Black Talon

[Bobs_classic]

Does the R9 shoot the original Black Talon ammo??  If so Maybe I'll buy it as I see it,thanks Bob

[sslater]

A few years ago I was sorting out my ammo stash, came across half a box of Black Talon, and shot it up just to get rid of the stuff.  My R9s ate it up, no problem.

I figured that Black Talon had gotten such an (undeserved) sinister reputation that I didn't want it in defense pistol.  Too many lawyers looking for a weakness in your self-defense argument for my liking.  (Sorry, Richard S.!)

Steve

[yankee2500]

Why would you want to bother? The Black Talon ammo was designed in 1991, and pulled from the market in 2000. It is now sold as a collectors item, at collector prices.
  The current production Winchester Ranger RA 9T 9mm, is
 essentially the Black Talon/SXT round, and at a more reasonable price, $25 for 50rds., and is the latest technoligy.
  And the Black Talon will at some point, no longer be able to be found at a reasonable price or in sufficient amounts to allow practice.
Here is a link to a place that has it in stock.
http://www.luckygunner.com/9mm-115-grain-jhp-winchster-ranger-50-rounds

John

[Bobs_classic]

Have you shot ranger with your R9,and would you carry it with that ammo??

[yankee2500]

I have shot the 147gr. ranger in my R9, it functioned prefect. And yes I would use it for carry.
  I just ordered a case of the Ranger 45acp 230gr for my Kimber Ultra CDP II, and plan to use that as my carry round as soon as I test it in the Kimber and have the gun broken in.
   I carry the Ranger ammo now in my Kahr PM40.

John

[kjtrains]

John.  I noticed the Kimber CDP II is two toned.  Are you planning to have it coated to one tone?  Beautiful gun the way it is.  Just wondered.

[Richard S]

* * *  Too many lawyers looking for a weakness in your self-defense argument for my liking.  (Sorry, Richard S.!)

Steve

Steve:

No need for apology. Some of my colleagues at the Bar need to re-read the Constitution, particularly the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

[jetboater]

"Here is a link to a place that has it in stock.
http://www.luckygunner.com/9mm-115-grain-jhp-winchster-ranger-50-rounds"
 
the stock number on this (RA9MMJHP--on the lower right of the end panel of the box) shows it's regular Ranger JHP rather than the T series which is the Talon--the stock number for the only Talon in 9MM is RA9T and it's 147gr

All the LE Winchester ammo is in same Ranger box--have to check the stock number to figure out which it is (FMJ, JHP, Talon, Frangible, etc)

here's the link on the Winchester site for Talon--
http://www.winchester.com/Products/le/handgun-ammunition/ranger/t-series/Pages/default.aspx

here's the link for the RA9MMJP--
http://www.winchester.com/Products/le/handgun-ammunition/ranger/jhp/Pages/default.aspx

[scar2783]

Bob,

I took some of the other guy's advice and bought the Hornady Critical Defense rounds. They function great and I really like the science behind the construction of the round. I attached a youtube link and I believe it was the Best Defense or American Shooter TV shows that did an independent test with the same results as seen in this video.

I also agree with Steve in regard to the Black Talons. I have a few boxes in .45 and they sit in the safe. As a Law Enforcement vet of over 26 years, I can tell you that Steve is right on the money with potentially being attached in court on that issue.

Mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhXSTqV0CT4

[jetboater]

I really like the HCD round as well and carry it in my HKs but I am leary of using it in my R9s--some of the primers Hornaday uses are too hard for some R9s and won't fire--I've had this problem in mine--see this thread for more info--

http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=R9S;action=display;num=1254080760;start=0

[Bobs_classic]

Thanks for those links,very interesting

[scar2783]

 My friend and I both purchased our R9's ( back to back serial #'s )  from the factory with the help of our gunsmith/dealer friend in mid November. We have both since shot a box of 25 HCD through each gun with no problems and I saw nothing wrong with the primers either. As a matter of fact,  I have yet to have any malfunction with any of the various rounds I've put through the gun and neither has my friend with the other/sister gun. From what I've read here, it seems that the R9 has really been refined.

Thanks for the heads up on the primers...

Mark

[jetboater]

I've got about 20 boxes of the 9mm HCD in my safe and after I read that thread, I looked at them and I have 4 boxes of one of the lots with the hard primers  and I did have problems in my R9 when I used those. (about 20% FTF). I opened every other box and there does seem to be some difference between the primers used in them. I've fired several boxes of HCD in my R9 with other lot numbers with no problems. HCD is a great round and fires every time in my other guns but I don't want to worry whether they'll go bang in the R9 or not so I just ordered a bunch of Speer Gold Dot 115s from Cabelas for $15.99/box and will use those in the R9 while Hornaday sorts this out (they actually bought an R9 a couple of weeks ago to test the HCD in so maybe some new info will come to light after they do some testing.
Congrats on your new R9-- it's an amazing little gun!

[tracker]

You have it right, jetboater; I was an advocate of HCD before but Hornady slipped us a game changer with these suspect primers.

[yankee2500]

John.  I noticed the Kimber CDP II is two toned.  Are you planning to have it coated to one tone?  Beautiful gun the way it is.  Just wondered.

I think I will keep it as it is, I did add the CT Burlwood Laser grips that I took off my Colt New Agent, that I just sold.

John