Machodoc
Old Guy
This is just a quick review of the 9x18 Makarov round. It contains some reloading information, but I'm specifically posting it here because of the popularity of the CZ82 as a C&R, and because of questions that some people have about firing lead bullets through a polygonal bore. These are issues that have been discussed on other boards, and the replies are all over the map. I am giving some approximate data here, because I'm not telling how to reload for this round. I am, rather, using it for illustration. The info I'm giving is correct, but these things are often fine-tuned for a particular firearm, or type of firearm. I'm not so much trying to tell you exactly how to do something, as explaining that it can be done and illustrating that it's not an impossible task that requires an advanced degree.
The 9 mm Makarov round differs from the better-known 9 mm Parabellun round (both rounds are also known by other names) in two primary ways. First, the Makarov has a 9x18 casing, while the Parabellum is 9x19. Second, the diameter of the Makarov bullet itself is generally about .365 v. the Parabellum's roughly .355. There are several lesser (nonetheless still important) differences, but I'm not giving specifics on reloading the round, so I'm not going into those now. You can find them in reloading manuals.
What's most important to know is that these are not the same round, nor can they be used interchangeably.
What's also useful to know, however, is that 9x18 Makarov rounds can be made, as reloads, out of 9x19 Parabellum casings. These are perfectly safe, done with the same care as any other reload, since the modifications to the case are minimal, and they are fairly close in both length and diameter.
The most obvious modification is to cut the Parabelum cases down from 9x19 to 9x18. That's easily done with with a tool like the Lee case trimmer. If you are interested in learning to do this, Google search for info. There are videos and directions available, so I don't need to repeat those. You basically spin the casing and shave 1 mm off the length with a cutting tool attached to a rod that gauges when you have cut the case down to 9x18.
Just keep in mind that the cases you cut down are still going to be marked as 9x19, so you might want to mark them in some way. I don't know of a more permanent stain to use (wish I did), but a fat magic marker works well enough to cover the base of the case long enough to keep them sorted ... but you may need to reapply the marker with each reload.
The diameter of the 9x19 case is opened up to the correct size by using a sizing die, such as is part of Lee's 3-die set. If at all possible, always get carbide sizing dies for reloading. They cost a bit more to begin with, but you quickly save that in the cost of case lubricant and the time to lube each case.
Still simple enough, right?
Bullets specifically made for reloading 9x18 rounds are available (or were, before things went nuts), from the same companies that make bullets for reloading other calibers (Speer, Hornady, etc.). For that matter, brass cases in 9x18 are made by companies like Starline ... when they are in stock.
But another option is to cast your own bullets, using molds designed for that purpose. One option for molding 9x18 lead bullets is Lee's 95 gr. mold that comes in a two-cavity model. An even better design for molding lead 9x18 bullets, especially for the CZ82's polygonal bore, is a design by Ranch Dog Outdoors. This design was made especially for "tumble" lubricating lead bullets using liquid Alox. Alox is applied to a lead bullet as a thick liquid, and it dries overnight into a waxy coating that is very effective. Lee calls this process "tumble lubing" because a bunch of uncoated bullets are put into a bowl (or plastic bag) and then tumbled until they are coated. They are then spread out over waxed paper and allowed to dry.
The Ranch Dog mold, which unfortunately is not available right now, has extra grooves designed into it to carry more lubricant. Why is that important?
Very generally speaking, plain lead bullets of a good alloy (Brinell 18-22 hardness) won't foul the barrel of a good firearm much if they are properly lubricated, and if they aren't fired at too high a velocity. A barrel in good condition, firing a lubricated and reasonably hard bullet at 1,100 - 1,200 fps, isn't going to lead too badly--if it leads the barrel at all. Above that velocity things start happening to the lead from both the hot expanding gasses and the friction between the bullet and the bore (Google for "gas checks" if you don't know what they are, and what they are used for). If the barrel isn't in good condition, that 1,100 - 1,200 fps number drops down lower before you start getting leading, with about 900 fps being a reasonable estimate for barrels in condition good enough to be used safely.
