Winchester Ammunition has issued a recall recently that affects their 9mm, 115 grain “white box” ammo. This recall also affects Herter’s 9mm, since they are manufactured by Winchester as well.
Winchester “white box” ammo is very popular among hobby shooters due to its lower price and availability. Since the start of the current ammo shortage, ammunition manufacturers have been forced to keep up with increased demands, and it is possible that their quality control checks have overlooked issues.
The issue, according to Winchester, is that the ammunition “may contain propellant that does not properly ignite and burn”, which can cause a malfunction known as a “squib load”, which is when the bullet is expelled from the shell casing, but fails to exit the barrel. A followup shot with a blocked barrel could cause a catastrophic failure of the gun.
This recall affects ammunition that was purchased on or after March 25th, 2021.
This video goes into more detail about the recall.
Currently, there are two other recall notices on Winchester’s web site that also affect 17 HMR and 38 Special loads, however these are older notices that stem from the same problem.
Winchester is offering to replace or refund the purchase of the ammunition at no charge to the purchaser. You can reach them at Winchester Customer Support: 844-653-8358.
Winchester Ammunition Recall Notification Web Pages
Winchester 9mm Luger 115 grain (multiple varieties)
Herter’s 9mm Luger 115 grain FMJ
Winchester Super-X 17HMR 20 grain JHP
Winchester 38 Special 130 grain FMJ
For specific lot numbers, see information on the links above or in the video description on my Winchester Ammo Recall video on YouTube.
