as it was not the military .45.
Given the potential pressure issues, this might not be the best choice in a Philippine 1911.

I believe that the Colt 38ACP was the standard military sidearm of the Mexican government.
Peter.