What 9mm 147gr JHP did San Diego PD adopt in 1987?

[oldtexan]

The Vol 1 #1 Wound Ballistics Review (Winter '91) has an article by Eugene J. Wolberg of the San Diego Crime Lab on the effectiveness of a Winchester 9mm 147grain Subsonic JHP which he says was adopted by the San Diego Police Department in 1987. He didn't state a product # for that load. I'm trying to find out if it was the X9MMST147 (a Silvertip load), the XSUB9MM (also a 147 JHP), or something else. Was it possibly the Olin Super Match (OSM) load?

Mr. Wolberg passed away in 2000. I tried calling Winchester and the SDPD but got nowhere. I checked my collection of Winchester catalogs from that era (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, and 1993 commercial catalogs, and the 1987 LE catalog) but they shed no light on this. The earliest documents I have showing the X9MMST147 are the 1990 catalog and a 2-page brochure from Win entitled "What's New '90". The brochure states that the X9MMST147 would be available beginning 1st Qtr 1990. First mention of the XSUB9MM in my catalogs is the 1993 catalog. None of these catalogs mention the OSM load. I also searched google several times.

I am also interested in any info available on when all the aforementioned loads were introduced.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Clay]

To my recollection it was the OSM load. I bought a surplus case of this in the cardboard packaging common to M882/military surplus. I tested a bunch of it at the time. 15" of penetration, and expansion around .56 caliber IIRC. Very consistent.

The older Winchester "white box" 147 grain loading was identical in my testing.

The Federal 9MS loading was very similar, tested at NSWC Crane, and issued to NCIS and NSW guys. I have a couple of cases that I bought from SG Ammo back in 2018 at a crazy low price.

[the Schwartz]

To my recollection it was the OSM load. I bought a surplus case of this in the cardboard packaging common to M882/military surplus. I tested a bunch of it at the time. 15" of penetration, and expansion around .56 caliber IIRC. Very consistent.

The older Winchester "white box" 147 grain loading was identical in my testing.

The Federal 9MS loading was very similar, tested at NSWC Crane, and issued to NCIS and NSW guys. I have a couple of cases that I bought from SG Ammo back in 2018 at a crazy low price.

You're correct. It was the OSM. Years ago (and more than I care to admit), I confirmed with Winchester via phone that is was the OSM.

[Clay]

Around 1990 this load and the .45 acp Winchester 230gr JHP came out, and was hot shit. SOF magazine did an article on it. This began my education on wound ballistics. These loads and the Hornady XTP were the best available if you were in the "p" for plenty crowd as far as penetration goes. I certainly was.

[oldtexan]

Clay & the Schwartz,

Thanks much. Do either of you recall if the OSM had an alphanumeric product name, perhaps starting with a capital X, and if so, what that name was?

[Clay]

I bet Dr. Roberts knows. I can't remember.

[the Schwartz]

Clay & the Schwartz,

Thanks much. Do either of you recall if the OSM had an alphanumeric product name, perhaps starting with a capital X, and if so, what that name was?

I believe that Winchester referred to it as the Olin Super Match, Type L.

[Clay]

These are the two codes that come to mind, from my limited records - XSUB9MM and USA9JHP2. The USA load came out in the early 2000's.

[oldtexan]

These are the two codes that come to mind, from my limited records - XSUB9MM and USA9JHP2. The USA load came out in the early 2000's.

Clay, thanks. The XSUB9MM load is listed in my 1993 Winchester Ammunition Product Guide, which is a consumer catalog, not restricted to LE/Govt. It is also listed in that catalog as "9mm Luger Subsonic", which is very similar to the way Gene Wolberg referred to it in his article mentioned in my OP. The S9MM, the 147 Black Talon load, is also listed in that catalog, for whatever that's worth.

[oldtexan]

I believe that Winchester referred to it as the Olin Super Match, Type L.

Thanks.