Category: Ammo
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WINCHESTER ISSUES RECALL FOR 9 MM AMMUNITION
Olin Winchester has issued a recall of several lots of its 9 mm ammunition. Owners of any of the company’s 9 mm cartridges with 115-gr. full metal jacket bullets or 115-gr. jacketed hollow points need to immediately discontinue their use until they consult the symbol and lot numbers printed on the box to determine if the loads are affected by the recall. Ammunition purchased before March 25, 2021, is not subject to the recall.
The symbols impacted are: Q4172, RED9, USA9JHP, USA9MMVP, USA9W and WW9B.
Lot Numbers include: SC03LD44, SC03LD45, SC03LD46, SC03LD47, SC13LD1, SC13LD6, SC13LD18, SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SC13LD46, SC13LD47, SC52LD44, SC52LD45, SC52LD46, SC52LD47, SC62LD44, SC62LD45, SC62LD46, SC62LD47, SC72LD44, SC72LD45, SC72LD46, SC72LD47, SC92LD44, SC92LD45, SC92LD46, SC92LD47, SD10LD1, SD10LD3, SD10LD6, SC10LD12, SD10LD18, SD10LD46, SD10LD47, SD50LD1, SD50LD3, SD50LD6, SD50LD11, SD50LD12, SD50LD18, SD50LD46, SD50LD47, SD60LD1, SD60LD3, SD60LD6, SD60LD11, SD60LD12, SD60LD18, SD70LD1, SD70LD3, SD70LD6, SD70LD11, SD70LD12, SD70LD18, SD80LD1, SD80LD3, SD80LD6, SD80LD11, SD80LD12 and SD80LD18.
The symbol designation and location of the lot numbers are depicted for one product in the photograph above. The recall webpage includes locations for all other cartridge boxes that fall under this notification.
Winchester has determined the above lots of 9 mm 115-gr. FMJ and JHP ammunition may contain propellant that does not properly ignite and burn when the cartridge is fired. Ammunition containing propellant that does not properly ignite and burn may result in a bullet remaining in the barrel—a bullet-in-bore obstruction. Firing a subsequent bullet into the bore obstruction could cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable and subjecting the shooter and bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury.
Do not use Winchester 9 mm 115-gr. FMJ or JHP cartridges of the above symbols with any of the above lot numbers. Owners of ammunition affected by this recall should immediately discontinue its use and contact Winchester toll-free at (844) 653-8358 to arrange for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition. Upon receipt of the ammunition, the company will ship replacement cartridges directly or issue a reimbursement check.
This notice applies only to the above 9 mm Luger 115-gr. FMJ and JHP symbols and lot numbers. Other symbols or lot numbers are not subject to this recall. Enthusiasts with questions about the recall can also call toll-free (844) 653-8358, write to Winchester at 600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024 (Attn: 9mm Luger Recall), or visit the company
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HEYM "Express" 404 Jeffery
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The .25-06 Remington
This round is very popular in Texas. Where I have found that those Old Boys are very savvy about their guns. So take that for what it is worth!
I found it to be a very flat shooting, low recoil round myself.
| .25-06 Remington | ||||||||||||||||
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.25-06 Remington cartridge
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| Type | Rifle, Hunting | |||||||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||||||
| Designer | Remington Arms Company | |||||||||||||||
| Designed | 1969 | |||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Remington | |||||||||||||||
| Produced | 1969-Present | |||||||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||
| Parent case | .30-06 [1] | |||||||||||||||
| Bullet diameter | .257 in (6.5 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | .290 in (7.4 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Shoulder diameter | .441 in (11.2 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | .470 in (11.9 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | .473 in (12.0 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | .05 in (1.3 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Case length | 2.494 in (63.3 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Overall length | 3.250 in (82.6 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Case capacity | 65.8 gr H2O (4.26 cm3) | |||||||||||||||
| Rifling twist | 1 in 10 in (250 mm) | |||||||||||||||
| Primer type | Large rifle | |||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure | 63,000 psi (430 MPa) | |||||||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||
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| Test barrel length: 24″ Source(s): Remington Arms [2] |
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The .25-06 Remington had been a wildcat cartridge for half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969. It is based on the .30-06 Springfield cartridge necked-down (case opening made narrower) to .257 caliber with no other changes. Nominal bullet diameter is 0.257 inches (6.53 mm) and bullet weights range from 75 to 120 grains (4.9 to 7.8 g).
Contents
[hide]
History[edit]
Charles Newton necked down the .30-06 Springfield cartridge in 1912 to accept the 117-grain .25-35 Winchester bullet.[3] Newton’s early modification encouraged commercial release of a shortened case (from 63 to 49mm) as the .250-3000 Savagein 1915.[4] Frankford Arsenal developed an experimental .25-06 during World War I; and distribution of surplus United States military equipment through the Civilian Marksmanship Program following the war encouraged independent gunsmiths to experiment with the cartridge.[3] A. O. Niedner of Dowagiac, Michigan introduced rifles for the .25 Niedner in 1920.[5] Niedner Arms Corporation retained the 17° 30′ .30-06 shoulder chambering .25 caliber barrels rifled with one twist in 12 inches (300 mm).[6]Similar cartridges were identified as the .25 Hi-Power, .25 Whelen (analogous to .35 Whelen), or .25-100-3000 (to indicate the ability to achieve 3000 feet per second with a 100 grain bullet rather than the 87 grain bullet used in the .250-3000 Savage). Greater case capacity offered minimal velocity improvement over the .250-3000 Savage case with contemporary smokeless powders.[7] Availability of DuPont‘s Improved Military Rifle (IMR) powders encouraged commercial release of the .257 Roberts using the 57mm-long Mauser case in 1934.[8] Release of IMR 4350 in 1940 and availability of surplus 4831 powder salvaged from Oerlikon 20mm cannoncartridges after World War II greatly improved performance of the full-length .25-06 case.[9]
Performance[edit]
The cartridge is capable of propelling a 117 grain (7.6 g) bullet at up to 3,200 feet per second (980 m/s) and energy levels up to 2,500 ft⋅lbf (3,400 J). Bullets lighter than 75 grains are available in .257 caliber, but were designed for the smaller .25-20 Winchester and .25-35 Winchester cartridges and are too lightly constructed for the high velocities of the .25-06.
