9x18 make pet loads?

[funnyjim014]

I just bought polish p64 in 9x18 mak. I shot factory loads and some reloads from 9 luger brass trimed with 3.5gr win231 under a 95gr castboolit I bought from midway. Only concern I have is the little pop gun launches brass into orbit. Load data is had to pritty hard to come by . My powder choices are win231, bullseye, unique, CFE pistol. I was thinking of just lowering the current load to a even 3gr and see what happened

[mac60]

I have one too. The only thing I really don't care for is the 6 rd. capacity. You are 100% right though - it launches empties at the speed of light. When I shoot at the range the empties go straight up and bounce off the roof so hard it's ridiculous. Everything I read puts your 3.5 gr. ww231 as a max load. Whether lowering your powder charge to 3.0 gr. is going to alleviate the problem of brass being launched into orbit remains to be seen. I load 2.7 gr. red dot under the Lee makarov boolit lubed with straight LLA. I feel your pain - spending all that time and effort to make brass and then only being able to find 1/2 of them ain't no fun. A max charge of bullseye would be 3.1 gr. and a max charge of unique would be 4.0 gr. I'd start 10% under that.

[funnyjim014]

Yea I know 1 case cleared our pistol house....a 20ft tall polbarn. I also have green dot and blue dot. Making brass is quick ... but not quick enough that I don't want them back

[tejano]

My East German Mak likes 3.8 -4.0 gr. of Unique with 95-98 gr. LRN bullets.

[rondog]

Does it have an ejector like a 1911 that can be modified, like maybe shortening it a little? Not familiar with that pistol.....

[JeffG]

My P-64 eats the 365-102-R over 3.5 gr of W231 and does very well with it. Have fun trying to tame the launch of the brass into low orbit. I just lay out a really big tarp or piece of plastic and catch it that way. I recently picked up a P-83 from SOG, and it is really sweet. The same rounds used in the P-64 do not launch as far with the P-83, and it generally puts them in a pile about 6 feet away. Waiting for NOE to start producing a Ranch Dog RNFP single lube groove design that my name is on the list for.

169826

[JeffG]

Does it have an ejector like a 1911 that can be modified, like maybe shortening it a little? Not familiar with that pistol.....

It's a blowback design and based off the Walther PPK.

[Artful]

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3875/exploded5.jpg

I just bought a heavier spring for my Mak to tame it a little.

[tejano]

It's a blowback design and based off the Walther PPK.

For anyone interested in an analysis of the Makarov design, consider this article by Teddy Jacobson.

http://actionsbyt.typepad.com/actionsbyt/2008/02/makarov-article.html

[Expat74]

Here's some load data from an old website http://makarov.com/mak04.html. See the w231 LRN plus the comment on the 2.5 grain load. Maybe it helps.

Later!

[bouncer50]

What I have learn over the years what load is safe in the 380 reloading is safe in the 9mm Mak. The 380 is a 9mm 355 size bullet. The 9mm Mak is a 365 size bullet. A 9by 17 case size to Mak 9mm by 18 case size. The Mak is really a 36 caliber a well thought out caliber the most powerful round that safe in a straight blow back design. Yes I know they made straight blow back 9mm largo in the Astra 400 but they had to use a heavier springs in the gun design.

[funnyjim014]

I think I'm going to try and make a few 231 loads in the 2.8 threw 3.2gr range to try and find what will cycle but not launch brass .if I can't find one I'll try switching powders. Thanks for the help

[funnyjim014]

Loaded 5rds with a even 3gr 231. All cycled nicely, brass was landing 15ft right and 5ft back...much better.

[JeffG]

For anyone interested in an analysis of the Makarov design, consider this article by Teddy Jacobson.

http://actionsbyt.typepad.com/actionsbyt/2008/02/makarov-article.html

Thanks for the article.