[jehzsa]

Last edited by uncut : Today at 11:01 AM. Reason: not enough coffee

Oh yeah! PP Supers will do that . Btw, please post pics of the grips when you get them, uncut.

Oldspeed. You have a beauty. FYI, they are being auctioned/sold for around $1,200.00 these days. But it can tell you this. They are excellent shooters. Very accurate and mild-mannered . And the looks to go along with it . Don't exactly recommend that you fire yours, but the way I see it...it's already been fired at the factory.

And they don't bite like a PPK!

 

[jehzsa]

That's the one you were looking at sometime ago, wasn't it? Clean gun. And I love the mag extension. Asked Earl if he had any left and no luck. It definitely adds, and not detracts, from the smooth lines.

 

[jehzsa]

Fwiw, a friend tried the .380 mags with 9x18 rounds for fit and function in a PP Super 9x18. They worked fine.

Which led me to think that if push comes to shove, regarding the commercial availability of inexpensive 9x18 Ultra(Police) ammo, one can either shoot .380 ammo, which another friend has already tested and found to be relatively inconsequential, or perhaps change the barrel to a .380. From what I remember of mine, no other major mods should be required.

The days of relatively inexpensive 9x18 U(P) ammo seem to be over. Whoever hoarded the remaining SOG lot, apparently is not a commercial entity.

 

[jehzsa]

Your memory is just fine, uncut. Bravo84 is the brave soul that tried it. The only complication he found was that it etched the chamber slightly. A result of the shortened case. The individual who first spoke in a forum about the .380 use in Australia was Mr. Orv Reichert. At the p38 forum. And apparently, etched chambers were not a problem for our friends from the land down under.

With regard to the brass to be used, believe me, I'm no expert. I don't reload even though that possibility seems nearer each time supplies dwindle. I figure the cut-down 9x19 would do. However, my Stars & Stripes loading carries a shortened 38 Super Comp case. Starline brass. Fits snugly in the Benelli and the Sig. A bit loose on the PP Super. But it's just the way my PP Super is. Geco, Fiocchi and Hirtenberger all fit on the loose side. Nothing wrong with the chamber. Just some clearance to account for dirt and burnt components so as to avoid any related hiccups.

Btw, save your brass, gentlemen. A brass catcher is a great investment nowadays. I've taken a lull on the 9x18U while my PP Super gets out of the hospital, but there's a brass catcher out there that attaches to your right hand. Looks awkward but seems effective. If anyone is interested I can look up the web link. HTH

 

[jehzsa]

No, I haven't asked him. Mainly because if brass is not provided, the cost for plinking ammo will not be lower than the available Fiocchi. It should take quite some time to shorten those 38 Super Comp cases. Even if brass is provided, and he did mention it previously, the price would not be in the range of the Geco SOG. If only for the fact that he will load them to higher specs than the Hirtenberger. As an example, my 90 gr. GDHP seems to spit out at about 1075 fps out of my PP Super. On average. The equivalent loading, the 9x18 Makarov has been clocked at more than 1100 fps out of a Bulgarian Makarov. With an average of 10 rounds at 1088. The 95 gr. XTP loading does basically the same. That is way more than what Geco provides. As you know, in ascending order then come the Fiocchi and then the Hirtenberg.

S&S 9x18U ammo comes to slightly more than $1.00 per round shipped. With the XTP or GDHP bullets. So the only way to procure a less inexpensive round would be to provide him with the brass and use a standard FMJ bullet. As to how much it will cost then, I have no idea. He never mentioned that. But I seriously doubt that it will be in the vicinity of $8.00/50. Unless, of course, we handload our own. Which will not account for our time. And leaves us again back where we started. Fwiw, I have about 1500 rounds left of Geco and Fiocchi. Hirtenberg is gone. Unless my son develops an affinity for the 9x18U cartridge, prefering it over the 9x18M, which he might, I could be covered for a couple of years. And that might allow for a new batch to make its way here to the US. For all I know, it is still a popular cartridge in Europe. So the possibility is there. Slight, but there. For some reason, I can imagine a depot somewhere where Geco has remained virtually untouched for decades. Mainly forgotten. Problem is now, how to find it. But even if it happens, I can bet that it will not be for $8.00/50. But definitely less than Fiocchi and good enough for plinking.

For all of my imagination, I have started to research handloading. The way I see it now, saving the brass saves a lot of time. And it might actually be less complicated than it looks. Reloading seems to be the answer now.

 

[jehzsa]

Here's a mix Bravo84 posted,

"9X18 Ultra Load data with 9mm Hornady 90 grain HP/XTP

VV N330 4.2 grains Average velocity: 1,103 fps Spread: 27 SD: 12
High: 1,115 fps Low: 1,088 fps


VV N330 4.5 grains Average velocity: 1,147 fps
Spread: 48 High: 1,169 fps Low: 1,121 fps"

I'll take the 4.5.