What has this got to do with the CZ-82?
Cast bullets made out of standard wheel weight ("WW") alloy, and quench-hardened by being dropped from the mold into water, and properly lubricated, should push through a barrel that hasn't got rough spots at up to about 1,200 fps without significant leading. Most loads for the 9x18 Makarov are going to push a lead bullet through the barrel at between 950 - 1,100 fps, with about 1,050 fps being the most typical. This speed will vary due to a number of variables, but reloaders should know how to control those variables and "work up" to a load that's accurate, cycles a CZ-82 properly, and doesn't lead the barrel. (My own loads for the CZ-82 are designed to produce only about 1,000 fps because I want the brass to stay in the same county.)
If lead bullets made with Lee's Makarov mold are properly lubed with Alox, they will not significantly lead (if at all) a good barrel. Using the Ranch Dog mold that carries even more Alox lubricant down the barrel lessens the chances of leading even further.
You will, of course, want to keep an eye on the bore, but even if you should see some leading occur, it's not the end of the world. You can clean it out. There are even solvents made to be sure that lead (and other fouling) is removed.
But, if you have read about polygonal barrels (bores) at all, you are sure to have seen dire warnings about not shooting lead bullets through them.
What's up with that?
The answer appears to be that Glock has made guns with polygonal barrels. Glock is a big company with lots of lawyers looking out for anything that might expose them to liability. In a worst-case scenario, some Bubba might make up their own rounds that exceed 1,200 fps, aren't lubed, and don't have gas checks ... and the said Bubba shoots his polygonal Glock without ever inspecting the bore, or cleaning it, for a few months. In such circumstances, there's some amount of chance that a problem could occur, or (more likely) Bubba would eventually notice the leading and send it back to Glock, expecting it to be fixed under warranty.
Glock's easy fix was to say not to shoot lead bullets out of their polygonal barrels ... sort of like all the warning stickers that have to be put onto a new aluminum ladder. This somehow was interpreted to mean that lead bullets and poly barrels are dangerous together. Not so. The right alloy/hardness, at the right velocity, with the proper lubrication, and with the sort of regular cleaning and inspection that anyone who knows what they are doing* would automatically perform ... and you are good to go.
* Not someone who would buy a Chinese Nagant full of cosmoline and attempt to shoot it without cleaning or inspecting it.
The 9 mm Makarov round differs from the better-known 9 mm Parabellun round (both rounds are also known by other names) in two primary ways. First, the Makarov has a 9x18 casing, while the Parabellum is 9x19. Second, the diameter of the Makarov bullet itself is generally about .365 v. the Parabellum's roughly .355. There are several lesser (nonetheless still important) differences, but I'm not giving specifics on reloading the round, so I'm not going into those now. You can find them in reloading manuals.
What's most important to know is that these are not the same round, nor can they be used interchangeably.
What's also useful to know, however, is that 9x18 Makarov rounds can be made, as reloads, out of 9x19 Parabellum casings. These are perfectly safe, done with the same care as any other reload, since the modifications to the case are minimal, and they are fairly close in both length and diameter.
The most obvious modification is to cut the Parabelum cases down from 9x19 to 9x18. That's easily done with with a tool like the Lee case trimmer. If you are interested in learning to do this, Google search for info. There are videos and directions available, so I don't need to repeat those. You basically spin the casing and shave 1 mm off the length with a cutting tool attached to a rod that gauges when you have cut the case down to 9x18.
Just keep in mind that the cases you cut down are still going to be marked as 9x19, so you might want to mark them in some way. I don't know of a more permanent stain to use (wish I did), but a fat magic marker works well enough to cover the base of the case long enough to keep them sorted ... but you may need to reapply the marker with each reload.
The diameter of the 9x19 case is opened up to the correct size by using a sizing die, such as is part of Lee's 3-die set. If at all possible, always get carbide sizing dies for reloading. They cost a bit more to begin with, but you quickly save that in the cost of case lubricant and the time to lube each case.
Still simple enough, right?
