Why 9mm +P and +P+ ??

[74A95]

74A95 - OK. So what. People have been trying to stoke up the 9mm for years. The question was why the +p+. Not will a +p+ make major. BuffaloBore puts out a +p+ 124 @ 1300 and a 115 @ 1400. That's pretty close to a 38Super, which is what I stated.

You said for competition. Did you not see that in your response? I'm only addressing what you wrote. Sorry if that angers you.

Those competitions have specific requirements for power factor. A 115 grain bullet has to go at least 1435 fps to make a 165 power factor (bullet weight times speed divided by 1000), and most people want a 5-7 power factor buffer so that puts it in the neighborhood of 1480 fps. A 124 grain bullet has to reach at least 1331 fps, and with a buffer it is around 1370 fps. The Buffalo Bore won't cut it unless it's in a much longer barrel where it might gain enough speed. Maybe.

Buffalo Bore ammo is very expensive and I doubt that maybe only a hand full of folks - out of thousands of competitors - would consider using it. But since the buyer has no control from one batch of Buffalo Bore ammo to another, it would be risky to depend it. In days gone by the power factor was 175. Buffalo Bore would make the cut then.

Nearly every competitor loads their own to make sure it meets power factor, and since these are in open division guns with compensators, they try different powders until they find one that feels best for them.

 

[R I Swampyankee]

I used to have a combat commander in 9mm. A local shop had some Lapua surplus ammo. I got a bunch at a great price. It was made for sub machine guns. Wow did it bark and I had to use a two hand hold.

 

[Northof50]

74A95 - Yes, I wrote the post. Question: why +p+. Answer: to keep up with other 9mm diameter firearms. Not to equal and not to surpass. No mention of success or failure; simply that there was a time where speed was king based on what other cartridges can do.

Save the lecture power factor lecture. I am aware of it. Again, I never stated anything about power factor [major or minor] simply that there was a time when people were trying to squeeze as much velocity as they could from cartridges and "competition" was providing plenty of fuel.

Cost of BB ammo is complete off-topic and not germane. Handloads or factory ammo is also irrelevant and has nothing to do with the post. You've simply gone off on a tangent.

 

[Don P]

Regular 9mm ammo losses ft/second going down the long barrel and would not be an effective round

Its been proven and is on You Tube that at 400 yards out of a rifle, standard 9 mm penetrated a 3/4" piece of plywood and would most certainly penetrate the human body