Its a great round but you can get the same thing on 9mm for 10 dollars a box. I think thats the answer to your question.
+1. I have the most compact of the eastern block pistols, the only one that lends itself to pocket carry, a P64 Radom. However, it's heavy, all steel. My 15 year old Kel Tec 9 holds near twice the round count and +P 9 is pushing a 115 XTP out its barrel at 1263 fps. It weighs, but 14 ounces dry and is a little wider, but shorter. It's also nearly as accurate and I shoot it's DAO a bit better as the transition from DA to SA even though the DA is now actually usable after the Wolff spring installation, is hard to master. The SA is so light on the gun after the heavy DA that I double tap whether I want to or not many times. The DAO on the Kel Tec is long, but lighter and smoother, easy to control, and there's no DA/SA transition to deal with.
In short, I like the Radom, don't intend to sell it, it's very accurate, but my KT is still my preferred pocket carry.
In addition, I'm unaware of any +P SAAMI designation for 9x18. The 9x18 is already on the edge of acceptable working pressures for a blow back pistol, sorta was the point it its development from the 9mm Ultra. I don't know if I trust this newer BB stuff. There's a thread on the revolver board about a .38 load from them that pushes into the .357 magnum lower level performance envelope. None of that stuff is going to find its way into MY .38s, I can tell ya that.
Besides, I'm cheap. I even handload 9x18 and 9x19, though trimming 9x18 is a pain (from 9x19 brass) and the little fart tosses brass into the next county, so I sorta prefer shooting Monarch FMJ at the range that I get from Academy for 9.95 a box. When I have carried the gun, it's been with Silver Bear 94 grain JHP, not the best for self defense, but hell, I ain't that serious about 9x18 as a carry and rarely carry the gun. Prefer 9x19 and .38 special +P....... along with 140 grain .357 magnum on occasion or 200 grain .45ACP if I'm going to belt carry.