Bullets specifically made for reloading 9x18 rounds are available (or were, before things went nuts), from the same companies that make bullets for reloading other calibers (Speer, Hornady, etc.). For that matter, brass cases in 9x18 are made by companies like Starline ... when they are in stock.
But another option is to cast your own bullets, using molds designed for that purpose. One option for molding 9x18 lead bullets is Lee's 95 gr. mold that comes in a two-cavity model. An even better design for molding lead 9x18 bullets, especially for the CZ82's polygonal bore, is a design by Ranch Dog Outdoors. This design was made especially for "tumble" lubricating lead bullets using liquid Alox. Alox is applied to a lead bullet as a thick liquid, and it dries overnight into a waxy coating that is very effective. Lee calls this process "tumble lubing" because a bunch of uncoated bullets are put into a bowl (or plastic bag) and then tumbled until they are coated. They are then spread out over waxed paper and allowed to dry.
The Ranch Dog mold, which unfortunately is not available right now, has extra grooves designed into it to carry more lubricant. Why is that important?
Very generally speaking, plain lead bullets of a good alloy (Brinell 18-22 hardness) won't foul the barrel of a good firearm much if they are properly lubricated, and if they aren't fired at too high a velocity. A barrel in good condition, firing a lubricated and reasonably hard bullet at 1,100 - 1,200 fps, isn't going to lead too badly--if it leads the barrel at all. Above that velocity things start happening to the lead from both the hot expanding gasses and the friction between the bullet and the bore (Google for "gas checks" if you don't know what they are, and what they are used for). If the barrel isn't in good condition, that 1,100 - 1,200 fps number drops down lower before you start getting leading, with about 900 fps being a reasonable estimate for barrels in condition good enough to be used safely.
What has this got to do with the CZ-82?
Cast bullets made out of standard wheel weight ("WW") alloy, and quench-hardened by being dropped from the mold into water, and properly lubricated, should push through a barrel that hasn't got rough spots at up to about 1,200 fps without significant leading. Most loads for the 9x18 Makarov are going to push a lead bullet through the barrel at between 950 - 1,100 fps, with about 1,050 fps being the most typical. This speed will vary due to a number of variables, but reloaders should know how to control those variables and "work up" to a load that's accurate, cycles a CZ-82 properly, and doesn't lead the barrel. (My own loads for the CZ-82 are designed to produce only about 1,000 fps because I want the brass to stay in the same county.)
If lead bullets made with Lee's Makarov mold are properly lubed with Alox, they will not significantly lead (if at all) a good barrel. Using the Ranch Dog mold that carries even more Alox lubricant down the barrel lessens the chances of leading even further.
You will, of course, want to keep an eye on the bore, but even if you should see some leading occur, it's not the end of the world. You can clean it out. There are even solvents made to be sure that lead (and other fouling) is removed.
But, if you have read about polygonal barrels (bores) at all, you are sure to have seen dire warnings about not shooting lead bullets through them.
What's up with that?
The answer appears to be that Glock has made guns with polygonal barrels. Glock is a big company with lots of lawyers looking out for anything that might expose them to liability. In a worst-case scenario, some Bubba might make up their own rounds that exceed 1,200 fps, aren't lubed, and don't have gas checks ... and the said Bubba shoots his polygonal Glock without ever inspecting the bore, or cleaning it, for a few months. In such circumstances, there's some amount of chance that a problem could occur, or (more likely) Bubba would eventually notice the leading and send it back to Glock, expecting it to be fixed under warranty.
Glock's easy fix was to say not to shoot lead bullets out of their polygonal barrels ... sort of like all the warning stickers that have to be put onto a new aluminum ladder. This somehow was interpreted to mean that lead bullets and poly barrels are dangerous together. Not so. The right alloy/hardness, at the right velocity, with the proper lubrication, and with the sort of regular cleaning and inspection that anyone who knows what they are doing* would automatically perform ... and you are good to go.
* Not someone who would buy a Chinese Nagant full of cosmoline and attempt to shoot it without cleaning or inspecting it.
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