Federal 9mm 147 grn HST JHP ok in older Hi-Power?

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Oyeboten

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Am not re-loading 9mm yet, so looking at various Factory Rounds.

I'd rather have Lead than Jacketed, but, given what's out there, what is the prevailing wisdom on say 147-148 Grain Factory Loadings of Jacketed Bullets, in a late '40s FN High Power?


Water off a Duck's Back? Or, would it strain it?
 
147gr. isn't as good a feeding round in older guns, I suspect mostly because it's a little front heavy, but I don't see any reason why standard pressure 147gr. should give any problems as long as the springs are up to snuff. Especially the recoil and magazine spring. And the extractor is good. Give it a try and let us know how well it works. The older Hi-powers are not as good with JHP ammo because of the humped barrel, but most feed it okay.
 
Oyeboten Am not re-loading 9mm yet, so looking at various Factory Rounds.
I'd rather have Lead than Jacketed, but, given what's out there, what is the prevailing wisdom on say 147-148 Grain Factory Loadings of Jacketed Bullets, in a late '40s FN High Power?
Water off a Duck's Back? Or, would it strain it?
Click to expand...

1. One box of +P will not break your Hi Power.
2. Ten cases of +P will cause wear that ten cases of standard pressure would not.........and that's true for any handgun, not just the Hi Power.
3. If you havn't already...replace your recoil spring. They're cheap and I swap in a new one every 3,000 rounds or anytime I buy a new Hi Power.
4. If you plan on feeding your Hi Power a large diet of +P consider extra power springs from Wolff.
5. The internet myth "Hi Powers can't handle +P" is rooted in comments made YEARS ago (pre MkIII) from observations of WWII era Inglis Hi Powers with broken barrel cams. Forget the fact that an armory would be the logical place to observe firearms in need of repair. RARELY will you ever read about a broken cam on an FN built Hi Power. I think I've read of two in the last ten years.
6. A late '40's Hi Power is a collectors gun. Retire it and get a MkIII built with a cast frame. If the cast frame can handle the .40S&W any 9mm will be cake.
 
147gr 9mm develops less recoil than standard pressure 115, so it would be more gentle on your gun.
 
Thanks everyone!

I was not planning on any +Ps for it.

It's a lovely Pistol and very sweet shooting.

Of course most 9MM Ammunition are a light Bullet, and, usually, Hardball or Jacketed and I would rather shoot Lead anyway.


The Federal 147 Grain I was tinking about, are Jacketed Hollowpoints ( and, maybe they would not feed well, dunno yet ).


I was having a real desire to carry it now and then, hence, needing something for Ammunition besides the box of RNL plinking loads I have which were done by a commercial re-loader in Arizona ( which are Lead ).


For some reason, I just hate putting Hardball or even Jacketed through anything, as well as that it is not the best for SD or Paper.


At some point I will start re-loading for it, and, see what it likes, see what it feeds well.


It would be nice if it would feed Lead, Hollow Point Semi Wadcutters ( like my .38 Autocolt was always glad to do).



Are there any Factory Brands for 9mm that anyone knows of, which are Hollow Point Lead?
 
My hi powers all love the small variety of 147gr. bullets I have loaded in them. In a few, the 147's have been the more accurate. I have loaded 147 Hornady XTP, 147gr "Match" FMJ, and Remington 147 Golden Sabre.
 
What the HP was DESIGNED for has little bearing on this conversation. The 1911 was designed for FMJs yet I would wager there are a lot of guys here feeding theirs HPs. My HP is the most stone cold relaible pistol I've ever owned. It feeds all bullet weights just fine. There are some older HiPowers that may not feed JHPs well but most HPs are just fine with about anything you want to feed it. I would be the OP would be much better served by comments from people who actually own HPs than hyperbole about what it was "designed" to do.
 
jon_in_wv: ...the OP would be much better served by comments from people who actually own HPs than hyperbole about what it was "designed" to do.
Click to expand...

What hyperbole?:scrutiny:
Your's is the only post to mention what a Hi Power "was designed to do".:rolleyes:

As far as actually owning (and shooting) the Hi Power? I currently have twelve of them (sold or traded another six or seven) and have been shooting the Hi Power since 1980.
 
I misread something above, my mistake. Excuse me if you will, I'm sick today and I guess I'm not exactly thinking straight. That being said, it was and is still true that my HP has no problems with whatever you feed it and I'm sure many guys have a similar experience regardless of bullet weight.
 
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Isn't 147gr weight about the worst 9x19 load one can pick?
Click to expand...

It used to be, back when hollow point technology was in its infancy, that 147gr bullets didn't travel fast enough to reliably expand a hollow point.
These days, with modern tech, they can expand as reliably as any of the more typical ~125 gr. bullets.
Some say heavier bullets are less likely to get stuck or deflect if they hit bone, and that the sub-sonic round won't destroy your hearing as badly if you have to light off a round inside your house (ie. HD situation).

I actually plan to reliability test my bed side gun with the 147gr. HST and switch to that as my HD/SD load.
 
If you look of the ballistic tests of the 147gr Federal HST it actually looks like one of the best loads going. I prefer the 124gr HST or the 124gr Gold Dot +p though.
 
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