Centaure +P+ 9mm ammo

ghostie

ghostie

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I picked up a box of this ammo at Dave's Surplus in New Westminister yesterday. They're selling ammo now. I bought this because I had never seen it before and I am always looking to try new types of ammo.
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It's marked on the bottom of the casings as "FC 9mm +P+". It also says "E.C." and "SUB" on the box. Anybody know what those letters mean? "Submachinegun??" Is this stuff o.k. to use in normal pistols? I've used +P ammo in my 9mm pistols before, but this will be my first time trying +P+. This is also the first 9mm stuff I have seen where the casings are not brass or aluminum. This ammo was $14.99, whereas the Remington Jacketed Bonded +P hollow points I was posting about were a whopping $24.99 for 50. That stuff is great ammo though.

Here are some photos of the all the kinds of 9mm ammo I have been able to find over the last couple of years, since I started collecting different kinds. The order of the ammo follows the same pattern all the way through (by weight.. start at the top left, then down, next column, then down, etc.), except that the Centaure ammo has been added in to the photos withouth the boxes. I know that the first two (UMC 147gr.) is just the old and new packaging. Same ammo.
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I bought some of the same brand ammo from P&D (125 grain .357 )and they told me it was commercial reloads from back east. I believe it was a brass FMJ bullet in winchester cases. As for the "sub" marking on the box it may mean a subsonic load. I would try to get a chrony reading on those when you shoot them. Check your fiocchi brass/ammo to see if the "FC" matches with the centure and that should give you a good idea if they are in fact reloads. BTW "EC" means encapsulated cone.
 
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O.k., this is starting to make sense now. I didn't even notice that it clearly says "Reloaded Cartridges" right on the box.

"FC" is what it says on American Eagle casings, and I imagine that Federal branded ammo would say that too, but I have never found any 9mm in Canada that says "Federal" on the box. What it says on the bottom of Fiocchi ammo is "G.F.L." on the Italian-made stuff I've had, and "FIOCCHI U.S.A." on the American-made stuff.

These Centaure cartridges are probably just the casings from some Federal +P+ rounds, reloaded with an "encapsulated cone" in Quebec. I agree that a measurement of speed would be interesting.

When shooting those Remington +P cartridges, you definately know that you are not shooting your father's 9mm rounds. It is very noticable, from recoil, to the sound, to the muzzle flash. See pic: (this is not 'photoshop', by the way. It is captured by taking a video with my digital camera and then capturing a still image from the video)
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I'll try some of these Centaures out tomorrow and tell you if they are anything special. The guy at the store just said that they are "a really hot LE round." But then who knows if he is right about that. It was me who opened the box and told him that they were marked +P+. He was like "really?" But then, I didn't even realize they were reloads at that time. :redface:
 
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Do they sell directly or must I buy from a reseller ? If so where are they located?? I need a few thousand .223.
 
I agree with one of the above posts that it sounds like they are using Federal cases. I've got several different types of factory Federal hollowpoint loads that use nickel plated cases with the headstamp FC 9mm +P+.

Your ammo looks like 147gr. subsonic (under 1000fps)? Says right on the end of the box. I've never seen a +P+ version of a 147gr. load from any manufacturer. There are a couple of +P versions of 147gr. loads, the most recent is the new Federal 9mm 147gr. HST which is available as a subsonic round or a +P.

If you have a chrony you could help us all solve the mystery. If I were a betting man, I would go by the box flap and bet you have subsonic 147gr.

What does the recoil feel like compared to other 147gr. loads? For $14.99 a box I am not thinking you have anything too exciting here. +P+ loads are usually mucho $$.
 
Centaure is a commercial reloader in Laval, Quebec. In Business since the late 80's. They use whatever case they can get at a good price, but use 9 mm +P+ casing for the 147 grain bullet. This does not mean this is a hot load. The 147 Grain Sub is for subsonic. Centaure is providing practice ammo to police and to gun Club. They also sell to individual if you show up in person to buy a case or two. They do not sell by the box or few boxes. No mail order or store. It is more like a factory in an industrial park. Many shooter use their .38 WC for PPC. Good stuff.

Les Industries Centaure Inc.
1234 Av Godin
Laval, QC , H7E 2T2

Phone: 450-661-5517
 
echo4lima said:
I don't see any Golden Saber or Hydra-Shoks in your collection, nor black talons for that matter....
Click to expand...

Believe me I want to. I can't find anybody around Vancouver that brings them in. If I can find them, I'll buy them.

Well... I tried the Centaure ammo out today. Absolutely nothing special. Not even the slightest bit hot. Just a normal 147gr. load. Decent accuracy but nothing special. The guy at Dave's Surplus is totally wrong about these being a "hot LE round", and at $14.99 it isn't even a good deal. I'd rather buy new Remington 147gr. for $13.99. Oh well, I bought one box to try... no damage done.
 
The nickel Federal cases are usually used for Hydrashok rounds, the 115 +P+ was a popular LE round just as the 40 S&W was becoming popular, it was this round that was causing issues with RCMP ERT Sigs in BC.

There are no SAAMI pressure standards for +P+. Commercially reloaded ammo would probably not ever be +P+ (I've never seen any) - it would be risky for the producer.
 
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All Centaure load are target practice load. They do not load defence load or duty load. The price of $14.99 for a box is more than you pay direct from Centaure. ( remember they sell by the case not individual box - Centaure do not apply price to individual box since they sell only in case of 1000 rounds) )They also give a credit of $2.00 for return of empties on each 50 rounds box based on a case of 1000). This is quality commercial reloader that have been in business for close to 20 years.
 
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