In the market for a competitive .38 Special semi automatic

First topic message reminder :

15 years ago I was at a range with my wife and a friend shooting my friend's 9mm cannons.  My wife was shooting my Remington .22 single shot rifle.  The fellow in the next lane was shooting an automatic that was ejecting .38 revolver brass, which I found intriguing having never seen such a thing before.  I started a conversation and after chatting for a while he asked me if I wanted to shoot it.  Of course I said yes.  He had put 4 rounds in the clip when I told him to stop.  I didn't want to use up all his ammo.  He put a new paper target on the clothesline and ran it out about half way.  With my arm length the front rectangular site exactly matched the rear rectangular notch.  I lined them up on the center of the black and pulled the trigger.  The recoil was completely controllable, the sites came straight back down and lined up perfectly and I pulled the trigger again, and again, and again.  He ran the target back and there were 4 holes on the corners of a half inch square centered in the black.  lol  He said, "I thought I put 5 in there".  I wish he had.  We chatted some more and he gave me some tips if I ever wanted to shoot competitively, which I do now.

I can't remember the manufacturer of the pistol.  I seem to remember it was two words, like Charter Arms, but I always thought Charter Arms made junk (I could be very wrong about that).  It wasn't a Smith & Wesson 52, -1, -2.  And it wasn't a Colt.  Does anyone have any idea what I had in my hands?  The fellow seemed really pleased with himself when he said he paid $750 for it in the box some years before.  I would like one just like it.

Trying to find anything on the web is hopeless these days.  I went to a local gun shop, but they were too busy selling plastic pistols and assault rifles to pay me much mind.  The man I talked to behind the counter had never heard of a .38 Special semi auto.  So, I looked around for a forum that didn't seem to be too populated by idiots and here I am.  Can anyone help me?

Lol....good for you, Mark!

And she keeps a 7.65 Mauser under the bed.

I was a cat socializer for many years at SPCA and SF Animal Care and Control, until I got fired for speaking my mind.  It's funny getting fired from volunteering.  Now I work with the private shelters and trappers in SF socializing feral cats.  I estimate I have had my hands on over 1000 different cats over the years.  I love cats.

MarkThomas wrote:Yeah, memory is funny stuff.  Especially on those days when I feel like I am flowing into the present from the future, instead of from the past like most of the time.

I am a physicist, or at least university trained for 12 years as one, and I'm not sure I understand why a flat nose wadcutter is more accurate than a round nose bullet.

The gun shop I was thinking of was on Mission up around 30th.  I bought .32 auto ammo there.

I'll look into the Sunnyvale club.  It's close enough.  Thanks for that.  What is a CF?  Compressed Fluid?

CF=centerfire; basically any pistol cartridge larger than 22 (aka rimfire).  The centerfire calibers such as .32acp, .38special, .45acp have the primer in the center of the headstamp.  Rimfire is around the rim.  After firing look at the empty case and you'll see where the firing pin has struck. Good question, I had no idea 4 years ago when my then pistol instructor taught me how the rounds go "bang".

Hey Mark back in the day the gun shop you are thinking of was owned by Bob Chow who was one of the best 1911 Bullseye gunsmiths around at the time.  He did do a few 1911's in 38 special but they are extremely rare, mostly he did 45 acp 1911's and High Standard .22's.  He would also work on revolvers as well.  I bought my .22 ammo and reloading supplies from him back in the mid 1980's.  After he retired some other people took over his shop and it closed a few years ago.  The sign in front of the building is still there.  Oh CF is center fire.

yeah, I understand the difference between rim and center fire, but I have never thought about it very much.  The CF you just push the primer in and you are ready to go, but the rimfire must have the primer material poured into the brass cartridge.  Interesting.

Troy, I bought .32 auto ammo from him, and .22.  I don't think it is a gun shop anymore, though.  Do you remember the cross street on Mission where he was?  You say the sign is still there?

I notice the rim diameter / casing diameter is larger for .22 than .38 Special, and there are lots of reliable .22 autos out there.  It should scale, I would think, so feeding .38 Special round nose ammo should be doable.

Hey Mark, Bob Chows shop was at 3185 Mission Street, the cross street was around 29th. The last time I was in that neighborhood this year the sign was still there.  I think the sign is considered a landmark.

It may be under renovation now.

Yeah. Looks like lots of scaffolding. And the latest SV pic is pretty dark.

I wonder if the current generation thinks 'High Bridge Arms' is an old hotel ;-)

I will have to look next time I go past there.

Here is a Youtube video about Bob Chow.  It is in Japanese but still fun to watch, shows his shop and him working back in the early 80's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRhFyIwqRLk

I like that Bob Chow says age is irrelevant for shooting.  I'm 100% behind that.  I guess I'll see the next time I fire a pistol.  It's been quite a long time.

MarkThomas wrote:I like that Bob Chow says age is irrelevant for shooting.  I'm 100% behind that.  I guess I'll see the next time I fire a pistol.  It's been quite a long time.

 Mark, I like that too, I'm a little past my prime, but also improving. I enjoy any day I can go out and have a nice group and get most of my calls right. That's all fun and I get to learn something, and it tickles me like I'm a kid again. 
Stan