The cartridge has less felt recoil than a 30-06 in a similar weight rifle, due to the lighter weight bullets used. Shooters who are recoil sensitive will find the recoil from the 25-06 bearable, but not pleasant enough to shoot all day long. This cartridge is not quite as powerful as the .257 Weatherby Magnum, usually running 200–300 ft/s (61–91 m/s). slower with a given bullet weight.
SAAMI pressure limit for the .25-06 is 63,000 PSI.
Uses[edit]
Left: .17 HMR, center and right: .25-06 Remington
.25-caliber bullets typically have high ballistic coefficients without being heavy. This characteristic, when combined with the large case capacity of its parent .30-06 case, allows relatively high muzzle velocities without heavy recoil. The combination of high ballistic coefficients with high muzzle velocities give the .25-06 a very flat trajectory as well as retaining kinetic energy down-range.
The .25-06 is generally considered to be a good round for medium-sized game such as deer and antelope because of its combination of substantial kinetic energy and moderate recoil. The addition of a flat trajectory makes it particularly popular in plains states where the open fields can require longer-range shots on game, as this flatness tends to minimize range-estimation errors by the hunter. However bullet types and weights are loaded that allow the .25-06 to be used for taking game ranging from small animals like prairie dogs and coyotes to heavier elk. These bullets range from lightly constructed 75-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,700 ft/s (1,130 m/s) range to more robust 120-grain bullets with muzzle velocities in the 3,000 ft/s (915 m/s) range.
Most manufacturers of bolt action or single-shot rifles offer the .25-06 as a standard chambering and factory loaded ammunition is available from Remington, Winchester, Federal Cartridge and most other major manufacturers.
When it comes to dispatching game with authority—and a single shot—nothing gets the job done quite like the big, heavy bullets available in chamberings such as these three, which all fit in a standard AR-15-size platform.
I have a simple test when considering cartridges for hunting big game with an AR-15-style rifle. It simply requires honestly answering the question: If you were shopping for a non-AR rifle to hunt deer, bear or hogs would you pick one chambered for the cartridge you are willing to use in an AR-15? In other words, would you choose a bolt-action deer rifle chambered for .300 Blackout over say a .308 Win. or a .30-’06 Sprg.? The answer, of course, is no. Otherwise gunmakers would be flocking to build .300 Blackout bolt-action rifles. Why aren’t they? Because there just isn’t much of a market. As an example, Remington did introduce a bolt-action in 6.8 mm SPC, but has since dropped it due to poor sales.
The .223 Rem. is a good seller in a bolt-action hunting rifle, but not for big game. The vast majority of .223 Rem. bolt-action rifles are purchased for hunting varmints. The few .300 Blackout bolt-action rifles I have seen are designed for tactical use and to be used suppressed—not for deer hunting.
Big-game hunters use the .300 Blackout, 6.8 mm SPC or .223 Rem. in AR-15s because of the platform, not the ballistics. Sure, they can all kill game, but I’d argue that they make shot placement even more critical than more powerful cartridges traditionally used to hunt deer, bear or hogs.
The trouble with the AR-15 platform is the limitations it puts on cartridge length. It’s hard to make the gun work with a cartridge much longer than 2.26″. Of course, you can move up to the larger AR-L (AR-10) platform that is based on the .308 Win.-size cartridges, but the guns are bigger, heavier and more expensive.
Oddly enough, back in the early days of self-contained metallic cartridges, new cartridge designers faced a similar dilemma, but for very different reasons. The combination of blackpowder and early bullet construction limited velocity to around 1,500 f.p.s., give or take. So, to increase power, the cartridge designers made the bullets heavier and bigger in diameter. That’s why the military’s rifle cartridges were .45-caliber in the 1870s rather than the .22 caliber used today.
Big-bore AR chamberings such as the .50 Beowulf (l.) offer terminal ballistics far in excess of the platform’s typical small-bore .223 Rem. loads (r.). Both cartridges are about the same length, but there is a tremendous difference in their projectiles’ frontal area and weight.
Today’s hard-hitting hunting cartridges for the AR-15 use the same concept. If you can’t make the cartridge longer, then make it larger in diameter and add some bullet weight.
Just as the hunters using the old blackpowder cartridges understood, a big-diameter, heavy bullet at moderate velocity is deadly on big game.
The lineup of big-bores is not huge for the AR-15 platform. In fact, from mainstream gunmakers there are only three cartridges. But that’s enough, as each member of this trio brings something impressive to the table.
.450 Bushmaster
This is the smallest of the thumpers, with a bullet diameter of .452″. It uses a rebated rim cartridge case based on the .284 Win. case.
The concept behind what would become the .450 Bushmaster was initially put forth by Col. Jeff Cooper. Cooper is best known for creating the “Modern Technique” of handgun shooting and for his admiration of the M1911 pistol. But Cooper was also an avid hunter and loved to roam wild places in a “come what may” sort of way. He was a man of great experience, having hunted all over the world, and he recognized that a big bullet is a good thing when shooting big game. He thought that the perfect rifle for most “general” big-game hunting would be a semi-automatic of larger than .44 caliber that was capable of taking big game out to 250 yds. He called this the “Thumper” concept.
From the 16” barrel of the author’s Bushmaster AR, factory .450 Bushmaster loads produced between 2,455 and 2,686 ft.-lbs. of energy—more than enough for most big game applications.
Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms developed his version of the cartridge, and called it the .45 Professional. He licensed the concept to Bushmaster Firearms Int’l for production and distribution, while Hornady developed the ammunition. Hornady modified the case a little so it would work better with its SST Flextip bullet. The name was then changed to .450 Bushmaster, with the blessing of LeGendre, and the cartridge was introduced in 2007.
