... is how they list information about ammunition that they have for sale. They list not only the brand name, the caliber, the amount of rounds, the cost and normal stuff like that which you would expect to see but they also include information about the ammo that most other retailers do not include. Specifically they include a chart showing the following information, if not for every type of ammo they sell then at least for most of them.
| MPN | SB32A |
| UPC | 754908500024 |
| Manufacturer | Sellier & Bellot Ammo |
| Caliber | 32 ACP Auto Ammo |
| Bullet Type | Full Metal Jacket |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1043 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 176 ft. lbs |
| Primer | Boxer |
| Casing | Brass Casing |
| Ammo Rating | Target & Practice 32 ACP Auto Ammo | | | |
What I particularly like about that is the information about the muzzle velocity and the muzzle energy. Normally, I'd expect both of those to be higher for JHP ammo (self defense ammo) as opposed to FMJ (target ammo). The thing is when it comes to certain brand of ammo, like Sellier & Bellot, their numbers seemingly are always higher as compared to other brands. So their ammo is hotter or performing at a higher velocity with more muzzle energy for each round. As it turns out Sellier & Bellot FMJ (target ammo) ammo winds up being faster and more powerful than most other manufacturers JHP and FMJ ammo in 32 auto. For instance, the above listed Sellier & Bellot FMJ ammo compares to Prvi Partisan JHP (self defense ammo) like this:
| MPN | PPD32A |
| UPC | 8605003813033 |
| Manufacturer | Prvi Partizan Ammo |
| Caliber | 32 ACP AUTO Ammo |
| Bullet Type | HP - Hollow Point |
| Muzzle Velocity | 902 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 129 ft. lbs |
| Primer | Boxer |
| Casing | Brass Casing |
| Ammo Rating | Personal Protection 32 ACP AUTO Ammo | |
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The Prvi Partisan ammo is within SAAMI standards (Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) for muzzle velocity and muzzle energy; however,
the Sellier & Bellot ammo seemingly exceeds those standards as I understand
it after reading this article by Chuck Hawks. Thus, it seems to me, the Sellier & Bellot 32 Auto ammo may be unsafe to fire in most if not all of my pistols. Who woulda thunk it! I don't know about what you would expect but I would not expect a major ammo manufacturer to make ammo that might blow up my pistol. I am none to certain that what I just wrote is correct but it seems to be a genuine concern to me; so, I intend to check into this further. Sellier & Bellot has been one of my go to brands when I can get it and that is all because it is usually more powerful than any other brands I can find but I'll be damned if I continue using it if I find out it is unsafe. Here is what Mr. Hawks had to say about it:
"Almost all .32 ACP and .380 ACP semi-automatic
pistols are blow-back operated, not locked breech designs. In these pistols
only the mass/inertia of the breech bolt and the pressure of the recoil spring
keep the action closed during firing. These are carefully calibrated to the
anticipated pressure of the cartridge for which the pistol is chambered. Any
increase (or decrease) in the cartridge's MAP can create an unsafe and/or
unreliable condition.
In other words, these cartridges are intended to be
loaded within a narrow range of pressures that cannot be exceeded if the guns designed
to shoot them are to operate correctly. Since any handgun used for personal
protection must, above all, be reliable, I recommend against the use of
ersatz "+P" ammunition. Stick with ammunition loaded to SAAMI specifications."; (source). I am hopeful I can contact Mr. Hawks to determine if the S&B ammo is safe to use in my pistols or if I should avoid it. For now, I am going to order some of the Prvi Partisan ammo.
Dazed & confused about this am I but I am willing to learn more about the subject especially with the goal of preventing a catastrophic failure in any of my pistols and preventing possible injury should such a failure take place. So, if you are truly in the know about this subject - please be so kind as to clue me in with references if possible. In addition, if you are aware of contact information for Chuck Hawks, I would appreciate you letting me know how to contact him. Thanks.
All the best,
Glenn B
3 comments:
in at least two calibers, one rifle/one pistol, i found them so out of spec as to not fire at all. i thought the guns were at fault and took them to a gunsmith to check out. the guns were fine and later fired with any other ammo presented. other folks swear by s&b. as to velocity, faster is not always better.
That surprises me. I have used S&B ammo in several pistols (9mm, 380 & 32 AUTO) and at least a few rifles (7.62x54R all in Mosin Nagants of one type or another) and a few shotguns (12 gauge buckshot and I think also slugs but oo buck for sure). I do not recall having any problems with it. In fact, I am pretty sure I liked it better than a lot of other ammo in pistols and in 7.62x54R. Just as good as any in my shotguns. It goes to show you how quality control or lack of it can change & screw things up either with the ammo or maybe with the guns too.
true. we had a rash of m4's blowing up at the military institute while i was armorer. turned out a batch of federal 556 was defective, hot loaded. had the same happen with a batch of winchester service grade 9mm. but we shot a couple hundred thousand rounds a year so....
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