9x18 Makarov Handloads

Today I loaded up some 9x18 Makarov ammo for the first time. The last time I had my CZ-82 to the range I managed to retrieve 32 of 50 cases, so I only loaded an even 30 today.

My main goal was to get a load that will reliably cycle in the CZ but have less recoil than the factory loads. So, I put this ammo together with a starting load of 3.6 grains of Accurate No.2, a 95 grain plated round nose bullet from MidwayUSA, and Aguila No.1-1/2 primers.

According to Accurate's data this should get about 900 FPS at the muzzle, in contrast to factory FMJ which pushes a 95 grain bullet to about 1050 FPS.

Because the CZ is a straight blowback, unlocked breech design, recoil is snappy with factory ammo. If this load works it should be a little more pleasant to shoot for plinking.

After I got my dies setup, including the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die, I loaded 5 dummies to ensure they cycled manually in the CZ. I then pulled the bullets so I could load the cases since my supply is low. You can see in one pic a pulled bullet and one unloaded bullet.

Since 9x18 Makarov is so close in size to .380 Auto (AKA 9x17) and 9mm Luger (AKA 9x19) I put some blue Dykem layout fluid on the case heads to help me sort the brass after firing.

I should hopefully get to try these out in the next week and will post a follow up.

Shoulder Strap for the CZ82 Holster

Today I added a shoulder strap to the holster so I can wear it that way. The strap was from a MidwayUSA magazine storage pouch and has spring clips on the ends. To make attachment points on the holster I added a couple of zip ties.

It contains the gun, spare magazine, cleaning rod, and a Ballistol wipe which can be cut down into cleaning patches if needed. The idea behind this is that if this was all I could grab in a hurry or if I'm traveling light I'd still have the bare minimum to maintain the gun for awhile in the field.

I might add a loop or strap to the bottom so I can then secure it to my belt while wearing it like a tanker holster. This would keep it in place while drawing the gun. (I want the shoulder strap because wearing a rig like this on my belt would drag down my pants due to my lack of a butt, unless I wear suspenders.)

CZ-82 Military Flap Holster

Yesterday I received the Czech military suplus flap holster that I ordered from an eBay seller for the CZ-82 I picked up two Fridays ago. Like many older European military holsters, it's basically a gun case with belt loops. Unlike every other Euro flap holster, it's ambidextrous and doesn't look like a holster for a pistol. You could probably wear this on a trail where you're likely to encounter earthy-crunchy types and they'd be unaware you're armed.

The holster I got had some sports on it from either water or mildew. I gave it a rubdown with Ballistol to neutralize any mildew and further protect the leather. It's stamped 1989 on the inside, making it one year younger than my CZ-82.

The holster is well made of good quality leather with nice stitching.

With the flap open you can see how it accomodates the gun and a spare magazine. There is a sleeve on either side for a cleaning rod. I'm expecting one in the mail shortly.

The back has belt loops. This shows the stiching for the interior compartments that hold the muzzle end of the gun and the spare magazine. One could put a small oil bottle in between. I may put a small Ziplock back with a few patches wet with Ballistol in that space.

The Falco holster that came with the gun holds my Beretta 81 Cheetah perfectly, but this one won't accept the Cheetah. The Beretta's slide and dust cover are too tall near the muzzle. I'd expect a Makarov to fit fine.

However, the Czech holster does accept my Beretta 71 Jaguar .22 along with two spare magazines.

Now, this obviously is not something we'd want to use for normal CCW around town. However, I could see this being useful if you're carrying out in the wilderness where you want to protect the gun against the environment. That you can carry the gun, a reload, and basic cleaning gear in it is a nice bonus.

9x18 Makarov Ballistics

Since I picked up the CZ-82 the other day I got to thinking about the ballistics of the 9x18 Makarov round that it fires.

For most of the 20th Century much of Europe viewed the 7.65 Browning (.32 ACP), 9mm Browning Short (.380 ACP), and the 9x18 Mak as suitable for use in service pistols. For example, as late at the 1970s Beretta designed and produced a new design in 7.65mm for use by Italian law enforcement. This was, of course, the Model 81.

The 9mm Mak is often said in the USA to fall in between the 9x19mm and .380 ACP. While this is true, in reality it's much closer to .380 than 9mm.

Let's look at some common ballistics for each round:

• A typical 9mm load will push a 115 grain bullet to 1180 FPS for 355 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy.
• .380 ACP will shoot a 95 grain FMJ bullet to about 980 FPS for 203 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy.
• 9x18 Makarov shoots a 95 grain FMJ bullet to 1050 FPS for 220 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy.

