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Old August 12, 2009, 06:23 AM   #1
jal5
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Load for 9MM P38 WWII vintage?

I am restoring a GI bring back P38 caliber 9mm and want to develop some reloads for it. On the P38 collector forum they use WWhite box 115gr FMJ ammo that cycles well in these old guns. What load would be comparable to the factory ammo?

I am thinking about using the low end of loads from Speer for the 115gr. TMJ bullet using Bullseye and stay away from the max load. The factory rounds are supposed to be around 1190 fps. I loaded some up last night but noticed it does fill up the case pretty much even staying at the beginning load level. Do I have to worry about pressure issues at the beginning-middle load levels?

thanks,
Joe
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Old August 12, 2009, 08:28 AM   #2
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http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...23&bulletid=25


Reloader's Guide
Alliant Powder Reload Recipes


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Pistols and Revolvers
9mm Luger
115 gr Speer GDHP

Minimum OAL
(inches) Bbl Length Primer Powder Charge Weight
(grains) Velocity
(fps) Print
1.125 4 CCI 500 Bullseye 4.7 1,144 View this recipe
1.125 4 CCI 500 American Select 5.4 1,102 View this recipe
1.125 4 CCI 500 Unique 6.3 1,244 View this recipe
1.125 4 CCI 500 Power Pistol 6.7 1,212 View this recipe
1.125 4 CCI 500 Blue Dot 8.5 1,258 View this recipe
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Old August 12, 2009, 11:06 AM   #3
jal5
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Thanks Hook this was the info I was using plus the data in the most recent Speer manual since I plan to use their bullets. I was wondering if anyone had any direct experience reloading for this gun and what tips they had about it.

Joe
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Old August 13, 2009, 06:46 PM   #4
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I reload my dad's P38 bring back. This is a 65 year old pistol, and even though it is a Walther, I keep the loads down at the low end using Lyman #48, with 125 grain FMJ bullets. I check the case length and trim, as needed after resizing the cases.

I get about 975 fps from my reloads and found that my P38 does well when I keep the OAL below 1.100" and use WSP primers.

I find this to be an enjoyable shooting pistol, but would never use hot loads, or +P, or +P+ in my P38.

Good shooting and enjoy your piece of history. My dad flew gas and ammo into captured German airfields, as Patton pushed across France. He says he traded some G.I. a bottle of gin (I guess the Air Corps had access to booze) for the P38 ... it has 3 German steel case 9mm rounds in the magazine. I'm thinking the German did not give up his pistol willingly.
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Old August 13, 2009, 09:37 PM   #5
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Thanks Hook those are all good tips.
Any concern about pressure with that small 9mm case being so full? My other reloading experience is 357 mag and 38 spl...lots of space in comparison.

This was my uncle's bring back gun. It has some GI's name inscribed on the inside of the grips and when I mentioned the name to my uncle recently he perked right up and told me the story...he won the gun in a crap game!
This was one of three he gave me: Mauser 1934 and Bayard pistol 1908. The Mauser and Bayard are both 32 ACP and work well, fun to shoot too.

Joe
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Old August 14, 2009, 05:28 PM   #6
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I use 4.6 grains of Unique. This is about a half full 9mm case. It is easy to spot a double charge, should such occur. Since I'm watching for a null charge, it is a pretty decent loading in my opinion for my P38 ... null means squib, 'no-go', overfloww means double charge, 'no-go' ... all other scenarios are a 'go'.
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Old August 16, 2009, 10:32 AM   #7
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I was using 231 in a P38. I am trying to cut down on how much powder I have around so I tried titegroup and started getting stove piping. So I went back to 231. It works better in other loads also.
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Old August 17, 2009, 03:02 PM   #8
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Rustynut-
so is 231 a slower powder than either titegroup or unique or bullseye? slower powder = fewer stovepipes in your gun? Those are the 3 powders I have and I hate to go to a fourth for the few pistols I reload for.

Joe
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Old August 18, 2009, 09:25 AM   #9
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The old Kraut guns need to have full power ammo to run 100%. P38's and Luger P-08 are both stout guns so I would not worry about hurting them. Running too light of a load will just cause jams. That does not mean run +p+ ammo in them, but I suspect they would take it just fine.
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Old August 21, 2009, 04:11 PM   #10
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You might want to read up on bridge failures for P38/P1 before recommending hot loads. Also, the knee breech of the P08 is often very sensitive to hot loads and fairly easily damaged or, at minimum, not cycling well.
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Old August 21, 2009, 09:32 PM   #11
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Yeah I already discounted that piece of advice about using a hot load for my gun!
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Old August 22, 2009, 02:02 PM   #12
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Have people forgotten the difference between Full Power and "Hot" loads?

Full power means exactly that, full rated power. If you run powder puff loads in a P38 or P08 they will not cycle fully and you will get jams. Been there, done that.

Hot means you are over the SAAMI pressure limits. I specifically said don't run +p+ . . . because that stuff is usually rather hot.

These pistols will (and did) run all day long on sub-machine gun ammo. Unlike our current crop of Beretta's that fly apart and kill the operator if you use the sub gun ammo.

Do you really think the Germans built a weak gun? Geez . . . these were not built like some last ditch G43.

JTFC
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