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A LEO friend of mine gave me a box of Ranger .45 today along with some "Border Patrol" 9mm ammo that wasn't in a box and I am wondering if anyone knows the specifics of this ammo. I hate to waste it, but I am not shooting unidentified ammo through my pistols. Probably no danger in a G19, but I don't know anything about them.

Only is effective on Illegals!

ScubaSigGuy wrote:Probably no danger in a G19, but I don't know anything about them.

Well, there you go; the worst they can do is blow up a Glock. It's not like he tried to get you to put them in a Beretta or anything.

Border Patrol issue handguns went from .357 Magnum to .40 S&W. I do not recall any issue weapons in 9mm. The NFU experimented with and tested 9mm before choosing the .40, but no "Border Patrol" ammunition was produced for it. None of the ammunition issued to us had any mention of "Border Patrol" on the boxes (whether .357 or .40).

ScubaSigGuy wrote:A LEO friend of mine gave me a box of Ranger .45 today along with some "Border Patrol" 9mm ammo that wasn't in a box and I am wondering if anyone knows the specifics of this ammo.

Can you provide a picture of the headstamps?

ScubaSigGuy wrote:A LEO friend of mine gave me a box of Ranger .45 today along with some "Border Patrol" 9mm ammo that wasn't in a box and I am wondering if anyone knows the specifics of this ammo. I hate to waste it, but I am not shooting unidentified ammo through my pistols. Probably no danger in a G19, but I don't know anything about them.

I think they had the primer caps removed to help keep the Border Patrol Agents out of prison.

OK, not that funny ....

That ammo must go back aways. CBP has been using .40's since they went to the Berettas and continues with the H&K P2000's they use now. They used to use very hot Remington loads but I think they're using Federal now.

Border Patrol ammo is manufactured with all-combustible components. When the round fires, the nitrocellulose case and primer housing is burning as it is ejected and is fully consumed shortly after it hits the ground. That way, over zealous U.S. Attorneys won't have anything to find.

Chas.

Charles that is to funny. Bad thing is that it is true.

Well this post was defintely worth the laughs. I didn't know what they carry, just what he told me they were. They are stamped FC +P+ that's all.

Do they use any SMG's maybe?

I don't know much about the Border Patrol but a lot of government agencies had been issued hot-loaded 9mm subgun ammo.

+P+ factory ammo is likely not a problem for a G 19. The infamous "Glockaboom" is documented to occur due to leading of the barrel combined with high-pressure loads, not simply using jacketed high pressure loads.

Some personal defense loads are +P+.

I would hesitate to use +P+ in antique 9mm handguns like original Lugers, Walthers, Brownings that are older than my own body. Modern metalurgy is superior to that found in the 1905-1950 time frame and such guns have collector value that your G-19 doesn't.

Do they look like this:







They MAY be Federal American Eagle 124gr 9mm +P+ JHP's.

He MAY have indicated they were Border Patrol rounds because any +P+ were originally designed/available for Law Enforcement.
He MAY have gotten them from a friend of his who is a Border Patrol Officer but who does not carry a 9mm. I am sure there are "Gun Nuts" in the Border Patrol too who have other weapons that are not issued!

When in doubt, don't use it.
My FIL got some ammo during a gift-exchange game during Christmas, and it was a horrible box of reloads. The primers were bent within the case and the bullets were crookedly seated.

Venus Pax wrote:When in doubt, don't use it.
My FIL got some ammo during a gift-exchange game during Christmas, and it was a horrible box of reloads. The primers were bent within the case and the bullets were crookedly seated.

Dan

BORTAC (the spec ops arm of the Border Patrol) is authorized to use only two weapons in 9mm: P229 and HK MP5 A2 or A3 9mm SMG. Other BORTAC weapons available for use are:

Heckler & Koch (HK) USP40, Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun with 14" barrel, M4A1 carbine, M-16A1 or A2 5.56mm rifle, M-14 7.62mm rifle, HK UMP40 .40 cal SMG, Remington 700 .308 rifle, Remington M40 XBKS .308 rifle, M-79 40mm grenade launcher (GL), M-203 40mm GL, 37 mm gas guns, HK 33A2 rifle, HK53 A2 or A3 rifle, and the Steyr SSG rifle. The Remington shotguns have been specially modified by Scattergun Technologies (as the saying goes about BP shotguns: "mine's shorter than yours").