Converting 9x18 to .380, worth it?

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gemini1
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Converting 9x18 to .380, worth it?

Post by gemini1 »

I read that some years back, with the abundance on 9x18 ammo, its not practical to have a mak barrel switch to a .380.
But in our current situation, where the 9x18, while can be available online, costs more than what a 380 does, and the brand/type is not as abundant. Even with reloading, the lead projos costs more, if not the same as copper coated or fmj 380s.
And so I am wondering, with the cost of factory ammo or reloading components, would it now be more cost effective to convert the P64 mak to a 380?
There's an online store selling conversion barrel and barrel press, for around $100. the same amount I spent buying the dies, trimmer and 500 MSB lead rounds to reload the 9x18.
lincen
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Re: Converting 9x18 to .380, worth it?

Post by lincen »

There is still a good bit of 9x18 ammo online for at least $3 a box less than 380. That said, I would love to have a 380 barrel for my P64.
Borg Warner
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Re: Converting 9x18 to .380, worth it?

Post by Borg Warner »

The 9x18 is, in my opinion a better cartridge or at the very least equal to the .380. So the question to me wouild be "What would be the point? I just recently bought a set of 9x18 dies that came with a box of 95 grain berrys 9mm mak .366 plated bullets. Unique powder should work very well and I plan to get a 100 grain bullet mold.

Unless someone GIVES me a Walther PPK or model 1920 Browning in 380 caliber, I do not now own nor do I plan to ever get a 380 caliber chambered pistol. Such as it is, I wrote to the Lone wolf barrel company and asked if they'd come out with a 9 x 18 barrel for the Glock 42. They said not in the immediate future but possibly in about a year or so if the new single stack Glock 9 x 19 turns out to be a lot larger than the .380 chambered model 42.

Additionally, You CAN run .380's in these guns if that's all you've got. It will not hurt the gun and i6t do3esn't cause case ruptures or feeding problems. You can fire 380 in the 9x8 but you can NOT fire 9x18 in a 380.

The 380 is ,355, the 9mak is .366 so there fore you accuracy will suffer but you gun will not b4ecaue it has a very sturdy spring-loaded extractor with a substan6tial extractor claw that allows the one mm shorter cartridge to headspace on the extractor claw.

I'm a Glock and a 1911 guy and my 10mm Glock will fire 40 S&W all day long for the same reason. The Glock has good extractor claw and the 3/16ths inch shorter 40 S&W will headspace on that extractor claw. But it's a bad idea to do it with the Glock because both 40 and 10mm are high pressure cartridges and eventually the extractor will break.'

And generaly it's a bad idea to ever fire the wrong ammo in th wrong gun but I don't see any problem with running the smaller 9x17 .355-380 in the P-64 if you don't do it all the time.


But with the p-64, both the 380 an the 9 Mak are low pressure cartridges. Accuracy at close range is about 2 inches with the 9x18 and six inches with the 380. But six inches placed center mass in a self defense scenario is better than using a rock or a stick.

As far as the possibility of case ruptures, the only thing I've tried it with wasCCI Blazer brass 95 grain 380 and PPU 95 grain both being standard pressure FMJ ball ammo. Recoil is noticeably milder than with 9X18 possibly if you used some plus P+ 380 things might be different but standard fmj ammo works just fine.
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Re: Converting 9x18 to .380, worth it?

Post by normsutton »

Borg Warner


yea and you can shoot a 9 X 19 in a PA 63 , I don't recommend it ,
(stay with ammo made for the gun you are shooting )
any more talk about how safe it is in shooting 380's in a 9 X 18 guns on this board and I will delete it , the third time I have to delete it you will be band from this board

NORM
"A gun is like a parachute. If you need one, and don't have one, you'll probably never need one again."
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