9x19 vs 9x18 vs 7.62X25 vs 357 auto questions...

[drott]

I see these CZ82 pistols for sale pretty cheap and they take 9x18 cartridges. I'd like to keep the number of different calibers in my collection to a minimum if possible (so far with 12 and 20 gage, 9x19, 22LR, 223, and 308). I'm wondering what the real difference is between 9x19 and 9x18?? Can I interchange the two, or are they not compatible?? Also been looking at the 357 Glocks, they look pretty badass. But is the 357 auto all that? And I imagine ammo is real pricey for those huh? And what about the 7.62X25 used in CZ52's? That sounds pretty powerful, is that the one that could defeat body armor and was in line for a ban??

 

[Spot77]

The 7.62x25 is pretty affordable. I can't recall anybody yapping about a ban on that cartridge.....yet. Not enough in circulation I guess to really show up on anybody's radar. Anything in 357 for a semiauto is still going to be a little pricey compared to say...9mm (ammo that is, not the gun itself). People will argue all day long whether the 357 auto cartridges are any better or worse than .40 cal.

Having only shot one 357SIG gun, I'd say they "feel" about the same. Don't know about the ballistics though.

I have a cz40b (which is a .40 cal) and while it's a great gun, I've come to realize that I'm not particularly a fan of the .40S&W cartridge.

 

[Norton]

I see these CZ82 pistols for sale pretty cheap and they take 9x18 cartridges. I'd like to keep the number of different calibers in my collection to a minimum if possible (so far with 12 and 20 gage, 9x19, 22LR, 223, and 308). I'm wondering what the real difference is between 9x19 and 9x18?? Can I interchange the two, or are they not compatible?? Also been looking at the 357 Glocks, they look pretty badass. But is the 357 auto all that? And I imagine ammo is real pricey for those huh? And what about the 7.62X25 used in CZ52's? That sounds pretty powerful, is that the one that could defeat body armor and was in line for a ban??

The 9x19 (parabellum) and the 9x18 are NOT interchangeable. Bad, bad juju there.

As far as stopping power the 9x19 has 384ft/lbs at the muzzle with a 124 grain bullet while the 9X18 has 205 with a 95 grain.

Never played with .357 SIG but as i recall it's basically a .40sw necked down. It seems like a fine round but is awfully expensive compared to other standard calibers.

The 7.62x25 is not the dreaded 5.7 (insert scary music) that you're probably thinking. This round isn't awfully expensive and given that the guns can be had relatively cheaply it ends up being a good deal. They also have a nifty muzzle flash that is a sure attention getter.

 

[drott]

Thanks guys. A real dumb question for ya - when the nomenclature says "9x19", does that mean the bullet is 9mm in diameter and 19mm long? Or does that mean the bullet is 9mm in diameter and the total length of the bullet + cartridge is 19mm?? 19mm seems too long just for the bullet itself, I'm thinking it must be the installed bullet + cartridge.

 

[Norton]

Thanks guys. A real dumb question for ya - when the nomenclature says "9x19", does that mean the bullet is 9mm in diameter and 19mm long? Or does that mean the bullet is 9mm in diameter and the total length of the bullet + cartridge is 19mm?? 19mm seems too long just for the bullet itself, I'm thinking it must be the installed bullet + cartridge.

just the case isn't it?

 

[zoostation]

I see these CZ82 pistols for sale pretty cheap and they take 9x18 cartridges. I'd like to keep the number of different calibers in my collection to a minimum if possible (so far with 12 and 20 gage, 9x19, 22LR, 223, and 308). I'm wondering what the real difference is between 9x19 and 9x18?? Can I interchange the two, or are they not compatible?? Also been looking at the 357 Glocks, they look pretty badass. But is the 357 auto all that? And I imagine ammo is real pricey for those huh? And what about the 7.62X25 used in CZ52's? That sounds pretty powerful, is that the one that could defeat body armor and was in line for a ban??

As Norton said, very bad juju between trying to interchange 9x19 and 9x18. Please don't try that.

Power-wise the 9x18 'Makarov' is close to a 9x19, but not quite there. It's significantly stronger than a .380 or .38 Special though. Most standard 9x18 ammo runs somewhere in the mid-200's for ft-lbs of energy delivered. Most standard .380ACP and .38 Spl. runs in the very low 200's and most 9x19 in the mid-300's.

.357 Sig was an attempt to replicate the ballistics of the famous .357 Magnum revolver round for auto pistols. It fires a .355 inch (same as 9mm) bullet out at a jumped-up speed by using the necked down .40 S&W case. Most of these rounds move out at around 1300-1400 fps. Basically it's very similar to the 9mm +p+ ammo that's been around for ages, same size and weight bullets and just a hair faster and more ballistically stable at longer ranges. IMHO it makes a big bang but is about the same as a very good 9mm round, which is considerably effective, but not the wonder round it's made out to be. And as has been said, it's quite expensive.

The 7.62x25 Tokarev is a very fast light round, called the "pocket rifle" by some. Something like an 80-grain bullet moving out at 1500 fps. It is still preferred by the Russian mafia for it's supposed ability to penetrate cheaper or older body armor. Not sure how much of that is legend but I do imagine it would be a very potent round for punching through obstacles.

 

[Norton]

With regards to the length,

The reason that the case is the source of the measurement is that as the weight of the bullet goes up, so does the overall length of the cartridge. You can't make the bullet wider because of the restrictions of the bore, so the only way to go is length wise.

 

[novus collectus]

...
The 7.62x25 Tokarev is a very fast light round, called the "pocket rifle" by some. Something like an 80-grain bullet moving out at 1500 fps. It is still preferred by the Russian mafia for it's supposed ability to penetrate cheaper or older body armor. Not sure how much of that is legend but I do imagine it would be a very potent round for punching through obstacles.

It was preferred by the Russian military and police because it could penetrate heavy Russian winter clothing I hear.
It penetrated modern body armour just fine I also hear, penetrating through up to and including level IIIA.

 

[smores]

I have a CZ-82 and it's a great gun. 100% reliable so far (I haven't had one failure, can't say that for my CZ-75B [2 fte's] or Steyr M40-A1, [1 fte]). Ammo is pretty cheap. I usually buy Silver Bear hollowpoints, for $7 per 50 rounds.