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Ammo question
- Thread starter HUGHES555
- Start date
Bloodbought1
Inactive
What does +P mean for ammunition?
It means High Pressure. You need to make sure your gun can handle +P ammo. Some guns will not tolerate the higher chamber pressure. You see +P a lot in defensive loads.
It means High Pressure. You need to make sure your gun can handle +P ammo. Some guns will not tolerate the higher chamber pressure. You see +P a lot in defensive loads.
Plus Pressure is correct. As a very general rule, a +P round will have a maximum chamber pressure that is 10% higher than a standard pressure round in the same caliber.
Only a few rounds have official +P standards defined, and the 10% rule isn't exact, so to find out the specific information it's best to check the SAAMI standards.
http://www.handloads.com/misc/saami.htm
Only a few rounds have official +P standards defined, and the 10% rule isn't exact, so to find out the specific information it's best to check the SAAMI standards.
http://www.handloads.com/misc/saami.htm
+p and +P+ ammo
+P ammo should only be shot in modern handguns that are approved for +P ammo.
As for +P+ ammo. I only shoot 38 special +P+ ammo in a revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartage, by doing this I can be assured that the revolver I'm shooting will safely handle the increase in pressure.
+P ammo should only be shot in modern handguns that are approved for +P ammo.
As for +P+ ammo. I only shoot 38 special +P+ ammo in a revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartage, by doing this I can be assured that the revolver I'm shooting will safely handle the increase in pressure.
CWPinSC,
Look at the chart in the link I posted.
SAAMI lists maximum pressures for various calibers they standardize. For SOME calibers they also list a +P standard.
If you sell a round that is not marked +P then it needs to confirm to the SAAMI standard pressure for that caliber.
If you sell a round that is marked +P then it should conform to the SAAMI +P pressure for that caliber.
Both are SAAMI standards, so neither exceed SAAMI. They're just DIFFERENT standards.
On the other hand, if you were to load a round to +P pressures but not MARK it +P then that round would exceed SAAMI standards.
Look at the chart in the link I posted.
SAAMI lists maximum pressures for various calibers they standardize. For SOME calibers they also list a +P standard.
If you sell a round that is not marked +P then it needs to confirm to the SAAMI standard pressure for that caliber.
If you sell a round that is marked +P then it should conform to the SAAMI +P pressure for that caliber.
Both are SAAMI standards, so neither exceed SAAMI. They're just DIFFERENT standards.
On the other hand, if you were to load a round to +P pressures but not MARK it +P then that round would exceed SAAMI standards.
Any cartridge with a +P+ marking is not, by definition, within SAAMI standards. That's because SAAMI does not have a standard for that designation.
The +P+ was originally created at the behest of the U.S. Treasury Dept. and by several police agenices. Many of these had .357 Magnum revolvers, however lawsuits in the late 70's & early 80's caused agencies to shy away from using "Magnum" loads (defense attorneys invoking "Dirty Harry" macho images). So they wanted something nearly as good in a .38 Special case.
The originals, as chronographed by several of us in the early 80's, showed a 125 grain JHP whizzing downrange at 1213 fps from a 4-inch Model 13. That's .357 velocity. And not a round that you'd want to chamber in grandad's 1938 Colt or S&W (least wise, not more than once!).
I've seen 9mm marked +P+ and refuse to use them in any of my 9mm pistols - S&W, Glock, Kahr or Beretta. The 9mm is already "high pressure" (35,000 psi) and there's no reason to risk a KaBoom, IMO.
The +P+ was originally created at the behest of the U.S. Treasury Dept. and by several police agenices. Many of these had .357 Magnum revolvers, however lawsuits in the late 70's & early 80's caused agencies to shy away from using "Magnum" loads (defense attorneys invoking "Dirty Harry" macho images). So they wanted something nearly as good in a .38 Special case.
The originals, as chronographed by several of us in the early 80's, showed a 125 grain JHP whizzing downrange at 1213 fps from a 4-inch Model 13. That's .357 velocity. And not a round that you'd want to chamber in grandad's 1938 Colt or S&W (least wise, not more than once!).
I've seen 9mm marked +P+ and refuse to use them in any of my 9mm pistols - S&W, Glock, Kahr or Beretta. The 9mm is already "high pressure" (35,000 psi) and there's no reason to risk a KaBoom, IMO.