I've been picking up 375 and 458 bullets when I can for load development. I got a couple of partial boxes of these and wondered when Hornady made a silver colored bullet. I'm assuming nickle or nickle plate. I've been reloading since 1975 and don't remember seeing these "silver" bullets from Hornady.

Mart

Those must have been from their "Werewolf" series back in the day!

I was thinking the same thing but wouldn't one be better served with an expanding bullets on a werewolf?

They could be copper bullets galvanized with zinc. You've probably seen the chemistry trick where you turn a copper penny silver, don't see why you couldn't do it with a copper bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Those must have been from their "Werewolf" series back in the day!

Absolutely while you guys have been preparing for zombies I've been filling the hollow points in my 230g Golden Sabers with silver

Were not those old Hornady RN FMJ "solids" steel jacketed and gilding metal washed?
Left off the wash and plated with nickel? Or nickel plated over the wash?
They would indeed be rusted if the steel was not plated with something, like nickel plated, or galvanized, but wouldn't zinc be dull/oxidized after a time?
Anything special about the packaging?
Maybe a marketing experiment or special order?
Or a blem? "Oops, Joyce, I screwed this batch up with nickel instead of the usual gilding metal!"
Interesting trivia.

Never seen a Hornady bullet like those. Do they stick to a magnet?

They don't stick to a magnet. They look just like their gilded counterpart but both the 375 and 458 are shorter. The standard 375 gilded is 1.250 and the sliver is 1.210. The 458 gilded is 1.388 and the silver 1.353.

These are the boxes the bullets came in. It is interesting. The 458 box is an older vintage than the 375 and both are fairly old. I've been reloading since 1975 and always kept up pretty well on what bullets are available through the years and never recall seeing these.

They look very much like the silver RWS bullets of old, same cannelure type but different nose profile. The RWS were nickel coated steel jacketed and did not discolour or rust.

If the silver bullets are shorter but same weight as the copper coloured then I'm guessing the silver bullets have more lead and thinner jackets.

I can't tell you much about them except I bought 18 boxes of the .458s from Gart Brothers for 99 cents a box in the early 90's and they shot well in my Lott. I may have a few left, I will check tomorrow.

Matthew

Mart,
May I suggest that you give Hornady a call? Surely someone there will be able to help you.

quote:

Originally posted by mart:
They don't stick to a magnet. They look just like their gilded counterpart but both the 375 and 458 are shorter. The standard 375 gilded is 1.250 and the sliver is 1.210. The 458 gilded is 1.388 and the silver 1.353.

These are the boxes the bullets came in. It is interesting. The 458 box is an older vintage than the 375 and both are fairly old. I've been reloading since 1975 and always kept up pretty well on what bullets are available through the years and never recall seeing these.

My first choice in solids,any place,anytime!
I mean the Hornany RN solid.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Mart,
May I suggest that you give Hornady a call? Surely someone there will be able to help you.

I believe I'll do that. I found them interesting and a bit of a puzzlement. I will report what I find from Hornady.

Mart

I have lots of silver (actually nickel) bullets in old English nitro ammo. Quite common in the vintage years.
Cal

Well I heard back from Hornady. I called this morning and talked to nice young man named Seth. He took my information and lot numbers. He said he would talk to one of the guys there who was kind of the history guy for the company.

Seth called back a little bit ago and said the 375 bullets were made in 1963 and the 458 in 1965 and were nickle plated. He also said they made a very limited number of those bullets and very few of them actually made it to the retail market. He said they thought the nickle plating was to prevent tarnish and to be more eye catching in the big bore bullets. Apparently a lot of them ended up on key chains for employees. The history guy had a nickle plated 375 on a key chain.

I guess I won't load any of them unless an Africa trip comes my way. Might be kind of cool to take a cape buffalo with a nearly 50 year old .458 bullet in a 450 Ackley.

Mart

I also have a few boxes of those nickel plated .375 bullets and have found them nowhere near as tough as Hornady's steel jacketed solids.

Agreed. If it ain't steel jacketed, do not use it on anything but paper.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
I also have a few boxes of those nickel plated .375 bullets and have found them nowhere near as tough as Hornady's steel jacketed solids.

That's right, they aren't the bullet the steel jackets Hornady made. I had a few boxes of both, targets only

If I am remembering correctly;

Many many years ago, I read a story about Joyce Hornady going on an African hunt. He talked to a couple of PH's and they stated the Hornady Solids were not tough enough.

The story indicated that when Joyce returned home they developed a much tougher steel jacketed Solid.