| 9×18mm Makarov | ||
|---|---|---|
9×18mm Makarov cartridge (Full metal jacket bullet and steel case) |
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| Type | Pistol | |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union | |
| Service history | ||
| Used by | Russian military, Bulgarian army, Chinese military, Czech military, Slovak military | |
| Specifications | ||
| Bullet diameter | 9.22 mm (0.363 in) | |
| Neck diameter | 9.91 mm (0.390 in) | |
| Base diameter | 9.95 mm (0.392 in) | |
| Rim diameter | 9.95 mm (0.392 in) | |
| Rim thickness | 1.00 mm (0.039 in) | |
| Case length | 18.10 mm (0.713 in) | |
| Overall length | 25.00 mm (0.984 in) | |
| Rifling twist | 240.00 (1 in 9.45 in) | |
| Maximum pressure | 160.00 MPa (23,206 psi) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 95 gr (6.2 g) FMJ | 319 m/s (1,050 ft/s) | 313 J (231 ft·lbf) |
| Test barrel length: 97 mm Source(s): C.I.P.[1] |
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9×18mm Makarov (often called 9×18mm PM) is a Soviet pistol and submachine gun cartridge. During the latter half of the 20th Century it was a standard military pistol cartridge of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, analogous to the 9×19mm Parabellum in NATO and Western military use.
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During the Second World War and the early Cold War, the 7.62×25mm Tokarev was the standard automatic pistol round for the Soviet Union and its satellites in Eastern Europe. This ammunition is still in use by many of these countries today. During the war the Soviet army had found a few shortcomings of its 7.62mm TT-33 pistol, one of which was a tendency to inadvertently drop its magazine while in operation. The army wanted something that was lighter, with a heel release instead of a button and different ammunition. A direct blowback design was chosen for the pistol's operation, since it would be quick and cheap to manufacture, as well as accurate, due to the fixed barrel design allowed by direct blowback operation.
The 9×18mm round was designed by B.V. Semin in 1951, and was intended to be the most powerful round that could function safely in a direct blowback pistol. It was based on the 9mm Ultra cartridge which was developed by Germany toward the end of WWII, as a more powerful alternative to the 9×17mm used in the Walther PP, also a blowback design. Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov went on to design the Makarov PM pistol around the 9×18mm round in 1948.
The Soviet military required that their ammunition should be incompatible with NATO firearms, so that in the event of armed conflict a foreign power would be unable to use captured Soviet ammunition supplies. 9×18mm ammunition uses a slightly larger diameter bullet than other common 9mm rounds. 9 mm Parabellum is 9.017 mm (0.355 inches), however 9×18mm rounds are loaded with bullets measuring 9.220 mm (0.363 inches). Many 9×18mm blow-back pistols can fire 9×17mm ammunition (.380 ACP) at some loss in accuracy. Generally, however, firearms should only fire the ammunition they are chambered for. After its introduction in 1951, the 9×18mm round spread throughout the militaries of Eastern Bloc nations.
9×18mm is ballistically inferior to the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. While there are no official SAAMI pressure specs for the 9×18mm cartridge, tests indicate that surplus ammunition develop pressures in the mid 20,000 psi, significantly less than the 35,000 psi or more generated by 9mm Parabellum loads. As such it is designed to be used in low powered blowback semiautomatics, much like the .380 ACP cartridge, rather than locked breech designs encountered, but not always required, for higher pressure cartridges like the 9 mm Parabellum.
The 9×18mm cartridge is not interchangeable with the more powerful 9 mm Parabellum or 9 mm Largo, and its ballistic performance is much closer to the .380 ACP.
The 9×18mm Makarov rounds in use with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are designed for pistols and submachine guns. Currently (2003), there are several variants of 9×18mm Makarov produced for various purposes. All use clad metal as case meterial.[2]
The 57-N-181S cartridge is loaded with a steel-core bullet and is designed to kill personnel at a range of up to 50 m (55 yd). The bullet has a clad metal envelope totally covering the core. The bullet’s nose is spherical with no distinguishing color of the tip. It can penetrate a 1.3 mm thick St3 steel plate or 5 mm ordinary steel plate at 20 m (22 yd).
The RG028 cartridge is loaded with an enhanced penetration bullet and is designed to kill personnel wearing body armour. The bullet has a core of hardened steel.
The SP-7 cartridge is loaded with an enhanced stopping effect bullet and is designed to defeat live targets. The bullet has a black tip.
The SP-8 cartridge is loaded with a low-penetration bullet and is designed to engage personnel.
| Cartridge designation[3] | 57-N-181S | RG028 | SP-7 | SP-8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge weight | 10 g (154 gr) | 11 g (170 gr) | 8 g (123 gr) | 8.5 g (131 gr) |
| Bullet weight | 6 g (92.6 gr) | 6 g (92.6 gr) | 6 g (92.6 gr) | 5 g (77.2 gr) |
| Muzzle velocity | 298 m/s (978 ft/s) | 325 m/s (1,066 ft/s) | 420 m/s (1,378 ft/s) | 250 m/s (820 ft/s) |
| Muzzle energy | 251 J (185 ft·lbf) | 317 J (234 ft·lbf) | 529 J (390 ft·lbf) | 156 J (115 ft·lbf) |
| Accuracy of fire at 25 m (27 yd) (R50) |
32 mm (1.3 in) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |