correct bullets

[rvolk169]

Which brand carries the correct bullets for my P08? The ones I am buying (in a variety of grain weights) seem to have a slightly tapered case so that as I load more and more bullets in the clip the angle becomes flatter so that by the time I have 4 shells in, the angle of the bullet in the clip is so flat that the front of the bullet is touching the magazine itself and won't push out. I have two clips -- they both exhibit the same problem.


And looking at the shells through the side slit it is clear that the first to be laded still have a steep angle -- each shell has a flatter angle than the previous one.

A friend's home-loads do not exhibit this problem - and it is evidently the fault of the brands I am purchasing.

Any advice highly appreciated.

[k98mike]

All 9mm Luger cases have a slight taper from base to front. Use Winchester white box 115 gr standard load. Sounds like there is an issue with the magazines or followers. Good luck, Mike

[DavidJayUden]

115 gr. FMJ should not exceed the maximum length. As Mike said, Winchester white box is a good go-to. If those are too long there is no doubt some magazine problem and further discussion and photos will be required.
dju

[lugerholsterrepair]

"bullets" themselves hang out into space compared to the shell casings they rest in. The bullets should have NO affect on the angle of an inserted cartridge..Unless the LENGTH is causing them to rub the front face of the magazine. If this is the case, the bullet will cause lift and separation of the cartridge cases. Get a dial caliper and measure the length of your cartridges.

[Sieger]

Hi:

Proper O.A.L. of the specific cartridge is vital to proper Luger function.

With a round nose bullet, 1.173 is what DWM called for. You "might" get away with the standard SAAMI maximum of 1.169, maybe.

Yes, the Luger, with its highly slanted grip, was designed to "slide" its cartridges up the magazine at a very steep angle.

To fully understand why, in the Shooting Reloading section, please read my Sticky titled "Determining Proper Cartridge O.A.L..

If you are a reloader, this would make your Luger shooting much easier for you.

I hope this helps.


Sieger

[Edward Tinker]

I added a subscription for this so you'll get notified.

Just in case - If you are asking what cartridges work well for it - I have found that standard 115 grain, such as Winchester White box works well. Although I personally have found that most factory full metal jacket (FMJ) works fine, although some lugers are just finicky.

[Eugen]

I know far less than most of the folks that are regulars on this forum. But, like Ed above commented, I have found with my two shooter grade Lugers that most off the shelf 115gn FMJ ammo feeds and functions well.

However, I tend to choose WWB 115gn FMJ, if for no other reason than it is the choice of the majority of Lugermeisters here.

[cirelaw]

Walmart sells the white Winchester luger bullets here in Florida~

[mrerick]

Hi Rudy, and welcome to the forum.

It isn't clear what country you live in. If you're in a country like Italy that prohibits 9mm Luger ammunition to civilians, you may be dealing with another caliber like 9x23mm.

If you're in the USA, stick with what they recommended above. Other places, look for standard velocity 9mm Luger (Parabellum) ammunition.

Most of us don't try and fully load Luger magazines. Perhaps 5 cartridges maximum. Yes - they are designed for more, but it's often not wise to stress things in older components.

As Sieger mentioned, the ammunition overal cartridge length is important for proper Luger cycling. SAAMI has exact specifications that are modern, and generally describe ammunition that should conform and work properly.

Remember that Lugers were hand fitted by the factory. If things have been changed out and refit by someone with less familiarity with the Luger mechanism, all bets are off.

[m1903a3]

As other have said, Winchester White box FMJ have worked well for me, although I use a lot of PMC 9mm in my Lugers and modern 9mm handguns. I generally use MecGar mags with the Lugers, 100 year old DWM mags have 100 year old springs and may need a trip to GT to correct issues with the tube and/or feed lips. I always use 115 grain FMJ, regardless of brand.

[kurusu]

Originally Posted by mrerick

Hi Rudy, and welcome to the forum.

It isn't clear what country you live in. If you're in a country like Italy that prohibits 9mm Luger ammunition to civilians, you may be dealing with another caliber like 9x21mm.

If you're in the USA, stick with what they recommended above. Other places, look for standard velocity 9mm Luger (Parabellum) ammunition.

Most of us don't try and fully load Luger magazines. Perhaps 5 cartridges maximum. Yes - they are designed for more, but it's often not wise to stress things in older components.

As Sieger mentioned, the ammunition overal cartridge length is important for proper Luger cycling. SAAMI has exact specifications that are modern, and generally describe ammunition that should conform and work properly.

Remember that Lugers were hand fitted by the factory. If things have been changed out and refit by someone with less familiarity with the Luger mechanism, all bets are off.

There. Fixed it for you.

But 9x21 OAL is the same as the 9 para.