S&W Nyclad 38spl

panther

panther

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Ok, tell me what I bought. I was at a gun store looking at a 1st gen M&P 40c and behind the counter I saw a box of S&W Nyclad 38spl. It's 125gr semi-wadcutter H.P. Nickled cases, blue S&W box that, on the bottom says, "S&W ammunition company, a Bangor Punta Company, Rock Creek, Ohio.
The ammo looks like new. The box has wear on the corners but not bad.
I know it's been a few years since S&W was a Bangor Punta company. Is this collectible or just shooter ammo?
My daughter ran off with my phone, I'll get pics later.
BTW, I paid $35 for the box of 50.
 
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You bought outdated defensive hollow point ammo thats more of a collectors item. Cool old stuff but Federal and other manufacturers produce far superior defensive ammo nowadays.
 
That's good stuff. Its a soft lead hollowpoint with a nylon coating to prevent leading. It sometimes got confused with the KTW stuff that was also blue but was a different critter altogether.

Lemme know if you want to sell it.
 
Since they do not make it any more..........

I would think the price tag on that ammo should be a lot higher than what
it was sold at many years ago.

I would not shoot it, just look at it for a while and seee what comes along.
 
Definitely "old stock" but reasonably priced in today's market. Cartridge head may be marked with S&W-F. It was great for its day, some 30 years ago. Soft lead so it expands well. Better choices out there today but still a respectable defensive loading.
 
I qualified with this stuff (36 rounds) back in 1990 w/ a model 36. After a few cylinders of ammo through the gun, that great blue coating was getting caught under the extractor star. This was preventing the cylinder from closing. I believe it was the Federal version I was using.

Just something I experienced with this ammo.
 
It was good enough Federal licensed the technology and the name when S&W quit selling ammunition. I have few boxes of Federal's Nyclad recent production (last five years or so).

Dead soft lead under the nylon coating with a larger than normal hollow point opening. It expands easily without making the usual lead smoke.

Personally I would collect it. $35 was a mighty fair price IMHO.
 
Smith & Wesson got out of the ammo business in 1979? 1980? It wasn't any later than that I don't think.

I seem to recall they bought what was Alcan at the time. That was the very early 70's as best I remember.

The Nyclad was ahead of it's time. Touted for use in indoor ranges when lead exposure was just becoming an issue. They used to pitch it as a one-round solution for training and duty use that was less expensive than jacketed ammo.
 
I was told, by a police forensics guy, that a 'recovered' nyclad bullet would display no markings of any kind that would allow the forensics people to ID the gun/barrel. Have no idea if it's true other than my friend would have no reason to say it.... he's gone now or I would ask him for more info.

J.
 
Have a box + of the Federal 125gr, non-+P version: which, at one time was considered one of the best defensive 38 Special loads for a short barrel.

Many things have changed since then, but the human physiology...? Not so much so.:eek:

Still a very effective, low recoil round. Perfect for older J-frames, Charter Arms, Colts, etc., where the owners are careful or concerned about pressure.:rolleyes:

Interesting that Federal now has multiple (as in 6) offerings in 38Special & +P in their Personal Defense lines, from a 110gr Low Recoil, through the 130gr JHPWC to a 158gr Lead hollowpoint. Interesting to compare their ballistics to the old Nyclads.

Cheers!
 
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Johnnu2 said:
I was told, by a police forensics guy, that a 'recovered' nyclad bullet would display no markings of any kind that would allow the forensics people to ID the gun/barrel. Have no idea if it's true other than my friend would have no reason to say it.... he's gone now or I would ask him for more info.

J.
Click to expand...

Perhaps he encountered some that the nylon coating had peeled off leaving just the lead slug? I have dug a few Nyclads out of backstops in the past when "mining" lead. Still recognizable by the colored nylon which simply burned off in the lead pot when turning salvaged bullets into ingots. As far as I can recall they had rifling marks visible even when slightly flattened from hitting rocks in the backstop. And I tend to notice anything out of the ordinary, especially when I would wash and sort through the recovered bullets to make sure I didn't have anything in there I didn't want.

