Winchester White box 9mm...under powered?

[Bongos]

Not complaining, I bought some of Winchester 9mm white box in the 100rd eco-box, took out to try my new P226S X-Five, the stuff cycles fine, just won't lock up on the last round, I had some Federal American Eagle and old Star Fire defensive ammo (stuff is about 15 yrs old) which shot fine and locked back on the last round. I'm sure since the gun is new, the springs are fresh and needs a few rounds to lighten up, so it was not a concern, and this ammo is just for plinking... what I did notice is the holes on the target from the Federal AE and Starfire were perfectly circle...sharply cut by the impact of the rounds, while the Winchester stuff had tears, more like star shape..anyways I suspect the Winchester ammo is under powered. This is through the coarse of 200rds Fed AE, 100rds SF, and 300rds Winchester with a mix of two new Sig factory mags and 3 mecgar preban mags

[Jeffrock]

Interesting. My smith (Bruce Gray) insists that WWB is garbage, and repeatedly says to use Federal or anything else in a X-Five. I have only had 2 malfunctions with the slide failing to lock back in maybe 1000 rounds, both with WWB. I stick to Federal in my X-Five, and have no problems.

Congrats on the X-Five, wicked accurate isn't it?

[donger]

Interesting. My smith (Bruce Gray) insists that WWB is garbage, and repeatedly says to use Federal or anything else in a X-Five. I have only had 2 malfunctions with the slide failing to lock back in maybe 1000 rounds, both with WWB. I stick to Federal in my X-Five, and have no problems.

Bruce Gray informed me that he doesn't like using WWB because it tends to have harder primers and won't ignite with lighter springs.

I've never had problems with the stuff, although I think it's a bit dirtier than Federal's AE.

[Satex]

I have several thousand of this stuff on my P229, not a single problem. Maybe your pistol has a stronger spring?

[The Bacon Eater]

I have put about 1500 rounds through my beretta and never had a problem with it.

[Greenspartan117]

I like blazer brass, cheaper than wwb.

[Jeffrock]

I have bought many value packs of WWB in all calibers, never a problem except for a couple times in the X-Five.

I like WWB, although the prices online for it seem pretty steep. Unless I am at LAX range, it seems like I can always get Federal, Fiocchi or other ammo I would prefer at a cheaper/similar price.

[Bongos]

I have bought many value packs of WWB in all calibers, never a problem except for a couple times in the X-Five.

I like WWB, although the prices online for it seem pretty steep. Unless I am at LAX range, it seems like I can always get Federal, Fiocchi or other ammo I would prefer at a cheaper/similar price.

I bought a case at Walmart when it was $11 per box of 100 rounds, like I said, it's just blasting ammo, nothing more. What kind of problems did you have in your x-five?

[sammy]

The only ammo my X-Five has seen is WWB. Shoots very straight and I have had no faliures of any kind. Only about 1000 rounds down range but I have no complaints.

[GTKrockeTT]

i have more 9mm firearms than i have fingers and toes...which is probably just scratching the surface for some enthusiasts. with 9mm WWB being as cheap as it is, i rarely purchase any other plinking ammo in this caliber. that said, i can't recall a single instance where i've experienced a malfunction of any kind with this ammo.

it may be dirty, but it sure is dirt cheap...

[mike100]

it works well for me, but I think speer lawman and fiochhi are hotter in 9mm. Strangely, speer lawman in 45 is really slow and undercharged.

[1911 gone wild]

I bought a case at Walmart when it was $11 per box of 100 rounds, like I said, it's just blasting ammo, nothing more. What kind of problems did you have in your x-five?

Once in a while, my X-Five Comp 9mm will have failure to extract issues with WWB. I just don't know when it is going to happen. Or some times, it will run 300 rds striaght, without any FTE, on WWB. It runs great on Fiocchi, Federal, CCI Blaser, Rem UMC, and even Wolf. But there is some thing about the Winchester case rim. The extractor claw will slip off, out of the case rim, on extraction.

[PLINK]

Not complaining, I bought some of Winchester 9mm white box in the 100rd eco-box, took out to try my new P226S X-Five, the stuff cycles fine, just won't lock up on the last round, I had some Federal American Eagle and old Star Fire defensive ammo (stuff is about 15 yrs old) which shot fine and locked back on the last round. I'm sure since the gun is new, the springs are fresh and needs a few rounds to lighten up, so it was not a concern, and this ammo is just for plinking... what I did notice is the holes on the target from the Federal AE and Starfire were perfectly circle...sharply cut by the impact of the rounds, while the Winchester stuff had tears, more like star shape..anyways I suspect the Winchester ammo is under powered. This is through the coarse of 200rds Fed AE, 100rds SF, and 300rds Winchester with a mix of two new Sig factory mags and 3 mecgar preban mags

It does not sound like the WWB is bothering you much for plinking other than not locking back on last round but the only way you will ever know is if you test it on a chrono. I reload .40 S&W but I have chrono'ed factory stuff just to see what it does out of my G35. Out of all of the factory ammo I tested I found that Miwall factory reloaded ammo is very under powered. My gun cycled fine but it don't even make the major power factor (fps x bullet weight / 1000) even out of a 5inch barrel.

The odd shaped torn holes in the paper could be keyholes which is caused by bullet tumbling. Here is a good link on that topic. http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/bullet_tumble.html

This is all just food for thought because I don't think anyone would spend too much time on how well WWB performs out of their gun.

[CWM4A1]

Once in a while, my X-Five Comp 9mm will have failure to extract issues with WWB. I just don't know when it is going to happen. Or some times, it will run 300 rds striaght, without any FTE, on WWB. It runs great on Fiocchi, Federal, CCI Blaser, Rem UMC, and even Wolf. But there is some thing about the Winchester case rim. The extractor claw will slip off, out of the case rim, on extraction.

Same problem happened with my P228 with WWB once in a while also. I don't have the $$ for the X-Five though. Frankly, I don't buy WWB anymore because I roll my own which is cheaper and I can select cleaner powder (Hodgdon Universal Clays). WWB is about as dirty as Wolf IMO.

[caseselfloather]

i've had the same problem with my p226r in 9mm. 115gr WWB and remington PMC. the gun loves 115gr speer and 124gr remington though. never had a single failure with either.

if i remember right, 115 gr magtech may have failed to lock the slide back a couple of times too.