9mm NATO

[SickRick]

ok so i went to the local range today with a friend that is getting into the sport so i asked the guy behind the counter for the cheapest 9mm Luger went and shot it all fine no problems when i looked at the box to throw it away i was a little confused...... what is 9mm NATO??????

[Dave in PA]

It is ammunition made to specifications of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Basically, 9x19, 124 gr FMJ about 1150 fps +/- based on what I found online. It also has crimped and sealed primers, and should have sealed bullets.

Think Military surplus.

[knight0334]

Yep^

And that 9mm's proper name is "9mm Parabellum", not "9mm Luger". lol

[SickRick]

o ok thanks for the info

[Philbert]

NATO ammunition is higher pressure. Wikipedia linked me to this British evaluation

http://www.dstan.mod.uk/data/05/101/01000100.pdf

see table 2. According to this document the 9mm NATO round should generate a pressure of 3150 bar - but this is 45 686 PSI! That doesn't sound right. There is conflicting information on the Interwebs.

[knight0334]

NATO ammunition is higher pressure. Wikipedia linked me to this British evaluation

http://www.dstan.mod.uk/data/05/101/01000100.pdf

see table 2. According to this document the 9mm NATO round should generate a pressure of 3150 bar - but this is 45 686 PSI! That doesn't sound right. There is conflicting information on the Interwebs.

The 9mm NATO version of the Parabellum is about 34-36.5K PSI. The Russian overpressure version for submachine guns runs in the mid-40K PSI.

[Flash]

Ammunition qualifying for "NATO-spec" will be identified by a headstamp bearing a small circle with a cross inside the circle, and may have other markings (letters & numbers) as well.

Flash

[Philbert]

The 9mm NATO version of the Parabellum is about 34-36.5K PSI. The Russian overpressure version for submachine guns runs in the mid-40K PSI.

Is there a NATO spec document where this stuff is written down?

[knight0334]

Is there a NATO spec document where this stuff is written down?

I've seen it somewhere. I'll have to look for it later, its bed time. 5am comes too early.

[daschnoz]

grab
tm 43-0001-27.pdf

from here
http://www.kirbos.net?path=reload_data

It lists all of the specs for US ammo. NATO's 9mm spec is in there. It is quite a handy document to have.