+P safe in cheap Turkish pistols ?

FatCatsDad

FatCatsDad

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Gun in question is a Girsan MC.

The +P is about 20% faster velocity and 20% more muzzle energy.

Will it knock the gun apart, break locking block, crack it etc ?

Would the 147 gr ammo be a safer choice for occasional use ?

 
Just an assumption, as I don't know what Girsan's metallurgy is like, but I would think that firing some of the rounds in question, wouldn't cause any damage. I'm assuming, at the price of this ammo, you wouldn't be feeding the Girsan a steady diet of them. From my experience, any gun will eventually have a failure of some type, if you fire enough rounds through it and it would likely happen sooner, if the rounds are "hot". Just because it's an inexpensive gun, doesn't mean it's crap. You can buy a $400 Norinco 1911 and there are few 1911's that are made with a stronger frame (forged) - "fit and finish" isn't the same as more expensive guns. Not sure where Girsan sits in that regard, but if I had one and was curious, I wouldn't be concerned about trying them. - Keeping in mind that - advice is usually worth what you pay for it. - Regards - fire@will
 
Which pistol? Almost all of the Girsan pistols on the website have the MC- prefix.

But regardless, I probably wouldn't recommend it unless it specifically says it is +P rated in the owner's manual.

Sure, it's probably fine. But 9mm+P is different, higher pressure, and at the very least will cause accelerated wear. Other manufacturers have no problem providing clear info on the matter whether or not their pistols are rate for it.
 
Turkey is a NATO member and their 9mm ammo is NATO spec 124gr 1200 fps so their handpews are made to shoot that, In fact most people have issues firing Turkish guns using underpowered ammo that can not cycle properly
 
Is there a customer service number you can call? Just because it's a fairly well known manufacturer name does not mean you should trust it to handle overpressure ammo. I'm looking at you Glock!!
 
+P ammo won't detonate your gun. Worst case is if you were to shooting something ancient and abused it might crack something. Anything new or cared for that was never intended to be used with +P cartridges will shoot fine. But the gun will start to show heavy wear after a while. Examples of heavy wear would be the slide to frame fit loosening up, dents where the slide hits the frame at the end of travel, ejector damage or warping, frame or slide cracking, etc.

Shoot a couple hundred rounds of +P in something that should not use it and you will probably start seeing signs of ware. And some guns just won't shoot it right and jam after every round due to poor timing due to everything moving faster or bouncing around more because of the additional energy of the +P ammo.
 
Ask the maker or maybe the importer/warranty centre, if you can’t figure out if it’s safe it’s likely not worth the risk now that you can’t easily replace it. Even before the freeze I would think finding parts for Turkish pistols might be difficult compared to real brand name handguns.
 
Some occasional plinking (a couple boxes here and there) with +P will be just fine. I wouldn't give it a steady diet though (and there is really no point up here anyway). I'd echo the parts concern. Jason at Gunco told me he had problems sourcing parts for many Turkish brand. In fairness that was a few years ago and brands like Girsan are more mainstream now, particularly in the US, so it might be less of an issue but i don't know.
 
P+ ammo is not recommended in Girsan pistols according to a search on the Internet. If you want to have hotter loads, just hand load.

You will probably not like it as many people do not really like shooting surplus ammo out of their Tokarevs. Why do you think it is so cheap and plenty available?

Before the ban, I would have said, buy a 45 or 40 caliber. Most people like me like the 9MM round because of the softer recoil.

P+ ammo or +P ammo will wear you, your wallet and the gun out.
 
Next question regarding these defense +P types of ammo is regarding suitability to use in the current offerings of PCC such as the Ruger, TNW AERO, Chiappa and the new S&W

Would these personal protection rounds be suitable for game where a regular 9mm 124 gr would not ?
 
FatCatsDad said:
Next question regarding these defense +P types of ammo is regarding suitability to use in the current offerings of PCC such as the Ruger, TNW AERO, Chiappa and the new S&W

Would these personal protection rounds be suitable for game where a regular 9mm 124 gr would not ?
Click to expand...


I don't see the point really.

I also suspect that all the rifles listed are not suitable for P+ ammo.

Maybe let us know why you would want to use it? Some handgun courses maybe a better idea if you are looking for self defense.
 
FatCatsDad said:
Next question regarding these defense +P types of ammo is regarding suitability to use in the current offerings of PCC such as the Ruger, TNW AERO, Chiappa and the new S&W

Would these personal protection rounds be suitable for game where a regular 9mm 124 gr would not ?
Click to expand...

Better for game? It all depends on the type of game, the bullet construction, and the impact velocity. Generally speaking, hollowpoints will work better than FMJ. BUT not if they are driven too fast to hold together on impact. The longer barrels in those carbines will add some velocity, and it's possible that if the ammunition is hot enough to expand out of a 4" barrel, it may be too fast for ideal expansion out of an 18" barrel. (not to mention it is illegal to hunt with FMJ bullets in many jurisdictions)

Also, straight blowback firearms (like all of these PCCs) generally have a smaller window of ammunition types that they will reliably operate with (compared to delayed opening systems).

Safe to use? Again, refer to the owner's manual.
 
15 posts in reply to OP, and no mention of pressure numbers - if sold in North America, I think it "has to" comply with SAAMI standards - standard 9mm is apparently 35,000 psi MAP; +P 9mm is apparently 38,500 psi MAP - as per website "Ammo.com". Different numbers and units (CUP versus PSI) mentioned on other websites. I have no clue what breech pressure rating that your pistol is made for, nor the safety factor that it has??
 
FatCatsDad said:
Gun in question is a Girsan MC.

The +P is about 20% faster velocity and 20% more muzzle energy.

Will it knock the gun apart, break locking block, crack it etc ?

Would the 147 gr ammo be a safer choice for occasional use ?

Click to expand...
Subsonic tends to be gentle on the shooter - not sure which clone you have, but generally overweight springs help if you're worried about battering your pistol.
 
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