Obviously, there's quite a bit of variation for each cartridge depending on bullet weight, pressure, and the barrel length from which its fired, which directly impacts velocity and energy.

Let's take a look at the 9x18 in comparison with a design even older than the.32 ACP, which dates from 1899. I.e., how well did the .36 caliber Colt 1851 Navy perform and how does the Makarov stack up against it? After all, the Colt Navy was considered perfectly suitable for combat use on the American frontier and in the American Civil War.

Last summer I chronographed several loads through my Uberti 1851 Navy, using a variety of powders. Keep in mind that the sporting grade black powders available in the mid to late 19th Century were actually better than the black powder we can currently get. The closest we can get today is Swiss BP or Hodgdon Triple 7 BP substitute.

From my Uberti Navy with a 7.5" barrel:

• 82 grain round ball over 25 grains of Swiss FFFg black powder: 1051 FPS for 201 ft.lbs.
• 82 grain round ball over 25 grains of Triple 7 FFFg BP substitute: 1111 FPS for 225 ft. lbs.
• 140 grain conical over 17 grains of Swiss FFFg black powder: 780 FPS for 189 ft. lbs.

Basically, the 9x18 Makarov performs similarly to a Colt Navy .36 but in a more compact package that holds more rounds and is more reliable due to using self contained centerfire  metallic cartridges.

I don't think that's bad performance at all.

A CZ-82 Followed Me Home

A 1988 production CZ82 in 9x18 Makarov followed me home from the gun show yesterday.

The CZ82s are a bit more expensive than they used to be, but what isn't? Like many of these surplus guns the paint finish shows some wear, but the grips are in nice shape and mechanically it seems perfect. The oval bore is bright and shiny.

The gun came in a cardboard box with one 12 round magazine, a gun lock, and a used Falco thumb break holster, which also fits a Beretta 81 or 84. I'm giving it to a friend to use with his Beretta 81. I'm left handed so the holster is useless for me.

The CZ next to my Beretta 81:

The ergonomics of the CZ82 are impressive. It fits my hand very well. The safety and magazine release are ambidextrous, although the mag catch is significantly easier to depress from the left side, which works for me because I'm accustomed to using my left index finger for that.

The CZ field strips just like a Makarov. First, ensure it's empty and the magazine is out of the gun, and the hammer down. Pull down on the front of the trigger guard. Cock the hammer and then pull the slide to the rear and up, and it'll pull off the gun.

To reassemble first put the recoil spring back around the barrel and then reverse the disassembly steps.

I own several DA/SA semiautos but the CZ82 has by far the best DA trigger of any of them. It actually feels like a good DA revolver trigger, under 10 lbs. and smooth. The SA pull has some take up but is light, probably no more than 5 lbs.

I got a couple boxes of Sellier & Bellot and one box of Barnaul 9x18 at the show. Last night I put in an order for 500 rounds of S&B.

After some searching I found some surplus CZ magazines at Royal Tiger Imports for $29.99 each, including a mag pouch, so I ordered three. On eBay I found a correct surplus cleaning rod and separately, a Czech military surplus holster.

The surplus holster I ordered is basically a leather gun case with belt loops, but it's  ambidextrous and completely conceals the gun, while not even looking like a holster. It will hold the gun, cleaning rod, and a spare magazine. I wouldn't use it for around town but it should work well for trail hiking where you want to protect the gun from weather while also not scaring any earthy-crunch granola types you might encounter.

Pic borrowed from an eBay seller in Czechia:

It looks more like an e-tool carrier than a holster, IMO.

The CZ also fits into a commercial Tanker holster for 1911s, which gives me another option.

Today I took the CZ to the range and put 50 Barnaul and 25 S&B through it. The Barnaul ammo gave me two hiccups. The second or third shot in the first magazine misfed and to clear it I had to drop the mag and rack the slide to clear it. On another mag it failed to lock back after the last shot. The S&B ran fine.

Accuracy was good with me able to keep 50 rounds within a few inches offhand at 10 yards. Between presbyopia and shooting indoors under florescent lighting which made it hard to see the front sight so I'm happy with how it grouped. Recoil was a bit snappy, especially compared with the Beretta 81 .32 I also shot today. I have a Wolff spring kit on order to see if the extra power recoil spring can tame that.

It's a neat gun I look forward to shooting more.