If you are looking at more power from your moderate bore pistol cartridges there is hope. This is what +P loaded cartridges are all about.
If you carry a 9mm handgun or even the smaller brother, the .380 ACP. cartridge, velocity and bullet profile and composition mean everything. Even with high performance projectiles extra speed really adds to the flavor and a great outcome if needed.
Need extra speed? Well that’s when +P loaded cartridges come into play. Plus pressure is what +P means, and all of that extra speed does create extra pressure on the barrel and the firearm frame. Word of caution when dealing with +P ammo, be sure your firearm will safely fire it with no issues. Some models are not +P rated and might void any manufacturer warranty. Worse case scenario, your firearm and possibly the shooter might get damaged. Play it safe and only fire what the manufacturer states is safe for that specific firearm.
Now that the warnings are done, it’s time to look at +P loads for the ever popular 9mm and .380 ACP. cartridges. Want to pack a small handgun but have power to deal with larger creatures if necessary? Let’s look at one of the top makers of +P ammunition: Buffalo Bore Ammunition.
When Alaskan guide Phil Shoemaker found himself and his clients in peril from an attacking bear, he was armed with a small 9mm handgun, the S&W 3954. This is by means no bear killer in any stretch of the imagination but a small and handy handgun to have along when bigger ones would have been left back at the cabin. He was wise to be loaded up with Buffalo Bore Ammunition’s 9mm +P OUTDOORSMAN cartridges. Both of his clients and of course Mr. Shoemaker survived unscathed but the bear certainly could not state the same.
So what is so special about that particular +P cartridge over a standard 9mm cartridge? Well, the 147 Grain Hard Cast Flat Nose projectile is leaving the muzzle at around 1100 feet per second. Think about massive penetration against heavy bone of an Alaskan brown bear or punching through a car door to get a perpetrator on the other side. If you have no worries about over penetration when afield in big predator country or in a tactical situation, well this cartridge is quite the winner!
For anti-personnel work, there are plenty of 9mm +P cartridges that are loaded up with high end quality expanding hollow points. A quick search of the “ole Interwebs” will provide many manufacturers and plenty of loads to choose from. What about the little .380 ACP. cartridge? There are even +P loads for that little handy small frame handgun caliber.
As you can see on the above image, the stats on the Buffalo Bore Ammunition .380 ACP +P loads are incredible.
Underwood Ammo is also another big player in the hot loaded cartridge world. Their .380 ACP. +P 90 Grain Xtreme Penetrator Solid Monolithic Hunting and Self Defense Ammo is built to keep going with minimal deformation. The solid copper bullet really does it’s job well, especially when moving along at 1200 feet per second.
If you do pack a 9mm or .380 ACP. handgun that will safely use +P ammunition per the manufacturer take a look at what they offer over conventional power loads. In the case of Mr. Shoemaker, the life you save might just be your own!