Originally Posted by Glock Fan
Scarey thought, Glock Fan, but the only absolute maximum is the amount that leaves the gun in firing order after it is touched off. If you have a bolt-action 9mm with a bull barrel and reinforced breech, you might be safe with magnum primers and simply leveling off the powder at the top of the brass!
***NOTE: I AM NOT SUGGESTING ANYONE DO THIS! YOUR GUN WILL BLOW UP AND YOU WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED!***
(Now THE Lawyers are appeased.) All reloaders with modern firearms will usually experiment with their own "+P+" loads, within reason, to determine how much more performance they can wring out of the gun and the round without endangering themselves or the gun. I had a neighbor that used to load ten rounds at .1-.2 grains higher and then he would test fire those rounds and check the target and gun. If the gun showed signs of wear, the recoil increased significantly or accuracy decreased, he generally quit increasing the powder. Then of course he had to try EVERY different type of powder...LOL...
And of course your high-quality, all-steel firearms will generally handle pressures the best, ceramics and polymers are very strong but the manufacturers have tested their weapons for their breaking point so either check your owner's manual, the website, or call the manufacturer directly to find out the EXACT pressure it's guaranteed to withstand before doing too much experimenting - you never want to void that warranty!
Edmund Burke: “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” – 1784 speech. Taken from Founding Fathers Notes. "The unarmed man is not just defenseless -- he is also contemptible." Machiavelli
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The reason I ask is not to try it out, but rather to determine what would be "safe" for practical use. As an instructor, I get all kinds of questions regarding reloading, ammunition, etc. I like to be well informed before giving out info. I've done my share of experimenting, and have blown up a few pistols in the name of education. :-)
Thanks for the info, I will definitely put it to good use.
"A few well placed shots with a .22LR is a lot better than a bunch of solid misses with a .44 mag!" Glock Armorer, NRA Chief RSO, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloading Rifle, Muzzleloading Shotgun, and Home Firearm Safety Training Counselor
M&P 9mm
IMO, I would just use +P, hot load, pretty much most modern firearms can handle it because SAMMI made a spec for it, and it leaves one hell of an exit wound, at least the Winchester PDX1's do.
Sic vis pacem, para bellum
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-1993, 18 years old, is on the web from SAAMI. It gives the normal, +P, and "PROOF" loads suggested.
What I've ASSUMED, perhaps wrongly, is that the +P+ really just was a more tightly controlled production and used the top 20% of the +P range rather than the full range.
SAAMI gives 52,000 as the minimum "Average" and 55,500 as the maximum "Average" for proof cartridges. The Service Maximum "Average" is 38,500. SAAMI publishes "Centerfire Pistol and Revolver Definitive Proof Loads should be used for one purpose only: The proof testing of pistols and revolvers."
Remember that NORMAL PRODUCTION variations in chambers and barrels will effect the pressure. Experience has proven +P to be OK in MANY modern firearms produced of appropriate materials.
I like R&D. Given a proper test facility and lots of money, I'd enjoy finding the limits. I have neither. A weapon blowing up in my hand would kinda cramp my style <g>. When a manufacturer says, as I've seen, something like +P is OK in moderation but not as a steady diet, in MY opinion, I'd probably limit myself to about 100-200 rounds in its lifetime. If it said that +P was unconditionally OK, I'd expect the lifetime of the weapon to meet their design criteria with every shot of +P. How many? I don't know that either, but in my thick skull, 10,000 would be a reasonable number.
I deal with industrial hydraulics. Our products are typically designed for 50,000,000 cycles. Shock diminishes that life. Shock ... like a controlled burning of powder in a cartridge ...
As an instructor, you should, IN MY OPINION, follow manufacturer recommendations. As a lab manager, you should ensure that experiments are conducted safely, and AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC.
Just my 2 cents worth ... and probably worth less.
Glock Fan,
Sorry, that warning wasn't aimed at you or any of the regular contributors that have common sense. I worry more about someone that finds it in a Google search and thinks it was a fully truthful statement! I know most of us are smart enough to understand entertaining sarcasm from the educational part of the post.
Thanks for asking and passing it on to your students - it's amazing how many people don't know how much +P ammo should go through there gun and how often. Good instructors are constantly learning and teaching more. :D
Edmund Burke: “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” – 1784 speech. Taken from Founding Fathers Notes. "The unarmed man is not just defenseless -- he is also contemptible." Machiavelli
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