Ammo for Walther P1

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halhunt

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i am getting a Walther P1. I've read here and elsewhere that heavier bullets and hotter loads are to be avoided. I am thinking about 115 or 124 grain FMJ. Any recommendations?
 
I very well could be mistaken, but I've read that they have two loadings for 9x19mm. The 9mm parabellum (for more modern handguns) and 9mm luger for the older WWI and WWII handguns that can't handle the 9mm Para pressures. Again, that's just my understanding, I could very well have misinterpreted that, and they're both offered as factory loadings @.@
 
I too could be mistaken but I believe the Luger and Parabellum designations only refer to the 9x19 cartridge size (and are interchangeable). Submachinegun loads were always hotter than pistol loads, and many different loadings are available.

Man! I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about -- I don't.
 
I think the only thing you need to be concerned about is if you plan to fire the pistol a lot. If you do a lot of shooting, firing the heavier 9mm Luger/Parabellum bullets will batter the aluminum alloy frame. Cracks in the frames were reported by police agencies that shot a lot. Walther upgraded the pistol to the P4, which had a hexagonal cross-bolt to absorb recoil forces. But before you have any kind of problem, you'd have to do really a lot of shooting with it. I had one when I lived in the US, shot it only occasionally (used 115 gr. bullets), and never had a problem. I like the gun.
 
THE main reason the AUstrian police and the German police have moved out ofthe P-1 is the alloy frame, it simply cannot take the abuse and abuse of the steel version (P-38).

With normal commercial (or equivalent) loads it should not be a problem....

Keep your eyes open for small fractures in the frame rails....
John
 
I ran several guns on the range. They did not last long, but the failures were all barrel and slide cracking (yes even with the thicker P1 slides). If you want to shoot lots I highly recommend light loads.
 
The hex-pin frame reinforcement wasn't just on P4s. P1s are also frequently encountered with the hex-pin in the frame. The P4 is a shorter barreled version of the later versions of the P1 with the reinforced frame and slide.
 
i have a war time p38 (byf43) and it handles factory and reloads just fine fron 115 to 135 and 147 grains. only issues were with a frinds reloads for his p226 that were off a little from stock length. pistol eats them all and is surprisingly accurate and controllable. i would not hesitate to use it in a vintage match along with my inglis hp.
 
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