"New" Bullets in Winchester Silvertip line?

[.455_Hunter]

Greetings,

I have examples of Winchester Silvertip ammo from a few years to over 15 years old with the aluminum alloy jacket in .32 ACP, .38 Special, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. Visiting my gun shop the last week, I looked at all the available Silvertip ammo, and they were loaded with copper jacketed, nickel (?) plated JHPs. Previously, the only load I knew of like this was the 145 gr. .357 magnum load. Have the 115 gr. and 147 gr. 9mm loads always had the non-aluminum jacket?

Why did Winchester change the design? The Silvertip used to be a unique bullet, providing good expansion at low velocity with its soft jacket. Now they are just plated clones of normal JHP loads.

The old .32 ACP 60 gr. Silvertip load is what made the Seecamp and other small pocket autos popular again. I have heard that Seecamp no longer recommends this new load for his gun due to feeding and expansion problems.

What do you folks think?

Hunter

 

[grendelbane]

Both the 9mm and .38 Super Silvertips have been plated jackets since the 80s.

The 10mm Silvertip has been plated for a long time too, but I am not real sure about when it was introduced.

If it weren't the best anti werewolf ammunition on the market, I would consider it just to be marketing hype.

 

[bpisler]

The updated 44spl silvertip bullet
looks very different compared to
the older one. Where the older
design had a cone shaped HP,the
updated bullets looks a lot like
the old speer 200gr "flying ashtray"
45acp bullet.I think winchester has
also touched up the 9mm and 45 colt
loads in the last few years.

 

[ARTiger]

I just shot some .45 ACP silvertips that were bought about a year ago. Was able to recover a few of the bullets from the "target" - an old A/C unit - and they had the alloy jackets.

Have to say they looked fearsome after going through about 1/16" of sheetmetal - all of them seperated into 3 pieces: the front HP section expanded to about .70 cal and split off from a heavy middle/rear section which also expanded somewhat, then the alloy jacket which weighs practically nothing was still in good shape but seperated from the bullet altogether. Nearly all the bullets I found did the exact same seperation. Also, none of them penetrated the back panel which was about a 15 inches from the front - just broke into the three pieces and rattled around in the hollow cavity where the A/C "guts" had been removed.

 

[innerpiece9]

Hi!
Ive used STHP's in 115 and 147 Gr. for my carry 9mm, a Stainless Taurus PT111 MilPro, extensively.

the only bad thing I can say about them... is that they arent the cleanest round in this compact of a pistol..
They are however, the best preforming 9mm amo Ive found.
Consistant expansion, and pennetration, shot for shot. Near 100% complete weight retention in all cases.. Extremely nill fragmentation The 115s open to alittle over 3/4in, while the 147s push deeper and open to 3/4 or just under.
Yes they cost alot.. $28-30 bux for a 50rd box.... but they are, by far, the most uniformly preforming load Ive found..
Low Muzzle flash, on both Loads, the 147 was the least. Nighttime shooting was a breeze, with and without taclights.

I keep the 115s loaded for home defence and the 147s for when I leave the woods

A +p load would be vicious

ip9