From: gmk@falstaff.MAE.CWRU.EDU (Geoff Kotzar)
Subject: Re: Silvertips
Organization: Case Western Reserve University

In article <46857@mimsy.umd.edu> jheath@fieldofdreams.npirs.purdue.edu (Jim Heath) writes:
#Does anyone know what the Silvertip jackets are made of?
#
#I have been told that they are aluminum.  I was wondering if this
#were so, if it would be possible to use soda pop cans to make
#jackets on one of the Corbin outfits.  Might this be possible?
#
#Has anyone used .22 brass for jackets?  If so, how well did it
#work?
#
#
#--
#Jim Heath	"Land of song, said the warrior bard,
#		Though all the world betrays thee.
#		One sword, at least, your rights shall guard,
#		One faithful harp will praise thee."
#

The jacket material is a function of the cartridge. The low velocity cartridges
like the .380, .44 Special, and .45 Auto do indeed use aluminum for the jacket.
The high velocity rounds like the .41 and .44 Mags use a plated copper jacket.
There is a company that offers tooling to make gas checks from old Al pop cans
so you should be able to make bullet jackets. How well they would work would
depend on just what you asked them to do. The aluminum will not hold the
rifling as well as copper alloy jackets will. For low to moderate velocities
they should be acceptable.

Spent .22 LR brass for jackets? Yes. I believe Vernon Speer started out just
that way. Hunting and match bullets with a Remington or Winchester headstamp
on the base.

gmk

From: gmk@falstaff.tmc.edu (Geoff Kotzar)
Subject: Re: When the bullet finally stops...
Organization: Case Western Reserve University

In article <38546@mimsy.umd.edu> berenson@cookie.enet.dec.com (Lex mala, lex nulla  23-Aug-1991 0813) writes:
#The 125gr .357 load has the best stopping record.  A .44 Magnum offers no
#benefits for stopping humans (bears are a different matter).
#
#For apartment use, you might want to give up some penetration to protect
#your neighbors.  This is the environment where something like a Glaser
#Safety Slug or Mag-Safe comes in handy.  If you don't want to go to such
#exotic ammo, a Winchester Silvertip shouldn't penetrate too many walls
#(but it probably *will* make it into the next appartment).
#.............................................................................
#
#Hal Berenson	
#
#Home: 71640.3535@compuserve.com  OR  oldcolo!berenson@csn.org
#Work: berenson@cookie.enet.dec.com

About 4-5 years ago I played with the Winchester 145 Silvertip and ran a
limited penetration test. I set up a false wall consisting of the type
of construction found around doorways and windows in frame houses. The
bullet would have to penetrate two layers of sheetrock and the full thick-
ness of a 2x4, the 3.5 inch dimension, and one layer of paneling, about 1/4
or 3/8 inch. The distance to the target was 13 yards.

Bullets popped through with enough remaining energy to drop to the ground
about 3 feet on the other side of the wall. They are not much of threat if
you are firing at someone using a door frame as partial cover but they would
certainly punch through the sheetrock walls if the joists were missed.

BTW, the noses had deformed to look like full wadcutters rather than closing
down so further expansion would be unlikely but they would at leadt hit
harder than round noses.

Geoff Kotzar              gmk@falstaff.mae.cwru.edu