+P ammo question?!

[hollowpoint]

Is it ok to shoot +P ammo out of a Ruger SR9? I don't want to come off like a noob but I thought this would be ok but I have had a few people tell me its a bad idea to shoot +P because its hard hard on semi-automatic pistols such as the Ruger SR9.

My grandfather gave me 4 boxes of Remington JHP 147gr +P ammo and I want to put some down range but I have my reservations.

[aermotor]

From the Ruger website:

What type of ammunition should I use in my Ruger 9mm pistol?
The Ruger 9mm pistols are chambered for the 9x19mm NATO Parabellum (9mm Luger) cartridge, compatible with the U.S. and foreign military or commercial 9x19mm loads manufactured in accordance with NATO, U.S., SAAMI, or CIP standards, including high-velocity, subsonic, tracer, hollow point, ammunition loaded in aluminum, steel, or brass cartridge cases, +P and +P+ ammunition.

If you get stove piping with +P loads, make sure you're using a nice firm grip and not limp wristing it.

I wouldn't go to the range and shoot hundreds and hundreds of rounds... but I'm sure it's fine as a defense load.

[tiko]

You can shoot safely 2 boxes and SAVE 2 boxes for Home Defense, hollow point is much more expensive than round nose, so save them, buy another 124 FMJ for target. Another thing, you won't feel comfortable with +P and less accuracy of course.

[hollowpoint]

Thanks for the input. I know ruger states it's ok to shoot +P but I have heard otherwise and this is why I was curious for some more input.

I try and have 200 or so hollow points on hand but I had the extra that was given to me and they happened to be +P so I want to get accurate with it. I have shot +P before and believe me the difference is most noticable but its nice to practice with it.

Thanks again.

[GunNutz]

One of my gun mags a while back was talking about using +P in shorter barrels. Essentially, it said that in certain cases it can damage the bullets in the clip/cylinder. I don't remember which way it was, but with revolver/pistol it would either compact the rounds or expand them (one way for snub nose revolver the opposite for pistol.) Anyway, it said to shoot 10-20 shots, while keeping the same bullets in the clip/cylinder without shooting them, and then measure them against a fresh round to see if it is a problem.

There are also pressure considerations so make sure that gun is rated for +P rounds. Many of the special rounds I shoot will list the revolvers that they know are safe to shoot.

[Old4eyes]

Aaermotor stated:
"I wouldn't go to the range and shoot hundreds and hundreds of rounds... but I'm sure it's fine as a defense load."

If I chose a +p round for self defense, especially if it were for a pistol, I would be shooting several hundred rounds of it through my gun to make sure it was not going to have problems.

If I chose +p rounds for a revolver, I would not feel the need for as many rounds since feed issues are not part of that equation.

I was in a local shop a couple of years ago when some fellow was buying a box of self defense rounds and was harping about the price. He asked the salesman how many rounds he should shoot through his gun to prove reliabilty, and the salesman answered "one or two mags worth." After they customer left I asked the sales guy if he really believed that one or two mags was really going to prove reliabilty. He said no, but if had told the guy the truth he probably would not have bought the ammo at all.

Nobody ever said shooting was a cheap hobby.
And if you scrimp on stuff you are betting your life on, it's not a bargain.

[SJgunguy24]

Aaermotor stated:
"I wouldn't go to the range and shoot hundreds and hundreds of rounds... but I'm sure it's fine as a defense load."

If I chose a +p round for self defense, especially if it were for a pistol, I would be shooting several hundred rounds of it through my gun to make sure it was not going to have problems.

If I chose +p rounds for a revolver, I would not feel the need for as many rounds since feed issues are not part of that equation.

I was in a local shop a couple of years ago when some fellow was buying a box of self defense rounds and was harping about the price. He asked the salesman how many rounds he should shoot through his gun to prove reliabilty, and the salesman answered "one or two mags worth." After they customer left I asked the sales guy if he really believed that one or two mags was really going to prove reliabilty. He said no, but if had told the guy the truth he probably would not have bought the ammo at all.

Nobody ever said shooting was a cheap hobby.
And if you scrimp on stuff you are betting your life on, it's not a bargain.

Yep, I get funny looks when I tell people to run 500 rounds at a minimum of whatever ammo they use for CCW/HD