# Silver Bullets are so hard to find. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919 "2004-04-14T04:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/21 "2004-04-16T00:12:52Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > Anyone want a silver bullet? ::waves hand:: Me! me! This reminds me of one of my favorite movies: **Silver Bullet…** **Old World Gunsmith:** “…should be pretty accurate.” **Uncle Red:** “Come on. What am I gonna shoot with a silver bullet?” **Old World Gunsmith:** “How 'bout a werewolf?” (I prolly butchered those lines) ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/22 "2004-04-16T01:21:40Z")
The 92.5% pure silver would only work on a werewolf who was only partly transformed. You’d kinda have to time the shot just right, just at the point where he’s going _grnnff gnff gmaawwrr gnar rwaaaauurr gragr mwaaagg_ but before he starts rolling on the floor knocking stuff over and breaking your cow lamp. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/23 "2004-04-16T04:57:54Z")
Well, I got another email address from those old guns.rec groups, and followed the names through Google, and sent off an email, to see if it was still the same guy. Wonder of wonders, it was. (Well, four email addresses later, it was, but that’s another story.) So, they guy says he may have a few 45 cal bullets, and if not, he still does stuff like that now and then. No prices set on yet, but I wrote back to get a price on eight of 'em. (One to test fire, and a magazine worth to tote around in werewolf country.) I also asked him if he wants me to out him to the Internet, or if he is interested in doing more business. This is so cool. Oh, he only is willing to sell the slugs; I will have to have my new range buddy load them into finished rounds. What is a reasonable price for that? (Prices on silver bullets probably don’t exactly follow reasonable guidelines, do they?) Tris ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/24 "2004-04-16T15:26:27Z")
Maybe it depends on what your werewolf reads. According to [The Dresden Files](http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/) (Fool Moon, Book 2), the silver can’t be just ANY silver, it’s gotta be _inherited_ silver to have any effect on a werewolf. But according to the [Anita Blake series](http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/ABBooks2.htm) by Laurell Hamilton, (mentioned by **Eureka** ) they can be affected by any silver, but I believe some are more sensitive than others. Sort of like an “allergy”, but not really. So, really, before shelling out for all this silver, you might want to ask any werewolves in your area what books they read first, so you know what kind of silver you’ll need. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/25 "2004-04-16T16:23:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If you are going to have someone make you some silver bullets, make sure they make them jacketed hollow-points. The jacketing is necessary to keep the bullets from eroding the lands in the barrel If he’s only going to shoot one bullet, is barrel erosion a serious concern? I mean, sure, if it’s all out Were Wolf World War III, and you need to pump out round after round to keep the unholy at bay, I can see where this would be important, but it sounds like **Triskadecamus** just wants to fire one shot as a test. How much damage would one unjacketed silver bullet do to a Colt .45’s barrel? Worst case scenario: A werewolf actually does attack and **Tris** needs to fire off all seven of those silver bullets he’s been saving for just such an occasion. Would the gun blow up in his hand before he got off the seventh shot? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/26 "2004-04-16T16:33:04Z")
So, **Tris** …you basically have to get some of Mom’s silver, melt it down, and have someone cast the bullets for you out of that. If you are going hunting in werewolf country, jacket the slugs. I don’t think one round will seriously erode your barrel. Of course, just being paranoid, I’d fire the test shot out of the original barrel if you are planning on installing a replacement. I’d keep a few rounds in the glove compartment of my car if I were you. That way, if you stop to help a little old lady change a tire or fight of bandits, you can save her, hand her a silver bullet, belt out “HiYo, Silver…away!” and make your exit. There is more than one use for a Silver Bullet… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/27 "2004-04-16T23:51:25Z")
> [@chukhung](#): > > Worst case scenario: A werewolf actually does attack and Tris needs to fire off all seven of those silver bullets he’s been saving for just such an occasion. Would the gun blow up in his hand before he got off the seventh shot? No, it won’t blow up but it could severely effect accuracy say, over 25 yards because the rifling in the barrel has been badly fouled. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/28 "2004-04-17T03:19:01Z")
Well, up until the werewolves get here, I don’t expect to fire more than one of these very expensive bullets. I am thinking of maybe firing it into a barrel of water, in fact, and trying to salvage the slug. Silver is silver, you know. It’s just that my sense of art requires that I test fire at least one to be sure that my other seven (a magazine worth) represent a real weapon system, albeit one designed for an imaginary enemy. The whole reason that one silver plated copper bullet, with a dummy load won’t do is that, well, it won’t do. And I ain’t getting’ no jive sterling silver bullets, neither. 999 fine, pure silver for me. “Take that, you cur!” Now, if I was a shotgun shooter, this would all be a whole lot cheaper. You can get silver casting shot downright cheap. Just replace the lead shot in your generic shotgun shell, and there you are. Five of those and a nice 18 and one eighth inch long pump action 12 gauge shotgun, and you can open season on stuff that ain’t even there. I’m really hoping these suckers don’t cost me more than thirty bucks apiece, total cost loaded into my pistol. (including mailing them across country, and such) Much more than that, and I have to admit, the werewolves can just keep on hunting as far as I am concerned. Handing them out to strangers is almost as unlikely as shooting them into werewolves. It could happen, but don’t hold your breath waiting for me to post about it. No word yet from Tonto. I guess he is out mining my silver. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/29 "2004-04-17T04:51:37Z")
Perhaps some kind of semi-jacketed Silver bullet, if you end up making them yourself? You know, to protect the grooves of the barrel, but still leaving some actual silver exposed. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919/30 "2004-04-22T05:13:52Z")
So, my bullet smith got back in touch with me! Eight bullets, wants half up front, only wants what is probably twice what I would pay for the silver alone, buying retail. This includes cast bullets. He says they should look good, although they might have a casting blemish, or ripple or so. He offered to turn them on a lathe, if I wanted, but he warned me that that would cost quite a bit more, what with the labor, and the loss of metal to the turning. He seems entirely straightforward. I am going to send him a check when I get his address. This is so cool. He says he would be happy to provide the same for other folks, if they are interested. I don’t want to post his email address, so if you want it, you have to send to mine, and I will reply with his. I think he can do nine-millimeter or other calibers if you wanted. Or, you can wait, and I will give you a review of the product, and tell you about getting my gunsmith to load them up to cartridges, and then firing the test round. Tris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-bullets-are-so-hard-to-find/239919.md?page=1)