Hornady’s current load for the .450 Bushmaster drives the company’s 250-gr. FTX bullet to a factory-advertised muzzle velocity of 2200 f.p.s. from a 20″ barrel, which would result in 2,686 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy.
The current Hornady .450 Bushmaster load uses a 250-gr. FTX bullet with a factory advertised muzzle velocity of 2,200 f.p.s. from a 20″ barrel for 2,686 ft.-lbs. of energy. On my chronograph this load has a velocity of 2,090 f.p.s. fifteen feet from the muzzle when fired from my Bushmaster rifle with a 16″ barrel. This produces 2,425 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle.
The Remington Outdoor Group owns Bushmaster, so it makes sense that Remington would start making ammunition in that chambering. Big Green currently offers a 260-gr. Premier Accutip load with an advertised muzzle velocity of 2,180 f.p.s. Muzzle energy is 2,744 ft.-lbs. This ammunition produces 2,062 f.p.s. and 2,455 ft.-lbs. of energy from my rifle’s shorter barrel.
I shot a bunch of hogs using some pre-production ammunition from Remington that was loaded with 275-gr. Barnes XPB Bullets. From my rifle, the velocity is 2,009 f.p.s. and the energy is 2,465 ft.-lbs. They have decided not to introduce the load, but it is easy to handload using the Barnes bullet, listed in that company’s catalog as being for the .460 S&W.
I also shot an Asian water buffalo that weighed more than three-quarters of a ton with that load. I was very impressed with all of the results. I will admit, this cartridge is probably a bit on the light side for hunting animals of that size, but it’s the gun I had with me when opportunity knocked, which is exactly the concept that Cooper envisioned.
As with other “thumper” loads for the AR platform, the .458 SOCOM feeds from the conventional AR magazine as if it were a single-stack.
.458 SOCOM
The .458 SOCOM was developed for military applications after the fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993. That battle left a lot of participants disappointed in the performance of the 5.56×45 mm NATO cartridge, and they wanted some serious, .45-70 Gov’t-class thumping power for the M16 and M4 rifles. It’s worth considering that if the guys in the fight don’t think the .223 is enough gun, perhaps we should re-evaluate its use for hunting such animals as hogs, bear, moose and elk—game that often runs bigger and tougher than the average man.
The .458 SOCOM cartridge came out in 2002, and while it didn’t gain widespread acceptance as a military round, it has proven to be a great hunting cartridge. It uses a lengthened .50 AE case with a rebated rim and is necked down for a .458″ bullet. One big advantage with that .458 diameter is there is a wide selection of rifle bullets on the market. This is reflected in the multiple factory load options, and it opens a lot of doors for handloaders. One of the best bullets is the 300-gr. TTSX that Barnes developed specifically for this cartridge.
Factory-loaded ammunition is currently offered from three companies that I can find: Wilson Combat, Southern Ballistics Research (SBR) and Cor-Bon. Rifles are available from Rock River Armory, Wilson Combat and, in custom form, from SBR. My test rifle is a Rock River with a 16″ barrel.
SBR loads the .458 SOCOM with a Barnes Tipped Triple-Shock X bullet weighing 300 grs. When driven at 1894 f.p.s. from the author’s 16″-barreled Rock River AR, it produced a muzzle energy of 2,389 ft.-lbs.
Cor-Bon has a load using the Barnes TTSX 300-gr. bullet at an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,825 f.p.s. It also offers a 300-gr. HP at 1,900 f.p.s. From my 16″ barreled test gun, muzzle velocity for the 300-gr. Barnes load was 1,894 f.p.s., which is slightly higher than advertised. The Wilson Combat 300-gr. Barnes TTSX load produced 1,834 f.p.s. and 2,241 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy from the Rock River.
SBR offers 16 different loads for the .458 SOCOM with bullets ranging from 140 to 500 grs. I tested the 300-gr. JHP load and got 1,831 f.p.s. and 2,234 ft.-lbs. of energy.
After testing two different Rock River .458 SOCOM carbines, the CAR A-4 and the new X-1, I have been very impressed with the accuracy. Both shot right around the 1 minute-of-angle mark with just about any ammunition I tried.
It might have a military background, but the .458 SOCOM is a big-game cartridge capable of taking anything that walks in North America.
Compared to the .223 Rem., the Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf cartridge provides a tremendous increase in bullet weight, bullet diameter and short-range kinetic energy.
.50 Beowulf
As you have probably figured out by now, I am not a fan of small cartridges for hunting. I have hunted with most of the popular cartridges of all sizes over the years and continue to today, as I think experience is the best way to gain knowledge. But I have come to believe that each category of game has a list of specific cartridges that are appropriate for use. I tend to gravitate toward the upper 50 percent of that list in size and power. I like cartridges that hit hard and remove the doubt. The .50 Beowulf epitomizes that concept. With a 334-gr., 1/2″ diameter bullet at nearly 2,000 f.p.s., there is never any doubt when you hit something.
Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms was one of the pioneers of big-game hunting cartridges in AR-15 style rifles. He developed this cartridge and named it after Beowulf, a legendary warrior of Old English literature who slayed the undefeatable Grendel by ripping his arm off. The day after that battle, Beowulf battled the horrible monster that was Grendel’s mother. He killed her by cutting off her head with a mighty sword from her own armory. A sword of which it was said, “no other man could have hefted in battle.” Years later, in his doddering old age when he was worn out and feeble, Beowulf fought and killed a dragon.
In short, Beowulf was big and bad and backed down from no fight; the perfect namesake for this cartridge. When it was introduced in 2001 the .50 Beowulf was the first of the AR-15-specific, ultra-big-bore cartridges to be offered by an AR manufacturer. It is based on a lengthened .50 AE case with a severely rebated rim so that it fits a bolt head designed for the 7.62×39 mm cartridge. This bolt face size works well with an AR-15 style rifle.
