What’s in your 9x18 Mak when you pack?
Sellier Bellot FMJ
Prvi Partizan FMJ
Hornady 95 gr FTX critical defense
Some sort of steel cased shit from your contact at the People’s army of Vietnam
Clinch Pick
Mods are shit
Ammunition forum is going to shit
What’s in your 9x18 Mak when you pack?
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
I no longer own a Mak, and when I did, it only saw ball, but my understanding is the Hornady XTP loading is about the only JHP that is decent, though I think it still comes up a little short penetration wise.
YMMV, tongue in cheek post noted.
When I had a pistol chambered in 9x18 Makarov, I carried Gold Dot when I could get any, and ball when I couldn’t. When I hand loaded for it, XTP was the only component bullet I could find for it, so that’s what I used.
I no longer own one, and gave all my remaining magazines, parts, and loading components to my brother who does still have one.
I'm somewhat impressed by the variety of 9x18mm Makarov ammunition that has been offered commercially.
https://www.makarov.com/AmmoData.html
The only SD ammo I have in 9x18 is some Cor-Bon but my Mak isn’t part of my EDC program……
I had Hornady XTPs in mine back in the day. The gun shop I worked at actually sold a box to a gal that had been beaten by her boyfriend. A few days later her friend murdered him using that ammo. So, it seemed to work OK.
I’m surprised as well. But in retrospect - Mak was super cheap in the mid 90s and before the rise of the 9mm oriented CCW guns a really good gin in terms of size/concealibity/firepower. Add to that a pretty safe design. I have at least 2 good friends that carried one for most of the 1990 and into the 2000s.
A steel framed, reasonably reliable, compact at almost at the price point of Jennings and such. $125 out the door for for Baikal IJ-70 with spare mag, cleaning rod, ultra low-rent flap holster, and a box of ammo somewhere in the early to mid-90's. Could have gone cheaper yet if I'd gone surplus instead of new...
no one sees what's written on the spine of his own autobiography.
Old school mate carried a Mak with whatever ball he could afford after booze and women. Until he died, anyway.