Ammo Question

[silverstar]

I received the HQ world's largest government surplus catalog and it lists the following ammunition:

Strike Three Home Security Pistol Ammo.
Fires 3 separate lead projectiles. Avg. 2" spread @ 7 yds.
Following are the calibers and muzzle velocities (fps)

.38 spl 700fps
.38 spl +p 800fps
.357 mag 850fps
.40 S&W 1,000fps
.45 Auto 840fps
9mm Luger 1,200fps

Has anyone seen this ammo? Any opinions on reliability or usefulness outside the interior of the home/apartment?

I use the Speer Gold Dot 125 grain JHP .357 mag in my M66 and +p in the M60 & M642.

Thanks,

Carlos

 

[45crittergitter]

I have noticed this, and similar ammo. They either use very short wadcutter shaped bullets, or buckshot pellets, depending on the manufacturer. I would not trust this as a defensive load, because 1) the pellets have very very poor terminal ballistic performance compared with a real, hi-tech premium hollowpoint, partly because they don't expand and partly because they have perhaps 1/3 the sectional density of a single bullet, and 2) I don't think the pellet spread will significantly increase your chance of a hit. Might be good for varmints, though....

 

[Mike Irwin]

"3 separate lead projectiles"

Three round balls, perhaps? Penetration is likely extremely low, and if there's a single attribute that you want from a round you're going to use to protect your life, it's penetration.

Stick with a single projectile round that gives a combination of good penetration, good power, and good expansion.

Your Speer Gold Dot round is a good round that has all three characteristics.

Leave the funky junk in the catalog. It's an answer to a question that no one asked.

 

[silverstar]

45 and Mike,

Thanks for the info. Yep, it is 3 lead balls and the ad does advertise low/shallow penetration.

I've always like the way the Speer Gold Dot handles. Yep, I'll be staying with them for the forseable future.

Carlos

 

[Mike Irwin]

"the ad does advertise low/shallow penetration."

Cripes.

What next, a round that gently fluffs the target's pillows for him?

 

[silverstar]

For those kindler, gentler bottom feeders. Oh oh, did I say that? oops

 

[Gabe]

I was entertaining such notion recently. Multi bullet cartridges are worthy of evaluation. Penetration is lower but so what, works for shotguns. I'd love to see some tests done though before I trust my life to it.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Penetration is lower but so what, works for shotguns."

That's comparing apples to orangutangs.

Take, for instance, the .38 Spl., with a velocity of 700 fps., with a total projectile weight of, perhaps, 150 grains if you're lucky.

Velocity of a shotshell load is roughly 1,200 fps. at the muzzle, with a payload weight of between 500 and 700 grains.

In a shotgun you're getting the benefits of a large mass of projectiles that out to about 30 feet hit in roughly a solid clump.

 

[silverstar]

I would be interested in seeing a shotgun like cartridge in 357 mag type. Not with just a couple of projectiles/balls but with numerous pellets, taylored, of course, to the cartridge capacity/capability. This might work with a minimum of 4" barrel weapon. In a 2" or less barrel would be as effective as spitting at the aggressor.

Carlos

 

[Gabe]

I'm interested in the magnum chambering not the 38spec. Too bad they don't make a 44mag and load two wadcutters. It should be like being hit by two 44specs at the same time.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Silverstar,

Magsafe, Beehive, Glaser, and perhaps others all make the kind of round you're talking about -- a shell with small pellets embedded in a matrix.

Pretty much across the board they lack for necessary penetration. Plus, they're expensive as all hell.