I just got a new Hornady collet type bullet puller, and after I pulled a box of 9mm ammo that I felt was too hot, I started wondering what's in WW white box 9mm 115gr.fmj ammo. (BTW the Hornady puller is very easy to use, and works great!).


The powder weighed in at 5.5 gr. and very closely resembled WSF powder, a very fine flattened ball. Actually the Hodgedon site lists 115 FMJ over WSF ranging from 4.9 to 5.7, so 5.5 would be within the realm; slightly under max.
One difference I found was the Hodgedon sight indicated an OAL OF 1.169" and WW White Box measures 1.155" OAL.

The likelihood that it is WSF is negative because they probably use some kind of canister grade powder not available to the public, and, WSF is primarily designed as a shotgun powder, but it is at least very similar.

I've never used Auto comp, but, a quick scan of reload data shows similarities there also. Could Auto comp be a newly released powder that was once canister grade? It's fun to speculate.

Just some totally useless information. As Larry Potterfield would say: "and that's the way it is".

Companies will also mix together different powders and test in the labs to use up powder that cannot be bought as any kind of canister powder. That's one of the reasons you hear about recalls of a particular batch of ammunition that didn't turn out quite as intended.
You never really know from one batch to the next what powder the manufacturer used.

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Science plus Art

I think they load 'floor sweepins' into WWB.

Jamie
I spoke with one of the 'smiths at Springfield and during our conversation we did touch on this same subject. It was about WalMar.... They go to their suppliers and tell them they want this many xxx. THEN they tell them how much they will pay for that. So when it comes to ammo, they get the 'dregs' of the production, the stuff that just isn't quite up to 'snuff'. And if the supplier doesn't have enough to fill the order, they cut back on quality controls on a production run to fill the order. While they don't want to put out ****, since their name is on it, they will "settle for" something like - groups out to maybe 3 inches, while their normal/good production groups to 2.5 inches....
WM stuff might be ok for plinking or bird hunting but if I want tight groups, I reload my own stuff.

I can tell you from first hand experience on multiple occasions what you DON'T always get in a box of WWB, 100 rounds of ammo.

Twice now I have only gotten 99 rds in a box.

Pretty easy to tell if it's NATO brass- there will be a cross in a circle on it

''Canister-grade'' powders are those available to handloaders. Factories use non-canister grade powders. Sold by the 'lot' , which could a ton or more , they may or may not meet the specs of canister grade. Some may be very close. The factory will work up a load , and run that till that particular 'lot' of powder is gone.

I bought a WWB that only had 94 rounds in the box - don't know if its the dealer or Winchester but either way that's no good.

It seems people are stealing bullets from boxes in the stores. The party pack loose packs it hard to see one or two missing, even four or five. The fifty round trays they steal one or two from the middle of the box. Most folks dont slide out the try far enough to see the missing rounds...

In my experience, if I don't get 100, I get something more...like 102, 104, etc...

Never had a problem with WWB other than being dirty. It's cheap, works and soap will clean you up, Hoppes will clean the firearm .

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Same here. And I've never been shorted, but have gotten a couple of extra.

Good brass for reloading too.

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John 3:16 .

I've Loaded WWB over 8-9 times & I use 124gr bullets and Unique, With no problems at all ; ) PS The brass is OK
Y/D

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GOD/GUNS/GUTS>GET EM ALL

Most pistol powders were/are shotgun powders. WSF is one of my fav int he 9mm & 40 for midrange to full power loads.

power pistol is the 'clean' unique. meters better too.

I really liked the old large pistol primed WWB brass in 45 ACP. Have some I've loaded 5X and it is still like new. Too bad it's all small pistol primer now, though it is still good brass to reload.

I'm eating an apple and nearly just choked.