Bill Alexander’s .50 Beowulf cartridge features a rebated rim and straight walls. From the author’s 16.5″-barreled rifle, the Alexander Arms loads, featuring 325-gr. and 400-gr. bullets, left the muzzle at 1950 and 1800 f.p.s., respectively.
From a 24″ barrel, the .50 Beowulf pushes a 334-gr. bullet to 1,980 f.p.s. and 2,908 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. The 400-gr. load has a muzzle velocity of 1,875 f.p.s. and 3,123 ft.-lbs. The bullet is 1/2″ in diameter and can expand to more than 1″. Compare that to a 55-gr. .223 Rem. at less than half the diameter. The 334-gr. Beowulf has 507 percent more bullet weight and an unexpanded diameter that is larger than a .223’s fully expanded bullet. Once they both have expanded, the Beowulf bullet has a 123 percent larger frontal area than the .223 (based on two times expansion). Not to mention that the Beowulf has almost three times more energy than the .223 Rem. This is a serious step up in power for the AR-15 platform.
Even from the stubby 16.5″ barrel on my rifle, the .50 Beowulf loads are moving at 1,938 f.p.s. for the 334-gr. bullet, and 1,800 f.p.s. for the 400-gr. That is 2,786 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy for the 334-gr. and 2,878 ft.-lbs. for the 400-gr. load. Considering the 7.5″ difference in barrel length, the velocity loss is minimal. Clearly this is a cartridge that is well-suited to the shorter barrels often used on the AR-15.
I have used the .50 Beowulf on multiple hogs and a few deer, always with very good results. With the right bullets it hits hard, penetrates well and leaves a very large hole in its wake. Just as Sir Samuel Baker said about his 2-bore rifle, “Baby,” I can honestly say that I have never lost a single animal hit with this cartridge! I don’t even need to rely on exploding bullets for that result as he did.
Obviously these cartridges are not designed for long range. But, all the recent “sniper” hype aside, the truth is that most big game is shot at well under 200 yds. anyway. If you don’t like to track game after the shot, these cartridges will get the job done on any big game in North America.
So to answer my own question, “Would I buy a non-AR-15 rifle for hunting if it were chambered in one of these cartridges?” I would welcome any of these cartridges in any rifle. A short-action bolt gun would be very interesting, and I think they would be great in a lever-action. In fact, I have hunted for years with cartridges with similar ballistic performance, such as the .444 Marlin, .45-70 Gov’t and .450 Marlin. So the answer is pretty much, “been there, done that,” only now I get to use an AR.
If you take the time to sift through the gobbledygook of the text of the bill, you might get lost quickly. When these bills get introduced, well for starters, they don’t post the bill text right away. This is a problem that was highlighted by one of my colleagues, Dave Workman, at AmmoLand in a recent article. More often than not those looking for proposed bill text must sift through press releases by whomever introduced the bill in order to actually see what law changes are on the table. Another interesting fact is the “summary” of the bills does not come for some time as well. The summaries are important, as they try to put in plain English what the bill intends on changing. This bill is no different. The side bar conversation is that in 2021 there is zero excuse for the bill text and summary to not be posted the day they are introduced. I get it, the Library of Congress has a lot going on. But, we have the internet. If our NICS system, which is electronic in nature is instant and good enough for guns, an instant system should be good enough for the the bills introduced by the gun grabbers.
Jamie’s Law is a bill that has not seen a lot of press or coverage, despite it was introduced in the past. From a press release by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) we have some information though:
…Jaime’s Law, a commonsense bicameral piece of legislation that would require instant background checks to prevent criminals from illegally purchasing ammunition.
Jaime’s Law is named in honor of Jaime Guttenberg, one of 17 victims in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
I have yet to meet a person of any political affiliation or group that has celebrated the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. What happened was a tragic domestic terroristic event and occurred because of the failures of many people, systems, and law enforcement agencies. This is another piece of proposed legislation that would not have made a difference in the outcome of what occurred that day.
What would the bill aim to do? Require every person to submit to a background check prior to purchasing ammunition. More on the bill:
“To impose background checks on purchases of ammunition is really the epitome of common sense. It’s the reason why six states, including Connecticut, have imposed such life-saving background checks,” said Senator Blumenthal. “There is no infringement on the Second Amendment, and there’s no inconvenience involved. The purchase of ammunition is seamless and quick for people who are law abiding. The point is to keep ammunition, as well as guns, out of the hands of people who are dangerous to themselves or others. We are inspired to work to pass Jaime’s Law and to make it the law of the land.”
They further expand on the states that already have these “common sense” laws on the books:
Many states – including Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, California, and New York – have led the way in requiring a background check to obtain a license to purchase or possess ammunition. However, it is clear that gun safety measures save far more lives when they are enacted nationwide, and don’t allow purchasers to evade background checks by crossing state lines, or shopping for lax state regulations.
And to save you the time of deciphering the bill text, the press release is capped off with:
Jamie’s Law would close this loophole by requiring all buyers of ammunition to undergo an instant background check using the FBI National Instant Background Check System (NICS), the same quick and easy process that applies to the purchase of firearms. Participants will discuss these and related issues.
Here’s the issue. Taking Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, California, and New York, and using them as an example of the way things should be done is daft. All the states listed house some very dangerous cities and areas. Chicago, is that a bastion of safety when it comes to crime and murder committed with a firearm? This past weekend says no. Illinois has also completely jumped the shark when it comes to the use, abuse, of the NICS system, as they run a background check on every single firearm licenses holder daily. Does that really make Illinois safer? No.
Let’s consider what New Jersey brings to the table concerning ammunition and background checks. Yes, if an individual wants to buy pistol ammunition on the Garden State, they must furnish the dealer with a firearms identification document, pistol purchaser’s permits, or permit to carry. Yes, an individual must pass several background checks in order to get those documents. No, a NICS is not required to buy ammunition in New Jersey. That is for pistol ammunition. The press release and introduction of the bill leaned heavily on the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in order to trump up support for the bill. Well, that event was committed with the use of a rifle. The inconvenient thing that the press release fails to mention is that in New Jersey, you know one of the states that is being applauded for their great laws, a person does not need any special identification to purchase rifle or shotgun ammunition. A valid driver’s license showing the individual is over the age of 18 is all that is needed.
