9x18 defense loads

NcongruNt · Post by **NcongruNt** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:55 am

So I have a bit of a problem. I tested a few types of HP ammo out in my PA63, and found that the Hornady XTP feeds flawlessly, due to the narrower hollow point profile and the slick brass. Unfortunately, it seems my test box was the last box in all of Austin, and it seems like Hornady hasn't been producing it, because absolutely everyone is out of it, even online.

I've got a bunch of Silver Bear HP, but it has been my experience that the first round at the top of the magazine will drag (because it's a steel case) on the magazine lip and turn the front of the round down as it pushes it towards the feed ramp. The bullets have a much more blunt profile than the XTP, and it ends up that the front of the hollow point will catch on the end of the feed ramp and fail to feed. Suffice it to say, this is not ideal. It seems like everyone just gave up on producing 9x18 HP ammo except the Russians, and steel cases just don't cut it.

I know there are some of you who carry Makarovs and at least one other person who carries a PA63 (moodyamber, I believe). So, suggestions for some brass-cased 9x18 defense rounds that will feed would be greatly appreciated.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:02 am

Have you tried Cor-Bon?

NcongruNt · Post by **NcongruNt** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:08 am

Greybeard wrote:Have you tried Cor-Bon?

They no longer make JHP ammo in 9x18. All they have available is the Pow'rBall and the Glaser Safety Slugs. The cheaper of those two is the Pow'rBall, and at about $1/round it's a little expensive to test and make sure it's a reliable carry load.

NcongruNt · Post by **NcongruNt** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:33 am

I also just talked to Georgia Arms on the phone. They make a load using Gold Dot bullets, but are out because of backordered bullets. Sheesh, what gives?

CWOOD · Post by **CWOOD** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:33 am

The Pow'R Ball is a hollowpoint.

It just has that little polymer bead up front to make feeding easier and to keep the HP from getting plugged by clothing etc, so that expansion more reliable.

I grant you that $1/Round is a bit steep but you will pay that for a lot of premium defense rounds. That being said, what is piece of mind worth?

I looked on the Makarov.com site and they have no HP rounds available either. Even a google search soesn't yield much.

I like/use Corbon and would be confidant with their other products. I currently have a bunch of Silver Bear HP for my EG Makarov and it works very well so I will continue feeding that while I can.

CWOOD · Post by **CWOOD** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:38 am

Just an afterthought.

Have you tried taking your pistol to a local gunsmith to see if they could 'adjust' the magazine to make it work better. It probably would cost too much. I have found Hank Fleming on South Congress Ave. to be very helpful and reasonably priced.

NcongruNt · Post by **NcongruNt** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:33 am

CWOOD wrote:Just an afterthought.

Have you tried taking your pistol to a local gunsmith to see if they could 'adjust' the magazine to make it work better. It probably would cost too much. I have found Hank Fleming on South Congress Ave. to be very helpful and reasonably priced.

Well, it's a $140 pistol with $15 magazines (and I have 7 of them). I don't know if I could justify to myself spending what a gunsmith would charge for "adjusting" all those magazines. Really, all I need is brass-cased JHP, but It's nowhere to be found. Hopefully the Hornady stuff will become available again soon and I wouldn't need to worry about it. I sent them an e-mail yesterday asking about the shortage and when they would start producing again. Hopefully, they'll respond and give me an idea of when to expect it to become available.

NcongruNt · Post by **NcongruNt** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:55 pm

Good news! I posted to gunboards.com and was given links to several online stores that have it in stock! I just ordered 4 boxes from impactguns.com at $14.44/box of 25. For anyone interested, here are the links:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?p=WX2&i=10507
http://www.ammobank.com/cgi-bin/cshop/s ... tx=HN91002
http://www.impactguns.com/store/090255910025.html
http://www.outdoorsuperstore.com/produc ... &cat=40302

I talked to the Sportsman's Guide folks over the phone, and they told me they had 100 boxes in stock. I didn't order from them because their shipping was too high and impactguns.com was cheaper anyway, and they say they ship within 48 hours. I should have it at the beginning of next week.

I'm still wondering why 9x18 JHP is so hard to come by these days and why nearly all the manufacturers have stopped making it. Maybe with all the more recent inexpensive 9x18 pistols hitting the market (FEG PA63, CZ-82), the demand has gone well beyond what Hornady's production was prepared for. I have read that Federal made some 9x18 JHP ammo at one time, as well as Cor-Bon, CCI, & Fiocchi. It seems none of these brands have made 9x18 in the past year or more, though. From what I can tell, demand for Makarov rounds has gone up in the past few years, so I don't understand why most of the ammo manufacturers have gotten out of the game. I found an off-brand called Master Cartridge that makes them (from the images I found, they look more like SJHP), but every place I look seems to be out of them as well. If the guys over at gunboards.com are right and Georgia Arms is now using Hornady bullets in their rounds, that would explain why they're out.