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Correct Magazine for 1948 Super .38 Question

1K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  Infidel525 
#1 ·
I have a Colt Super .38 with a serial number in the mid-61,000 range. I also have Doug Sheldon's book Colt's Super .38, The Production History.

The magazine that came with my pistol is what Sheldon describes as Variation #8, marked COLT next to SUPER over .38 AUTO. on the baseplate and was used on guns starting around 115,000 (approx. 1954) so is much later than my pistol.

Where I am a bit confused is how he describes Variation #6, "used up into the high 60,000 serial range" and Variation #7 "used from high 60,000 to approximately the 115,000 range".

When Sheldon says "high 60,000 serial range" does he mean just under 61,000 or just under 70,000 ?

In other words for a 1948 Fat Barrel Super .38, numbered in the mid 61,000 serial number range which magazine is correct, Variation # 6 or Variation # 7 ?
Thank you
 
#3 ·
I do not own Sheldon's book, I wish I did, but I do own a 1948 Colt Super .38
The serial number is 644XX. I don't know what a variation #6 or #7 magazine baseplate should look like. Can you describe the variants to me and I'll take a look at mine and let you know if what I have is a#6 or #7. Might be helpful given the proximity of our serial numbers
 
#4 ·
Filson, according to Sheldon magazine variations # 6 and # 7 both have a matte finished floor plate to match the post-war Dual Tone finish on the guns and both had a welded on floor plate rather than the pinned floor plate.

Where the differences occur is on the roll marks on the floor plates.
Variation # 6, serial # ~ 2500 to "high 60,000" serial range looks like this:

COLT with SUPER over 38 AUTO. to the right of it and the word SUPER is lined up with the right side margin of the word AUTO.

Variation # 7, serial # from "high 60,000" to approximately the 115,000 serial range looks like this:

COLT with SUPER over 38 AUTO to the right of it and the fonts for the words SUPER and 38 AUTO are spaced to be equal lengths so the left and right side margins are equal. Also note that Variation # 7 does not have a period after the word AUTO

Thank you
 
#6 ·
Thank you filson. I believe I have seen your Super .38 on this site before. When I bought my gun a few years ago, it was from an estate and there was also a late 1950's Super .38 on consignment. I suspect that at some point the original Variation #6 mag that was with my gun was accidentally switched with the Variation # 8 mag from the later gun.
It wasn't until I spent the $$$ for Sheldon's book that I realized the difference. I knew that the Super .38 mags with the Rampant Colt stamp on the floor plate were from the 1970's and later but wasn't well versed regarding the pre-Series 70 guns.
 
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