Just curious if anybody has used the 9mm nato stuff in their S&W 3rd gen pistols. I've read that it's about 10% hotter than the standard 9mm luger ammo. I have a 3913 TSW and was wondering if it could handle the increased pressure.

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I reckon so

I tested some surplus Danish NATO on a chrono last month out of a full size 9mm M&P, average was a bit over 1200 FPS.

PF was 149.05

I decided to save the NATO for my subguns and not shoot it in pistols.

I have tried a few rounds and was not comfortable with what I was feeling with the recoil. Also, the empty cases were being thrown from the gun much further than the standard ammo I was used to shooting which is a key indicator of slide velocity. No way I would risk it.

Hello RSBH44, I have shot literally thousands of rounds of Winchester Q4318 124 grain ball ammo through 3rd. Gen. S&Ws, and every other 9MM I own, including my 3913. Win. NATO ball averages 1140fps in my 3913. Once barrel lengths get over 4", the NATO ball velocities really start to increase. I have also used and chronographed other ammo in my 3913. This would include Federal "9BPLE" 115 grain +P+ 1260fps, Winchester "Ranger" 124+P 1150fps, Winchester "Ranger" 127+P+ 1188fps, Winchester White Box 115 ball 1140fps, Federal American Eagle 124 ball 1016fps. The Federal American Eagle "red box" 124 ball is the lightest factory 9MM load that I can ever recall chronographing. I've Chronographed these loads, and many others, in quite a variety of 9MM pistols, revolvers and carbines over the past 35 years. I continue to use the Winchester NATO as my main 9MM practice/plinking round in whatever 9mm I happen to be shooting. I have never experienced any damage or issues of any kind, in any firearm while using the NATO ammo. It has been my experience that some guns, like the full sized 1911 9MMs, with their heavier slides, may actually show better reliability with the NATO, than with some of the more lightly loaded ammo. I spoke to one of Winchester's Law Enforcement tech. guys. He said that the White Box NATO and the Tan Box "Ranger" NATO ammo are exactly the same. He indicated that the white box is directed toward large institutional type military/LE customers while the "Ranger" labeled NATO is directed toward the civilian/commercial market. I have used and chronographed both versions and found no difference. I continue to use the Q4318 NATO ammo and, in fact, just ordered more.

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

9mm NATO is SAMI rated as a +P round. I have put about 2500 rounds of it out of my 5906TSW and yes, there's a difference in the recoil etc. I wouldn't recommend shooting alot of it out of an alloy framed pistol but every now and then it should be ok.

Rock185,
Thanks for the feed back. I've received very similar responses from other boards as well. The Q4318 Nato is exactly the stuff I'm purchasing. I'm buying it as practice ammo to get closer to the actual SD ammo that I have which is the Ranger T series RA9124TP 124grn. +P & Winchester SXT. All my plinking ammo up to this point has been 115 grn.FMJ and doesn't really come close to the SD ammo when I practice with that. I was hoping the 9MM Nato stuff would be a less expensive way to keep sharp with my CCW. I'm glad to see that it will be. Thanks again for your input.

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I reckon so

replace the factory recoil and main spring w/a wolff heavy duty.

This.

Especially in the small alloy framed semiauto models.

Prolonged use of the higher velocity/energy NATO ammunition IS going to cause accelerated wear in any semiauto pistol.

Putting in the heavier springs will slow the slide speed down, and help reduce the effects of slide battering from the high velocity/energy NATO ammunition.