115 vs. 124 vs. 147: Who likes What?
 

My Mauser-built won't function right and I am going to try the heavies to see if they will.

Which weights in standard pressure ammo function your pistols best?

1936 S/42, MecGar magazines, fxo magazines
(also at times 1917 LP-08, 5" custom-barrel Commercial, byf 42)

115-grain fmj Walmart Winchester
115-grain fmj Sellier & Bellot
115-grain fmj CCI Blazer
115-grain fmj Federal American Eagle
All function with complete reliability, hundreds of rounds per month.

115-grain fmj UMC
115-grain fmj Speer (Lawman? not sure...)
115-grain fmj various commercial reloads
Function poorly and unreliably at best, the UMC being almost completely unusable, single-shot-only ammunition!

--Dwight

Dwight:

No doubt that Mec-Gar magazine aids with the shorter than spec. American commercial stuff. I'm going to do some extensive testing of these magazines while on vacation in FL in just a few weeks.

Sieger

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Heinmot:
<strong>Which weights in standard pressure ammo function your pistols best?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">I have found that Fiocchi 123gr. TC "Combat" ammo functiones through both my 1917 DWM and 1941 Mauser perfectly and quite accurately (using original magazines).

This is not a +P load, but it is hotter than some commercial American loads.

Sieger

Hi,

I found that 115gr S&B works very reliably in my 1906-pattern KNIL luger. The 1937 S/42 likes them as well, but the ejector spring was aftermarket crap and broke. 1936 Mauser/DWM VoPo has had a life of reloading stuff and I'm now training it for S&B again :)

Just got in a box of 124gr S&B to see if the grouping improves.

As to OAL and kicking power, the S&B is very close to the original spec DWM rounds.

Geco 124gr 9mm works, but fouls up the pistol to an incredible degree, where S&B leaves no trace at all.

S&B 115 won't work in my gun.

I'll look for some Fiocchi 123's and try the 147 grainers, too.

Dwight, I have 1917 DWM and byf 41 shooters that just love the 115 gr fmj UMC Cartridges!! The 1917 has a wood based original magazine and the byf 41 has an original fxo magazine.

PS, they also like the 115 gr Winchester

When I first got into Lugers, I was told to get the heaviest full metal jacket ammo I could get to make it work. The only way to shoot the stuff I got was single shot mode. Replacing the magazine was the best thing I did, with a thorough cleaning and lube of the gun completing the improvements. I came across a 95gr load that Winchester used to sell that made the gun fully reliable and fun to shoot. The bullet was like a trunicated cone shape with a flat exposed lead tip. It's OAL is short compared to what is recommended, 1.062". It sure does shoot great!!! I'm down to just a few left and I wished I could find more...

Hi Heinmot...

I've had excellent results with the Wal-Mart 9mm, 115gr., Winchester 100rd value packs. Not bad, considering it's about $.12/rd. It seems to do the trick in everything from Lugers to UZIs.