Winchester “White Box” ammo (aka: WWB) sucks. Maybe it is just me, but I don’t think so. Reading some of the threads on some of the gun forums makes me think I’m not alone on this.
WWB is an inexpensive line of ammunition that tends to be popular because it is frequently cheaper than other factory ammo at WalMart and other stores. I’ve purchased a few of the WWB 100-round bulk packs of 9mm in the past, but no more.
The WWB 9mm load is a 115 grain FMJ bullet loaded to standard pressures. I’ve measured it from 1050-1125 fps (approximately) across a Chrony Beta chronograph. So it seems pretty normal.
The problem is it induces malfunctions in everything!
I’ve used different lots of the WWB 9mm, and the only pistol I can get it to run reliably in is a Glock 19. That’s it. The list of pistols that won’t reliably function with the WWB 9mm is pretty long, but includes the Sig Sauer P226, Springfield XD and Smith & Wesson M&P. (After yesterday’s trip to the range, add the Taurus 709. The 709 loved hollowpoints though…more on all of that later.)
And by malfunction, I don’t mean the failure to go “bang” every hundred rounds or so. Nope. I mean every magazine has at least one malfunction (usually two or three per mag). Failures to extract, double feeds, stovepipes, solar flares and other weird happenings are a regular occurrence with WWB.
I can load any other ammo into the same guns, and will get 100% reliability with them. Yet, try to feed the WWB, and better call EMS, because those pistols immediately start choking!
No more Winchester white box ammo for me. I gave away the last of the WWB I had: goodbye and good riddance!
(Note: In general, I really like Winchester ammo. I keep Winchester Ranger 00-buck in the 870, and think the 127 grain +P+ 9mm Ranger round is fantastic. I just have learned to hate the WWB.)
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I would have to disagree. My 1911 in 45ACP loves WWB. It has never failed on WWB ball ammo. My friends XD in 40SW also loves it. No issues. Very odd that this is happening to you and your list of guns but for us we don’t seem to have the problem.
Best of luck
Hi Nick,
It is odd, and it may be related to the caliber. I’ve not shot much WWB in other calibers.
Reloads, Federal, Remington, Wolf, etc. all seem to run normal. I’m just having problems with the WWB.
–Richard
Never had a problem with WWB, it worked well in the CZ-75 and CZ-100 and the Uzi Carbine.
But that was all in the “pre-obama panic” days. Maybe they are rushing stuff out the door now and QC has gone.
Buy in bulk from Ammoman. It’s cheaper and you don’t have to deal with WalMart shoppers.
I’ve not had any problems with WWB in the past. The only WWB that I currently have is some .40S&W and it functions just fine and dandy in my Stoeger Cougar.
I know that in any internet comment about how good or bad something is, there are thousands of people who will scream about how wrong you are. I just wanted to share my experiences.
I have been shooting 9mm WWB almost exclusively for about two years. Back before the election and the great ammo depression of 09, I had taken advantage of the $19 priced 100 rounds value packs of 9mm WWB and over 6 months or so stocked up on about 4K of rounds, which I still have about 2K left. I shot the approximate 2K of rounds through my 3 different M&Ps and a Beretta 92, at IDPA and USPSA matchs and just blasting in my backyard range. With no hesitation, I can say that I have never had any malfunction with WWB.
Sorry for your luck with it. I can say that since the WalMart price of WWB 100 round value pack has gone up $4, I am buying the Federal 9mm now, to replenish my stock.
I’ve never had a problem with the 9 mm WWB in any of my 9 mm pistols including SIG 226, 228, 239, Glock 19, 26 17,
yea i agree i have used alot of types of ammo and my taurus 709 slim will shoot and thing i put in it but white box ammo… and my 40 cal kel tec sub 2000 fail to extract today o by the way thats my problem with the 709 slim to shoots good but has extraction problems and but i have never even had a hiccup with any othere rounds in neither gun and i put almost 1000 throught each aleast i mean i dont shoot wolf only brass ammo but…i i know its a ammo issue
I have some WWB in .38 Spl – 100 rnd FMJ. One box I bought last year, stored in dry box – over half the rounds showed moderate corrosion. I went thru all the rest, and shot up the corroded rounds – all fired.
I’ve purchased WWB at Walmart and have not had specific problems, but the bullets are irregular, and I suspect the loads are too. Perhaps Winchester lowered quality control to meet the Walmart price point. I’ll still use it to plink stumps, but not to save the farm.
I have shot about 650 rounds of WWB 9mm threw my Ruger SR9 with no ftf or fte at all. not one missfire hangfire anything. Maybe its your gun.
Was at the range yesterday with WWB 9mm FMJ from local Wal Mart had about six FTF’s. Refired one FTF three times with no success, another FTF woul
Fired WWB through my Taurus 709 yesterday. At least one, sometimes 2 or 3, FTE’s per magazine. Ran through 2 magazines of S&B (all 115 gr FMJ)with no malfunctions. Fired another magazine of WWB, 2 FTE’s. One last magazine of S&B, no malfunctions. 2 magazines of Remington UMC 115gr JHP, no malfunctions.
I knew the Taurus was not a Glock when I bought it, but I needed something really small to carry during the day. While it is more ammunition sensitive than some, I think from what I have seen and read WWB is the real issue. I will just use it up in my G-19. It eats anything.
