Which safety standards define the maximum allowed pressure?

There are two globally recognized safety standards for civilian ammunition that every handloader should be familiar with:

In the United States, the SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc., 555 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897) publishes and endorses standards approved by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) as voluntary industry performance standards intended for use by commercial manufacturers.

The C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour l’Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives, 45, Rue Fond-des-Tawes, 4000 Liège, Belgium) establishes standards for civilian ammunition and firearms applicable to European member countries. These standards are mandatory in countries that have ratified the CIP regulations.

Through collaboration, CIP and SAAMI are working towards the development of unified international standards. The maximum standardized pressures are available in our cartridge database.

Please note: It is recommended to maintain a margin of 10-15% below the maximum standardized pressure for any load to accommodate potential variations. Only highly experienced handloaders should consider exceeding these limits, and then only at their own risk.