Another fun fact about New Jersey, they don’t use the federal NICS system, but their own, imposing a $15.00 fee for each check. How much sense is it going to make to charge $15.00 for a $5.00 box of .22 caliber ammunition?
Like most freedom limiting measures that are being branded in the interest of public safety, if this were law, there would be zero effect on crime. The fact that in New Jersey one can purchase rifle ammunition without a background check, while both applauding NJ’s laws, and saying we need this because of the Stoneman shooting is just false advertising. Unfortunately the uninitiated public at large that may have little familiarity with the nuance of gun control laws gets exploited, leaning on those emotional arguments. Forget the facts, lean on the emotions. Honestly, how many background checks are enough for the anti freedom caucus?
Taurus G3c image courtesy TaurusUSA.com
One of the most challenging things about being new to shooting sports is that so much of the information available in books, magazines and on-line articles is written for readers who already know the lingo. This is especially true when it comes to reading performance tables found in NRA publications, like this one included with the review Easy Choice: Smith & Wesson’s M&P 9 Shield EZ Pistols:
The first time I saw a table like this in a magazine (it was a few years before the Internet was a thing) I couldn’t see the forest for the trees! There’s a whole lot of jargon, numbers, abbreviations and behind-the-scenes-science packed into these things. At that time, it wasn’t clear how the sections of the tables fit together or how the information was even useful to me in trying to decide which gun to buy.
Luckily for me, I had a good friend who knew his way around these tables sit down and walk me through how to use them. It was just enough information to understand the tables without a deep dive into the chemistry, physics and mathematics behind them. This article is intended to do for you what my friend did for me all those years ago.
To aid the novice enthusiast with this walk through, I’ll be making some simplifications and generalizations, with a focus on defensive handguns. For those of you who have more experience, or PhDs in related scientific fields, please remember that the goal here is to turn the key in the ignition. We’ll save calculating the torque force required to rotate the key (τ = N m) for next semester.
The Purpose of Performance Tables
How we go about measuring performance depends on what’s being measured. Generally speaking, there are two main types of performance we’re striving to measure when testing a handgun: bullet energy and handgun accuracy. But it takes several different sources of information to get these metrics, including the type of ammunition for which the gun is chambered, barrel length, bullet weight, and data collected from tests conducted at the shooting range. Keep in mind, there is no fixed, worldwide standard for measuring handgun performance. Americans use different metrics than Europeans, and American publications use different test standards depending on who is publishing the gun review. I’ll point out what standards were used to produce the M&P9 Shield EZ pistol performance table as we go along. Now let’s take a closer look at each section of the performance table.
Title Bar
The title bar, located at the top of the table, lists the model of the handgun tested, the gun’s barrel length and the target distance in yards. The barrel length is important because it has a direct effect on both the metrics we’re looking for: bullet energy and accuracy. Longer barrels give the gun powder in the cartridge more time to burn and build up pressure. As a result, a bullet fired from a 6″ barrel is going to be traveling faster and have more energy when it leaves the gun than a bullet launched from a 2″ barrel.
A longer barrel also has more time to stabilize the bullet. This will keep it on target at greater distances for improved accuracy. Short barrels are easier to carry concealed but come with the trade off of less accuracy at extended distances. So how far should the targets be from the muzzle of the gun for accuracy testing? I followed the NRA’s American Rifleman guidelines for the tables shown here. For handgun barrels 2″ or shorter, the test targets are set 7 yards away from the muzzle. For barrels between 2″ and 4″ in length, the target is moved out to 15 yards and if the barrel is 4″ or longer, the targets are pushed back to 25 yards.
Ammunition Information Column
At the top of this column, on the left side of the table, is the caliber of ammunition the test gun fires. The three boxes below that Iist the brand (Speer Gold Dot), load name (G2 Carry Gun) bullet weight (135-GR.) and bullet type (PTJHP: Polymer Tipped Jacketed Hollow Point). The bullet’s weight is measured in grains, which are abbreviated -GR. It’s an archaic unit of mass based on, I kid you not, the weight of a single grain of barley. To bring it into a more modern perspective, 437.5-gr. equals one ounce.
The bullet weight is listed here because it plays a role in calculating how hard it will hit the target. There are quite a wide variety of different bullet types to choose from these days, but that’s a discussion for another article. Suffice it to say that the bullet-type abbreviations are spelled out in the Notes section of the table.
Understanding Bullet Energy
Calculating the amount of energy a bullet has just as it leaves a gun gives us a yard stick for how effective it’s going to be as a defensive tool, as well as what it’s going to feel like to shoot it. Additional tests and metrics are needed to fully quantify the ballistics of a bullet, meaning its flight path and what the bullet is likely to do when it strikes a target. But a bullet’s energy at the muzzle of the barrel is a good starting point.
Muzzle Energy Columns
Let’s talk about effectiveness first. The purpose of a defensive handgun is to stop a threat from harming us, whether it’s of the 4-legged or 2-legged variety. It does so with a transfer of kinetic energy (which is the energy of mass in motion) from the gun into the intended target via a fast moving bullet. As the bullet strikes, it transfers kinetic energy into the intended target, damaging it to some degree.
Just how much kinetic energy is produced at the muzzle of the gun, often shortened to just “muzzle energy” will play a role in how much damage it does. If the bullet strikes with too much energy, it could pass right through the threat (over penetration) and keep on going with the undesirable potential of striking an innocent bystander. But if the bullet’s energy is too low, it will not penetrate deeply enough into the target (under penetration) to effectively stop the threat. Determining the “just right” amount of muzzle energy for a defensive handgun continues to be a hotly debated topic.
