+p+ in M&P 9 FS

[Kanewpadle]

Seriously, speaking from experience, +P+ will NOT hurt you or your gun. A steady diet of +P+ MAY show wear. But occasional testing and carry won't.

You have to remember that gun manufacturers are out to cover their behind. Of course they say not to use it. Because some knuckle head will go out and buy and shoot nothing but +P+.

Some people are downright stupid. And they ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Rastoff]

AGAIN, police agencies across the nation that still use the 9MM issue +P AND +P+ ammo! I suppose you experts know more than they do!

Yes, an expert in metallurgy and physics knows more than a cop about metallurgy and physics. And, yes, the manufacturer of the gun knows more than they do and they say +P+ must never be used. Actually, based on that, I don't know why anyone would even ask if it's OK; clearly it's not.

I got hit by a car once and survived. Does that mean it's OK to be hit by a car? I know a guy who scoffed at the data that said the Suzuki Samurai was prone to roll over. He rolled it the next week. Just because someone fired a gun once with an overpressure load, and it didn't blow up, doesn't mean it's OK. I know guys who reload without a scale. They do it so, it must be OK, right? The ends don't justify the means.

Recently, on this board, we've seen several M&Ps, Shields and .45s, experience this type of failure due to +P loads and now you want to say +P+ is not an issue?

What really makes this absurd is that there is no data to demonstrate that a +P or +P+ offers any real improvement over a standard load. So, why even risk it?

I guess I just don't get it.

 

[ginzo]

Your gun, your choice. Isn't this a great country?

Call me chicken, but I'll just go by the S&W recommendation and not take the chance. I think there is plenty of "standard .40" that will do the job if need be in a SD situation, and not worry about it "backfiring" on me. Just not worth the risk it "might" blow up in my hand. Probably won't, but the reward/risk category is just not far enough apart. Kinda like speeding. Speed limit is 70. 75 will pass most times, get around 80-85 now your taking that risk/rewards grey area? Is the price of the ticket worth the reward of time saved at the end of the trip. Not for this sissy......

Sorry kinda repeated Rastoff's quote with out reading it fully. My bad. Great minds (open) think alike.

Seriously, speaking from experience, +P+ will NOT hurt you or your gun. A steady diet of +P+ MAY show wear. But occasional testing and carry won't.

You have to remember that gun manufacturers are out to cover their behind. Of course they say not to use it. Because some knuckle head will go out and buy and shoot nothing but +P+.

Some people are downright stupid. And they ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[wingnuut]

The guy that gave you that +P+ ammo knew best he is not using it.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Well, I use standard velocity 115 ball in mine. If I feel the need for more power I just shoot again. Pretty simple.

 

[hipowr]

My take on +p+ has and will continue to be this. First, S&W will never warranty the gun for the stuff. There is no standard for it, and they can't gamble on that. To my knowledge no major ammo maker sells +p+ on the open market. I believe they all restrict it to LE sales. Agencies buy this stuff on the reputation of the maker believing that the extra power is needed and that the guns will survive 10 years or so of using it to the extent they need to use it. Agencies always know they will be getting new guns in whatever cycle they plan on.

Now, if I had ammo that I knew to be factory loaded +p+, I would just shoot it, only if it was from one of the large established ammo makers. I would only use it in a modern firearm that was rated for +p ammo in the first place of course. Stick some +p+ in a HiPoint or an old Jennings or something, and you're on your own. In my opinion, if they sold the stuff and something catastrophic happened to the gun (which I don't think they'd sell the ammo if that was likely to happen), they would take care of it. Ammo makers don't put product out on the street that they can't stand behind. If there is a problem with their ammo, I feel confident i'd be ok. I have about 5 boxes of +p+ Winchester stuff sitting on the shelf downstairs. I got it at the peak of the ammo shortage at a great LE only price. When I need carry ammo, i'll use it without hesitation.
Of course, YMMV, and this advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

AJ

 

[DASA]

While I agree that some of the mystic of +P+ ammo is marketing, there are some outstanding self-defense rounds with proven street records that happen to be labeled +P+. My current favorite is the Winchester Ranger 9mm 127 gr +P+ T-Series (RA9TA). It makes about 1325 FPS out of a 4.5 inch barrel, which frankly doesn't sound that "hot" to me. The highly regarded CorBon 115 gr P+ load easily hits 1425fps with a five inch barrel. I would only shoot a known load with a long street record being currently used by LE (helpful later on in court) out of my guns for self-defense. I also wouldn't pay an arm and a leg for it either, top shelf loads for carry shouldn't cost more than .75 a round. So shoot your +P+ if you want, but you need several 50 rd boxes at least through your gun, and not just ten rounds, to make sure everything functions well together.