Over the last several years many new calibers have been introduced to the AR-type platform. On the AR15 platform there is the 204 Ruger, 6.8mm Rem SPC, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, 5.7mm, 450 Bushmaster, 458 SOCOM, .50 Beauwolf and .499 LWR. There is also a whole other array to the AR10. Of those mentioned above, the only one who has done really well is the 6.8mm Rem SPC. There are several manufacturers of rifles and ammunition. However, around the 1991 time frame, a new round was developed by JD Jones of SSK Industries that would prove versatile and offer tactical advantage, the 300 Whisper®. In November of 1992 he would trademark the name.
During research for this article, JD Jones was interviewed to get the back drop on the development of the 300 Whisper®:
“I first licensed Thompson Center to use it and they put it into the Contender and it became quite popular in the Handgun Metallic Silhouette competition for years. T/C uses a 1-10 twist which is not good for sub-sonic with heavy bullets. Initially in the AR we used a single port gas system, which is about what S & W is now using. We found with heavy sub-sonic bullets, 1680 powder would function in it (although quite dirty), and high velocity ammo also had a small window of functioning without working the gun too hard. The SSK adjustable gas system solves the problems of functioning with a quite wide window of proper functioning, with a wide range of powders and bullet weights. This system has an L—for generally low velocity ammo and H for high velocity ammo, and in-between those settings the gas is shut off. For example, we have loaded 220 subsonic (1040 fps) and 220 HV (1400 fps) from a 10” M-16 for some people. In a non adjustable gas system, the port pressure of the HV load would be quite high giving excessive bolt velocity with a single non adjustable system if the sub sonic was to function reliably. With our system, the HV will work the gun OK but also too violently for my taste. We’ve used 6” to 12” twist rate and found 8” or 7” to be the most versatile. It is probably the most copied cartridge in existence today. It was CIP dimensioned many years ago and commercially manufactured in Europe for about 15 years. It has been called the 300/221; 300 Hush, 300 Murmur (France), 300 fireball, etc., and the latest, 300 Blackout. Over the years there have been many problems with the functioning of AR’s with single non adjustable gas ports but the chamber dimensions have all seemed pretty close---close enough to use the 300 Whisper® dies and basic data. In 1992 the practical way to make the cases was simply to open the 221 case to 30 cal. Anyone could do that with the dies we supplied. 223---5.56 case wall thicknesses varies a lot—however later we had hundreds of thousands of cases made from primarily LC military brass---with an operation to give proper neck wall thickness. Inquires were made to the majors to make brass. One asked for an order for 1 million rounds loaded ammo and they “would consider it” and Pete Pi told me the other just turned it down flat. I think ANY chamber is capable of having problems with cases made from SOME 5.56 or 223 brass due to ending up with excessively thick neck wall thickness.”
The 300 Whisper® was never submitted for acceptance by SAMMI. What this means is that there was never an industry standard on cartridge case dimensions, chamber dimensions of loading specifications. This makes it difficult for an ammunition producer to make ammunition that will work properly in any given firearm. Ammunition has been manufactured by Hornady and Corbon, however, a majority of the ammunition has been hand loaded with cartridge cases manufactured from the 221 Rem parent case.
“I first licensed Thompson Center to use it and they put it into the Contender and it became quite popular in the Handgun Metallic Silhouette competition for years. T/C uses a 1-10 twist which is not good for sub-sonic with heavy bullets. Initially in the AR we used a single port gas system, which is about what S & W is now using. We found with heavy sub-sonic bullets, 1680 powder would function in it (although quite dirty), and high velocity ammo also had a small window of functioning without working the gun too hard. The SSK adjustable gas system solves the problems of functioning with a quite wide window of proper functioning, with a wide range of powders and bullet weights. This system has an L—for generally low velocity ammo and H for high velocity ammo, and in-between those settings the gas is shut off. For example, we have loaded 220 subsonic (1040 fps) and 220 HV (1400 fps) from a 10” M-16 for some people. In a non adjustable gas system, the port pressure of the HV load would be quite high giving excessive bolt velocity with a single non adjustable system if the sub sonic was to function reliably. With our system, the HV will work the gun OK but also too violently for my taste. We’ve used 6” to 12” twist rate and found 8” or 7” to be the most versatile. It is probably the most copied cartridge in existence today. It was CIP dimensioned many years ago and commercially manufactured in Europe for about 15 years. It has been called the 300/221; 300 Hush, 300 Murmur (France), 300 fireball, etc., and the latest, 300 Blackout. Over the years there have been many problems with the functioning of AR’s with single non adjustable gas ports but the chamber dimensions have all seemed pretty close---close enough to use the 300 Whisper® dies and basic data. In 1992 the practical way to make the cases was simply to open the 221 case to 30 cal. Anyone could do that with the dies we supplied. 223---5.56 case wall thicknesses varies a lot—however later we had hundreds of thousands of cases made from primarily LC military brass---with an operation to give proper neck wall thickness. Inquires were made to the majors to make brass. One asked for an order for 1 million rounds loaded ammo and they “would consider it” and Pete Pi told me the other just turned it down flat. I think ANY chamber is capable of having problems with cases made from SOME 5.56 or 223 brass due to ending up with excessively thick neck wall thickness.”
The 300 Whisper® was never submitted for acceptance by SAMMI. What this means is that there was never an industry standard on cartridge case dimensions, chamber dimensions of loading specifications. This makes it difficult for an ammunition producer to make ammunition that will work properly in any given firearm. Ammunition has been manufactured by Hornady and Corbon, however, a majority of the ammunition has been hand loaded with cartridge cases manufactured from the 221 Rem parent case.
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