+ P or Standard loads for self defense?

[boris]

what do you guys think? better than rocks? yes. my police academy instructor said he prefered wadcutters loaded to + P pressures, especially during the winter because hollow points could get tangled up in heavy coats. thoughts/experiences?

[DrLewall]

Good question! Heavy coats in winter could cause some concern and with that, I can see the use of a 357mag..hmmmm

[ishi]

Good question! Heavy coats in winter could cause some concern and with that, I can see the use of a 357mag..hmmmm

I've got Federal's 9mm+P HST "Law Enforcement" JHP in my home defense pistol. (well, I will have them, when I finally get some replacement grip screws - stripped out my others)

Recoil's not bad, and I understand the ballistics are pretty darn good.

[CA CCWInstructor]

I use +P in my shorter barrel 45's. Standard velocity in my longer 45 barrels.

[flcracker]

I use +P in my shorter barrel 45's. Standard velocity in my longer 45 barrels

+1 on what Greg said....

I carry +P's in my 3.5" barreled .45 for the fact that they add a little more pop to the velocity that a shorter barrel will lose with a std load. My personal choice is the Rem GS 185gr loads...they seem to feed a little better in my .45 than the Speer GD's that I also use in my compact 9mm.

I don't shoot a lot of 'em though, not only because of cost factors, but for the fact that they are pretty hot, and will likely damage my frame and parts over time. I use std Win white box 230's for practice.

flc

[DrDavidM]

I like the idea of +p's in my 9mm and my wife's 38. I use standard loads in my 40's and 45's. I don't want to practice with the +p's because of the excess wear and tear on the handgun. I would rather be able to practice with the same, or similar load, in my defense handgun. So, I chose regular loads as much as possible.

[Apollo]

I use 9mm +P in my Kahr PM9. But when I practice I fire two shots with the +P. Then I fire 100 rounds using Western's target loads. I found my pm9 to be very acccurate for the first 6 shots then the barrel gets hot and the accuracy deminishes. (sp)

[Ektarr]

my police academy instructor said he prefered wadcutters loaded to + P pressures

Careful here... Solid lead bullets loaded to +P pressures can cause serious leading problems and adversely affect accuracy. Lead isn't strong enough to withstand those excessive velocities without leaving residue in the barrel grooves. I keep SJSWC +P's in my Model 60, but they're Semi-Jacketed, which addresses this very concern.

Just lookin' out for you...

[5.56_Spartan]

what do you guys think? better than rocks? yes. my police academy instructor said he prefered wadcutters loaded to + P pressures, especially during the winter because hollow points could get tangled up in heavy coats. thoughts/experiences?

Interestingly enough, if you check enough penetration tests, the difference between the two (+P, non-plus P) is minimal. What you do get is a higher energy transfer (assuming the bullet stays in the target), and greater recoil at the weapon.

FWIW - A plugged (non-expanding) hollow point is probably real close to a semi-wadcutter, due to the fact that there is typically some compression of the bullet. In the end, this argument could be considered a wash....

Glad to find this forum.... look forward to checking in often :D

[ishi]

The thing I look for with +P is the increased hydrostatic shock caused by the energy transfer. I don't think there's ever been any major study of the effects of this shock to the nervous system, but my guess is it has to be major. Added psychological effect is very desireable IMHO, because it saps a baddie's will to fight.