Ammo identification

[Salla]

Hello all,

I am new here and hope you can answer a question I have.  My father, retired federal agent, gave me a half case 500 rounds of Ranger SXT.  Some have said it is Black Talon and others say because the box does not specifically say Black Talon then it is not.

Perhaps there are some experts here that can clear this up.  The side of the box says RA9SXT, the rest of the info is easily veiwable in the pics.

If it is in fact Black Talon, or worth at least $40 a box then I would like to sell all 10 boxes (50 a box).  I would then purchase 1000 rounds of gold point and double my SD supply.  I am no collector and have no use for collectibles save financial gain.  :-)

Thanks for your input

[ericire12]

Reference black talon thread and pictures here:
http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=3468.msg40524#msg40524



....And this is probably what you have:
http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=3468.msg44866#msg44866

Ranger SXT: Ranger SXT is a less expensive version of the original Black Talon cartridge intended for the law enforcement market. It consists of a black Lubalox coated bullet seated in a brass case. The bullet has six serrations on its meplat, and six talons. Ranger SXT is packaged in boxes of 50 cartridges marked "Law Enforcement Ammunition.

[Salla]

Thanks for your post.

Is this ammo worthy or SD carry?  Granted any bullet is better then none.  I currently carry the Gold Dots sold over at Georgia Arms.

Thanks again.

[Big Frank]

Black Talon has nickel plated brass. That ammo doesn't. It still works just as well for SD.

[Salla]

So I do not fully understand....Perhaps I have a disconnect somewhere.

The bullet is the same, the powder is the same, the casing is the same only its not been nickle plated.  What makes this ammo any less then the other?  Was it not the design of the bullet that made the Black Talons the ammo of such controversy?

Or does nickle plating a case really enhance the bullet that much?

 Thanks for the responses.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

Nickel plating prevents verdigris (copper "rust") from growing on the cases, and makes them smoother than plain brass. Corrosion can happen to brass cases if they're kept in leather loops on a gun belt and get damp. It doesn't affect the bullet at all. As long as they don't call it a Black Talon there's no stigma attached to it, so they made Ranger ammo for cops.

[tombogan03884]

  The "Black Talon" = cop killer hype was all PR BS, just like the rest of the AWB crap.

[pioneer]

  The "Black Talon" = cop killer hype was all PR BS, just like the rest of the AWB crap.

My department issued Black Talons during the hub-ub about them, and on the next range day issued us Ranger SXT.  The bullets were still black, still serrated, still the same everything, except for the box.  After Winchester ran out of the black bullets, the color was changed but everything else remains the same.  Smoke & mirrors. 

At about that same time we were using black silhouette targets.  When a certain segment of the community complained, they were changed to green silhouettes.  I kid you not.

A rose, by any other name.............     

[HAWKFISH]

This will help explain. The Black Talons were coated.. that's all. No big mystery.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_talon

[Big Frank]

Wikipedia says, "The Lubalox coating was to protect the barrel rifling", but there's much more to it than that. The Lubalox coating was supposed to give it less barrel fouling and more shots possible before cleaning is neccesary. But it was also supposed to have less friction, less chamber pressure, higher velocity, higher energy, and probably something else that I'm forgetting. BTW, it's a thin layer of black oxide and not moly or teflon.