What is this???

[9 m&m]

I have just reciently bought some 9mm ammo at a gun show. I was wanting to know if it was +p or not. It is south american and is in a gold and white box. The headstamp reads: SB-T 92 9-p (+p maybe???) All the people who have heard me shoot it always comment on how they are*much* louder than the regular fmj. BTW the bullets are 110 gr. softpoints. Any info on these is appreciated.

[Maddock]

I believe that this is "Santa Barbara" - Spanish.
I have not used any of the 9mm, but have used 7.62 Nato and 5.56 Nato. Good stuff.
Is this what you have?
http://www.ammunitionstore.com/Images/Ammo/A025.2.jpg

[Josey]

I believe you have standard loads. 9-p marking should stand for 9-l or your average 9MM Luger or para bellum.

[Maddock]

Sorry - double post - have no idea how it could happen after 2 hours.

[WonderNine]

People have commented that the Santa Barbara .380 is hot. I don't see any reason why the 9mm couldn't be a little on the warm side.

Send me some, I'll chrono it for ya! ;)

[George Hill]

Looks pretty good. JHP with a good feeding shape.

Let's see the math.

[9 m&m]

Maddock,

thats exactly what i have the only bad thing i have seen about the is that they are very dirty and you have to clean the lips of your mags often.

[Hoop]

Cool. I was just going to do a search on this.

It's Spanish NATO surplus. I picked up some at a gun show a few weeks ago.

So, the concensus is that it's a little hot, but not +P?

[Maddock]

It's Spanish NATO surplus
I don't beleive that it would be Nato spec since it's not FMJ.

[WonderNine]

So, the concensus is that it's a little hot, but not +P?

I don't think that any concensus has been reached as nobody has chrono'd it as far as I know. It could be as hot as subgun ammo, which may not be safe for pistols or it could be standard pressure or anywhere between the two. How does it feel when you shoot it? How loud is it?

[Mike Irwin]

DEFINITELY not NATO spec at 110 grain and an open-nose hollowpoint.

If it's NATO spec it will have a cross in a circle on the headstamp.

Santa Barbara de Toledo has been making ammunition since about 1942, IIRC. It was one of the factories that Franco set up.

[Archie]

By and large, all European ammo is loaded to higher pressure levels than US stuff. Their standards for "maximum pressure" is different than ours.

Doesn't happen all the time or with every cartridge, but generally.

I remember some .380 ACP by "Geco" or somesuch that was really snappy, even compared to the first generation SuperVel stuff by Lee Jurras. Early '70s.

[BluesBear]

I chronographed some Geco ammo back in the late 1970s. The velocities were comparable to US stuff but did seem to have more snap to it.

My guess was that they were using a faster buring powder.

[Hoop]

I don't know how it shoots. I'm asking because I became worried (after purchasing it), that it might be loaded too hot for my CZ to (safely) handle. I'd like to shoot it, but now I'm not so sure...

:scrutiny:

[Tropical Z]

Sportsmans guide is selling this stuff in 124 grain and they are claiming 1200 fps at about 375 fpe if my memory serves me right.