Ruger Forum

Brewster · July 3rd, 2012, 08:11 AM

The +p+ rounds I have are Federal 124gr Hydroshock +p+ LEO by the way.

Hell, I'm just going to go shoot them...

terry_p · July 3rd, 2012, 08:41 AM

My understanding is the same as several others here: +P+ means it is beyond SAAMI specs on the pressure curve. If you decide to fire them then that is your decision and is not something I do or would recommend. Because it is operating at higher pressure it will drive the slide back with more force than is required so it will could cause some damage there. I would look at the empties for signs of excess pressure.

RedFalconBill · July 3rd, 2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OcalaCCW

NATO is usually slightly hotter than standard rounds but ot as hot as +P

NATO tests their rounds differently than SAAMI or CIP, but AFAIK, this is accurate.

FroggMann · September 7th, 2012, 06:29 PM

What about Federal 115gr jhp +p+ nato? I have a box I have used in my p95dc with no problems. So, I pose the question again but sr9c.. ;-)

Richie SR9 · September 7th, 2012, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunBlue

Go to Ruger's website, Customer Service, Owners Manuals. You can download a .pdf for your gun.

Here is a great place for manuals for multiple manufacturers:page7b

FroggMann · September 7th, 2012, 07:39 PM

Ya I got the manual in print and PDF and I quote....

"The SR-SERIES pistols are compatible with all factory ammunition of the
correct caliber loaded to U.S. Industry Standards, including high-velocity and
hollow-point loads, loaded in brass, aluminum, or steel cartridge cases. No 9mm
Parabellum or .40 S&W ammunition manufactured in accordance with NATO,
U.S., SAAMI, or CIP standards is known to be beyond the design limits or known
not to function in these pistols."

The last couple statements reference NATO, but not +p+.
I'm really looking to see if anyone else had fired any and done the testing already.. ;-)
I've fired many rds in my P95dc, but curious about the SR9c. Guess I'm searching for someone taht has already guinea pigged.......wink

cluznar · September 7th, 2012, 07:55 PM

Jeesh! I use either Hornady Critical Defense or Corbon Pwrball in my SR9c and trust it completely.

+P+ what do you want the round to do go through him and hit someone else?

I mean come on, a double tap to the chest with good standard defense ammo will definately do the job.

FroggMann · September 7th, 2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cluznar

Jeesh! I use either Hornady Critical Defense or Corbon Pwrball in my SR9c and trust it completely.

+P+ what do you want the round to do go through him and hit someone else?

I mean come on, a double tap to the chest with good standard defense ammo will definately do the job.

Yes, I agree. I just have the ammo. You know curiosity killed the cat....& stuff. Surely I'm not the only one!!

Brewster · September 9th, 2012, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FroggMann

Yes, I agree. I just have the ammo. You know curiosity killed the cat....& stuff. Surely I'm not the only one!!

I'm glad you brought this thread back. I did shoot the Federal 9mm 124gr Hydra-Shok +p+ out of my sr9c, PXStorm, and CZ SP-01.

Specs on this particular round:

Muzzle velocity: 1170 fps
50 yards: 1060 fps
Muzzle energy: 375ft/lbs
Energy at 50 yards: 310

Regular Hydra-Shok specs:

Muzzle velocity: 1120 fps
Velocity at 50 yards: 1028 fps
Muzzle energy: 345 ft/lbs
Energy at 50 yards: 291 ft/lbs

This round is by far my most favorite to shoot out my 9mm's. It is truly an ear to ear grinning experience

To me there is less felt recoil(believe it or not) and is currently my ccw round in my sr9c.

As far as wear and tear on the gun and possible over penitration I have no idea. As per Beretta owners manual it states that running +p or +p+ ammo will further the wear and tear on the gun. The way I look at it is if that's all you shoot out if it yeah your guns going to wear out faster. I've only shot 10 or so rounds of it out of my sr9c, 5 out of my PXStorm, and 20 out of the CZ and that's pretty much what I'm keeping it at because I want my guns to last a long time. I have roughly 75 rounds Of these on hand and if I get the bite to shoot them all it will be out of the CZ sp-01 because of the all metal construction. I'm not too concerned about damaging it.

K57 · September 10th, 2012, 06:20 PM

Brewster, the maximum SAAMI spec for 9mm +P is 38,500 PSI and while it is said that there is no SAAMI spec for +P+ it is also said that the max is held under 40,000 PSI. I have been loading and shooting 9mm for many years and I can tell you that I have handloaded 9mm with higher performance than +P+ without exceeding +P pressure. That is because I have loaded 9mm to the older pressure spec of 35, 700 CUP. Please note that CUP means Copper Units of Pressure and is different from PSI. In the late 80s or early 90s the ammo makers changed the pressure spec of 35,700 CUP to 35,000 PSI and this is when +P was created by the ammo makers. As I said, +P max pressure according to SAAMI is 38,500 PSI and while the test parameters are different between CUP and PSI and there is said to be no equivalent correlation between the two, 38,500 PSI in the newer system is pretty close to the older spec of 35,700 CUP. Two different pressure measuring systems but pressure is nearly identical. So when you shoot +P now you are essentially shooting loads that would have been standard pressure by the CUP standard of 35,700. BTW, both systems are still in use today in reloading data and the pressure limit for standard 9mm is 35,000 PSI/33,000 CUP. The main difference being that ammo makers chose to reduce the pressure of standard 9mm ammo.

