Ammo issue.

[Wildbillz]

Hi All
While at the range today the wife ran into an issue with her 380Acp ammo. One round would not fit the magazine of her pistol. I looked at the round and it looked OK, then I looked at the head-stamp. Straight from a box of Maxx Tech ammo. The head stamp on the offending round was MKE with a 9P and 18. All the other round were stamped MaxxTech 380acp. I am guessing that someone opened the box and swapped a round from another box, 9mm Mak I am thinking as the MKE round is to wide to fit the 380Acp chamber or mag. We bought the ammo several months back at the local Bass Pro Shop. I checked the other boxs and they all have the same head-stamp (Maxx Tech).

Keep your eyes open.
WB

 

[bikerdoc]

Duly noted!
Thanks.

 

[BC17A]

9P= 9mm Parabellum. Too long for a 380 magazine

 

[Speedo66]

You’re right, sounds like someone put a 9x18 Makarov cartridge in the box, totally different from a .380.

The question is, did it happen as a factory error or was somebody playing games at the store?

 

[FFGColorado]

As an aside..a couple of years ago..when I owned a Ruger LC9 and Glock 42...all the 'stuff' on a table...I loaded the LC9 magazine with 380 ammo..Yes it will shoot, once, but not after that..

 

[sparkyv]

YIKES!

You’re right, sounds like someone put a 9x18 Makarov cartridge in the box, totally different from a .380.

The question is, did it happen as a factory error or was somebody playing games at the store?

 

[Tallball]

"As an aside..a couple of years ago..when I owned a Ruger LC9 and Glock 42...all the 'stuff' on a table...I loaded the LC9 magazine with 380 ammo..Yes it will shoot, once, but not after that."

The exact same thing happened to my FiL once. He actually had to take the pistol home and use tools to get it unjammed.

I tried that adventure myself once, too, when I wasn't paying attention. Fortunately 45acp rounds won't fit into a 40 S&W magazine no matter how absentminded you are.

I decided it was best to only have one caliber of ammo at a time on the bench while I was shooting.

 

[Wildbillz]

9P= 9mm Parabellum. Too long for a 380 magazine

Length was good, cartridge was to wide to fit the mag or chamber of the gun. When I saw the 9P that was my first thought. Seeing as the lenth looks right I am wondering if its a reload that has been cut down?

You’re right, sounds like someone put a 9x18 Makarov cartridge in the box, totally different from a .380.

The question is, did it happen as a factory error or was somebody playing games at the store?

MKE is made in Turkey, MaxxTech in Bosnia according to the boxes. So more likely someone in the store opening the boxes and messing with the cartridges.

WB

 

[jonnyc]

MKE does not make 9x18 Makarov, and they might not make .380 either.

 

[BC17A]

The 18 should be the year of manufacture, you sure it's not a 13?. A 9mm case at the rim is .010"+ larger in diameter than a 380 auto case, so your mag may just be tighter than a typical 380 magazine. How about some pics?

 

[MedWheeler]

If it didn't fit the chamber, it was likely a Makarov round. The Soviets went for something just wider enough with their new, post-WW-II round to prevent it from being chambered in German guns should Germans seize Soviet ammunition stockpiles. While both .380ACP (9mm Short) and 9mm Luger run about .355" in diameter, the Makarov is more like .362".

 

[Riomouse911]

I've seen lots of people opening boxes and checking cartridges out, at Bass Pro there were always people opening cartridge boxes up when they were stacked on the open shelves. Sometimes folks just being curious about what the rounds look like, and sometimes people comparing one round to another because they're not sure if the have a "9x19", a "9x18", or a "9x17" and they're trying to eyeball it. (I try and avoid shooting with these types until they're brought up to speed a bit!)

Could be either the latter, where someone put the wrong round back into the box... or a dumb-arse prankster swapping them purposely to play an impractical joke on a stranger. No matter what the reason, I am glad you and your wife (and your firearms) were uninjured as a result.

Now that Ca has implemented the new restrictions this type of peering into the boxes should be less of an issue here....but I seriously hope no other State follows through with this Legislature-intended infringement on the rights of law abiding people.

