Ammunition

This feature report on frangible ammunition was instigated by questions from readers. Most of the questions were along the same line: Can such-and-such ammunition possibly do what they say it does? Can a chunk of lead, fairy powder, or depleted uranium or other secret element possibly increase the effectiveness of a handgun bullet in the manner stated?The concept of frangible ammunition has been around for a long time, but that doesnt mean that it is completely understood. As an example, during our rush to collect as many examples of these loads as possible, we found that otherwise knowledgeable gun-store clerks were mistaken concerning exactly what we were looking for. One of the fellows was asked to order frangible loads from as many different makers as possible. When our ammo came in the following week the clerk had batted .500. Half of the ammo was frangible, but the others were lead free loads, which are a different animal. We winced inwardly but paid up and smiled because this young man always gets the job done in a timely manner and is helpful in ordering the tons of ammunition we need every year.Still, we managed to amass enough frangible ammunition to give the loads a fair shot. We were able to educate ourselves on the differences in frangible loads. In the past many writers, including our primary author, have referred to soft-point and hollowpoint loads as frangible. This is strictly correct only when you compare a fast-opening hollowpoint to a hard-cast lead bullet. Another term for frangible and hollowpoints alike has been exotic bullet styles - the Hydra-Shok or Silvertip is pretty exotic compared to a roundnose lead bullet. Just the same, there must be some consensus on what frangible ammo is.Frangible ammunition is best described as a projectile designed to break up and disintegrate when meeting hard resistance, such as steel plates or a wall in a dwelling. Expansion is advertised in some cases, but those with powdered or sintered cores do not necessarily expand. Rather, they return to their original states. The concept is related to safety. Frangible bullets eliminate ricochet and limit overpenetration. They are useful in crowded environments and in providing safe training ammunition for use with steel targets or at very close range. There is no personal defense application intended or implied. The SinterFire is among the best-known examples of this type of bullet. There is always lethality involved, as the ammunition will perform much like a full-metal-jacketed bullet if it strikes flesh and bone. The loads are truly frangible only if hitting a steel plate or cinder block.The second type of frangible includes the original Glaser Safety Slug. These are designed to break up when striking flesh and blood and absolutely guarantee that no part of the projectile exits the body. After over 30 years on the market, the facts are clear that the Glaser works as designed most of the time. Prison bureaus and big-city agencys SWAT teams have used these safety slugs. Sometimes called pre-fragmented, the Glaser relies upon compressed birdshot in a hollow jacket for effect. There are various competing types, including Extreme Shock and the DRT rounds. Each of these uses a different composition of frangible material, with the Extreme Shock depending upon nytrillium and the DRT relying upon a sintered core in a jacket. Since both types of loads are included in the frangible description, we tested both types.

Varmint season is officially underway, so Nosler, Inc. is giving a gift a day for 30 days to their Facebook fans. Each day a Varmageddon Prize Package will be given away to one lucky entrant. The Prize Package will consist of Nosler's Varmageddon promotional items including a T-shirt, Hat, Poster, Counter Mat, and Sticker.

A recent post on CheaperThanDirt.com's 'Shooter's Log' blog has generated hundreds of customer comments in response to a simple question: 'Are You Buying Guns? Tell Us Why.'

Whenever you hunt with a firearm or airgun, one of the more important items you will need is a suitable round of ammunition for the gun of your choice. In airguns, this translates into a pellet. Three different pellets offered by Umarex USA offer different performance: the RWS Superdome, the RWS Super H-Point, and the RWS Supermag.

CTD Shooting Team member Lena Miculek details how to execute weak-hand shotgun reloads in multi-gun competitions using a JM-series Pro Mossberg autoloading shotgun:

In Auction 11105881 at GunAuction.com, Golden Bear Services (under the handle “aubruin”) is marketing 13 rounds of 13 different headstamps of Pistolenpatronen German WWII 9mm Ammo for the collector who needs to round out an entire section of a collection.

When Berger first started selling bullets, the company sold Target bullets in yellow boxes. Over the years, the company’s line has expanded to include Varmint, Hunting, and Tactical bullets. These application-based lines are designed to help shooters more easily find the right bullets for their purposes.

I recently tested the Ruger LCP and later discovered it had some problems I hadn't addressed. My associate Joe Syczylo found that the Ruger's spent cases all had a tear in the rim. He also learned the cases were being ejected some twenty feet or more, straight back.

