[VTKFJoe]

I tried to do a search for this but did not find anything.

Last week while visiting family in FL my Father-in-law and I went over to his local indoor range. When I was signing I asked if it was ok to bring in my own ammo and the clerk stated that it was fine as long as it wasnt reloaded. I said that it was just Winchester White Box and she cringed. I asked why and she said that it blows up guns. Here is how the rest of the conversation went

Me: "really, I havent heard that, I've shot thousands of round of it"

"well then your really lucky I guess, they have no inspection process and it blows up all the time"

Me: "that's news to me, what cheap FMJ target ammo would you suggest I use"

"what caliber?"

Me: "9mm"

"$10.99"

Me: "$10.99, what a box"

"yeah, a box of 50"


Well, I left it at that. Maybe she didn't understand and thought I asked how much I should pay for cheap ammo. Whatever. I shot my hundred rounds with no problems and took off.

So, was she just trying to sell this mystery overpriced ammo or is there some problem that I have not heard about. I have tons of this stuff and have used it for target shooting for years.

Thanks in advance.

[DogBonz]

But not as bad as others. Other than that, I have never had a problem with WWB, nor have I ever heard anyone have any real complaints with it. Ranges like to pimp their own ammo.

[Glockfan.45]

I have shot thousands of rounds of it with no problems although I did switch to Remington UMC recently for plinking ammo. Its a few bucks more but I find it to be much cleaner.

[the naked prophet]

Tens of thousands of WWB in 9mm, .40, .32, .38, .38+P and others. Not a single of anything but maybe one or two dud primers. Dirty yeah, but that doesn't blow anything up.

[Dr. Dickie]

I can contribute another K rounds or so, with no problem at all.

[jrou111]

Never a problem in thousands of 9mm, .40, .45acp, .38spl, .357mag, & .44mag.

My biggest problem with WWB is waiting 10min at walmart for someone to open the glass cabinet.

[DirksterG30]

I've shot a couple thousand rounds in .380, 9mm, .40s&W, .45ACP & .223 Remington, and haven't had any problems.

[jlbraun]

~4000 rounds of WWB 9mm with no kB!s and one dud primer.

[Just_a_dude_with_a_gun]

Sounds like you were speaking to a complete clown... who can't beat walmart's price on Winchester, hence, they don't bother.

WWB is probably on par with UMC, PMC, or Federal American Eagle.

[PedalBiker]

I have had one round of WWB in .38 sp that had a buggered up case head - fired fine, but I didn't want to reload it. I've only bought a few hundred of them.

The real irony is that range ammo is usually bulk reloaded to the crappiest standards I've ever seen. I bought a box from my local range and it was a pathetic mix of brass - nickel planted, brass, multiple headstamp, and who knows how many firings.

I have heard no first, second or third hand reports of KBs from WW ammo of any kind.

[ArfinGreebly]

No KaBooms.

We have a shoppe in Reno who won't sell WWB.

Same "reason" as the OP: "no quality control, double loading, breaks guns."

That's okay, we've got several others who do sell it.

I imagine that if there were a REAL problem, Winnie Inc. would have gotten to hear about it already, and about the time most stores quit carrying it they'd get around to fixing the problem.

I know a couple of outfits that remanufacture and can't beat the WWB price. You can guess what their expressed opinion of WWB is, yes?

What a shock.

[Soybomb]

I've heard of and seen pictures of a few wwb kb's. I doubt its a higher percentage than any other reputable brand, theres just more incidences of it because of how much its shot. I'll keep using it although I prefer cci blazer because its clean.

[MrDig]

When people make statements like that I ask them to give me their source of the questionable information. Usually quiets any and all claims.
Where did you get that information from? is a dead stop for anybody who is trying to blow smoke. I have yet to have a gun counter "Expert" give me a reliable source when asked regarding this and many other myths.

[Innova]

Chalk me up for a couple thousand with 0 problems.

[daysleeprx]

I think the majority of what I shoot is WWB, and I've never had a problem either.

