Best domestic (US) 9x18 Mak ammunition?

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grimjaw

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Most of the threads I've seen recommending 9x18 Makarov ammunition point to Barnaul as the best choice, especially for the Makarov type pistols ('commie ammo for commie guns!') You definitely pay more for domestically manufactured ammunition. Out of the local choices, who makes the best (for the price) for this caliber?

I will eventually be able to store more ammunition than I can currently, but for right now I have to limit the amount on hand. Hardly any of the local stores stock Barnaul (I'm in Cleveland), and I prefer to stay away from Wolf until I've got a backup Mak. :p

jmm, gun but no ammo = no fun at all :(
 
Ordering a case from Dan's Ammo would probably be the best deal.
http://www.dansammo.com/ammo.asp (he's out of Barnaul, but has Fiocchi in stock ... $70 for 500 rounds)


American made 9x18 is usualy expensive, underpowered and hard to find.

500 rounds is only 10 boxes ... and the boxes are only about 1.25" tall, 2" wide and 4.5" long so they would all fit in a shoebox.

Only 9x18 I've EVER found in any local gun shop was Wolf (yuck) and Hornady JHPs (expensive, like $25 for a box of 20)
 
I really liked the Czech made S&B ball ammo in 9x18mm. It was clean shooting and very accurate. Federal American Eagle was good, but it is expensive and harder to find.

-Brickboy240
 
I agree, it is hard to find. Best price in town right now is $12 per 50 for a box of CCI.

I haven't heard anything bad about Fiocchi, safe to go with them?

jmm
 
I bought and tried and few boxes of Winchester 9X18 through Cheaper Than Dirt. I like that a lot. No failures and very accurate. Accuracy was surprising actually. Bulgarian Mak and Winchester 9x18 made me look bad with my other hand guns. And I am not kidding.
 
grimjaw,
Have you been to "The Gun Shop" on Pearl Rd. in Parma Heights? I used to go there a lot when I lived in Cleveland. They usually had a good selection of 9x18 ammo at decent prices. But I haven't been there in a couple years.
 
I haven't heard anything bad about Fiocchi, safe to go with them?
Click to expand...

I've got 150 rounds through my Mak. The first 50 were Fiocchi and they functioned perfectly, and grouped so well I didn't believe it.

The next 100 were the dreaded Wolf and it shot just as well as the Fiocchi if not better. I had heard it left the gun dirty. I ran a brush through the barrel a couple of times, and followed it with two patches, one wet with solvent, the second dry. The second one (dry) came out clean so I did it again. Same result. I don't see where it was any dirtier than any other ammo. I had heard it has a funny smell and smokes a lot. I couldn't tell any difference. It just smelled like gunpowder to me. My wife agreed she didn't notice any difference.

I saw some American Eagle 9x18, but it was $20.00 a box. (50) I had to pass on that.
 
Commercial (reloadable brass) ammo is all too expensive for plinking, but S&B is about the cheapest.
If you don't reload you are wasting your money buying expensive brass case ammo unless you are selling your fired 9x18 cases.
If you do reload you can beat all the factory ammo for power and accuracy, but just tie the Russian ammo for cost when loading lead bullets.
The Maks like lead RN bullets and give good accuracy.
 
I bought and tried and few boxes of Winchester 9X18 through Cheaper Than Dirt. I like that a lot. No failures and very accurate. Accuracy was surprising actually.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the WWB 9x18 is made by S&B and sold by Winchester. Can you check the boxes to see if it is made in the Czech Republic?
 
I've never been able to justify paying $15.00 or more for 50 rds of US made 9x18 when I can buy Russian ammo at half the price.

Barnaul, the standard by which all others are judged, is Russian manufacture.

Wolf is good ammo. The new 100 gr "cone-head" has never failed me.

Silver Bear 115 gr JHP, Brown Bear 92 gr FMJ, both made by LVE, and much cheaper than domestic.

Russian ammo for Russian guns, and I get to shoot twice as much. :)
 
Ala Dan
How 'bout the Hornady 9X18 ammo? I don't own a MAK, but that ammo
really sells well in our store.
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I've shot a little of the Hornady. Good ammo. Standard velocity about 1,000 fps, bullet expands well and it's accurate. I loaded my Wife's Mak car gun with Hornady for a couple years.
But it's too costly for plinking.

I've loaded the Hornady 95 gr XTP bullet to 1130fps and it's impressive.
 
Boxes do not say Sellor and Bellot (sp?) but they clearly say produced in Czech. So it probably is.
 
Yep, it would be S&B.

Winchester doesn't advertise it, but there are a few calibres of their "white box" ammunition is NOT made by Winchester but contracted out to overseas manufacturers and then sold in Winchester white boxes.

The bottom line is compare the price of S&W to WWB and buy the least expensive--they're the same ammo.
 
Shoot what works in the Mak. This is not a pistol that gets upset if it's a little dirty. Or a lot dirty. In that regard, it is a lot like the AK.
 
I would like to find some place to snag a small quantity of 9x18 HP ammo. Only thing I can get here is winchester and its $14 for a box of 50.
 
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