+P loads for 9mm

[JonB]

Just out of curiosity, what would a +P load for 9mm look like? For example I load 9mm with 124 gr pills with 4.0 to 4.2gr of Titegroup. Max powder for this load is 4.4gr - would that be a +p load?

Or is +p simply a marketing gimmick?

 

[Zak Smith]

+P in 9x19 is a SAAMI spec with a max pressure of 38500 PSI. Standard 9x19 is 35000 PSI.

 

[JonB]

Ok so according to Hodgden's reload data, 4.4 gr of Titegroup with 125 gr pill gives a pressure of 30,600 psi. So a +p round will run even hotter than that.

Can most semi-auto's shoot +p? Specifically an XD9?

 

[Steve C]

+P is about velocity and most manuals will give you loads that develop the same velocities as factory +P even though they don't call it a +P load. Do not exceed the manuals top loads. Pressures are not a linear function of powder charge.

Manuals don't list every maximum load because it meets SAAMI maximum pressure levels, they list the maximum where any heavier charge produces erratic pressures and and/or poor accuracy. Fast powders like Tight group are even more dangerous to load hot as small increments of powder can produce large amounts of increase in pressure. If you don't have a metered pressure barrel you are just guessing about what pressure you are getting.