In order to measure a bullet’s muzzle energy we’ll need to know the bullet’s mass and its velocity. As mentioned earlier, the mass is measured in grains (GR.) and is provided by the ammunition manufacturer.
A bullet’s velocity is determined by firing shots across, or next to, the sensors of a chronograph placed close to the gun’s muzzle. The speed is shown here in the number of feet traveled in one second (F.P.S) while some charts will use meters per second (M.P.S). Some bullets will travel slightly faster while others will be a bit slower because no two powder charges are exactly alike. That’s why it is customary for reviewers to fire multiple rounds of ammunition from the same box and then average the velocity of those shots together for a final number. In this case, 10 consecutive shots were fired for each load tested.
The bullet’s mass (GR.) and average velocity (F.P.S.) is then pumped through a kinetic energy algorithm (like this one: Ek= 1/2mv2) to get the muzzle energy, which is measured in foot-pounds (FT-LBS.) This unit of measure represents the energy required to lift one pound of weight the distance of one foot. The larger the muzzle energy number, the harder the bullet will strike the target.
Felt Recoil
This brings us to how it’s going to feel to shoot the gun. As Newton stated in his Third Law of Motion, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This means that when a cartridge is fired, it generates pressure in two directions. The bullet is pressed forward out of the gun while the gun itself is pressed backwards into the shooter’s hands. That sharp jerk, or kick, is what we call recoil. And how that recoil is perceived by the shooter is called felt recoil. How much felt recoil is too much for comfort? It depends on the person pulling the trigger. But those loads with greater levels of muzzle energy are going to kick harder than those that produce less energy.
Listed vs. Tested Data Columns
The table shown here has two sets of muzzle energy information, Listed and Tested. The “Listed” columns incorporate the pistol-length barrel performance data published by the ammunition manufacturer. Companies test their ammunition in laboratory conditions in order to make sure that it is safe to use. Most writers don’t include this information in their tables, but I find it to be a useful reference point. The “Tested” columns are the results from shooting the test gun at the range with the three listed loads of ammunition. In less-than-ideal, real-world conditions in which the barrel of the gun may be shorter than the test barrel used in the laboratory, the Tested velocity and energy levels are usually lower than the Listed results.
The two Federal 9 mm loads shown in this table have the same bullet weights and listed performance data. The Syntec is a less expensive practice-grade load while the HST is a premium defensive hollow point. They are “ballistically matched” so that the practice grade ammunition will produce recoil and accuracy on par with the hollow point loads in order to save money when practicing at the range. Based on the averaged results, both loads are statistically similar enough to say that yes, they are ballistically matched as advertized.
Just below the 10-shot average velocity number in the Tested velocity column, there’s an additional number with the abbreviation Sd next to it, which stands for Standard Deviation. The short answer for Standard Deviation is that it measures the consistency of the ammunition’s velocity. A smaller Sd means that the 10 rounds fired across the chronograph aretraveling at similar velocities with a predictable level of felt recoil. As the Sd gets larger, it means some cartridges had more powerful powder charges than others causing the levels of felt recoil to go up and down. This can detract from good shot placement. The Sd numbers shown here are fairly low showing that all three 9 mm loads produced consistent energy levels.
Group Sizes Columns
Understanding muzzle energy is all well and good, but not all that useful if you can’t hit what you’re aiming at. That’s what accuracy testing is all about. The most common approach is to fire a few shots in a row aimed at a particular location on a paper target. The bullet holes clustered together in that location are called a group. The distance between the two bullet holes that are the farthest apart from each other is measured in inches (or millimeters) and recorded. Firing just one group isn’t terribly scientific because groups tend to vary in size, just as the bullets tend to vary in velocity. In this case, a total of five groups of five shots each were fired from a seated position using a bench-rested handgun support to stabilize the pistol. Under the Group Size heading, the first column shows the smallest of the five groups followed by the largest group and the five-group average.
So what does good defensive handgun accuracy look like? There is no generally accepted industry-wide standard for acceptable accuracy but here is the rule-of-thumb that has served me well over the years. If a handgun, and the ammunition tested, can produce five shot group averages around 3″ to 3.5″ in size at a given target distance (7 yards, 15 yards or 25 yards), then the gun and ammunition are doing their jobs properly. If the groups are smaller than 3”, you’ve got yourself a winning combination.
However, if the groups are consistently larger than 3.5″, some adjustments are in order. There may be a mechanical problem with the gun, like a loose or crooked rear sight. The ammunition may be of a low quality or it’s a poor fit for the gun. If that’s the case, it should be traded out for a different brand or bullet weight. It may be that the shooter is trying to shoot past a reasonable distance for the gun’s barrel length, like shooting a tiny 2” barrel pocket pistol at 25 yards when 7- to 10 yards would be a better fit for the gun’s capabilities. Last, but certainly not least, it could be the shooter’s technique. Additional training and practice is often the key to getting groups down to the size they need to be.
Average Extreme Spread Bar
The Average Extreme Spread is a fancy name for a summary of the accuracy results. The three numbers in the Group Size Average column are averaged together to get the number you see, which in this case is 2.60″.
Notes Section
The information displayed at the bottom of the table is for the more detail oriented readers. It shows the type of chronograph used (Lab Radar), in addition to air temperature and the humidity levels since they can have an effect on the performance results. Finally, there’s a list of the bullet style abbreviations found in the far left column and a mention that Sd stands for Standard Deviation.
Putting Performance Tables to Work For You
Now that you know the purpose of performance tables and what the lingo means, how can they be useful to you? Much like a one-page resume or a quick snapshot, these tables won’t tell everything there is to know about a gun you’re investigating. But they do provide just enough information to see if you want to learn more about that gun or take it for a test drive. I’ve found performance tables to be especially handy when comparing two different guns or calibers to see which would be a better fit for my needs. Here are the performance tables for two concealed carry revolvers that I tested which are chambered in different calibers. To test your newly acquired skills, take a look and see how they compare for accuracy, muzzle energy and felt recoil.
