Any ammo collectors here?

A10 · #1 10-11-2013, 03:48 PM

I recently came across a full box of Winchester Law Enforcement Only +P Subsonic 147 grain Hollowpoint .38 rounds. I don't want to shoot them up if there is collector interest in them, otherwise they look like a pretty good SD round. The +P Subsonic thing begs the question of "Why?", though.....anyone seen any of these? This is a first for me.

MichiganScott · #2 10-11-2013, 10:17 PM

Not a collector, but it's difficult to get past the speed of sound (1,126 fps) with a jacketed bullet of that weight in .38 special with safe pressures.

The 147gr SXT 9mm cartridge is a pretty good SD round. I suspect it's the same bullet in a .38 case. Pretty common thing to do for the ammo companies.

weatherby · #3 10-11-2013, 10:23 PM

I'm an accumulator....I like the pretty boxes and names

A10 · #4 10-11-2013, 11:00 PM

Not real pretty, but fairly unusual I'd think...

weatherby · #5 10-11-2013, 11:17 PM

I like the stuff that was safe for children too....LOL

BlackTalonJHP · #6 10-12-2013, 12:19 AM

Let me guess. Is this the XSUB38S load?
@MichiganScott, I don't think it's an SXT bullet, but will need more pics.

After looking at the pic, it may be Q4296

A10 · #7 10-12-2013, 01:18 AM

RA38147HP on the end of the box....

chief38 · #8 10-12-2013, 01:28 AM

Sort of a quasi cartridge collector myself, as I don't actively seek out cartridges but will collect them if I come across interesting examples.

The loads in question are not all that rare and not worth a whole lot. I have some of those as well and just save them for nostalgic reasons. Maybe back in the day they were considered good SD rounds, but today there are a bunch that are much better.

A10 · #9 10-12-2013, 01:09 PM

Good to hear, I can shoot them with a clear concience!

mkk41 · #10 10-13-2013, 12:49 PM

The main thing about Law Enforcement Use Only marked boxes of ammo is that it was priced and sold thru the companies LE sales division directly to police depts.

Quite often , larger distributors will get a deal on so marked ammo if there's a surplus.

CTG_COLLECTOR · #11 10-13-2013, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A10

I recently came across a full box of Winchester Law Enforcement Only +P Subsonic 147 grain Hollowpoint .38 rounds. I don't want to shoot them up if there is collector interest in them, otherwise they look like a pretty good SD round. The +P Subsonic thing begs the question of "Why?", though.....anyone seen any of these? This is a first for me.

Federal also makes this load using their 147 Hydra Shok bullet.

These loads were developed around the early 90's when the 9mm 147JHP's were all the rage after the FBI gave the 147gr 9mm load their official "stamp of approval". The bullets in the .38 ammo are no better than the 9mm versions and probably will perform just as poorly as the early 9mm subsonic rounds of the day.

There's really no great collectors value to this ammo except to those who like the old fashion LEO style boxes. To those who collect 38Spl and/or modern rounds, a single round will go for an average of $1. As just plain plinking fodder, a full box would go for maybe $15-20. For SD I'd rather use Winchester's 130SXT+P or the 130JHP+P Bonded load, as they have a much better chance of good expansion with little chance of over penetration (unlike the older 147JHP subsonic bullet designs).