Survival Arts

Let's set this S&B thing to rest, shall we?

A few days ago, I wrote about my experience with a blown Glock barrel caused by defective Sellier & Bellot ammunition some months ago at a course in Advanced Tactical Handgun at Front Sight. Curt Howland just posted a comment to that article, to which I feel compelled - this being my own soapbox - to respond in the way of a separate article.

Curt had mentioned that he'd read in a Cooper Commentary that S&B ammunition was the only factory ammunition not allowed at Gunsite. I have a good memory of having read that Commentary myself, but I've been unsuccessful in my attempt to find the reference.

As proprietor of this site, I have a reputational obligation to do my fact-checking. So, I called Gunsite directly and first spoke briefly to Sara, the school's receptionist (who I'm sure will correct me if I've mischaracterized her position there) who informed me that no, S&B ammo is allowed for training there, and indeed, she'd happily used it herself.

She then passed me to the person in charge of operations, who I was surprised and delighted to discover was Col. Bob Young, an instructor and close friend of Col. Jeff Cooper, who had been such a great help in my training during both 6-day sessions of General Rifle and General Pistol held in 1998 at the astounding facilities of the NRA Whittington Center in New Mexico.

Both Colonels are now back and teaching at the newly-reorganized Gunsite center in Paulden, Arizona. After exchanging pleasantries pursuant to my delighted surprise in talking with Col. Young after these 4 long years, I brought up the S&B ammunition issue, and was given confirmation that not only was S&B ammunition allowed at Gunsite, with no restrictions, it's a recommended low-cost factory ammunition suitable for training. The only problems he's seen with S&B ammunition were with a lot of .38 Special, associated with an improper case crimp.

Col. Young informs me that S&B ammunition in 9mm and .45ACP have been particularly good performers at Gunsite. In fact, he used some of their 9mm as "control ammo" during tests against an apparently defective lot of PMC 115gr 9mm.

So no, at least at present, there is no ban on S&B ammunition at Gunsite. As I mentioned in my earlier article on the matter, I am a firm believer in tit-for-tat: S&B did the right thing by me. I'm not an advocate of spanking a company after they've made good.

Posted by Russell Whitaker at November 14, 2002 01:04 PM | TrackBack