+P ammo

P

phantom1984

Inactive
MY manual on my Beretta 92fs says not to fire +P ammo through it. What is the deal with that.In fact every pistol i have ever owned the manual says the same thing. How will it affect my pistol if i use This ammo.
 
I have a Beretta 90TWO 9mm and my manual says " The extended use of +P or +P+ may decrease component part service life expectancy. DO NOT use sub-machine gun ammunition because the chamber pressure may reach or exceed proof load pressure".

Not a problem for me as I shoot 2 boxes a year to rotate my carry ammo which is +P.
 
Sorting out the lawyer things from necessary practices by reading the manual can be an adventure these days.

Don't think a steady diet would cause any problems. I know that occasional +P ammo would be fine, except, maybe, give them an excuse to void the warranty if you had a problem when using +P.

They should tell the military not to fire NATO ammo that's more like +P+ thru theirs. From what I understand, the cracked locking block problems from using that hot ammo hasn't gone away inspite of the new locking block design.

I don't know of problems with +P ammo in civilian models, but I'll defer to those more familiar with the subject.
 
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Well you gotta realise that the plus stuff just slams the gun that much harder than conventional ammo. Not like it is gonna blow apart, unless there is already some incipient failure lurking, but I would practice with regular ammo and save the hot stuff for real business only, except maybe function checking the gun with it. Just like any machinery, the harder you thrash it, sooner it has issues. No one can tell you if it is at 200 rounds or 2000 though, realistically.
 
I think it depends upon the caliber. 9mm +P+ appears to be an appreciable power increase over standard pressure 9mm, but I haven't noticed any particular power increase in .45 ACP +P ammo over standard pressure .45 ACP.
 
I'd find it hard to believe that a modern 9mm pistol in use by the military and LE is not safe to use +p ammo in. And military ammo is loaded on the +p side even if the box isn't labeled +p.

Sure in older designs there may be a real danger in using +p/surplus ammo and I'd avoid doing so to protect me and the pistol. In the modern pistol I'd think the warning is the lawyers talking more than anything else. Regardless of the lawyer speak +p ammo will cause more wear and tear besides costing more money.

For the normal guy, the box a year you'd put through your carry/HD pistol isn't going to be a big deal. The guy trying to use that power level every weekend shooting pins should really look for a different pistol.

Still this reinforces the need to research your pistol to be sure it matches your need before buying.
 
+P ammo is loaded to higher pressures, giving the bullet a higher muzzle velocity.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily! While the round that is labeled +P will result in higher operating pressure the expected increase of velocity may, or may not, happen! Lots of shooters (including me) have discovered that the expected increase in velocity is a function of the gun and ammo combo.

I've tested a lot of +P loads in a variety of guns and sometimes I achieved the expected velocity increase but sometimes not.

Bottom line! You will get the increase in pressure but you may, or may not, get the velocity. You have to test it to find out!
 
If you buy your +P+ ammo in normal U.S. distribution circles that is manufactured in the U.S., you will likely not be able to afford enough of it to put any measurable wear on your Beretta.

If you can afford enough to put measurable wear on your Beretta, you can easily afford to buy three or four new pistols.
 
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