EAR, Super Vel, and Offerman Manning
Apr 7, 2018 15:23:53 GMT
ronin, drivelikejehu, and 21 more like this
Post by oldguy on Apr 7, 2018 15:23:53 GMT
EAR killed the two with 5 rounds of Super Vel .38 caliber ammunition from what was almost certainly a S&W J-frame 5 shot revolver. Probably a 2" barrel, possibly a 3" barrel. (Smith made both.) The J-frame, small, light and easily concealed, was a favorite of plain clothes LE and a common backup gun for patrol officers.
I was familiar with Super Vel (a name recently resurrected in the industry by unrelated persons) but some recent reading has piqued my thoughts.
Super Vel started as a small family owned business in the early 1960's in furtherance of the quest of it founder Lee Jurras to create more effective handgun ammunition for LE. (The then standard 158 grain round nose lead .38 was called the "widow maker" for a reason-it's lack of ballistic performance produced grieving officers' widows.) Briefly, the formula for success was a lighter bullet pushed faster and constructed first as a semi-jacketed lead and later as hollow point. The company sputtered along until 1967 when Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office adopted it as their duty load. Instead of a round bullet sliding through the perpetrator at maybe 820 FPS, you had a mushrooming hollow point eviscerating tissue at maybe 1300 FPS. (Virtually identical to longer .357 magnum ammo.) Bad guy stops his actions fast.
There followed a series of spectacular ups and downs in the company's success-up when it won big a contract from an LE agency, and down when major competitors choked off it's supply of cartridge cases. Sometimes it's production stopped entirely. And it quickly ran seriously behind on required excise taxes on ammunition. Finally , in 1975 it closed it's doors. A second company bought components and sold a line of LE training ammo for several years.
In 1979, EAR loaded his revolver with Super Vel's finest. A round sold only to LE as it turns out. (Though some leaked into civilian channels.) It was known by reputation to the civilian devotees of handguns. It appears they always had difficulty fulfilling LE contracts and made no sales to civilian distributors.
So, how did EAR come to it? Did he steal the gun and it was loaded? Did he steal just ammunition? Or is this another of the tantalizing indications of EAR's direct or tangential links to LE? (It makes me think of the time he stood out of the bushes to calmly watch 3 LE cars careen down the street with lights and sirens-did he know that department could not have a 4th behind them?) Actually, even if by theft it could still be a link to LE-took some of "uncle Ed's" stuff, uncle would surely know if his backup gun was missing, but a few rounds from a box? No.
Regardless of origin, was it's use incidental ("oh this fits") or did he use it knowing it was the most incapacitating round that existed for that easily concealable weapon? If not incidental, he knew a lot about hand gunning.
Regardless of origin, EAR, that fellow who seemed to listen for threats, would have discovered what 5 rounds of .357 magnum power level ammo fired in an enclosed space does to unprotected ears. Though sometimes an adrenaline linked temporary phenomenon known as "auditory exclusion" makes rounds sound muffled, the hearing is still irrevocably damaged. Permanent tinnitus is a likely result. This, is and the lack of "satisfaction" from shooting a victim are good reasons not to repeat.
Regarding the use of a revolver rather than a semi auto: they have good and bad points. Good for the criminal, no cartridge cases left behind. Bad for the criminal, you cannot silence a revolver due to the barrel-cylinder gap. Good for any user, they don't jam and they are much better if you have a dud primer. Just pull trigger again and a fresh round is under the hammer. If you think back to Ripon Court, a loaded 9mm round was found at the scene. EAR, confronted by Miller, likely encountered a dud primer and had to manually cycle the slide to eject that and load a fresh round. Maybe a lesson recalled?
I was familiar with Super Vel (a name recently resurrected in the industry by unrelated persons) but some recent reading has piqued my thoughts.
Super Vel started as a small family owned business in the early 1960's in furtherance of the quest of it founder Lee Jurras to create more effective handgun ammunition for LE. (The then standard 158 grain round nose lead .38 was called the "widow maker" for a reason-it's lack of ballistic performance produced grieving officers' widows.) Briefly, the formula for success was a lighter bullet pushed faster and constructed first as a semi-jacketed lead and later as hollow point. The company sputtered along until 1967 when Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office adopted it as their duty load. Instead of a round bullet sliding through the perpetrator at maybe 820 FPS, you had a mushrooming hollow point eviscerating tissue at maybe 1300 FPS. (Virtually identical to longer .357 magnum ammo.) Bad guy stops his actions fast.
There followed a series of spectacular ups and downs in the company's success-up when it won big a contract from an LE agency, and down when major competitors choked off it's supply of cartridge cases. Sometimes it's production stopped entirely. And it quickly ran seriously behind on required excise taxes on ammunition. Finally , in 1975 it closed it's doors. A second company bought components and sold a line of LE training ammo for several years.
In 1979, EAR loaded his revolver with Super Vel's finest. A round sold only to LE as it turns out. (Though some leaked into civilian channels.) It was known by reputation to the civilian devotees of handguns. It appears they always had difficulty fulfilling LE contracts and made no sales to civilian distributors.
So, how did EAR come to it? Did he steal the gun and it was loaded? Did he steal just ammunition? Or is this another of the tantalizing indications of EAR's direct or tangential links to LE? (It makes me think of the time he stood out of the bushes to calmly watch 3 LE cars careen down the street with lights and sirens-did he know that department could not have a 4th behind them?) Actually, even if by theft it could still be a link to LE-took some of "uncle Ed's" stuff, uncle would surely know if his backup gun was missing, but a few rounds from a box? No.
Regardless of origin, was it's use incidental ("oh this fits") or did he use it knowing it was the most incapacitating round that existed for that easily concealable weapon? If not incidental, he knew a lot about hand gunning.
Regardless of origin, EAR, that fellow who seemed to listen for threats, would have discovered what 5 rounds of .357 magnum power level ammo fired in an enclosed space does to unprotected ears. Though sometimes an adrenaline linked temporary phenomenon known as "auditory exclusion" makes rounds sound muffled, the hearing is still irrevocably damaged. Permanent tinnitus is a likely result. This, is and the lack of "satisfaction" from shooting a victim are good reasons not to repeat.
Regarding the use of a revolver rather than a semi auto: they have good and bad points. Good for the criminal, no cartridge cases left behind. Bad for the criminal, you cannot silence a revolver due to the barrel-cylinder gap. Good for any user, they don't jam and they are much better if you have a dud primer. Just pull trigger again and a fresh round is under the hammer. If you think back to Ripon Court, a loaded 9mm round was found at the scene. EAR, confronted by Miller, likely encountered a dud primer and had to manually cycle the slide to eject that and load a fresh round. Maybe a lesson recalled?