.357 Silvertips have changed.

sigp220.45 · Aug 4, 2021

On the rare occasions I carry a .357 revolver I always load with 145 grain Winchester .357 Magnum Silvertips.

They were the FBI issued .357 round for years. You were supposed to get ASAC permission to carry them, but a lot of guys just loaded with them anyway. I know I did. A friend of mine shot a guy in the elbow with one once and it was truly impressive.

They were always loaded in nickle cases - corked with the Silvertip bullet they looked like something the Lone Ranger would use.

My purloined stash has slowly diminished and I am now reduced to actually paying for them. The horror.

Winchester only loads them when the mood strikes. I had an alert in at Midway and they had some last week. I think they’re gone now. I ponied up the traditional buck-a-round and waited. They came today.

I was surprised to see they are now loaded in mundane looking brass cases. Not a big deal, and I assume they will still kill werewolves, but its kind of a let down.

ISCS Yoda · Aug 4, 2021

Yeah, they were much cooler in nickel cases!!!

Erocksmash · Aug 4, 2021

I just got 3750ct Montana golds in from a Gun bro that look strikingly fimilar to Winchester silver tips...

All 125s, left to right. XTP, Montana Gold, Golden Saber, and silver tips

biku324 · Aug 4, 2021

The slick-looking, all-nickel 145 grain Silvertips were our last 357 issue round in '91 or '92. Great rounds!

jtcarm · Aug 4, 2021

I still have 200 rounds of the nickle-cased stuff.

I ran out & bought several boxes after seeing a bare-gel test a few years ago that included the latest whiz-bang 9mm & .38 HPs.

Nothing came close to the STHP.

I don’t always carry a .357, but when I do, I prefer Silvertips.

ReloadforFun · Aug 5, 2021

It may be that dropping the nickel plating is a temporary measure geared to manufacturing expediency to speed production. Hornady has also dropped some nickel plating..

VictorLouis · Aug 5, 2021

Makes me want to keep a keen eye out for it at the shows. Nickel is slicker, and doesn't suffer the corrosion as easily. Thanks for posting this.

JWintergreen · Aug 5, 2021

It also seems that they have been neutered in terms of performance as well.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11uNMCuGRQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11uNMCuGRQ[/ame]

In other bad news, Federal has discontinued the classic .357B and .357E loadings. Also, the Remington ammo brand (since its relaunch) no longer offers a .357 Mag 158 grain SJHP. With new revolver offerings popping up over the last several years, and .38/.357 ammo being very hard to get in many areas, these decisions seem very odd (even with the demand for other calibers).

HughD1 · Aug 5, 2021

Federal has a 125 grain 357 listed in their train and protect line. Picture looks like a SJHP. Listed at 1440 FPS. Haven’t seen or fired one but appears to be as close as they get to the 357B.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

CAJUNLAWYER · Aug 5, 2021

Well that sucks. I LOVE my silver bullets. WIcked cool looking AND good for killing "wear"wolfs and vampires

CH4 · Aug 5, 2021

Me too! I love the all-silver werewolf killers. Carried the 145 grainers as my duty ammo for the first 7 years of my career. Always took out my speed loaders to check em out. All my current silver tips, 10mm, 45colt, 44 mag and the 110 gr 38s I bought Saturday have brass cases. They just don't have the same je ne sais quois the nickel cases bring. Very disappointing.

biku324 · Aug 5, 2021

HughD1 said:
Federal has a 125 grain 357 listed in their train and protect line. Picture looks like a SJHP. Listed at 1440 FPS. Haven’t seen or fired one but appears to be as close as they get to the 357B.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That round, in the older red and white boxes, was our issue ammo from '79 through about '90. We had no unsatisfied customers on either end. Back then it was bargain-priced; as its reputation grew, so did the price.

germansheperd · Aug 5, 2021

Black Talon FTW

Fastbolt · Aug 5, 2021

It's unsurprising the .357 cases have also gone over to plain brass, as that's been the case with other STHP caliber loads for many years.

On the plus side, it also appears they've gone from the nickel plated to the softer brass primer cups, which isn't a bad thing as they're often promoted as being more sensitive.

Also, now that it's not nearly as common for spare revolver ammo to be carried in leather belt loops, pouches and carriers, it's probably not as necessary to have the nickel cases.

The 145gr STHP load was a mainstay for me toward the end of our service revolvers day, as well.

I still like to occasionally load it in my pair of M&P 340's, but as my remaining supply of it has been declining I only run a few rounds of it through one of them every now and again during a range qual.

My supply of Rem 125gr & 140gr SJHP and W-W 145gr STHP is something I carefully hoard nowadays. Rem discontinued the 140gr SJHP some years ago.

brucev · Aug 5, 2021

Always have liked the Silvertip load in .357 Magnum. As with the 125 gr. JHP in .357 Magnum, about as near as one can come to a lightening bolt! Works on everything that needs shooting. Sincerely. bruce.

jtcarm · Aug 5, 2021

JWintergreen said:
It also seems that they have been neutered in terms of performance as well.

10mm VS .357 Magnum Winchester Silvertip Gel Test - YouTube

In other bad news, Federal has discontinued the classic .357B and .357E loadings. Also, the Remington ammo brand (since its relaunch) no longer offers a .357 Mag 158 grain SJHP. With new revolver offerings popping up over the last several years, and .38/.357 ammo being very hard to get in many areas, these decisions seem very odd (even with the demand for other calibers).

Man that sucks about the Remington SJHP. That’s one of the best performers in 158-grain bullets.

I have several hundred of the bullets. I guess I better be frugal with them.

John F. · Aug 5, 2021

Years ago, one of the gun magazines had a humorous article entitled:
"Your Carry Ammo and What It Says About You."

The only one I remember was about Silvertips.
"Your ammo is old, and so are you."

John

ddixie884 · Aug 6, 2021

A few months before the pandemic. Midway ran a sale on the 145 gr magic bullets when they were truly "Lone Ranger' worthy and I stocked up on the real silver bullets. Good timing........

Nevada Ed · Aug 6, 2021

"Hay Poncho"...............
"Yoo Philgram"........
"Hay Beaver".....
"Sufferin Suckatash"...........
just a minute, I'll get it right................................

"Who was that masked man"....................

ArchAngelCD · Aug 7, 2021

Hearing this is very disappointing. I have a S&W M640 that shoots scary accurate with the Winchester 145gr Silvertip .357 Magnum ammo. I sure hope they only changed the case to brass and didn't change the ammo itself.

Please let us know if the quality and the accuracy have been compressed when you shoot them. I'm really hoping they are still very accurate.

Thanks for the heads tip.

.357 Silvertips have changed.

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