I have handloaded 9mm ammo to higher velocity than the current +P without even going to +P pressure by the selection of the correct powder and loading technique. I believe that +P+ is a bit of a misnomer and I find that Federal has used it more often than any of the major ammo makers. For instance, the highest performance ammo that is commonly available is the 124 gr. Gold Dot +P as loaded by SPEER and Black Hills. Velocity is a bit higher than your +P+ Federal load and yet SPEER and Black Hills hold it to the +P rating. As I said I have loaded to some pretty high velocities by the proper selection of powder and loading technique. I can't believe that the major ammo makers would use a powder of incorrect burn rate to develop +P or +P+ ammo. A lot of this had to do with the importation of pistols of questionable quality and sometimes chamber dimensions.

I bought a P-85 MkII in 1991 and in the manual Ruger stated then that all SAAMI spec ammo was acceptable for use in it and it and included both +P and +P+. The one thing I would caution you about would be the overall length of your +P+ Federal ammo and its use in the SP-01. CZs are known to have short chambers and for safety's sake if you want to check to see if the Federal load is safe for the SP-01, remove the barrel of the SP-01 and hold it muzzle down and drop one of the Federal rounds into the chamber. When you do you should hear an audible "clunk" and then the round should be easily removed or tilt the barrel muzzle up and the round should drop out freely. If it does not then the load may be too long for the SP-01s chamber. As far as your Ruger goes, Ruger does not use short chambers in their pistols and the +P+ Federal load should not be a problem for it. I would still exercise caution when it comes to using +P or +P+ in guns when the gun maker warns against its use. It could be that these pistols are indeed a bit more fragile and it is good to know this before said pistol is purchased. Since the days of the internet it is now easy to find out. I would not own a 9mm that isn't rated for +P because all of the best defense loads in all weights are +P.

Brewster · September 12th, 2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K57

Brewster, the maximum SAAMI spec for 9mm +P is 38,500 PSI and while it is said that there is no SAAMI spec for +P+ it is also said that the max is held under 40,000 PSI. I have been loading and shooting 9mm for many years and I can tell you that I have handloaded 9mm with higher performance than +P+ without exceeding +P pressure. That is because I have loaded 9mm to the older pressure spec of 35, 700 CUP. Please note that CUP means Copper Units of Pressure and is different from PSI. In the late 80s or early 90s the ammo makers changed the pressure spec of 35,700 CUP to 35,000 PSI and this is when +P was created by the ammo makers. As I said, +P max pressure according to SAAMI is 38,500 PSI and while the test parameters are different between CUP and PSI and there is said to be no equivalent correlation between the two, 38,500 PSI in the newer system is pretty close to the older spec of 35,700 CUP. Two different pressure measuring systems but pressure is nearly identical. So when you shoot +P now you are essentially shooting loads that would have been standard pressure by the CUP standard of 35,700. BTW, both systems are still in use today in reloading data and the pressure limit for standard 9mm is 35,000 PSI/33,000 CUP. The main difference being that ammo makers chose to reduce the pressure of standard 9mm ammo.

I have handloaded 9mm ammo to higher velocity than the current +P without even going to +P pressure by the selection of the correct powder and loading technique. I believe that +P+ is a bit of a misnomer and I find that Federal has used it more often than any of the major ammo makers. For instance, the highest performance ammo that is commonly available is the 124 gr. Gold Dot +P as loaded by SPEER and Black Hills. Velocity is a bit higher than your +P+ Federal load and yet SPEER and Black Hills hold it to the +P rating. As I said I have loaded to some pretty high velocities by the proper selection of powder and loading technique. I can't believe that the major ammo makers would use a powder of incorrect burn rate to develop +P or +P+ ammo. A lot of this had to do with the importation of pistols of questionable quality and sometimes chamber dimensions.

I bought a P-85 MkII in 1991 and in the manual Ruger stated then that all SAAMI spec ammo was acceptable for use in it and it and included both +P and +P+. The one thing I would caution you about would be the overall length of your +P+ Federal ammo and its use in the SP-01. CZs are known to have short chambers and for safety's sake if you want to check to see if the Federal load is safe for the SP-01, remove the barrel of the SP-01 and hold it muzzle down and drop one of the Federal rounds into the chamber. When you do you should hear an audible "clunk" and then the round should be easily removed or tilt the barrel muzzle up and the round should drop out freely. If it does not then the load may be too long for the SP-01s chamber. As far as your Ruger goes, Ruger does not use short chambers in their pistols and the +P+ Federal load should not be a problem for it. I would still exercise caution when it comes to using +P or +P+ in guns when the gun maker warns against its use. It could be that these pistols are indeed a bit more fragile and it is good to know this before said pistol is purchased. Since the days of the internet it is now easy to find out. I would not own a 9mm that isn't rated for +P because all of the best defense loads in all weights are +P.

Awesome info K57 thank you thank you!!