I just bought 2 boxes of 107 gr. JHP 38 super Super Vel ammo at a gun show . I heard of them through a friend that said Lee Jurras was the maker of these rounds. Both boxes say that they were from Shelbyville Ind. Does anyone have any info about this ammo and what it's worth. Is it safe to shoot ???? Thanks, Marty

This old thread refers to .357 ammo,but you may find it informative.

Super Vel Ammo..........

f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

That stuff is likely close to a half-century old.

My guess is that the ammo would be worth more to a collector than as shooting fodder. Its value lies in its status as the first high-performance handgun ammo using lightweight, jacketed hollowpoints at elevated velocities.

Most fixed, metallic, centerfire ammunition will stay viable for decades (at least), but that depends largely upon how it was stored. Duds are far more likely than blow-ups.

There is no real point in shooting it. It's a waste of its potential collector status to use it for plinking or practice. As carry ammo its performance has long been surpassed by any number of modern loads from any of today's manufacturers.

Lee Jurras's company Super Vel produced high performance revolver, pistol ammo..I don't remember the exact years he was in production, his ammo got a lot of press back in the 70's....and I credit him with being the "ice breaker" in breathing life into many cartridges that back in the day were rather docile.....you can goggle "super vel" and/ or Lee Jurras.....I know Lee and he is also an accomplished gun maker, I have a couple shooting bud's that have Lee Jurras built bolt guns and I have a custom 222 mag Contender set up that I use for varmints...there are folk's who really probably like to add that ammo to their collection.....there is a suprising amt of that stuff still floating around.....I bought a full box of 38 spl Super Vel from my LGS for $20. a couple of weeks ago.

Before Super Vel, about the only ammo you could buy was standard loadings of heavy bullets, either FMJ or lead. Lee Jurras single-handedly forced FedRemChester to greatly improve the terminal performance of their handgun ammo lines.

As a LEO's in the late 70's and early 80's lots of Sheriffs Deputies used it.

I have not seen any in a long time. While on a mule deer hunt in the early 90's I did eradicate a large rattler at my feet with my 357 and a Super Vel round. There was just a small piece of hide holding his head on. Of course his head was still in an irritable mood.