Special K

bikerbill · August 12, 2014, 08:00 AM

I ran across a term I'm not familiar with, but I know somebody here has the answer. As my dad used to say, "Always a ready answer. Wrong, but ready."

In Brad Thor's new thriller "Act of War", (good read, by the way), one of the operatives has a suppressed Sig (caliber unknown) loaded with what they called Special K rounds. The implication is that they are loaded in such as way as to work with the suppressor to reduce further the sound emitted when the gun is fired.

Anybody know what a Special K round is? Handloads? Military only?

TATER · August 12, 2014, 08:12 AM

147gr subsonic 9mm

AK103K · August 12, 2014, 10:13 AM

Do a Google search on "Special K ammunition", you'll get a number of hits.

Looks like it was commercially for sale a few years back, and may still be. Sounds like its just another (gimmicky?) 147 grain 9mm, which is normally subsonic anyway.

Im usually skeptical about specialty loads, especially those who dont have real world back up data.

I use either Winchester 147 grain Ranger SXT's, or Federal 147 grain HST's, or my 147 grain reloads out of my suppressed Glocks, and they are pretty quiet, and a little more so, if you wet the can.

At close range, there really isnt a whole lot of difference between any of them, or at least what Ive noticed. It seems to be more noticeable when the bullet travels a distance, and is super sonic.

August 12, 2014, 08:00 AM	#1
bikerbill Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2007 Location: Lago Vista TX Posts: 2,425	Special K I ran across a term I'm not familiar with, but I know somebody here has the answer. As my dad used to say, "Always a ready answer. Wrong, but ready." In Brad Thor's new thriller "Act of War", (good read, by the way), one of the operatives has a suppressed Sig (caliber unknown) loaded with what they called Special K rounds. The implication is that they are loaded in such as way as to work with the suppressor to reduce further the sound emitted when the gun is fired. Anybody know what a Special K round is? Handloads? Military only? __________________ "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants." Albert Camus

August 12, 2014, 08:12 AM	#2
TATER Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2002 Location: Mississippi Posts: 963	147gr subsonic 9mm

August 12, 2014, 10:13 AM	#3
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	Do a Google search on "Special K ammunition", you'll get a number of hits. Looks like it was commercially for sale a few years back, and may still be. Sounds like its just another (gimmicky?) 147 grain 9mm, which is normally subsonic anyway. Im usually skeptical about specialty loads, especially those who dont have real world back up data. I use either Winchester 147 grain Ranger SXT's, or Federal 147 grain HST's, or my 147 grain reloads out of my suppressed Glocks, and they are pretty quiet, and a little more so, if you wet the can. At close range, there really isnt a whole lot of difference between any of them, or at least what Ive noticed. It seems to be more noticeable when the bullet travels a distance, and is super sonic.