[oldman]

Just been given a Walther P5 and I wonder is a steady diet of +P ammo will damage it. I plan to run at least 200 or so of +P for function and reliablity testing, then 60 to 100 rounds a week as my EDC load. The ammo is listed as 115gr. Gold Dots moving out at 1300fps. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[LFW]

According to what I've read in a book by Gangarosa (The Walther Handgun Story), the German police commission had a requirement that guns submitted to them for acceptance pass a 10,000 round service test. The P5 easily passed this test due to the fact that it has the hardened hexagonal cross-pin which reinforces the alloy frame. And "...P5s used in West German police service frequently fire more than 20,000 rounds with no evidence of frame cracking." From what I gather, standard European 9mm is loaded hotter than U.S. stuff, so I don't think a few hundred rounds of U.S. +P would hurt the pistol much.--Leigh

 

[Herr Walther]

I would not feed a steady diet of +P through any alloy framed pistol whether the manufacturer says it's rated for it or not.

A function check with a couple of hundred rounds is fine, but I sure wouldn't use it for every range session.

I load 124gr NATO +P+ Hirtenburger in my P5, P88, and P99, but I don't shoot it other than making sure it functioned on it.