Remington has determined that six Lot Numbers of its 270 Win. 150-grain soft-point ammunition may have been improperly loaded. The company warns that, when fired, these improperly loaded rounds may result in higher-than-normal pressures that can damage your firearm and possibly cause serious personal injury or death. The company warns shooters not to use Remington 270 Win. 150-grain soft-point ammunition with lot numbers N16SA24L, N16SA24R, N16SB24L, N16SB24R, N13SC24L, or N13SC24R.

Greg Ellifritz, a full-time firearms and defensive tactics training officer for a central Ohio police department and the president of Active Response Training, recently posted an extensive self-study of cartridge and shotshell stops in the Shooter's Log at CheaperThanDirt.com.

Some time ago, we were contacted with a question concerning a very popular revolver cartridge - the 357 Magnum. This cartridge is an effective choice for personal defense, and a solid choice for small game and predator control. With a long-barrel handgun and careful load selection, the 357 Magnum is even suitable for deer-sized game. However, this readers question took a different path. The question was, does the 357 Magnum have enough bullet weight and penetration for effective defense against wild animals? The fact is, the 357 Magnum is probably the most common handgun caliber that is packed solely for protection against animals. Quite a few Combat Magnums, Blackhawks, and Trackers do double duty in the wild. Whether it is the best choice is open to interpretation, but it is the largest caliber the occasional shooter is likely to wish to attempt to master. Calibers smaller than the 357 Magnum - the 38 Special and 32 Magnum - are too light, small, and slow for effective use against larger animals. Big-bore revolvers such as the 44 Magnum are heavier, making them more difficult to holster and carry comfortably. The boomers are much more difficult to control, with close to twice the recoil of the 357 Magnum. The 357 Magnum is the most powerful cartridge that the average shooter will be able to control, given a handgun of sufficient weight and modest practice. A guy or girl who carries a snub 38 Special for protection and practice will be able to control a mid-size 357 Magnum revolver for occasional use and peace of mind on the trail.The advantages of the revolver have proven out in defense against animals. In more than one case, a person was bowled over by a charging cougar or bear. The defensive handgun was placed against the animals body and the trigger pressed until the desired effect took place. A self-loader would jam after the first shot in such a situation. The facts simply bear us out on this one. In most cases the animal attacks quickly, and it is literally on top of the person, biting and clawing before the victim has time to draw the handgun. The handgun is used at intimate range. While there may be exceptions to the rule, the revolver is a wise choice for this type of personal defense. As for cartridges, we would prefer something larger, but then, the 357 Magnum has been known to suffice. Remember, there is a great difference in hunting and defense and between taking a careful shot and placing a bullet in the heart of a creature and producing a quick, clean kill and actually stopping an attack. Only a cartridge with sufficient bullet integrity to penetrate deeply and break large bones and produce a wound to the blood bearing organs is suitable. Even the skull of some animals is quite thick and resistant to light bullets. As an example, we are aware of a case in which a game warden fired five rounds into the skull of a bear and only one penetrated - the stopping stop. He was using fast-opening 125-grain JHP bullets. Penetration is vital. Some expansion would be ideal, but in the end we have to sacrifice expansion for penetration. If the projected threat is one of the big cats or the dangerous feral dogs, then an expanding bullet is ideal, as long as it has sufficient penetration to perforate the creature. If you are in bear country, then a heavy, non-expanding bullet is needed.The question was relevant on another level - can a self-defense shooter simply change loads and have a viable outdoors revolver for protection against bears? This question would eliminate testing the 6- to 8-inch-barrel revolvers we normally consider hunting revolvers. Could a defense-minded shooter who normally deploys a 110-grain load in his 357 be loaded for bear if he simply changed bullet weights? This is an intriguing question. Normally, heavy bullets with little expansion are contraindicated for personal defense, but not in this scenario.We elected to test several loads that are advertised as heavy loads, and loads that offer sufficient expansion and penetration for use against animals. We threw in a number of general-purpose loads and personal-defense loads as well. Some were recommended by readers or the raters we worked with on this subject. While penetration and ballistic effect is foremost, accuracy is also interesting. These were among the most accurate handgun loads we have ever tested. Since the 357 Magnum is a very popular cartridge, there was no shortage of ammunition available. We leaned toward heavier bullets, but we also tested several personal defense loadings for comparison, simply to confirm our suspicions that these loads did not generate sufficient penetration for use against bear size animals. Wild hogs can be dangerous, and they are in the large and dangerous category. If your problem is feral dogs or the big cats, the first three loads are interesting choices.

(GunReports.com) — Earlier this month, ATK announced that it is being awarded a 450-million-round contract to produce 40-caliber cartridges for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.