favorite 9mm load for your P08 and P38's

[Scorpius]

so with p38's I've heard in reloading forums that you should never go above 115gr. Not sure I'm following the pressure reason, especially if you're reloading and not hitting the +P or self defense pressures.
You guys use 124,147s in lugers and p38s? I see 124 above for luger.

I have some 700x and CFE pistol. Can't find AA2 or 5. Love their 7. hopefully one of these will burn cleaner. Might have a HP-38 lined up. (I collect powder too. trade all the brass I can for powder and projectiles).

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

so with p38's I've heard in reloading forums that you should never go above 115gr. Not sure I'm following the pressure reason, especially if you're reloading and not hitting the +P or self defense pressures.
You guys use 124,147s in lugers and p38s? I see 124 above for luger.

I have some 700x and CFE pistol. Can't find AA2 or 5. Love their 7. hopefully one of these will burn cleaner. Might have a HP-38 lined up. (I collect powder too. trade all the brass I can for powder and projectiles).

Hi,

For the Luger, I've personally found Power Pistol, SR4756, AA#5 (particularly outstanding with lead bullets), HS6, and for a fast powder, Bullseye, all to be excellent, and in that order. With all of these, my most accurate loads are all below 1,100fps.

As to the 115 grain statement for the P-38, they were designed to shoot 123 grain bullets, so this is somewhat of a mystery to me.

On your BYF 43 Mauser produced P-38s, there was a production flaw that lead to slid cracking during that year's production. Be careful with your loading if you have one of these.

I, personally, won't load or shoot 147gr bullets through my Lugers or P-38s, as they were not designed for them.

Hope this helps.


Sieger

[K.Wilhelm]

Sieger- will you expand on the slide cracking problem with byf43's? Was this a widespread problem specific to that year's Mauser P38s or what? Was a cause determined? Thanks, Bill

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by K.Wilhelm

Sieger- will you expand on the slide cracking problem with byf43's? Was this a widespread problem specific to that year's Mauser P38s or what? Was a cause determined? Thanks, Bill

Hi,

Sure. I read about this years ago, I think, in the American Rifleman.

This was the first year of mass Mauser production of the P-38.

It really is quite simple. Where the locking block engages the slide, the area there is quite thin compared to the other areas of the slide. Right at that point is where the failure occurs, and usually, for some reason, on the right side of the slide.

Later production cured this issue, with some modification. I don't know whether the heat treating was involved or not. This problem persisted into the postwar models as well, and the frame and slide of the pistol went through several modifications.

Fast forward to our adoption of the M9. The M9 also had slide cracking issues in early production, because it uses a similar locking block as did the P-38. This system can be traced back as far as the locking block used on the Mauser C96 pistol.

Hope this helps.


Sieger

[nukem556]

The powder situation is STILL pretty bad...going on three years it's at the point of absurdity....I like AA5744 for my .45-70 buffalo loads...found one can of it at Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday...35 DOLLARS.

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by nukem556

The powder situation is STILL pretty bad...going on three years it's at the point of absurdity....I like AA5744 for my .45-70 buffalo loads...found one can of it at Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday...35 DOLLARS.

Hi,

Well, you may remember the fake gas shortages of the 1970s. The government certainly didn't tell us the truth then either, did they?

The powder is all being bought up by the government, as is the ammo, specifically, pistol ammo.

This has been documented fairly well, and even Congress has been asked to investigate it. Ball-less as they are, I'm sure they won't.

For a good powder, that is available, even on sale, try Blackhorn 209. This is an outstanding powder that is really a smokeless formula that has been formulated to produce some smoke. It will definitely fill your 45-70 cases and give you great velocity. I use it in my 11mm Mausers and it is fantastic both in velocity and accuracy. Give it a try.

Sieger

[nukem556]

Sieg...is it at all corrosive like Pyrodex? The smokeless wouldn't be, but wondering about the smoke producing part.