[Avenger]

Dunno how many thousand more, but zero problems ever. Only problem I have with them is that I always drive the little fingers of the plastic case underneath my fingernails when I pull single rounds out.
Hmmmm, maybe I smell another thread here....."Who has the best little plastic thingies in their ammo boxes?"
LOL

[Deanimator]

My biggest problem with WWB is waiting 10min at walmart for someone to open the glass cabinet.
ONLY ten minutes??? I once gave up after stopping two sales-droids and STILL waiting an HOUR, without being helped.

I've taken to calling ahead for an appointment...

[CountGlockula]

Tell her to stop smoking the crack pipe. I've been using Winchester White Box .40 ammo on my Glock and no problemos.

[SSN Vet]

I've shot ~1,000 rounds of WWB 9mm in the last nine months.....

here's my stats

KB 0

Hard Primer 4 (all from same box, all fired on second strike)

Dirty 1,000

@ $.12 per round.....I can't really complain.

I buy Remington UMC whenever I see it on sale at Dick's.

[tommytrauma]

I'm a bit of a training junkie, and use WWB almost exclusively for handgun classes, practice and plinking. I can conservatively say that I've shot ~10,000 rounds of the stuff without problem. A friend who I take most classes with can quote a similar figure.

It's pretty popular among the Defensive Edge training junkies. Can't recall seeing anyone else in class with WWB related problems.

[Zero_DgZ]

I don't even want to think about how many White Boxes of Winchester I've gone through in 9x19 with both of my Storms, and I haven't had a failure-to-anything.

[Baphomet]

"Well then your really lucky I guess, they have no inspection process and it blows up all the time."

Ding!! Ding!! Ding!!

Official Winner: Baphomet's Asinine Comment of the Week Award.

[ozwyn]

I don't shoot as much as I used to, but i used to almost exclusively shoot WWB due to quality/price ratio from local sellers.

only recall one or two issues, and that might have been a light primer strikes due to the weapon, not the ammo. (had an hk that loved to rip hunks of brass which extracting until it would start to foul itself)

One would think shooting about 10k rounds a kaboom would have at least been witnessed, if not experienced if it was a serious issue.

Maybe i am just lucky but WWB has served me well.

[yorick]

I've had some bad WWB.

No Kabooms - but badly split cases (and yes I did check headspace on the rifle - it was fine)

Sent the box back to Winchester - they sent me a coupon for another box:rolleyes: :scrutiny:

[VTKFJoe]

Thanks for all the responses y'all. I figured it was BS - I thought I woudl check and knew you all would like the story. My favorite part was that when I asked her what she would reccomend and she gave me a price not a brand:confused: ... anyway, I guess my 800 rounds will get fired as usual.

Joe

[armedpolak]

I did have a problem with WWB 9mm, and I think it might caused my 1911 to crap out too:what:

I shot remington through my new KAHR MK9, 9mm. Fine. Then, few days later I got 3 boxes of WWB 9mm, and noticed something when loading the mag... the bullet was longer! It gave me hard time loading the mag, every single time!

I was wondering why my SA 1911 .45 kept on getting 3-point jams all the time. I'll get a box of remington .45 or some other stuff, and see if it's shorter.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, KAHR choked up few times on WWB, but consumed remington just fine :-)

[Dr.Who]

I've have shot at least 4,500 rounds of the White Box through my G17. Never had a dudd, squib, or failure to feed. Was the Lady a Blonde?:evil:

[goon]

Several thousand rounds in 9mm, a few hundred rounds in .223, and 50 rounds in .40 S&W today. I had one light load in all of those, in .223 but it still worked the action on the AR that I was shooting and the bullet came out.
I still like it.

Maybe the girl was trying to use the "cheap ammo" thing as a pickup line??

[Joey_the_Wolf]

I've put about 400 rounds of .45 WWB through my Rock Island 1911 in the past 2 months alone. I'll probably shoot a good 3-4000 rounds a year of WWB throught that gun alone at the rate that I'm going and I haven't had a single problem. It's filthy, but other than that it's great for the money. No complaints from me.

