tubular ammo?

[coosbaycreep]

I bought some ammo from a dude yesterday who had some old school HD ammo like black talons, hydrashoks, etc., but he also had something I've never seen before. It was PMC .38special, and I think the name of it was ultramag or something like that. The bullet only weighs 66 grains, and it's completely hollow, with what looks like a miniature shotgun wad between the bullet and powder.

The guy told me only a little bit was imported before it was banned.

Anyone ever hear of this kind of ammo, or know how effective it would be? It doesn't seem to me like it'd be all that great, since it probably wouldn't expand much, and might not penetrate much because of how light they are. They're definitely some unusual looking rounds though.

 

[David E]

They cut a tube of flesh out of human targets. That's the idea, anyway.

I'd hang onto them, once you fire a few to see where they hit.

Seems like they sold that in the late 80's, early 90's

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Take a look at these threads:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=88593
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=454716
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=243047

 

[sv51macross]

Wait though, I thought that AP ammo restrictions just applied to jacketed bullets, seems to me that the 'tubes' were, as mentioned in the first thread linked, solid bronze tube; no copper or any core/jacket. Am I wrong about AP ammo laws?

 

[ofitg]

Found this definition online -

The law defined offending bullets as "a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun" and constructed entirely (except for trace elements) of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper or depleted uranium or a combination of those metals. Further, the Secretary of the Treasury may exempt a projectile covered in the "armor-piercing" definition, but may not expand the law to include projectiles not expressly included in the established definition


Evidently the tubular projectiles were banned because they were "constructed entirely" from bronze.

 

[MD_Willington]

Truncated Cone Hollow Point
"air ring foil"

 

[sv51macross]

@ofitig, what about the thread I started awhile back, I had seen an ARF.com thread with all kinds of solid-brass 5.7x28mm slugs. IIRC, the explanation given as why ATF hadn't put on the keibash was because they were solid brass, and not bimetal, the AP rules only applied to FMJ rounds.

 

[ofitg]

Yeah, I've seen solid brass .223 slugs advertised, but perhaps they are legal to sell because they are not intended for handgun ammo? Just a guess...

Found this old thread concerning the PMC projectiles -

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=88593

One guy mentioned that after ATF banned the bronze projectiles, PMC came out with an all-copper version..... but they didn't sell well, so PMC dropped them.

 

[Winger Ed.]

I remember them.
They are basically a metal tube with a rubber insert.
They were advertised, pushed, promoted, etc.
Even with full page ads in all the gun books several years ago.
They didn't sell very well, and were also banned by the govt very shortly thereafter.

I figured it was one of those 'solutions for a problem that doesn't really exist', anti- Cop Killer sort of things.
Back then, saying "Cop Killer", and "Its....(insert sad face & hand wringing here).... For the Children"
were the buzz words used to help cram any/every little bit of PC nonsense down everyone's throat.

I wouldn't shoot any of them. Wait a few years or so,
and they might be worth a couple bucks or so each to ammo collectors like .357 SuperVels,
or old solid Brass 12 guage shotgun shells are.

 

[SaxonPig]

Did it look like this?




I am told these are now bringing about $5 each from cartridge collectors. I am saving this for my retirement.

 

[22-rimfire]

Great picture SaxonPig. Never bought any myself. At that time, I was not digesting much 38spl ammo. I sure liked PMC ammo in general however. Wish they would bring back some of their other lines now that they are climbing out of bankruptcy. I believe all current production is from South Korea as the US factory was closed during the bankruptcy.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the cylindrical air foil concept is really interesting as the shape "pushes" itself along...it actually flys...that's why it shoots so flat.

the same concept is used in the new Dyson "bladeless" room fan...it accelerates air through a ring without whirling blades