CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
When I started reloading ~ 13 years ago, I almost immediately started 9mm work ups to destruction with every pistol powder and bullet I could find. I recorded the data on spread sheets.
For a long time I have shot 11 gr Power Pistol 158 gr XTP in 9mm just to show off. One or two shots makes the shooting hand hurt for hours. It takes concentration to rapid fire.
But 10 gr Power Pistol 124 gr is too hot for a Glock 19 with 48 pound triple recoil spring assembly, double magazine springs [so the chamber does not come up empty], and NY trigger [to reset as fast as the slide moves]. The cases still fly too far and the slide slams into the frame.
This is my simple math derivision of how far cases fly, that starts out with slide velocity relative to frame. Elsewhere I have a more complicated derivsions that starts out with projectile and gas momentum:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.g...e1c4e6d0?hl=en
9mm brass has a .160" thick web. Most 9mm pistols have thick chamber walls and .190" of feed ramp intrusion. This means they can take a huge amount of pressure above and beyond the published loads. This is completely unlike many 40 S&W, 10mm, and 45acp barrels.
What does it all mean?
Most people think that pressure is the practical limit of 9mm, when it is really recoil. Pressure can go much higher, but the practical [slide mass],[ recoil spring force] [slide travel distance] and [frame and hand mass] cause the recoil to be very limiting.