Can a Beretta 92 handle +p+ ammo?
I know I've read somewhere here before that Beretta does not recommend +p+ ammo for the 92 9mm Series, but how true is this?
Can the gun mentioned handle these rounds at all? Such as in emergency use only?
And yes, I'm the guy that keeps asking about Bear protection with this "small" gun. [:D]
Can the gun mentioned handle these rounds at all? Such as in emergency use only?
And yes, I'm the guy that keeps asking about Bear protection with this "small" gun. [:D]
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Personally, I am not a big fan of the Beretta Model 92. This is due to the fact that I have seen way to many locking lugs break and slides crack. And, also because of Beretta Company refusal to replace any of these under warranty. So shoot whatever you want through the gun, but remember you will be paying for the repairs. If it were me, I would BABB (Buy Anything But Beretta!). 0 -
Yes, the 92 can use +P and +P plus ammo, but Beretta specifically advices against the use of either rounds as well as sub machine gun ammunition due to accelerating wear to the pistol that results from firing these types of ammunition. Emergency use would be the operative word here. 0 -
Thanks for the input! 0 -
The problem with "+P+" ammo is that there is no standard for it.
Ordinary 9mm and 9mm+P have pressure standards defined by SAAMI (and its European equivalent). But a manufacturer can call anything they like "+P+", from ordinary (not even +P) ammo to ordinary +P ammo, to ammo that is even hotter yet.
No gun manufacturer can possibly warrantee their gun against a round of uncertain power. So currently *EVERY* manufacturer recommends against using +P+ ammo in their guns. Their guns aren't really designed for overpressure rounds, and I can't really blame them.
Would it be safe to fire a few rounds? Probably. . .yes. I don't think the gun will explode in your hands after a few shots. But the harder your push your gun, the sooner its going to fail, and the increased slide velocity and slide/frame battering with high pressure rounds is a likely cause of premature gun failure.
Would I use +P+ ammo if that's all I had? Yes, BUT, I can't imagine that scenario actually happening. I wouldn't buy the ammo to start with for a pistol (and come to think about it, I wouldn't even know where to get it anyway!).
I'd be particularly careful about pushing things with the Beretta platform.
One theory about the supposedly cracked slides on military Beretta 92 guns (leading to the later modification) was that they failed due to repeated use of submachine gun type (eg +P+) ammo. Don't know if its true. . .don't care to test the hypothesis.
Also, as a matter of practice, I don't think you're going to get enough ballistic benefit from 9mm+P+ ammo over "ordinary" +P ammo to justify its increased expense, wear and tear on your gun, and the subsequent voiding of its warrantee.
If 9mm luger isn't enough for you, I'd suggest swapping the gun for a larger caliber version (eg the Beretta 96 in 40SW), rather than trying to exceed the design parameters of the gun/round.
You can probably trade your 9mm for a decent .357 magnum revolver (which is still going to exceed +P+ ballistics with good loads), and have cash left over to buy ammo with.0 -
I would also say that when I used to sell guns, people all the time wanted to buy the Beretta 92. And, for some stupid reason, I used to show them my collection of broken Beretta slides and cracked or completely busted Beretta locking lugs. I thought that I was educating the consumer. But no, all I was doing was losing a gun sale. They already had their mind made up to buy the Beretta. So in the end, I kept my mouth shut and sold Beretta's to anyone who wanted to buy one. Now that I don't sell guns, I am back to being honest and getting the word out. I sleep better now. 0 -
I will have to disagree with those who say it can.
It can barely handle nato spec, much less +P+. Suggest you look into the JSSAP and XM9 test from the early eighties.
quote:Originally posted by floorguy24
I know I've read somewhere here before that Beretta does not recommend +p+ ammo for the 92 9mm Series, but how true is this?
Can the gun mentioned handle these rounds at all? Such as in emergency use only?
And yes, I'm the guy that keeps asking about Bear protection with this "small" gun. [:D]0 -
For gunprofit: Wow, I had no idea and this gun was on my list. I was putting together a list of "bug-out" guns and one of the requirements was that it had to be rock solid reliable and durable. I had the 92 on my list so you just saved me. It won't cost anyone a sale, I'll simply shift to a better platform. Any other guns we should stay away from? 0 -
No pistol, Beretta 92 or otherwise, is going to be able to tolerate a steady diet of +P+ or submachine gun ammunition for very long before it sustains damage. As Beantown already mentioned, there is no set standard for +P+ ammo and some of these loadings can be equal to a proof shot, which is the extremely high pressure test round that a manufacturer will use to test a pistol, and they use only a single one of these proving rounds, not a full magazine. If the need arises for a more powerful automatic pistol then take a look at the .45ACP or 10mm. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by NOTPARS
For gunprofit: Wow, I had no idea and this gun was on my list. I was putting together a list of "bug-out" guns and one of the requirements was that it had to be rock solid reliable and durable. I had the 92 on my list so you just saved me. It won't cost anyone a sale, I'll simply shift to a better platform. Any other guns we should stay away from?
Get a Browning HP.
For the +P+ loads, maybe an SP89, MP5, or HK94 will hold up a bit longer, but they are much larger.0 -
quote:Originally posted by NOTPARS
For gunprofit: Wow, I had no idea and this gun was on my list. I was putting together a list of "bug-out" guns and one of the requirements was that it had to be rock solid reliable and durable. I had the 92 on my list so you just saved me. It won't cost anyone a sale, I'll simply shift to a better platform. Any other guns we should stay away from?
The 92 has the advantage of being a very common police pistol as well as our service pistol so finding spare parts and magazines is easy.0
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