I shoot 124 gr 9mm. What I have read is that 9mm NATO is more than standard pressure but less than +P. The danger with +P loads is that they are not standardized.

I shoot 9mm 124 gr Lawman and Winchester 124 gr NATO and cannot feel any difference in recoil.

 

The ammo industry uses something called SAAMI Standards to establish the pressures that ammo should be loaded to. The SAAMI pressure for 9mm Luger ammo is around 35,000 PSI, and C.I.P (think European SAAMI) rates 9mm Luger ammo at 34,080 PSI. According to documentation, the 9mm NATO rounds are pressured at 36,500 PSI (again according to CIP). That means that when compared to standard 9mm ammo, the 9mm NATO ammo is running a higher pressure, analogous to a 9mm +P load, which SAAMI rates around 36,000 PSI.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/05/03/9mm-nato-vs-9mm-luger/#sthash.A59fKDcK.dpuf

The danger with +P loads is that they are not standardized.

I think you may be confusing +P with +P+. There is a well defined SAAMI standard for +P ammo, not so with +P+.

 

Here are some chronograph velocities of NATO rounds. 380 muzzle energy
8 to 10 ft
Winchester Ranger 9mm NATO 124 grain FMJ (RA9124N)
P226 4.4" barrel: 1173 fps (25); standard deviation (S.D.) 8 fps
P229 3.9" barrel: 1143 fps (25); S.D. 9 fps

Winchester 9mm NATO 124 gr. FMJ (Q4318)
P226 4.4" barrel: 1160 fps (25); S.D. 11 fps
P229 3.9" barrel: 1130 fps (25); S.D. 7 fps

 

The Winchester "NATO" stuff states on the box that they have approximately 10% more pressure than standard rounds. I chronographed some and posted the results here.

Mike

 

Interesting that your wife's P229 had issues with the NATO rounds. In one of my other threads I described a similar failure I had with "ZQI" NATO ammo in my brand new P226 - 1 case pinched in the ejection port like you describe, as well as 5 failures to return to battery. Verdict is still out on whether it was an issue with the gun or ammo - most people are putting their money on the ammo. Can't wait to find out.

 

I dunno---I always thought Sig did not recommend a steady diet of +P ammo. To me that means don't use +p exclusively like for range and carry. So, likewise, I would not use NATO exclusively for range/target work. Just as I don't use +p for target/range except on occasion to shoot up my carry rounds or for verifying a new carry pistol.

There are so many, good range rounds out there in 124 gn and 115 gn, why mess around with NATO rounds except on occasion? For those times I shoot Speer gold dots 124 +P (my carry round) not NATO. At least that's the way that I feel about it.

So, yes, it is not dangerous to shoot them but I believe they will beat up you gun more than good old standard pressure rounds. So again, why use it?

 

There are Sig's all over the place in Afghanistan and they are fed a diet of 124gr NATO. The Teams literally shoot thousands of rounds of it through their Sig's...Sig's can handle it. I have no idea why people are afraid to use quality ammo through a combat handgun. It's a Sig, meant to be pushed hard. I owned a C6 Corvette for many years not so long ago. It was modified quite a bit as I raced and ran it hard. I remember reading so many threads of folks so afraid to use their Corvette as it was intended. It could handle it, the drag strip or curves alike. Granted, all things can break and fail and will fail when you run it hard enough and long enough. That's the fun part though, pushing it, using it, running it hard

 

From Sig's website:

+P Ammo manufactured to SAAMI/CIP/NATO specs is fine to use as a defensive round or for occasional range use. Continual use of this round will make it necessary for more frequent service on the pistol. We do NOT recommend the use of any +P+ round. This may void your warranty.

Translation: Your Sig can handle a strict diet of +P (or equivalent) rounds.

 

From Sig's website:

+P Ammo manufactured to SAAMI/CIP/NATO specs is fine to use as a defensive round or for occasional range use. Continual use of this round will make it necessary for more frequent service on the pistol. We do NOT recommend the use of any +P+ round. This may void your warranty.

Translation: Your Sig can handle a strict diet of +P (or equivalent) rounds.

What this means is that for optimum performance and reliability springs will probably need more frequent inspection and replacement.

I too seriously doubt that a steady diet of 9mm NATO would cause any "structural damage" to my SiG "P" series pistols.

 

Some years ago we chrono'd some 9mm NATO Win stuff of military origin. It went 1202 fps out of a BHP.

 

I shot Winchester 9mm Nato with all of my arms in this caliber including P226. I could see a little stronger recoil and great accuracy, nothing else. It is fine to shot ammo.