I could see where they might shed the coating under certain conditions. Cores from jacketed hollow points would sometimes be dug up without the jacket too. I have heard similar concerns about projectile ID in the past involving other bullets but any bullet surface in contact with the rifling should show marks. I have read that different levels of hardness or jacket material can show some variations in the appearance of grooves in a recovered bullet. One reason for examiners to always try to use the same brand or type is at all possible for test firing.
 
I had a homicide where these were used and learned about them.
It is true that the Nyclad bullets don't hold identifying striation marks like a lead bullet does. Also, the nylon shrinks down to some degree when cooled down which also distorts the rifling striations.
I still have several boxes of this ammo. It was designed to keep airborne lead down. I have never seen any shed they're coating on firing.
 
Have a full box someone gave me that is the same S&W brand .38 125 gr. Nyclad JHP (std. pressure) and is packaged in a plain white box with black lettering, marked for 'LE Use Only'.
Have no idea who it was made for.
 
This is stuff of the 1970's and 80's. It was actually a good performer back in those days. Very soft, swaged lead bullet, which allowed for expansion at velocities way below supersonic. The nylon coating prevented the soft lead from fouling the bore.
 
6GUNSONLY said:
There is Federal Nyclad 125 grain in my model 60 right now. Just saying... It's as good as it was, and plenty good enough.
Click to expand...

I used to carry the Federal. I liked the idea that the soft lead would expand as snubby velocities, but not lead my barrel. It wouldn't bother me to carry it today if I still had any left.
 
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Early magazine articles reported that the firearm & tool mark examiners complained about the coating on the first Nyclad bullets, so S&W made the coating thinner.

The Teflon coating on KTW bullets was green.
 
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You're not going to retire on the proceeds from selling your box of ammo to a collector but they don't make them anymore and it's cool to have an intact box of S&W ammo to go with your gun. I would keep it.
 
STORMINORMAN said:
Keep 'em, carry 'em & then SHOOT 'EM! That's my plan.

But, only if necessary...?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

If the zombies attack I would use them but only after I ran out of Win white box and reloads. Just because it's the apocalypse doesn't mean you should give up on decorum!
 
minconrevo said:
It was great for its day, some 30 years ago.
Click to expand...

I'd say Nyclads were in Vogue deeper than thirty years ago, at least in my region. I started the local academy in 1990 (still on the job). I was not nearly as ammo and gun savvy as I am now, but I remember being issued 125 gr JHP's for our Model 10's and 15's and the range instructor said "these run cleaner than the old Nyclads", or words to that effect. He definitely referenced the Nyclads in such a way that made them seem like a 'yesteryear' round.
 
I'd keep them, too, but not for collection. With this ammo 'crunch,' a box of factory ammo is worth more as part of a stash, IMO. It's SHTF ammo, guys, nothing more.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
 
Back in the day, Steve Ottway, S&W Ammo Department gave me and an employee a case of Nyclad .38 & .357 ammo to evaluate. We used Model 2 model 19's, 36's, a 37 and 3 Model 27's all different barrel lengths. We were told by Steve to be honest in our evaluations. Our only complaint was the Model 37 was a little had to handle. We had no issues with the coating. By the way, the ammo was selected at random from production, so we had to note ammo lots after each box. I still have over 40 boxes of all Nyclad ammo.
 
I used to buy it whenever I would see it at gunshows from dealers that were selling the proceeds from an estate or other source of older production ammo. I usually paid around $10-$15 a box prior to the ammo panic during the last hostile administration. It always performed well in my guns. I'm down to just a couple of boxes now. The Federal Nyclad version of the FBI Load is very accurate in my Colt Detective Special and I would have no reservations about carrying it today.
 
It was/is a great idea that Federal should revist with their new "Syntech" coating. A new 125 grain standard pressure load (at a full 17,000 psi) and a new full power 158 grain LSWCHP +P (at 20,000 psi) would be great to see. A 148 grain wadcutter and a 158 grain LRN with this coating should be offered as well. Federal was going to offer a syntech wadcutter load before the great unpleasantness, but it seems that got put on the backburner.
 
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