To the best of my knowledge, this stuff is new ammunition manufactured in Turkey and loaded to NATO specs. I've not fired this stuff in anything but a handgun platform.Originally Posted by RevolverRob
To the best of my knowledge, this stuff is new ammunition manufactured in Turkey and loaded to NATO specs. I've not fired this stuff in anything but a handgun platform.
Based solely on recoil and noise it's nato'ish spec 9mm for handgun. A little hotter than WWB but nowhere near a 9 major load.
A lady friend had the same experience as Fred this weekend at the range with the ZQ1 ammo. She was shooting it in a Sig 938. 3 or 4 blown primers. She started getting FTFires and after checking out some fired cases and seeing the primers I did some figuring (dangerous for sure).
No primers were flattened or showed other high pressure signs and instead just looked like pierced primers. I tested some of the ZQ1 ammo in my M&P 9 FS and had no issues. The firing pin hole in the breech face of the 938 is significantly larger than the M&P's. The FTFires were caused by a sliver of primer pushed into the firing pin hole which would slow down the firing pin causing light strikes. Besides the pierced primers some of the non-pierced primers looked like the primer had been scraped or shaved.
I'm betting ZQ is using primers with a very soft material (definitely not NATO spec) which either pierces more easily and/or flows into the "unsupported" large firing pin hole. The fired cases that went through my M&P all had normal looking primers while the 938 made them look weird (oddball primer indentations and shaved primer faces). If doing the pencil launch test to check for firing pin strike the 938 launches a pencil 2 feet up out of the muzzle compared to my M&P which might clear the muzzle. That more energetic FP strike might contribute to piercing the soft primers too. I think this has more to do with play-dough primers than hot loads. Some guns will handle it while others won't.
The 938's firing pin and breechface look brand new and undamaged so no loss there. On a side note kudos to Sig for designing a gun that is super easy to pop the firing pin out to clean the channel! I'm very impressed by the 938 and have no qualms telling someone to get it if they want a tiny gun and are willing to learn the manual of arms on a cocked and locked handgun.
I'm not buying any but if it works in your gun and you have some I wouldn't throw it away. Caveat emptor and don't sue me bro!
I tried this ammo in three different Glocks and it ran well. It is warmer than WWB, but a good round for shooting plates. Brass reloads well without any issues.
Interesting to see the different experiences in different guns.
I had ZQI 9mm ammo blow a primer in each and getting cases stuck in my VP9 and a friend's P30. All cases had primer flow and several were creased. I contacted ZQI and they sent a return label and replaced the ammo but I wont shoot it again. I never did hear back from then afterwards.
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