[CDignition]

Man, I have heard this same stupid thing here...and from 2 different shops no less....Both shops should know better, and they are knowledgeable enough to know better...All I can say is it is they are trying to scare you from buying the cheap WWB from Wally World, so they can sell you their junk...for almost double the cost...

[foghornl]

Had a similar experience at local range....

Person behind counter was spouting off something about "No ammo except what we sell can be used here..." ***

Me: "Hmmmm....well, OK...what do you have in .45ACP?"

Counter Non-Help Person: "USA brand value-pack boxes, $32/100"

Me: "That is the very same ammo that I have, except mine was $20/100."

CN-HP: "You can't shoot that here. How do we know those aren't your handloads that you stuffed in the USA box?"

Me, leaving in disgust: "How do I know that what you are selling wasn't brewed up in someone's basement with sawdust, floor sweepings, and Kitty Litter?"

***and stuff from a local commercial reloader was ok, too. So, next time I went, I just dumped my Blazer Brass ammo into the Commercial Reloaders boxes. They didn't check the ammo, just looked at the box.

[Gunpacker]

I shot a box of WWB with a couple of my 9s. Strangely, it would feed fine in a Star, but would fail to extract and jam in my Smith 5906. The Smith was a well used duty weapon and had fired well over 10,000 rounds with only one problem when I first got it, that being a sharp corner that grabbed cases, and prevented full battery. I changed ammo to Remington and problem disappeared. I have fired all brands of ammo previously with zero problems after first shoot.
I suspect a small dimensional difference from the norm on the head or extractor groove. I couldn't even say that the difference would be out of spec, but maybe just on the edge.
I will continue to use it in my Star, since it is cheap, but can't even contemplate that with the Smith. I couldn't even get 5 shots off without a jam.

[kd7nqb]

I think the range employee was right, she said it blows up everytime, and in my experince everytime I pull the trigger it causes and exlposion and this bullet flies out the end. But then again I thought thats what was suppose to do.

[JLStorm]

Winchester is not a company that has made its reputation making products that blow up guns. Sounds like another couch commando parrotting someone who heard from someone, who heard from someone, who heard from someone that WWB blew up once....it was probably a reload lol.

[BryanP]

The range employee was trying to sell their in house ammo. Tell them "I'll take my chances" and use the WWB.

[MD_Willington]

I've heard it too and guess what, never happened to me.. I have ~600 rounds of it (9mm) sitting in containers ready to go...

I've put a load of it through my S&W and I couldn't be happier with it... 12.88 + tax for 100...

[rockstar.esq]

The same flaming bovine excrement is applied to Wolf ammo. Incessant braying without facts or proof equates to an idiotic assertion. Thankfully many have observed the true locus of the smell and continue to shoot what works for them despite the manure piled high by ammo brand dictators.

[VTKFJoe]

Maybe the girl was trying to use the "cheap ammo" thing as a pickup line?? goon - she was pretty cute, but I'm a happily married man:D

Thanks for all the replies y'all.

[James NM]

It's true, WWB is VERY DANGEROUS. Your lucky to be alive.

You should send me all you have on hand for immediate disposal.:neener:

[ny32182]

I've fired several K of WWB in 9mm and .40. In all those rounds, I've experienced exactly one (1) dud primer. In fact, a better functional percentage than I've experienced with top shelf defensive ammo.

Other than that single dud, I've never had any functional issue. The rest of it has all fed, fired, extracted, and ejected perfectly. I think you'd be really hard-pressed to find better practice ammo, at any price.

[VTKFJoe]

You got it James NM, what do you think the shipping will be on 800 rounds? :neener:

[James NM]

Hey Joe, have I got a deal for you!

You cover the freight & I'll waive the environmental disposal fee:neener:

[1911 guy]

I use WWB in my .45ACP handguns and also in my AR. I've never experienced any kind of ammo related problems. I've been really lucky. Any problems I've ever had while shooting have been solved by stepping on a magazine and tossing it in the trash.

