Any one know about win. SXZ

[JLK]

I was at Bass pro shop and they have winchester ammo called sxz. It is designed to be the same balistics for the training ammo and the self defence. It has a coating called Lubalox said to prevent fouling. Has any on ever heard of this coating and have you used this ammo?

[Webleymkv]

The bullet design looks very similar to the plain old WWB JHP. Lubalox was, I believe, the coating that Winchester put on their now discontinued "Black Talon" line of ammunition.

[sw99guy]

i'v been useing them in .40 s&w for a few months now, even switched from hordny to the hollow point version for self defense. the great thing is the practice ammo and the self defense hp's are identical. also they are prety inexpensive for a good quality factory load. bottom line i like them.

[Brian Pfleuger]

From winchesters web-site:

11/28/2007
What is Lubalox?
Lubalox® is the trade name Winchester uses to describe a black oxide process. It is a very thin oxide bullet coating, often compared to the bluing on a steel firearm.

What are the benefits of Lubalox?
The primary benefit of Lubalox is reduced barrel fouling. The process creates a surface on the bullet jacket, which increases the amount of shots possible between cleanings. Unlike moly-coated bullets, Lubalox coated bullets leave the barrel residue-free and do not require barrel “seasoning”. Additionally, unlike uncoated bullets that tarnish over time, Lubalox protects the surface of the bullet jacket, keeping it looking like new.

When was Lubalox introduced?
The Lubalox coating was introduced in the early 90’s on the Ballistic Silvertip? line. Considered one of Winchester’s most successful product introductions, this is the company’s second largest rifle ammo line.

What product lines is Lubalox used on?
The Lubalox coating is used on the AccuBond® CT®, Ballistic Silvertip®, E-Tip and XP3® product lines.

Will Lubalox harm the gun barrel?
Lubalox does not harm the barrel. In fact, testing shows that the coating often reduces barrel fouling.

What is the difference between Lubalox and Moly Coating?

Lubalox Coating

Black Oxide
First used in early 1990
Does not increase diameter of bullet
Used on AccuBond CT, Ballistic Silvertip, E-tip and XP3 product lines
Does not harm barrel
Reduces barrel fouling
Does not require barrel “seasoning”


Moly Coating

Molybdenum Disulfide
First used in late 1990
Increases diameter of bullet
Was used on part or all of Power Point Plus, Partition Gold Rifle and one Hornet SKU
Did not harm barrel
May have caused barrel fouling
For optimum performance barrel “seasoning” was required
Could cause accuracy problems in some guns

[12GaugeShuggoth]

Other than the Lubalox coating I don't see much difference between the sxz and the regular wwb ammo (both fmj and jhp versions). I've found that the coating tends to rub off quite easily on to my fingers while handling the ammo, so I don't care much for it personally.....but I do have oily hands. With the 9mm version at least, I don't get reliable expansion out of the sxz jhp, and don't really see any advantage over the cheaper wwb jhp. For self defense I'd be buying better ammo though, I prefer Remington Golden Sabers. Other popular choices are Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger, various Corbon offerings, and many others.

I do plan on picking up a box or two in 40s&w the next time I'm at BPS, just for kicks. One of my shooting partners uses the 45acp jhp and also gets pretty spotty expansion with them. Also, I've had some of my sxz 9mm jhp rounds become damaged from loading, something that hasn't been an issue with any other ammo I've shot. Just my .02