The first time I saw a table like this in a magazine (it was a few years before the Internet was a thing) I couldn’t see the forest for the trees! There’s a whole lot of jargon, numbers, abbreviations and behind-the-scenes-science packed into these things. At that time, it wasn’t clear how the sections of the tables fit together or how the information was even useful to me in trying to decide which gun to buy.
Luckily for me, I had a good friend who knew his way around these tables sit down and walk me through how to use them. It was just enough information to understand the tables without a deep dive into the chemistry, physics and mathematics behind them. This article is intended to do for you what my friend did for me all those years ago.
To aid the novice enthusiast with this walk through, I’ll be making some simplifications and generalizations, with a focus on defensive handguns. For those of you who have more experience, or PhDs in related scientific fields, please remember that the goal here is to turn the key in the ignition. We’ll save calculating the torque force required to rotate the key (τ = N m) for next semester.
The Purpose of Performance Tables
How we go about measuring performance depends on what’s being measured. Generally speaking, there are two main types of performance we’re striving to measure when testing a handgun: bullet energy and handgun accuracy. But it takes several different sources of information to get these metrics, including the type of ammunition for which the gun is chambered, barrel length, bullet weight, and data collected from tests conducted at the shooting range. Keep in mind, there is no fixed, worldwide standard for measuring handgun performance. Americans use different metrics than Europeans, and American publications use different test standards depending on who is publishing the gun review. I’ll point out what standards were used to produce the M&P9 Shield EZ pistol performance table as we go along. Now let’s take a closer look at each section of the performance table.
Title Bar
The title bar, located at the top of the table, lists the model of the handgun tested, the gun’s barrel length and the target distance in yards. The barrel length is important because it has a direct effect on both the metrics we’re looking for: bullet energy and accuracy. Longer barrels give the gun powder in the cartridge more time to burn and build up pressure. As a result, a bullet fired from a 6″ barrel is going to be traveling faster and have more energy when it leaves the gun than a bullet launched from a 2″ barrel.
A longer barrel also has more time to stabilize the bullet. This will keep it on target at greater distances for improved accuracy. Short barrels are easier to carry concealed but come with the trade off of less accuracy at extended distances. So how far should the targets be from the muzzle of the gun for accuracy testing? I followed the NRA’s American Rifleman guidelines for the tables shown here. For handgun barrels 2″ or shorter, the test targets are set 7 yards away from the muzzle. For barrels between 2″ and 4″ in length, the target is moved out to 15 yards and if the barrel is 4″ or longer, the targets are pushed back to 25 yards.
Ammunition Information Column
At the top of this column, on the left side of the table, is the caliber of ammunition the test gun fires. The three boxes below that Iist the brand (Speer Gold Dot), load name (G2 Carry Gun) bullet weight (135-GR.) and bullet type (PTJHP: Polymer Tipped Jacketed Hollow Point). The bullet’s weight is measured in grains, which are abbreviated -GR. It’s an archaic unit of mass based on, I kid you not, the weight of a single grain of barley. To bring it into a more modern perspective, 437.5-gr. equals one ounce.
The bullet weight is listed here because it plays a role in calculating how hard it will hit the target. There are quite a wide variety of different bullet types to choose from these days, but that’s a discussion for another article. Suffice it to say that the bullet-type abbreviations are spelled out in the Notes section of the table.
Understanding Bullet Energy
Calculating the amount of energy a bullet has just as it leaves a gun gives us a yard stick for how effective it’s going to be as a defensive tool, as well as what it’s going to feel like to shoot it. Additional tests and metrics are needed to fully quantify the ballistics of a bullet, meaning its flight path and what the bullet is likely to do when it strikes a target. But a bullet’s energy at the muzzle of the barrel is a good starting point.
Muzzle Energy Columns
Let’s talk about effectiveness first. The purpose of a defensive handgun is to stop a threat from harming us, whether it’s of the 4-legged or 2-legged variety. It does so with a transfer of kinetic energy (which is the energy of mass in motion) from the gun into the intended target via a fast moving bullet. As the bullet strikes, it transfers kinetic energy into the intended target, damaging it to some degree.
Just how much kinetic energy is produced at the muzzle of the gun, often shortened to just “muzzle energy” will play a role in how much damage it does. If the bullet strikes with too much energy, it could pass right through the threat (over penetration) and keep on going with the undesirable potential of striking an innocent bystander. But if the bullet’s energy is too low, it will not penetrate deeply enough into the target (under penetration) to effectively stop the threat. Determining the “just right” amount of muzzle energy for a defensive handgun continues to be a hotly debated topic.
In order to measure a bullet’s muzzle energy we’ll need to know the bullet’s mass and its velocity. As mentioned earlier, the mass is measured in grains (GR.) and is provided by the ammunition manufacturer.
A bullet’s velocity is determined by firing shots across, or next to, the sensors of a chronograph placed close to the gun’s muzzle. The speed is shown here in the number of feet traveled in one second (F.P.S) while some charts will use meters per second (M.P.S). Some bullets will travel slightly faster while others will be a bit slower because no two powder charges are exactly alike. That’s why it is customary for reviewers to fire multiple rounds of ammunition from the same box and then average the velocity of those shots together for a final number. In this case, 10 consecutive shots were fired for each load tested.
The bullet’s mass (GR.) and average velocity (F.P.S.) is then pumped through a kinetic energy algorithm (like this one: Ek= 1/2mv2) to get the muzzle energy, which is measured in foot-pounds (FT-LBS.) This unit of measure represents the energy required to lift one pound of weight the distance of one foot. The larger the muzzle energy number, the harder the bullet will strike the target.