[Stachie]

To my knowledge, WWB is not prone to kB.

[mld599]

I have shot WWB for years through mt G19 and just like normal broke out a value pack yesterday and had 3 FTF's within 90 rounds...:cuss:. It made me so mad that I had to leave. Planned to shoot a couple hundred rounds but not yesterday.

[Pud]

Must also chime in here! :)

I have shot all kinds of brand name ammo over the years in mostly .45 and 9mm.....including hundreds and hundreds of rounds of the WWB.
ONLY problem I EVER had with it---I found a dented .45 case in one box, looked just like a "thumb" had somehow mashed the case! :confused:
I saved the round just to show people.
Maybe some day when I need some .45 ammo really bad, I will send it to Winchester and hit them up for a free box for all my "mental anguish"! :D

Pud

[lee n. field]

Somewhere bettween one and two thousand rounds of .40 and .45. No problem.

[Bix]

I'm a bit of a training junkie, and use WWB almost exclusively for handgun classes, practice and plinking. I can conservatively say that I've shot ~10,000 rounds of the stuff without problem. A friend who I take most classes with can quote a similar figure.

It's pretty popular among the Defensive Edge training junkies. Can't recall seeing anyone else in class with WWB related problems.

WWB is extremely common in shooting classes. From what I've seen, it runs fine and doesn't blow up guns.

I've got right around 23,500 happy rounds of WWB through two 9mm pistols. Glocks, even :D

[Ryder]

I won't buy the stuff. The only one time I did it fed like crap in half my semi-autos. Upon measuring the OAL of a few rounds I was amazed at the variation. A caliper was not even needed to see the differences. I still have almost half a box of it collecting dust on my shelf.

I didn't bother checking their crimps but IF their crimp control is as good as their OAL control I can see where this would cause a huge problem. OAL has a big influence on internal pressure. Differences measured in hundreths of an inch can double pressures. Some calibers and/or gun models will handle this better than others. It pays to know what you are doing.

I will not take the chance of feeding a minimum length cartridge into a gun which is susceptable to bullet setback even though I generally shoot strong guns in calibers which aren't sensitive to large pressure differences. I want to avoid extreme wear on my equipment. A round does not have to kaboom to cause that.

[possum]

1000rds of rds of it in many calibers and i have never had a single issue out of it. dirty so what? cleanning my guns gets me excited! :) i love to clean them. i have had zero problems out of wwb ammo.

[MNgoldenbear]

Sorry to burst bubbles. Statement was MOSTLY crap with a bit of fact. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot any Winchester product, including WWB.

That being said, a friend of mine who is a rangemaster at a major public firing range did have a case where his Armalite M15 was wrecked by a WWB round. However, there was suspicion that this ammunition had been exported and re-imported, and that it may have been tampered with.

So... yes, I have heard of an actual blow-up with WWB, but no, it wasn't Winchester's fault. I have great confidence in the major manufacturers (and most of the lesser known ones as well). We shooters seem to be a pretty demanding, picky bunch. Knocks most (not all) poor quality ammo out of the market.

[busy_squirrel]

400rds WWB through my S&W 4013 (.40) in the last month.

0 kabooms.

2 or 3 bad primers.

Too many partial ejections to count, but probably cause they're dirty little buggers and the gun wasn't oiled well.

$17.68/100 at Wally's.

[GeneS]

I've shot about 3000 rounds of the 9mm. I've had 2 rounds with not enough powder. They were noticibly too quiet when they went off and did not completely cycle the action. Bullet did exit the barrel on both. As for Kabooms, I guess that missing powder had to go somewhere. ;)

[NorCalAl]

Thousands of rounds of WWB through my Kimbers and Les Baers and except for a couple of FTF's - which were probably my fault - not one single problem. Yep, a bit dirtier than others (although brands like Magtech are WAY worse), nothing a couple pulls of a boresnake can't solve.
Got a few hundred rounds in the safe waiting for Sunday.

[salvador31c]

I've had no problems with WWB, untill that day comes i'll still be shooting it:neener: