WINCHESTER .45 ACP 185GR SILVERTIP JHP IN CLEAR BALLISTICS GEL.

Test Gun: Colt 1911 Government, Defender.
Barrel length: 5 and 3 inches.
Ammunition: Winchester .45 ACP 185gr Silvertip JHP .
Test media: 10% Clear Ballistics Gel.
Distance: 10 feet.
Chronograph: Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph G2.
Five shot velocity average: 993, 902fps
Gel Temperature 70 degrees.

https://general-cartridge.com/2020/...-185gr-silvertip-jhp-in-clear-ballistics-gel/

 

Shows why Winchester Werewolf bullets are one of my top 3 go-to rounds from big makers.

Plus, I've never had one single FTF in any of several 1911s or my AMT Back Up.

Todd.

 

I just bought a Colt Defender, so that’s good information! I like those Werewolf bullets and the .357 is loaded with them.

 

I always did think Silvertips looked cool. Thanks for the data.

 

5pins

Thanks for the link.

Always have had really great results shooting the 185 gr. Winchester Silvertips. I like to use them in my shorter barrel 1911s like my Combat Commander and Officers Model ACP. Consistent expansion, relatively soft shooting, along with some pretty decent accuracy. Never a problem getting them to feed in any gun that I have used them in.

 

As usual with Winchester the expansion is good. I've always liked Winchester hollow points from White Box up to PDX1.

Not sure how I feel about shooting nickel plated bullets tho, nickel is 33% harder than copper, which means it will wear out a barrel 33% faster. If Winchester wanted to keep relatively the same color for the plating they could have used Zinc, Tin, or an alloy of the two and still gotten a silvery looking finish, but reduced barrel wear.

 

The chance of you shooting more the 50 rounds of Silver Tip through you Gun in one year is slim. And the chance of you ever shooting enough to wear out your barrel is slim also.
I can never understand why some people worry about things that will never happen.

 

Because it can still technically happen.

I'm impressed with those Winchesters. It'd be the ammo to have for me. I always prefer heavier bullets.

 

It's a copper jacket with a thin nickel plating. It's not going to harm your barrel in any way.

 

First generation low velocity Silvertip - .38 Special, .380, .44 Special and .45 - had aluminum jackets.
High velocity Silvertip has always been nickel plated Lubaloy in 9mm and Magnums.

 

Just because it's thin doesn't mean it's not in contact with the lands/grooves.

 

I don’t think that you are willing to spend the amount of money on Silvertip ammo that would cause enough damage to your barrel to notice.
Copper Nickel bullets were very common prior to and during WWII.

The Copper Nickel jacket is much harder then what Winchester has on their Silvertip bullets. I have Mauser rifles that have fired thousands of Copper Nickel bullets and still have great rifeling.
Your fears of damage caused from shooting Silvertip ammo is unfounded.

 

Flying ashtrays ....

 

The Speer Flying Ashtray was a very popular bullet. This was due to it having about the largest hole, it just didn’t have the bling of the Silvertip.

 

I used to carry those in my 1911. They were 200 grain at an honest 1000 fps. I wish they would bring them back.

 

I may have a few bullets left in my reloading supplies.

 

I tested the Speer 200gr "flying ashtray" about 3 years ago.

https://general-cartridge.com/2017/04/01/speer-flying-ashtray-in-clear-ballistics-gel/

 

There was a local Silvertip experience that would make you glad to get nickel plated bullets.
The early aluminum Silvertips had a cannelure with a little lube. A shooter here got some that lacked the lube and found himself with an aluminum fouled bore. He complained and Winchester replaced the ammo, but I never heard a followup on how he got the aluminum out.


The Speer "flying ashtray" looks impressive and had a ferocious reputation, but is no longer made, notwithstanding the Internet Generation's misnomer for Gold Dot hollow points.
It is broad and short, which can impair feeding, and it is of drawn jacket construction which Speer has replaced with the plated Gold Dot and TMJ lineup. Therefore no longer made.

 

The whole penetration and expansion thing can get weird, especially in how folks deal with it...

Local Department went to Silver tips in a S&W .45 semi auto in the late 1980's and many were happy. Many were not.

Suddenly they changed to 9x19mm. When I asked why of one of the shift commanders, he was excited to tell me about the "Failure to stop" they had with the "big old .45." He claimed to have come on the scene just as it happened.

Perp was shot COM (just barely below breast bone) bullet fully penitrated, BUT WAS FOUND INSIDE HIS SHIRT (caps intintinal) expanded to "big as a quarter" ….missed spine.

The victim dropped his weapon, took one step back, turned fully away took another step and went face down...….they reported it as a failure to stop because some movie prop department did not jerk him off his feet with a recoil harness!

This was supposedly the main reason they ditched the new .45s.

my response? I started carrying Silver tips in any .45 that had issues with Speer Flying Ash trays. Old model Star PD ( the one with the man eating rear sight) loved the stuff.

I carried the 200 grain Speer because all the big name gun rag folks liked it....then I had to shoot a deer that injured my Falcon Futura Sport Coupe and the bullet penitrated fully and lay on the grass under the carcass expanded to over .75 having left a cookie cutter entrance wound and pushed out an inch long section of rib out the other side. Eh, good enough.

-kBob

 

I've been shooting Silvertips for years. From 32ACP in my Seecamp up thru 45ACP. Never have had an issue with FTF or FTE with them. For me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.