I got a full box of Winchester Western 200gr 38 special Super Police today for $5.00.
Are these collectable or shooters?

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Anchors

I got a full box of Winchester Western 200gr 38 special Super Police today for $5.00.
Are these collectable or shooters?

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Anchors

Probably collector ammo. If you could post a picture in the pre-war section you will probably get some bites or even post it here.

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SWCA 1646

I picked up a full box of the Remington version sometime within the last year, "Index 5238" the end label says. I bought it to test, and consider it shooter stuff. There have been threads on this ammo here before. Most users were not very impressed IIRC, velocities around 600 fps.

There is definitely nothing "super" about Super Police loads from the performance standpoint! They were reputed to glance off auto windshields if fired at a slight angle. However I once bought some Remington 200 grain bullets intended for their version of the Super Police load, and loaded them in a .357 ahead of a health charge of 2400. Those loads were another matter altogether!

I used to carry them in my old nickel Model 36, of which I lost custody many moons ago in a divorce. I never shot anybody with them, but it sure was reassuring dropping those heavy buggers in the cylinder.

They were pretty popular once, and I suspect if they were launched out of a six inch barrel they might be fairly potent. If I remember right, both the cops in "The Onion Field" (non-fiction, must-read book by Joe Wambaugh) carried 200 grainers in their six inch revolvers.

I have an old "Law Enforcement Handgun Digest" which shows a side window of a car which took a point blank hit with one from a 2 inch gun. There was a quarter sized area pushed in, but the bullet didn't get through.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I keep my 4" Combat Masterpiece loaded with these 200 grainers- some of the last ones win-western co. made. These loads are hard to find and I have a shooter box and one for collecting. If yours has a really nice box then I would save them. If not try them out.

They chronograph at 625 fps from a 4" tube. I tested them for penetration in a pile of old clothes and they penetrated half the distance of a 185 gr 45 acp. I would imagine they would have been lousy against 1960s car bodies and auto glass, but so was all the other 38 loads of the time. Up close, against a man with no car to shoot through I guess they would be as good as any 38 LRN. They do seem to hit harder than 158 LRN.

On the flipside, Chic Gaylord, a 1960s handgunner/author of good reputation said they were the best 38 load made. Granted that is dated info from before hollowpoints, but for those of us who dont use hollowpoints all that much it is good to know.

Groo here
The idea behind the 200gr was two fold.
1# the round nose was better than the
158gr semi rnd nose [ blunter]
2# The english used a similer load in there
guns from the time of the empire .
The long bullet would turn or yaw when they
hit a Fusy-Wusy causing more damage [like modern
military rifle bullets].
This was in the era of BP and Cordite
and way before supervell or even Keith [hats off please].
The thing is that to work the bullet needs to be slow and the faster you drive it the
deeper it will go [ like heavy mag bullets]
but the more stable it is [will not turn sidewayl]
The is verry old tech from the late 1800's-
eary 1900's.

Groo!!!!!!! I've always enjoyed your posts. Where have you been?

Groo here
Here there working etc.

Welcome back! It's good to see you posting!