Winchester NATO 9mm Luger use with CZ SP01

[melsauto]

I purchased a SP-01 Tactical urban grey suppressor ready, wondering if any one has used Winchester NATO 9 mm 124 gr ammunition and performance.

Thanks
 

[Tyerone]

One of the favorites for my Matte Stainless, 85B and PCR.  Not sure why an SP01 wouldn't like it.  Judge whether you need a different weight recoil spring by how far the brass is thrown

[Wobbly]

Depends on what the intended purpose for the ammo is, really.

However...
? Much better SD ammo is made for the police than the military
? You wouldn't want to use those chamber pressures for simple target work
? The power might make it OK for 50 yard target work, but there are probably bullet shapes available with better ballistics

So I have more questions than answers.

[Vinny]

I've asked the same question in the past.
My stock SP-01 Tactical with the very heavy factory recoil spring (~17 lbs) seems to like it. Snaps right back on target.

But honestly, I've been using more S&B 124 gr. in local USPSA matches because it's less$, and seems to run very well, and very consistent in a variety of CZ's. After all, S&B is Czech made.

However, if you're running a much lighter recoil spring for lower PF ammo, I'm not sure the NATO would be a good long-term choice. Like, would you run +P everyday?

JMO

As Wobbly and Tyerone have said, there are several factors to consider.

[Wobbly]

Since most all the '75 series' of guns will break the slide stop if the springs aren't up to the load, you might even want to install stronger springs for this type ammo.

So we simply need more info.

If someone gave me 100 rounds would I shoot it? Sure!
Would I go buy 100 rounds because it was cheap? No, not really.

[melsauto]

Download NATO ammo specs....

http://everyspec.com/MIL-SPECS/MIL-SPECS-MIL-C/download.php?spec=MIL-C-70508_AMENDMENT-8.051908.pdf

[Radom]

I purchased a SP-01 Tactical urban grey suppressor ready, wondering if any one has used Winchester NATO 9 mm 124 gr ammunition and performance.

Thanks
 

I would have to look at my Photobucket account to see the actual box/markings, but I used to shoot a Winchester 124 gr. FMJ +P+ NATO load in my P-01 back when I owned it.  (I think I had some 125g. +P+ Winchester Ranger JHP as well.)  I didn't own it long enough to assess whether or not it was a good idea.  I hated the decocker on the P-01. 

That said, there's a lot of good advice here.  You're better off with a 124 gr +P JHP like the Speer Gold Dot in terms of reliability and terminal performance.  Hotter loads wear a pistol faster.  They may require re-springing from the start, and they wear springs faster. 

The only benefit of extremely high velocity/high pressure 9mm FMJ ammunition is that it shoots an incredibly flat trajectory for a pistol at a reasonable distance.  That said, it still isn't close to a .357 Magnum revolver. 

Traditionally, 9mm CZs shoot/group best with a 124 gr. bullet @1,100 fps.  Your stance/grip will affect this, of course.

[IDescribe]

We've talked about this before. 

9mm NATO is not a specific overpressure, high-velocity spec.  NATO has ranges for bullet weight and velocity, it's meant to provide a range of ammo that functions in the weapons of NATO countries, which means the weapons themselves are specced to handle ammo within those ranges, and one batch of 9mm NATO is not necessarily the same as another.  If some government or group wishes to buy official 9mm NATO ammo, they will have it specced to what they want within the official range.  The NATO in Winchester NATO does not mean it's super stout.

At MidwayUSA right now,  9mm, ALL 124gr:

Winchester NATO -- 1140
Winchester Winclean -- 1130
Winchester Hybrid X +P -- 1225
Winchester PDX Defender +P -- 1200

Blazer Brass --1090 
Sig V-Crown -- 1165. 
Gold Dot -- 1150
Federal HST -- 1150.
Federal AmEagle -- 1120


The current line of Winchester NATO is no big deal. 

[eastman]

when I had the pre-release version of the P-10c, it loved the WWB 9mm NATO ammo the best of anything I tried.

[Ruber]

Well said IDescribe.

Out of the box, my SP01 really shot the Win NATO very well, really made me like the gun from the get go

[Tyerone]

We've talked about this before. 

9mm NATO is not a specific overpressure, high-velocity spec.  NATO has ranges for bullet weight and velocity, it's meant to provide a range of ammo that functions in the weapons of NATO countries, which means the weapons themselves are specced to handle ammo within those ranges, and one batch of 9mm NATO is not necessarily the same as another.  If some government or group wishes to buy official 9mm NATO ammo, they will have it specced to what they want within the official range.  The NATO in Winchester NATO does not mean it's super stout.

At MidwayUSA right now,  9mm, ALL 124gr:

Winchester NATO -- 1140
Winchester Winclean -- 1130
Winchester Hybrid X +P -- 1225
Winchester PDX Defender +P -- 1200

Blazer Brass --1090 
Sig V-Crown -- 1165. 
Gold Dot -- 1150
Federal HST -- 1150.
Federal AmEagle -- 1120


The current line of Winchester NATO is no big deal. 

Thanks for the numbers.  Were all of those chrono graphed out of the same gun/barrel length & approx. temperature?  Shall I assume that those are all muzzle velocities (ft/sec)?

Just for the record my above-mentioned CZs also love 124gr Blazer Brass, S&B & Aguia.  In reviewing my notes, the only 124gr fodder that didn't particularly do well was MEN out of Germany, but it could have just been a coincidental bad couple of days from the shooter (hardly scientific).

[Moken]

Of all the handgun I would pick that high velocity rounds would bother it would be the SP01.
As Idescribe correctly pointed out NATO doesn't always mean much. Just as in 5.56 on the shelf, many .223 rounds out pace it as well. Any round that is made on the same tools will have "cross pollination".
The only way you'll know for sure is run it over a chrony.