Lee Jurras
Jurras (July 27, 1934 – April 24, 2017) was an American firearm cartridge designer, known for creation of the Super Vel line of cartridges, and groundbreaking developments in hollow-point ammunition. Jurras began handloading cartridges for profit at age 12 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve at age 17. In the late 1950s, he experimented with lathing rifle bullets to create jacketed handgun ammunition, inspired by Jim Harvey.
Lee Jurras
- Name
- Lee E.
- Born
- July 27, 1934
- Birthplace
- Plant City, Florida
- Died
- April 24, 2017
- Place of death
- Columbus, Indiana
- Occupation
- Cartridge designer
- Nationality
- United States
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wikidata · Q6514274 · wikipedia · Lee Jurras
In this article
Biography
Biography
In 1963, Jurras founded Super Vel ammunition company in Shelbyville, Indiana. Jurras' ammo utilized lightweight bullets pushed at high velocities to cause bullet expansion, but at low enough pressure for typical firearms. The Super Vel line was a success, selling massive amounts of hollow-point ammunition to law enforcement and civilian buyers. However, the rapid growth of the company and its reliance on outsourcing of cartridge cases left it vulnerable. It was overtaken by competitors and closed its doors in 1974. Jurras continued his efforts in cartridge development, using as his base the powerful AutoMag pistol, and later the Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol. Jurras co-authored several books on firearms with George C. Jurras died April 24, 2017.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Lee E. Jurras • Born — July 27, 1934 • Birthplace — Plant City, Florida • Died — April 24, 2017 • Place of death — Columbus, Indiana • Occupation — Cartridge designer
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Lee Jurras, revision 1345443196 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Wilson, Jim. Lee Jurras: The Father of Modern Personal-Defense Ammo. Shooting Illustrated. 15 August 2017.
- 2.Clough, Jeremy D. Lee Jurras: the man who gave us hollowpoints. American Handgunner. 39. 3. 2007.
- 3.Ayoob, Massad. Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. Gun Digest Books. 21–22. 26 June 2012. 1-4402-2869-8.
- 4.Taffin, John. Gun Digest Book of the .44. Gun Digest Books. 217–218. 2006. 1-4402-2670-9.
- 5.Lee, Jerry. The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2014. F+W Media, Inc. 558. 11 April 2014. 978-1-4402-3913-7.
- 6.Nonte, George C. Handgun Hunting. New Win Publishing. September 1975. 978-0-8329-2110-0.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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