Factory load recommendations (9mm)?
 

I am about to shoot my new 1918 DWM for the first time (once I satisfy the State paperwork).

What recommendations do you have for over the counter factory loads that will be agreeable to, but not to hard on my new acquisition?

In the past, I have preferred the new WinClean loads for my various other firearms.

Winchester white box 115 or 124 gr. You can get the 115 gr bulk packed in 100 ct boxes at Wall Mart.

Insofar as wear and tear is concerned, a Luger will want pretty much the standard load. It's an urban myth that they require a "stout" load. A load that is too hot will tend to be hard on the toggles.

The real question is how the ammo will feed through the magazine. If it's hardball, the overall length is the important point. If hollow point, where the edge of the holloow point rests on the front of the magazine. The idea is that the bullet nose should rest on the front of the magazine in such a way that there is a little daylight between one case mouth and the next. (You can see this sort of effect with most 22 LR magazines.) If a hollow point, the edge of the hollow should not drag.

All this becomes a problem only because some where along the way somebody decided 9 mm ammo should be shorter than Georg Luger intended it to be.

The Winchester white box 100 pack mentioned above is a good cheap hardball load.

Unless you reload, stick with the Winchester white box. Its cheap and easy to come by. Shoot ball ammo, stay away from hollow points and flat nose round.