The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

What mfg would you all recommend? Also, would you recommend HP or ball ammo? Normally I would just go with HP, or maybe pow'r'ball, but I've heard that it has issues with insufficient penetration. Is that true, or was somebody just "mistaken"?

Some people get pow-r-ball (corban) & glazser mixed up. I carry pow-r-ball in all my P-64s, and several other guns. It feeds just like a fmj. And its a hot load.

I saw gel tests on a website, that I can't remember the name of right now, that showed Silver Bear HPs penetrating the best of the few they tried. That's what I currently have in my mags, and not just because it's what I have the most of.

edit: it was http://www.brassfetcher.com/var9x18mm.html

Here's the most recent gelatin tests on 9x18, and if you scrutinize the post you'll find links to other 9x18 penetration testing:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.p ... 18+gelatin

The problem with the linked tests is that he didn't use the currently available Silver Bear; he used the older 115-grain. That's pretty hard to find now. I tried to interfere (as North Bender) and donate some of the currently-available Silver Bear (95-grain) but he seemed to be in a hurry.

So... any actual recommendations?

Yes, I figure a lot of this is a case of 'what feeds reliably' and individual preference, but what do people here actually carry?

My current plan (don't have CCW yet, in the middle of the move and paperwork is MIA in boxes), is 6+1, with a mix of Hornady XTP HPs and S&B FMJs. First 3 rounds (including the chambered round) to be HPs, with the remaining 4 to be FMJs.

With as much as been said about HPs 'possibly not doing the job', I figure having the last 4 shots as FMJ can be 'to make sure the job gets done.' I've tried this load-out a number of times on the range, with no problems so far. If I made any changes to this load-out, it'd likely be to 2 HP and 5 FMJ...

I also like the fact that all 7 rounds are brass carts. While I haven't had any feed problems in the P-64 yet, across the rest of my 9x18 collection (Makarov, PA-63, and CZ-82) I've had some problems with Wolf now and then (steel+lacquer). S&B's have fed with 100% reliability in all my 9x18's so far, so they've earned the slot for FMJs for when I carry.