If you read my bit on the 32’s you’re likely to understand my position on what I believe is suitable for self-defense. Roughly 250 foot/pounds of energy resulting in 15″ of penetration in ballistic gel and in a caliber I can carry a lot of. Notice I didn’t say the largest caliber I can handle. I don’t buy that way of thinking. To me, I’d rather my gun be able to go bang more than five times.
The 9×18 Makarov was introduced to the Russian military in 1951 and stills serves today in small capacity. The cartridge is normally chambered the medium-small Makaov pistol. Real original name, I know. The pistol holds eight rounds, plus one in the chamber. It’s no high-capacity deal but hay, it’s more that five. There is an even higher capacity option in the CZ-83 with a 13 round magazine.
At .365 diameter and and .71 case length, It’s dimensions are quite close to that of 380 ACP and unfortunately that idea stuck in peoples heads. Manufacturers load the 9×18 to handle like 380, perform like 380 and to be gentle on the frames of the military surplus Makarovs they are normally fed through. This significantly hampers the cartridge’s performance considering the normal energy they are producing is around 200 Ft./Lbs. when the military loading is perfectly capable to produce 300 Ft./Lbs. It’s disheartening really.
There are companies providing 380 as well as 9×18 loads in +P variants even though the 380 and 9×18 don’t have a standardized version in +P. +P is the designation for plus pressure and indicates that it can damage a gun not rated for +P ammunition. Thankfully there are a few manufacturers that say their guns can handle +P ammo. Kahr’s P80 and Berreta’s Pico in 380. In order to say this, they have to build the gun to withstand pressures 17% to 30% higher than standard safe pressures.
For 9×18 it’s easier to understand how the older guns can take the extra beating. They are solid Russian made guns. I don’t know of many old Russian guns that were easy to kill with normal use. In some cases they can literately be fixed with only a hammer. No joke. Considering the 9×18 that is on the market today is being loaded down, I find it quite easy to say a Underwood Ammo’s 9×18 +P load with Hornady’s XTP bullet with 279 Ft./LBS. of energy would get the job done better than the Hornady’s proprietary FTX load with 211 Ft./Lbs. of energy.
It’s stuff like loading up and loading down certain ammo to get it to perform like one of it’s contemporaries that frequently annoy me. 16 gauge isn’t 12 gauge, 300 Blackout isn’t 7.62×39 and 9×18 isn’t 380. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a thousand times. Nyet, ammo is fine. Let a cartridge be what it is.
Just a thought.
Main Photo by Oleg Volk
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