Is 9mm Winchester NATO worth paying extra for?

I am looking at some 07 Winchester 124 grain, 2007 production Winchester 9mm NATO ammo, complete with the NATO cross stamped on the cases.

Considering that WWB is now about 18 cents a round, is the NATO stuff worth 3 cents more? I see Ammo Man is charging about 24 cents a round for it.

Is there any reason to get it over plain WWB? To get the 21 cent/round price I have to buy thousands of rounds so I am weighing my options.

We chrono'ed some older (2002 I think) stuff at it only speced out at 1150-1175 out of my Beretta. No real reason other than cool NATO brass! :P Maybe the primer is sealed (good SHTF load for wet performance)?

Don't know if this is the case with the Winchester stuff or not, but I just bought some Federal 9mm NATO (2006 production) and it has new non-toxic primers with fully enclosed bullets. The spent cases are very clean, you can barely tell they've ever been fired. I'd spend 3 cents more per round just for that, if you're inclined to reload.

I'd spend 3 cents more per round just for that, if you're inclined to reload.I pay less for something without crimped-in primers if I wanted to reload it.

rcmodel

I forgot about that. Curiously the batch of Federal I have does not have crimped primers. The headstamp is "NPA 06", supposedly Nato load made for the Taiwanese police association.

I believe if it is NATO spec it would have to have regular lead based & crimped primers.

I suppose the Taiwan police could specify whatever they wanted, but it wouldn't be NATO spec military ammo.

Maybe NATO training ammo or something?

rcmodel

If your usual carry load is one of the "hotrock" +P or +P+ rounds, the NATO is a fairly close duplicate of the recoil for practice and might be worth a few extra bucks. Otherwise, IMO, no.

I wouldn't pay any extra for it. Surplus ammo should be less expensive than new commercial but if some people are impressed by the marketing of it then it will sell for whatever the market will bear.

only 2 reasons that I can come up with...

1) if you ca get it cheap & need a +p practice load that is similar to a +p defensive load that you use

2) *** applies to unlucky persons living in New Jersey *** :banghead: :cuss: :fire: since your state government decided that hollowpoints are 'less humane' and 'less safe' than fmj loads...you can get a state approved load that will pass through a perp quicker (this causes less trauma to a sick, twisted person...more humane) and into an innocent bystander with more oomph (guess they find this safer than a hollowpoint stopping inside the perp you were aiming at)

There is an acute shortage of M882 124 gr NATO ball at the moment. Whatever you saw, it was not M882.

Based on my previous experiences with this ammunition, it is probably a standard SAAMI pressure commercial load in NATO overrun cases. Winchester and Federal do this from time to time. Winchester used to sell it as part of their USA/white box line.

Whatever it is, it's not the real deal unless somebody stole it.

It has been against Federal Law to sell surplus GI ammo since Bill Klinton signed an executive order banning the sale of U.S. GI ammo, or components.

Ever notice even the CMP can't get surplus GI ammo, or bullets, or cases, or powder, or primers any longer?

They are forced to sell Greek 30-06 ammo now because all the U.S. 30-06 surplus is being destroyed.

rcmodel

If the real deal is unavailable, what's this stuff: http://www.ammoman.com/webstore_9mm.htm

The second one down, Winchester Nato.

it is probably a standard SAAMI pressure commercial load in NATO overrun cases. Winchester and Federal do this from time to time. Post #10, right above mine.

rcmodel

Based on my previous experiences with this ammunition, it is probably a standard SAAMI pressure commercial load in NATO overrun cases. Winchester and Federal do this from time to time. Winchester used to sell it as part of their USA/white box line.

Is this legal??? The boxes say 9mm NATO, not 9mm. I did not pay extra for a cross on the headstamp. Except for the year, what I have is the same as ammoman.

So what is the deal?