What pistol for a steady diet of +P+, ?

[silvery37]

To the OP, you are getting non relevant replies because your question isn't really practical. Any modern quality pistol will shoot +p+ just fine.

A pistol is a mechanical object that experiences wear. Every time you shoot it wear occurs. This is excellerated with higher pressure ammo regardless of the manufacturer. This can be mitigated by using a more powerful recoil spring.

Every pistol has a finite life. But for modern pistols it is largely irrelevant because you will pay 5 times or more the cost of the pistol in ammo before it wears out. Very few people actually wear out a pistol.

5k is not a lot of rounds for a pistol. Shoot without worry.

If it is really a concern buy a 9mm 1911 or a steel framed sig 226 or 229.

[T2C]

CZ75 will not have much love for +P+. Same problem as with .40SW - they do not work to good with broken slide stop pin. If CZ then P07/P09 will be much better as polymer frame ads some cushion to this pin and distributes stress into frame...............

I have limited experience with the CZ75. It appeared to be sturdier than the S&W 5904. Thanks for the heads up.

[Firefly]

5906s really weren't good pistols.

If you really like 3rd gen Smith DAO triggers then you must've spent your youth turning the Wheel of Pain only to matriculate to some hardcore Blacksmithing asa teen and have huge mitts that can crush a brick.

I have spindly girl hands, I reckon, and did not enjoy the Smith trigger at all.

[williejc]

I learned to live with these triggers, could manipulate them but never thought that they were good. Does it count that in my old age that I can still grip a 1911 or even BHP with my right hand--fingers over slide and thumb behind grip--and chamber a round with one hand? When I would demonstrate this trick to the gun shop crowd, most would say so what? In my youth I unloaded countless box cars of 100 pound sacks and have some of the muscle left. I ruined my right shoulder by doing tricks with the sacks held over my head with one hand. My lower back is held together by pins, plates, and screws. I had fun. Life is good. God is great. Ditto if I wake up tomorrow.

After reading the entire thread, I realize that I responded with a non relevant reply. To give a relevant one I will say that the Browning Hi-Power might be adversely affected by +p+ ammo. At least one famous custom pistol smithing outfit warns against using even + in the BHP. BHP factory hammer springs are rated at 37 lbs(from memory), and some say that this heavy weight's purpose is to reduce slide velocity. I asked a factory tech a question about why the heavy hammer spring. He said he had no idea.

[lowprone]

Talked with a good friend in Mesa, Az. who said he had read the post and understood what I was asking.
We talked about HK triggers ect and then he suggested I just get a 1911 pattern 9mm buy a bunch of
recoil, mainspring, firing pin springs like you would for a 45 super or like the 38 super crowd did long ago.
That resonated with me and snapped me out of my tunnel vision that kept me fixated on polymer striker
fired pistols.

I will not batter my High Powers up because the only ones I think might be marginally ok are the investment
cast MK 111 pistols that were built for the 40 S&W w/heavier slide and make a fairly strong 9mm.
I will probably get a new Colt 9mm because the heavy slide and appropriate springs will change the dwell
time and tame the recoil.

There seems to be a scarcity of 1911 high cap 9mm's but I will have fun finding the appropriate vehicle to
change most of those Hirtenbergers into once fired brass.

[HKGuns]

There may be others, but to my knowledge, the HK USP 9 is the only pistol who's manual specifically mentions it is rated for +P+.

[26 Inf]

I wrecked two 5904s and one 6904 shooting +P+. Shooting standard velocity reloads, the longest any of my third generation S&W pistols lasted was 22,000 rounds.

If I were to shoot a lot of +P+ nowadays, I would take a look at a CZ75.

All of our original Sim Guns were 3904's with cracked frames, they had not shot anything but standard velocity - actually Blazer and Silvertip.

[williejc]

Lowprone, from my experience with steel 1911 9mm's, you can fire l.e. +p+ ammo and not ruin your pistol. My opinion is that you don't need super recoil springs and will do well with the original but remember to change it every 2000 rds. But, to experiment do this. From Wollf springs buy a calibration pack with different weights. Next, determine how far your 1911 throws regular pressure empties with standard ammo. Replace the original spring with heavier ones while you fire your selected +p+ ammo. Finally select a spring that has a similar ejection pattern as does the original spring with regular ammo.

The 38 Super competition guys were fooling around with dangerously(stupid to me)high pressures and compensated pistols. There is no need to go there. Also, they had experts putting them together, and these competitors usually used one pistol with a spare to back them up, and at the same time, one was in the shop.

I would not fire the Hirtenberger ammo in any 9mm handgun that I valued unless it was a Ruger single action with a 9mm conversion cylinder. I have a K frame Smith in 9mm, and I won't fire the Hirtenberger stuff in it.

As a serious reloader for 46 years, I will tell you that high pressure does not always produce correspondingly high velocity. Graphing pressure and velocity does not show a linear relationship. Said another way, you can blow up your pistol and not achieve high velocity.

Another concern for hot 9mm or .38 Super ammo in the 1911 is the extent of unsupported area in the case head--or how far does the case protrude from the chamber. Hot ammo beyond factory +p+ will likely blow out the unprotected case head so we have another reason to avoid Hirtenberger and similar choices.

[montrala]

Thanks for the heads up.

No problem. With regular 9mm, even 9mm NATO it rarely is a problem. But those that use CZ75 in .40SW or shoot 9mm loaded for Major Power Factor for IPSC always have few spare slide stops with pin on hand. Other solution used is to ditch slide stop and install pin that can freely rotate inside frame - this way stress is distributed more evenly into pin and it does not crack so easy.

[Arik]

5906s really weren't good pistols.

If you really like 3rd gen Smith DAO triggers then you must've spent your youth turning the Wheel of Pain only to matriculate to some hardcore Blacksmithing asa teen and have huge mitts that can crush a brick.

I have spindly girl hands, I reckon, and did not enjoy the Smith trigger at all.

Lol. I don't have a lot of first hand experience with them. I've owned a few but never used them like I do Glocks. By the time I was old enough to buy guns the 3rd gens were being phased out. I bought one, then another, because at the time they were cheap(er) as more and more departments went away from them to Glocks, Sigs and HKs. My first was like new, without the mag safety. Came with 4 mags for $250. At one time I conceal carried a 5906 and later a 4566. This was before I got into Glocks. Personally I never had an issue with them and from all my research they seemed to be the "Glock" of their time. Eventually as I got more and more into guns I sold them off one by one.

As for the trigger.....I dunno. From everything I've read on different DA guns they all seem to be around the 10# DA pull but for whatever reason the 3rd gens always felt smoother and lighter especially when combined with the thicker rubber Hogue palm swell grips. I have avg hands but ET like fingers. I like 2x4 grips

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