Wal-Mart 115gr FMJ "White Box" ammo
 

I was out cashing checks & picking up eyeglasses today and since I was going by Wally World decided to see if they had the "white box" 9mm ammo that everyone writes/recommends... :rolleyes:

This is what I was shown/sold - Winchester 115gr FMJ 100-rd Value Pack...It's labeled "Target/Range" but no mention of how many grains of what powder...

Looks good; definitely not copper-washed (like a lot of .22 ammunition these days) but a proper copper jacket...Winchester marked cases; OAL of a random 10 cartridges measured 1.159" to 1.164"...

100rds for $23.97 USD (+ local sales tax)...I thought that a bit much at first, then did a double take as I realized that's just a few dollars more than what I sometimes pay for 50rds of Remington, Federal, or other brand name ammo...

Can't comment on how it shoots right now as the local police are using the range and time is limited... :(

Actually, I was expecting a plain white [unmarked] box as is sometimes seen at guns shows for questionable cartridges (that say only "9mm Luger" on the headstamp) so I was somewhat surprised that it is a Winchester-marked box and headstamped cases...

I'm not sure if they were originally 'stacked' in rows; these look like they were just dumped into the box...

I did have to show my NYS Pistol Permit for the sale...I'm not sure if this is just NYS or not...but since there are several 9mm "camp" carbines available, it's kind of odd...

Can't beat the price... :thumbup:

Rich,

This is basically the same ammo sold to the military. The White Box was originally sold as military contract over-run, if I recall correctly.

Ron

That makes sense, Ron. I've read where big cities ordering ammunition for their police forces typically order millions of rounds, and that's just for a yearly round of qualifications...It would make sense for Winchester to crank these out in the hundreds of millions for military + police...

But the military (and probably police too) boxes would have "lot numbers" on them for quality control purposes...I guess Wally World doesn't care too much about that...(or maybe these are the lot numbers that were pulled out of service for too many misfires)... :eek:

When I worked as an S4 clerk we would report misfires during qualifications so that "bad" lots could be identified and removed from service Corps-wide...I don't recall how many misfires per thousand, but it wasn't all that many... :rolleyes:

EOD was supposed to destroy the "pulled" ammunition, but if Winchester still had thousands/millions of rounds sitting in their warehouses, they might release them for "Target/Range" use...To us... :D

Shot quite a few of these rounds when a supply of them became available over here. Excellent stuff, the lugers love it.

They are excellent to shoot.I have had good luck with them.

Bob

The NYPD's current authorized uniformed strength is 37,838 according to WikiPedia. Assume 50 rds to pre-qualify every year; plus another 50 rds to qualify - that's 3,783,800 rds per year, and that doesn't count practice shooting. The actual count would be much higher. For just New York City. Qualifying once a year.

That's 37,838 boxes of this ammo. With a storage space of 908,112 cu in...or 525.52 cu ft...that's a square of ammunition 8 feet long, 8 feet high, and 8 feet wide...

Winchester must have hundreds of huge warehouses storing the ammunition needed just for law enforcement...and for the military???...It's mind-boggling...

I've fired hundreds of rounds of Winchester White Box. I don't recall a single mis-fire, and if functions very well in every gun I've used it in. It originally came out back in the '80s, I think.

I remember buying several boxes at a local shop for $5.95 a box. I also remember a local 'expert' who was looking over my shoulder, telling me that it was "Military Reject", and wasn't worth the price. It's the absolute best plinking ammo I've used. And is consistantly accurate for hard ball.

I know that it works great in a friends "Sten" gun too. We fired a case of 500 rds in a session without a mis-fire.

Ron

It's interesting you should mention Sten gun 9mm...Years back, I recall reading somewhere that Sten gun 9mm [military] was loaded hotter than, say, German military 9mm Parabellum ammunition...and that this was the problem with many Luger blown extractors...Sten gun cartridges in Lugers...

Urban myth??? Or fact???

BTW: I loaded a couple thousand rounds of 9mm Luger some years ago, when I had an MP-40...The first few dozen were loaded 5.0 grs Win 231 w/115 gr JMJ bullet...It was too weak...5.25 grs w/115 gr FMJ cycled perfectly...and with a 124 gr FMJFP, 5.0 grs Win 231 cycled perfectly...

Both these loads were too hot for a Luger...but in my S&W 659 w/5" bbl, they shoot very well...

Fact :)

His Sten worked fine with the White Box. I don't recall any problems with it. Possibly modified?

He also had a Lanchester that was very finicky about the type of ammo it was fed.

Ron

Yea I have used much white box with no problems and yes you have to show yer permit to buy handgun ammo in NYS except 22

if you don't like it, you can ship it, post paid, to me and
 

i promise to use it wisely............:)

I don't like my ex-wife either...Where do you want her shipped? :thumbup:

Edit: My vernier was off...measurements changed...mea culpa... :(

postino, i've seen the white box...what should i look for in your ex-wife??
 

...

Here ya go...Trained nurse...She's conveniently available...She should have almost a full box of .357's...her 2nd husband decided that life wasn't worth it... :(

looks too much like jack nicholson...i'll pass...
 

:)

...Acts like him, too... :rolleyes:

Hi Rich, That's a good one, it made my day. As the kids would say, LOL. Regards, Norm

Ron, I don't think that this is the exact same ammo as the military uses it, I've bought some WIN ammo a while ago (124 gr?), 9 mm NATO was printed on the box and the marking on the cartridge was different to the regular Win white box ammo w. the 115 gr bullet.