What Super Velocity do I have?

[99bob]

Picked these up a few years ago in a Colt Detective Special. Are these Peters? Any idea what they weigh or how fast they go?

 

[Alk8944]

They are "Super Vel" brand, just like the headstamp says. They date to the 1960s-1970s and were at one time, before the +P designation ever occurred, equivalent to +P+ or .38 Hi-Speed or .38-44 loads. The most common bullet weights were 110 & 125 grain. They are collectors items.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Super Vel made ammo to match the LEAA computer simulation models of the 70s that insisted that light, fast bullets that created a "temporary stretch cavity" resulted in the best stopping power instead of the long, time tested, heavy, wide, deep penetrating bullets that created the best permanent wound channel.

As we all know now by hindsight, the LEAA computer simulation model theory has now been completely discredited, and ammo built to perform in accordance therewith was not as effective as theorized by LEAA.

It is unknown how many lives of LE officers were lost due to the federal government's LEAA agenda of low weight, high velocity, temporary stretch cavity, but I am fairly certain that everyone finally got the wake up call after the infamous Miami FBI shootout.

The Winchester Silvertip round fired by Agent Jerry Dove from his 9mm S&W 459 that didn't penetrate far enough to kill Michael Platt was designed to perform perfectly according to the LEAA temporary stretch cavity theory and did not have adequate penetration to stop Platt, stopping an inch short of his heart.

Your Super Vel rounds are collector's items. Treat them as such, and do not use them for defense, lest you be disappointed, or worse, if they are called upon and do not perform.

 

[99bob]

They are "Super Vel" brand, just like the headstamp says. They date to the 1960s-1970s and were at one time, before the +P designation ever occurred, equivalent to +P+ or .38 Hi-Speed or .38-44 loads. The most common bullet weights were 110 & 125 grain. They are collectors items.

Thanks. They came out of my small ammo collection.

Super Vel made ammo to match the LEAA computer simulation models of the 70s that insisted that light, fast bullets that created a "temporary stretch cavity" resulted in the best stopping power instead of the long, time tested, heavy, wide, deep penetrating bullets that created the best permanent wound channel.

As we all know now by hindsight, the LEAA computer simulation model theory has now been completely discredited, and ammo built to perform in accordance therewith was not as effective as theorized by LEAA.

It is unknown how many lives of LE officers were lost due to the federal government's LEAA agenda of low weight, high velocity, temporary stretch cavity, but I am fairly certain that everyone finally got the wake up call after the infamous Miami FBI shootout.

The Winchester Silvertip round fired by Agent Jerry Dove from his 9mm S&W 459 that didn't penetrate far enough to kill Michael Platt was designed to perform perfectly according to the LEAA temporary stretch cavity theory and did not have adequate penetration to stop Platt, stopping an inch short of his heart.

Your Super Vel rounds are collector's items. Treat them as such, and do not use them for defense, lest you be disappointed, or worse, if they are called upon and do not perform.

Thank you for the information. I have no plans of using them, let alone in a self defense manor. They will go back into my small ammo collection.

 

[rockquarry]

The 110 Super Vel HP .38 Special load had an advertised muzzle velocity of 1370 fps, certainly among the hottest available at the time. I think the cartridge depicted by the initiating poster has a different weight bullet.

 

[rockquarry]

The 110 Super Vel HP .38 Special load had an advertised muzzle velocity of 1370 fps, certainly among the hottest available at the time. I think the cartridge depicted by the initiating poster has a different weight bullet.

Correction: According to the 1971 GUN DIGEST, the 110 grain Super Vel load was also available with a 110 jacketed soft point bullet, as shown in the photo at the beginning of this thread.

 

[sw282]

I have 110gr JHP, JSP, 38sp, 357magnum... Also ''POLICE''

loads in each...Maybe a dozen boxes total.

Lee Jurras was the Granddaddy of high performance hand gun ammunition...

His ammo SAVED far more lives than it ever cost.

 

[rockquarry]

It wasn't the hottest of the era, but was close. Very popular with law enforcement. No one was really concerned then with accuracy and nobody asked, "Can I shoot Super Vel in my Chief?" They just did it because all cartridges were stamped .38 Special.

 

[DWalt]

Prior to Super Vel, there weren't many factory-loaded handgun cartridges available on your dealer's shelves other than those with heavy round-nosed lead or FMJ bullets often at moderate MVs and largely unchanged since the 1900s. Super-Vel almost single-handedly forced the large ammunition companies to improve their products, and that led to its downfall.

 

[99bob]

Prior to Super Vel, there weren't many factory-loaded handgun cartridges available on your dealer's shelves other than those with heavy round-nosed lead or FMJ bullets often at moderate MVs and largely unchanged since the 1900s. Super-Vel almost single-handedly forced the large ammunition companies to improve their products, and that led to its downfall.

I learned a lot from this thread. It's taken me to a few different informative reads.