I concur—Winchester White Box Ammo Sucks. I’ve shot 600 rounds of Winchester White Box .38 Special, 130 gr. FMJ [purchased from WalMart] through my S&W 686+ and my S&W M&P340 (both chambered for .357 Magnum). I won’t shoot it any more. It is exceedingly dirty and leaves a very tenacious residue in the chamber along that 0.1” band forward of the shorter .38 Special case. The money I save isn’t worth the extra time it takes me to clean the cylinder charge holes.
Greg, I couldn’t dissagree more with all the comments about the WWB ammo. I range shoot exclusively (10,000+ rounds)with it and it is the cleanestround I have found. If you think they are dirty you should shoot Remmington rounds. As for the round performance issues, I think y’all should look at your equipment a little better. All the Taurus are lower end guns and are plagued with theese issues. I’m not knoking the equipment just stating that you cannot expect to get the same quality and performance as you would from higher end models.
I’ve shot plenty of Remington UMC .38 Special through both the S&W 686+ and my S&W M&P340. Cleaning the Remington crud out of the charge hole is much easer than cleaning the Winchester White Box crud. I can’t really comment on the quanty of crud left by either round–only that the Winchester .38 Special White Box ammo leaves a very tenacious residue in a .357 Magnum chamber.
I have had nothing but bad luck with the WWB. I have tried it in both my Taurus 709 and 24/7 OSS 9mm with no consistent luck. It will fail to eject alot of the times. I though it was because of the stiff spring in the OSS, but it does the same in the 709. I have tried other brands, Remmington, Monarch, Federal, etc with no problems, but the WWB is not working for me. Sucks because its a great value on paper, but in reality it isnt. Its worth it to me to pay extra for ammo that I know I will not have any problems with.
WWB Bonded isn’t bad. I used them in 40 S&W with no problems. They use the same bullet as in their PDX-1 line. They are a bit dirtier and produce more flash, but I had no FTF’S or jams with them. These are of a different lot however than the usual WWB. The bonded variety comes in a Black & White box without the red letters. It just may be overuns or factory seconds of the PDX-12 line.
Tommy,
The WWB is the only Winchester ammo I have ever had any problems with. The “good stuff” has always run 100% for me.
-Richard
I’ve been using WWB FMJ as practice ammo for many, many years. I probably haven’t had as many issues in all that time as you claim to have had in every mag. I use it in several different pistols. No problems. Well I will have to say the accuracy has been an issue since the Obama shortages. Obviously QC was an issue for a while. But now it’s right back where it has always been – the best practice ammo for the money on the market. I’ve fired so many thousands of rounds of this stuff I couldn’t possibly even estimate how much of it I’ve shot other than to say it’s been “a lot”. I’ve probably put 12,000 rounds through my Sig P220 alone. Maybe more than that. I recently bought 600 rounds to shoot for practice with my Taurus PT145. The stuff just works right 99% of the time. I’ve shot a lot of the WWB JHP too. I don’t think I’ve ever had one single round that didn’t feed perfectly with that ammo.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the feedback. Although I am not alone, it would appear that my experiences put me in the minority.
-Richard
i have shot hundreds of rounds of wwb in 40 s&w. no problems. bought from walmart,cabelas and others. by the way, i used a cheap hi-point 40 cal.this gun has never failed me.
WWB 45 acp 230 FMJ I’ve shot thousands of rounds and never had any problem and It shoots cleaner then Federal.
WWB 38 sp I’ve shot hundreds of rounds and have had only 1 round not fire.
I bought a Kareen 9mm used. I fired about 35 rounds of remington fmj and not a problem. I then put through Winchester white box ammo that I bought at Walmart. Nothing but problems. They would go bang but not eject from the bore (the extractor is fine). The ratio was about 50-50 as far as ejecting or not ejecting. The Federal 45.s and Winchester 45s don’t feed well in my Kimber while never a problem with Remington. I clean my guns after each time at the range so my guns are clean. Somebody had warned me about Walmart ammo and sure enough the cheap Winchester and to a lesser extent the Federal are as close to garbage as you can get. For a couple of bucks more Remingtons have been great. Guns are expensive so it is not worth putting through junk to save a few dollars.
I have shot over 10,000 rds of assorted white box from 9mm 40 and 45 through glocks rugers kimbers and barettas, not a problem. I also keep the all cleaned and well oiled with Shooters choice FP10 oil.
I just took a new Beretta 92 to the range and at 10 yards, 100 rounds of 9mm 115gr WWB gave me a group about 1 foot in diameter with a large hole in the center of the Q-target. I then fired 100 rds of 115gr Remington UMC and the spread was almost twice as wide. I couldn;t believe it and at one point got down and bench rested to see if things would improve and they did not. Also, the muzzle flash was noticeably more pronounced with the Remington UMC.
Going into the range that morning I would not have thought there would be any appreciable difference in performance of something so “run of the mill” as 115 gr 9mm ammo. In the near future I will try doing some side-by-side WWB vs UMC comparisons, using the 92FS again as well as a Hi Power and report back.
Mark57…..were you sighting through a snowman globe?
Ammo I have fired through my Kel Tec PF-9:
1. WWB 100rd pack.
2. Fiocchi Extrema XTP
3. PPU 115gr JHP
4. Fiocchi EMB
5. Federal Champion FMJ
6. Blazer Brass
Ammo I have had failures with:
1. WWB
I had multiple failure to extract and one fail to feed out of 100rds. I agree that it is dirty, very dirty. I like other Winchester ammo products but I do not believe I will buy WWB anymore. To many other less expensive and cleaner ammo out there.