page_title: Black Talon
section_title: Current status
hierarchical_section_title: Black Talon / Current status
caption_attribution_description: English: Hollow point detail view of one round of Winchester Black Talon™ ammunition (9mm Luger), upturned and resting upon corner of black plastic 20-round box-tray with foam insert from which it was removed; bottoms of fifteen (15) other rounds of the same Deep Penetrator DP™ ammo are visible.
context_page_description: Black Talon is a brand of hollow-point pistol and rifle ammunition introduced in 1991 by Winchester, primarily intended for law enforcement and personal defense use. Black Talon rounds were known for the unique construction of the bullet and its sharp petal shape after expansion following impact with tissue or other wet media. Black Talon ammunition was produced in the following calibers: 9mm Luger, 10mm Auto, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, .338 Winchester Magnum, and .30-06 Springfield.
context_section_description: Winchester discontinued the Black Talon line completely in 2000. The “Ranger SXT” ammunition sold later by Winchester is very similar to the Black Talon though without the black Lubalox coating on the bullet.  Among shooters, a running joke is that SXT stands for "Same eXact Thing", though the official branding is “Supreme eXpansion Technology”. However, there are differences in the anatomy of the bullets which become apparent when carefully examined side by side. The hollow point cavity dimensions and angles of the meplat were altered to enhance reliability of expansion, though the basic "reverse taper" design pioneered by the Black Talon was retained.  This "reverse taper" refers to the bullet's jacket being thicker at the tip than toward the base, enhancing rigidity which allows the sharp petals to remain largely perpendicular to the wound path, unlike traditional designs where the expanding jacket petals would peel back almost completely behind the expanded lead mushroom.  This difference is obvious after firing into ballistic gelatin.
  In 2007 Winchester updated their Ranger SXT line and renamed it Ranger T-Series.  Besides further dimensional changes to the hollow point for reliable expansion, the distinctive perpendicular petals were made longer yet more rounded at the tips to retain stiffness.
caption: Detail of 9mm Black Talon bullet
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