Felt Recoil
This brings us to how it’s going to feel to shoot the gun. As Newton stated in his Third Law of Motion, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This means that when a cartridge is fired, it generates pressure in two directions. The bullet is pressed forward out of the gun while the gun itself is pressed backwards into the shooter’s hands. That sharp jerk, or kick, is what we call recoil. And how that recoil is perceived by the shooter is called felt recoil. How much felt recoil is too much for comfort? It depends on the person pulling the trigger. But those loads with greater levels of muzzle energy are going to kick harder than those that produce less energy.
Listed vs. Tested Data Columns
The table shown here has two sets of muzzle energy information, Listed and Tested. The “Listed” columns incorporate the pistol-length barrel performance data published by the ammunition manufacturer. Companies test their ammunition in laboratory conditions in order to make sure that it is safe to use. Most writers don’t include this information in their tables, but I find it to be a useful reference point. The “Tested” columns are the results from shooting the test gun at the range with the three listed loads of ammunition. In less-than-ideal, real-world conditions in which the barrel of the gun may be shorter than the test barrel used in the laboratory, the Tested velocity and energy levels are usually lower than the Listed results.
The two Federal 9 mm loads shown in this table have the same bullet weights and listed performance data. The Syntec is a less expensive practice-grade load while the HST is a premium defensive hollow point. They are “ballistically matched” so that the practice grade ammunition will produce recoil and accuracy on par with the hollow point loads in order to save money when practicing at the range. Based on the averaged results, both loads are statistically similar enough to say that yes, they are ballistically matched as advertized.
Just below the 10-shot average velocity number in the Tested velocity column, there’s an additional number with the abbreviation Sd next to it, which stands for Standard Deviation. The short answer for Standard Deviation is that it measures the consistency of the ammunition’s velocity. A smaller Sd means that the 10 rounds fired across the chronograph aretraveling at similar velocities with a predictable level of felt recoil. As the Sd gets larger, it means some cartridges had more powerful powder charges than others causing the levels of felt recoil to go up and down. This can detract from good shot placement. The Sd numbers shown here are fairly low showing that all three 9 mm loads produced consistent energy levels.
Group Sizes Columns
Understanding muzzle energy is all well and good, but not all that useful if you can’t hit what you’re aiming at. That’s what accuracy testing is all about. The most common approach is to fire a few shots in a row aimed at a particular location on a paper target. The bullet holes clustered together in that location are called a group. The distance between the two bullet holes that are the farthest apart from each other is measured in inches (or millimeters) and recorded. Firing just one group isn’t terribly scientific because groups tend to vary in size, just as the bullets tend to vary in velocity. In this case, a total of five groups of five shots each were fired from a seated position using a bench-rested handgun support to stabilize the pistol. Under the Group Size heading, the first column shows the smallest of the five groups followed by the largest group and the five-group average.
So what does good defensive handgun accuracy look like? There is no generally accepted industry-wide standard for acceptable accuracy but here is the rule-of-thumb that has served me well over the years. If a handgun, and the ammunition tested, can produce five shot group averages around 3″ to 3.5″ in size at a given target distance (7 yards, 15 yards or 25 yards), then the gun and ammunition are doing their jobs properly. If the groups are smaller than 3”, you’ve got yourself a winning combination.
However, if the groups are consistently larger than 3.5″, some adjustments are in order. There may be a mechanical problem with the gun, like a loose or crooked rear sight. The ammunition may be of a low quality or it’s a poor fit for the gun. If that’s the case, it should be traded out for a different brand or bullet weight. It may be that the shooter is trying to shoot past a reasonable distance for the gun’s barrel length, like shooting a tiny 2” barrel pocket pistol at 25 yards when 7- to 10 yards would be a better fit for the gun’s capabilities. Last, but certainly not least, it could be the shooter’s technique. Additional training and practice is often the key to getting groups down to the size they need to be.
Average Extreme Spread Bar
The Average Extreme Spread is a fancy name for a summary of the accuracy results. The three numbers in the Group Size Average column are averaged together to get the number you see, which in this case is 2.60″.
Notes Section
The information displayed at the bottom of the table is for the more detail oriented readers. It shows the type of chronograph used (Lab Radar), in addition to air temperature and the humidity levels since they can have an effect on the performance results. Finally, there’s a list of the bullet style abbreviations found in the far left column and a mention that Sd stands for Standard Deviation.
Putting Performance Tables to Work For You
Now that you know the purpose of performance tables and what the lingo means, how can they be useful to you? Much like a one-page resume or a quick snapshot, these tables won’t tell everything there is to know about a gun you’re investigating. But they do provide just enough information to see if you want to learn more about that gun or take it for a test drive. I’ve found performance tables to be especially handy when comparing two different guns or calibers to see which would be a better fit for my needs. Here are the performance tables for two concealed carry revolvers that I tested which are chambered in different calibers. To test your newly acquired skills, take a look and see how they compare for accuracy, muzzle energy and felt recoil.
By ILDEFONSO ORTIZ and BRANDON DARBY
2:17
A group of gunmen in Central Mexico hijacked two tractor-trailers containing more than seven million rounds of ammunition headed to Texas. Mexican authorities recovered the two trucks without the ammo-loaded trailers following a large-scale search operation.
The incident took place this week in the state of Guanajuato. Authorities first learned of the theft when representatives from Tecnos Industries, who manufactures Aguila Ammunitions, contacted federal authorities after losing contact and GPS information from their two vehicles and security detail, Mexico’s Proceso magazine reported.
Authorities believe a group of gunmen managed to stop the vehicles and forced the drivers and security detail to get out while they drove away with the cargo. The gunmen left the trucks several miles north of the scene of the robbery.
According to court documents from the case, the majority of the rounds were .22 caliber. The shipment also included pallets of .38 Super, .40, and .45 caliber ammo, as well as various sizes and types of shotgun shells.
The robbery comes at a time when Guanajuato and other once-peaceful states in Central Mexico have seen a dramatic spike in violence as rival drug cartels fight for control of drug routes, local drug sales, and the control of the lucrative underground fuel market. The escalating violence in the area also led to an ongoing spike in highway robberies, particularly targeting commercial shipments.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.co