Old Winchester Silvertips

[Sauermonkey]

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Anyone remember the Winchester Silvertip ammo from
the 1980s? It seemed like every handgun test in the gun
magazines used these for accuracy and performance tests.
the early low velocity cartridges used aluminum jackets.

[Sauermonkey]

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[Sauermonkey]

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[sealocan]

Yes, I remember those, I believe that once was A The go-to defensive cartridge for a lot of shooters at that time frame and then came some specialty ammo like Glazer "safety slug" frangible ammo (which was expensive and only sold in six or eight round packages but had a hollow point design, with a bunch of BB's sitting in the hollow point cup and it was sealed over with some type of epoxy) and then slightly after that time came Cor-bon , which to my memory was just loaded to the maximum pressures , to give it some speed, and possibly a hard cast lead bullet. And then came others like Black Talon ammo that did a PR name and color change to Golden Saber... (Wait, that was kind of racist of them. )

I think if you take a sharp knife to one of those silver tip handgun projectiles you'll find that it's just some type of soft silver colored (aluminum plus something else?) alloy wrapped around a lead inner shell hollow point.
I say that because I think I remember my friend showing me what they were actually made of way back when (but it was a long time ago so maybe it was a different type of silver colored projectile ammunition)...just soft lead surrounded by a silver-ish alloy. It might have been part aluminum but I think there was other things in the mix as well.

Nowadays all the big names from cci, Federal and almost all of the other ammo manufacturers have their own much more modern personal defensive type ammo designs.

But back in the day they were the top of the line in store-bought hollow points.

[CartridgeCalls]

I miss being able to hunt with those. They were great rounds.

[Sailormilan2]

9x23, 10mm, 44 Mag.

[baranski]

Paul has some input.




https://youtu.be/Ievyu9wj7rY

[bergmen]

Originally Posted by CartridgeCalls

I miss being able to hunt with those. They were great rounds.

They were excellent for my 30-30, the tips did not deform from repeated loading/unloading with the tubular magazine, unlike the lead soft points did.

They used to be available from Winchester for reloading, I still have a box in my cabinet.

Dan

[beerman]

The Seacamp pistol manuals reccomended 32 Silvertips as the proper ammo for their guns.

[Fishwishin]

Ah, yes. The silvertips were still all the rage in 1990 when I started the police academy, even though they were seemingly made out to be the scapegoat for the 1986 Miami Dade FBI shootout (9mm inadequate argument). In actuality I believe the silvertips were quite adequately made and designed and they could still provide great defensive work today if necessary. But never allow a tragedy go to waste- hence the development of the 10mm!

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by Sauermonkey

Attachment 1166819

That brings back memories! I shot a suspect with my S&W M-37 using the 110 grain Silvertip.

A one shot stop. Torso hit.

[Wil-c]

Originally Posted by Fishwishin

Ah, yes. The silvertips were still all the rage in 1990 when I started the police academy, even though they were seemingly made out to be the scapegoat for the 1986 Miami Dade FBI shootout (9mm inadequate argument). In actuality I believe the silvertips were quite adequately made and designed and they could still provide great defensive work today if necessary. But never allow a tragedy go to waste- hence the development of the 10mm!

if memory serves me right, in that fight a 115 gr silvertip went through the arm first, then punched through the side of the chest and penetrated to the aorta & cutting it. This from 40 yds out.
Not too shabby in terms of performance.

I think it was Matix who took that hit & it was Jerry Dove who made the shot.

I'd use silvertips without hesitation.

[LindenBruce]

Yep, I still have a few mags of those for my 9mm home defense piece. B.

[M76]

Somewhere I have a box of .38 Special Silvertips for when SHTF

[Sailormilan2]

Originally Posted by Fishwishin

Ah, yes. The silvertips were still all the rage in 1990 when I started the police academy, even though they were seemingly made out to be the scapegoat for the 1986 Miami Dade FBI shootout (9mm inadequate argument). In actuality I believe the silvertips were quite adequately made and designed and they could still provide great defensive work today if necessary. But never allow a tragedy go to waste- hence the development of the 10mm!

When I first started carrying my Smith 59, I was issued 100 gr WW Power Points(IIRC, it's been a looooong time). Those things had some muzzle blast. You KNEW when they went off. They were replaced by Silvertips. Which were nice. After the Miami Shootout Fiasco, we got 147 gr HydroShocks because they wanted "penetration". i was very much less than impressed, though I never shot anyone to be able to see well how they worked.
I do remember that Evens and Marshall rated the HydroShocks as less effective than other 9mm HPs.

[bergmen]

150 grain Winchester .308 Silvertips I inherited from my Dad (his favorite deer hunting load). Early 1960s vintage:





Dan

[Spyder]

I've got a bunch of them in rifle bullets. I just load them for blasting ammo anymore.

[divingin]

Originally Posted by Wil-c

if memory serves me right, in that fight a 115 gr silvertip went through the arm first, then punched through the side of the chest and penetrated to the aorta & cutting it. This from 40 yds out.
Not too shabby in terms of performance.

I think it was Matix who took that hit & it was Jerry Dove who made the shot.

Platt took that hit. Bullet stopped short of the heart, but cut blood vessels in the lungs; pneumothorax and bleeding into the lungs from that shot are supposedly what killed him (or at least was the most fatal wound.)

[BB1776]

Love me some OG Silvertips. I never bought the blame they got from the shootout. Silver tips kick werewolf (and anything else’s) butt!

[JagerDog]

Black Talon or go home.

[wpage]

They still sell them...

[Sailormilan2]

Originally Posted by JagerDog

Black Talon or go home.

Funny story related to Black Talons. My agency, the County, and the local City PD, issued BTs. One of the city officers drove a black Firebird with the license plate BLKTLN. Seems appropriate for a Firebird. He was driving through a town on CO, IIRC, and he got pulled over by an officer. Officer walks up and goes, "You didn't do anything wrong. But I have to ask, you're a cop aren't you?"
Kinda sounds like something I would do when I worked.