Why do I need +p ammo?

[ta4]

I've got a Kahr PM9 & it's painful to shoot a few hundred rounds of the stuff. In a little gun like the PM9, does +p make sense for sd? I can control standard ammo much better with the gun. The +p ammo really didn't impress me with accuracy(I used a high quality round). Does +p make that much difference in any gun, any caliber for self defense?

 

[mete]

Bullet placement is still the prime thing. For a standard pressure 9mm which has always performed well use Federal 9BP ,a 115 gr JHP.

 

[SoCalShooter]

Bullet placement,Bullet placement, Bullet placement, you SHOULD shoot whatever round makes you most lethal for that weapon, if you dont shoot +P well and have tried and still do not like it, then dont use it, +P or not the right Bullet placement will be the determining factor.

 

[ctrout]

I am no expert but it has been my understanding that most bullets are designed to expand at a certain velocity. With shorter than standard length barrels, the velocity increase offered by +P ammo may be beneficial to help offset the velocity loss from the short barrel. I would suggest running some tests with your gun to find the most controllable round that you can fire through your pistol that shows the kind of terminal performance that you are looking for. You may find that standard pressure loads perform acceptably well. You may also find that no standard pressure load will expand reliably.

 

[weregunner]

For a Kahr PM9 you do not need +P. Though certain gun gurus preach +P for most situations. +P in a light or shorty pistol can make recoil or flinch an issue. Standard pressure 115 grain or 124 grain Federal Hydra-shoks or other ammo should expand somewhat. The real world track record even in shorty barreled or light ones has been a good one. +P causes more stress on the frame,slide and other parts as well. Velocity gain over standard pressure loads is not that significant for most +P 9mm. loads. Training and techniques can take care of recoil and flinch. Pain or the pain you think is coming is not something you want your mind consciously or subconsciouly to deal with when concentration needs to be totally on the danger at hand. Stick with the standard pressure rounds and feel confident with it. Dr.Topper writes for one of the gun magazines and covered this a couple of years ago. So did Evan Marshal. They both wrote about all the reasons standard pressure 9mm. rounds were satisfactory. Though these guys are known to carry+P is standard length barrel pistols.

 

[GRIZ22]

You don't need +P. In a 9mm you're only picking up about 75-100 fps in a longer barrel. Probably less in your Kahr. +P also has more muzzle blast and I think this bothers more shooters than recoil. I'm not a big fan of +P. Outside of +P in a K frame SW or larger revolver I don't really care to use it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I like .38 +P ammo for my 4" S&W L frame .357 Mag but I doubt you need +P ammo in your 9mm. Like said many times above, placement is most important!! You can shoot a cannon but if you miss then it's no better than a sling-shot.

 

[GRB]

If it hurts you, your accuracy suffers. If your accuracy suffers, your life span could be shortened.

 

[JLStorm]

I personally believe its worth it for the velocity and energy incease, but not at the risk of sacrificing accuracy. Years ago an aquaintance of mine shot a very obese man 6 times with a .38 and the guy was hurt, but didnt suffer much internal trauma. It is situations like that where the +p may make a difference, but again, it wont make a diffierence if you cant hit the target.

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

I tried Remington GS in both "regular" and +P in my Kahr P9, and didn't feel much difference. I then chronographed them both (I had a new chronograph and was chronographing everything, just for fun), and found only about 50 fps difference. I don't know if it's the short barrel, the quality of non +P, or what, but I've stuck with standard in the P9 since.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Just get good old HP in plain old 9mm It will work as people have been saying it placement of that bullet that really matters.

 

[The_Antibubba]

+P just gives the user a wider option of ammo. And it's a great marketing term.

 

[4fingermick]

Mo velocity Mo better

Mo accuracy, even Mo better

I'd go with what works best.

'Speed is desirable, accuracy is final.' Wyatt Earp.

 

[Greybeard]

Altho I've heard that some folks' PM-9s don't run well with Gold Dots, mine eats 'em just fine. And during last bit of chrono work with the 124 grainers, it was spittin' 'em out at 1,041 fps. I've not got a chance to test the new stuff developed specifically for short barrels, so I know not by how much it might beat the 1,041.

And like others have said, the +P loads may be hard on the frames, so I've not risked beatin' mine up with much of the stuff.

Quote: "+P just gives the user a wider option of ammo. And it's a great marketing term. "

Yep, and +P+ is even better.

 

[MCgunner]

+P makes sense for me. I shoot a handload, 115 grain JHP out of my 3" barrel clocks 1260 fps for 410 ft lbs. That's snubby .357 magnum territory, but much less flash/bang/recoil than the big magnum in a pocket sized gun. I carry it in my Kel Tec. However, if you don't like the recoil, develop a flinch, can't hit with it, it don't make a lot of sense. Drop down to standard pressure loads and you still have the energy levels of a +P .38 special out of a 4" gun, not exactly a wimp, eh?

Shoot what you can hit with and be happy.

 

[the naked prophet]

I personally prefer +P because it allows me to use a heavier bullet at the same velocity - increase the weight instead of the velocity. That way, I get good chance of expansion with a bullet that has a higher sectional density (deeper penetration). My favorite is the DoubleTap Gold Dot 9mm+P 147 grain @ ~1130 fps. That's like upgrading from 115 grain to 147 grain with no practical decrease in velocity (WWB 115 grain @ 1150 fps)!

 

[orionengnr]

I sure like the Ranger 127 +p+ in my PM9. The flash/bang is greater than standard pressure, but not enough to disrupt my accuracy.

I don't put a lot of +p+ through it, but I put a lot of rounds through it.

Couple hundred at a session? Yup. Mostly standard pressure, peppered with a few +p+.

It's a world of difference compared to my (gone and forgotten) S&W 340. A session with that thing was 20 38s and five 357s, followed by two weeks of pain in my old and battered wrists.

 

[bakert]

For my own use, +Ps make sense in a suitable .38Sp revolver and in the Ruger/ TC .45 Colt hunting loads. In all others regular JHP loads suit my needs.

 

[strambo]

I'd avoid the hydra shok, the good bonded bullets like Gold Dot and Golden Saber should perform fine in standard pressure from that gun. I'm switching from 124+P GDs back to standard pressure in my K9 and P226, figure the extra velocity is minimal. Standard GDs have a great track record.