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Ammo Designed for P-08 Luger

givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
edited April 2015 in Ask the Experts
Hi, folks! I have a cherry 1937 S/42 Luger sittin' on my bench, just staring at me.

It's hungry.

So, what authentic ammo can I feed it? By authentic, I mean the original loading for the round. None of this fancy hollow-point stuff. Just some honest to hades rounds it was designed for.

It's a 9mm. Thanks!
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    p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750 ✭
    edited November -1
    Any trunicated projectile closely approximates the original load.
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    62fuelie62fuelie Member Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The 9mm NATO fmj load is very close to the pre-WW II German load this pistol used. Many American commercial ball loads are milder and cause ejection problems.
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    1KYDSTR1KYDSTR Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ditto on 62Fuelies response. The main concern with a P-08 is the ball cartridge your feeding it has enough oomph to operate that toggle reliably. 115 gr truncated FMJ at higher end velocities.
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    spiritsspirits Member Posts: 363 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had one Navy luger which was a jam-amatic no matter what reload I used even after changing all the coil springs with Wolf ones but it shot CCI Blazer 9mm aluminum cased cartridges without any problem. I thought it might be the slick aluminum case which helped it cycle correctly. I even pulled the bullets and reloaded the unfired aluminum cases and they worked with my reloads too.
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    Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,367 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Original 9mm P (1903) was a 123 gr bullet at 1050 fps. There was a "heavy" load at 1090 fps.
    It doesn't have to be "hot."
    It does need to have a roundnose or truncated cone bullet at very near the maximum OAL to suit the slanted magazine.

    My S42 shot great with WWII Canadian surplus. I don't know the ballistics, but when the supplies were exhausted and all I could find was short, mild Remington, it quit working so well. So I traded it to a collector.
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    mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    I've had excellent luck with Fiocchi 124 gr FMJ
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    v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you can find WW2 Canadian (all non corrosive) or British (corrosive)
    That stuff is very reliable.
    Handloading you want to hold 1.160 OAL on RNFMJ with velocities 1100-1250fps. Stick with RNFMJ, though XTP and Hunters Supply 125 gr TC lead
    bullets work well, Berry's wont. Meplat of the original cupronickle DWM truncated cone bullet is 5/32".
    Luger mags are very particular in accepting different bullet shapes and OAL over 1.060.
    Some bullets are too fat up front and will neither load nor feed.
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