Stay safe!

 

[FlSwampRat]

You’re right, sounds like someone put a 9x18 Makarov cartridge in the box, totally different from a .380.

The question is, did it happen as a factory error or was somebody playing games at the store?

My guess is a salesman was showing another customer the differences between the cartridges and put the two "examples" back in the wrong boxes.

 

[Dibbs]

The ammo is such a jumbled cluster at Bass Pro, it's easy to see why there might also be some additional confusion. Who,
besides BP, organizes ammo by the name brand, instead of the caliber?

 

[Meeks36]

You’re right, sounds like someone put a 9x18 Makarov cartridge in the box, totally different from a .380.

The question is, did it happen as a factory error or was somebody playing games at the store?

Someone playing games. The clerk at the counter told me it was and is a problem. Folks stealing a few rounds out of a box, and switching ammo. He said to always check.

 

[briansmithwins]

You should always at least glance at the ammo before loading up magazines. Friend bought a box of Winchester Silvertips (yes this was that long ago) and one round had the bullet loaded backwards in the case.

BSW

 

[drk1]

Sorry about the problem and it's great that you caught it! There is a fairly big-box sporting goods store that I visit every once-in-a-while and watched people do the same thing. At first, I thought these guys were just curious newbies. They'd open a box of ammo, take out a round and look at it. But then they'd take another box off of the shelf, open it, take out another round and put the one from the first box into the second box! The first time I saw this happen, I went to the manager and told him about it. He said thanks, but he knew about the problem. Over the next couple of visits, I saw as many as three guys doing this with ammo at the same time. Once again, I went to the manager and he said he knew and there was nothing he could do! What? At first, I thought they were trying to get a deal -- one guy switches a round, another guy takes it to the register, points out the wrong round and "offers" to buy it at a "discount." No, the manager said they were part of a local anti-gun group and they were doing this as part of their effort to get the store closed! I asked why he didn't call the police and he said he had.... several times. He even has these guys on video doing this! Neither the cops nor his home office were anxious to do anything!!! He said his home office didn't want to go to the "bother" of prosecuting and, therefore, neither the local cops nor the county prosecutor wanted to do anything either. The company did respond by installing locked display cases for all pistol ammo, and trying to tape shut all of the rifle and .22 ammo boxes with some sort of "security" tape. Unfortunately, now they're ripping open those boxes and switchin rounds. They're even ripping open cases of shotgun shells so they can switch some rounds in the boxes there too. The ripped tape is easier to spot but it's still a pain when there is only one box of a particular caliber on the shelf and you find it has one or more of the wrong rounds in it. Just a good lesson -- always watch what you're buying. Thanks

 

[stillquietvoice]

times. He even has these guys on video doing this! Neither the cops nor his home office were anxious to do anything!!! He said his home office didn't want to go to the "bother" of prosecuting and, therefore, neither the local cops nor the county prosecutor wanted to do anything either. The

Shop keeper could post their pictures and ban them from the shop like is done with some shoplifters.

 

[Howland937]

tried that adventure myself once, too, when I wasn't paying attention. Fortunately 45acp rounds won't fit into a 40 S&W magazine no matter how absentminded you are

I did the opposite one time, and .40 will fit into a .45 1911 mag. I was stuffing mags while talking and somehow ended up with one in there. Fortunately when the slide cycled, the entire round went right through the barrel and onto the ground. Never owned a 40 in my life so I still never figured out how it got in there.

 

[JumboJVT]

I got one round of 44 mag in a box of MagTech 44 spl about a year ago, bought through one of the big on-line retailers (don't remember who). Wouldn't chamber in my Bisley flattop, so it still sits on my counter, as I own no mag. Doubt that was a retail viewing issue.

 

[jonnyc]

As a cartridge collector, I open all my ammo boxes completely and scan all the rounds looking for something different. You would be surprised at how many odd-ball military headstamps get mixed in with imported commercial ammo! At that point I have found a few odd caliber mixes also. Do a quick scan of all the ammo and be aware when you load the mags!