CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
Where were we......? Oh, RIGHT--the 30 Luger and its potential utility in a 9mm pistol.
The 30 Luger/7.65 x 21 is 4 years older than its cousin the 9mm Luger/9 x 19--rolled out in 1898 vs the 9's 1902 birth year. The 93 grain FMJs that factory ammo features claim 1210-1280 FPS, but the 250 W-W rounds I bought c. 1993 just manage 1150-1175 in my Ruger P-89X's 4-1/4" barrel. Maybe they use a 6" P-08 to test this stuff with. Another weird caliber crank I knew at the time split a 500-round case with me right after I bought the pistol. In 1993, I thought the $27 per 50 MSRP was pretty ridiculous, but I still had my FFL back then and we gave about $17-$18 per box. I thought we did OK. Nowadays, you give $50-$60 for the Winchester stuff, in the unlikely event you can locate the seasonal stuff. (Note--I think "seasonal availability" is code-speak for "Twice each decade, if we feel like it". But that's OK--Fiocchi, PPU, RWS, GECO, and other boutique makers sell it for a lot less money and the brass cases are first-rate. Winchester can go get stretched.
The Ruger P-89X is ACCURATE. I know that the pistol series is not known for gilt-edged accuracy, but my example shoots very close to the sights with both calibers, and groups very well--hard on the heels of my SIG P-226.
Why the 30 Luger? Why the heck NOT? I dote upon the 32 H&R Mag and the 30 Mauser/7.62 x 25, and was doing so at the time of the P-89X's purchase. I am a Mid-Caliber Handgun Enthusiast. As long as you are willing to reload your cartridges and cast your bullets, you can make a shooting dollar go a LONG WAY. THAT is one of the "draws" for these calibers, as is their mild recoil and often-superb field accuracy for small game and varmints. Once velocities exceed 900 FPS, all of these calibers get a bit loud for their size.
The P-89X not only has 2 barrels, it has two recoil spring systems--one for each caliber. The 9mm spring and rod is a familiar arrangement, loose on its guide rod with a tighter end that fits on the rod's stop washer and a slightly wider end that extends a bit past the guide rod;s forward end. The 30 Luger recoil spring is captive on its guide rod, and is of finer wire than the 9mm spring.
Even shooting the factory W-W fodder, the pistol functioned reliably but not real vigorously. It stayed reliable for 100+ rounds before it got its first cleaning, and went right back at it without a stumble. I spent most of one day just shooting this pistol in both calibers, all 250 of the W-W 30 Luger ammo and about 150 of some 9mm handloads I had on hand--mostly sub-sonic carry rounds that I had on hand for work that I had not fired after my twice-yearly ammo change-out in the P-226. These shot reliably, though not vigorously--which is a feature of these gutless rounds in most pistols. Not a bobble in the new pistol for 400+ rounds. I liked that part. The pistol wants to run, but it craves high-octane fuel--not the neutered USA-made ammo for both calibers.
More to follow, time for bed.
The 30 Luger/7.65 x 21 is 4 years older than its cousin the 9mm Luger/9 x 19--rolled out in 1898 vs the 9's 1902 birth year. The 93 grain FMJs that factory ammo features claim 1210-1280 FPS, but the 250 W-W rounds I bought c. 1993 just manage 1150-1175 in my Ruger P-89X's 4-1/4" barrel. Maybe they use a 6" P-08 to test this stuff with. Another weird caliber crank I knew at the time split a 500-round case with me right after I bought the pistol. In 1993, I thought the $27 per 50 MSRP was pretty ridiculous, but I still had my FFL back then and we gave about $17-$18 per box. I thought we did OK. Nowadays, you give $50-$60 for the Winchester stuff, in the unlikely event you can locate the seasonal stuff. (Note--I think "seasonal availability" is code-speak for "Twice each decade, if we feel like it". But that's OK--Fiocchi, PPU, RWS, GECO, and other boutique makers sell it for a lot less money and the brass cases are first-rate. Winchester can go get stretched.
The Ruger P-89X is ACCURATE. I know that the pistol series is not known for gilt-edged accuracy, but my example shoots very close to the sights with both calibers, and groups very well--hard on the heels of my SIG P-226.
Why the 30 Luger? Why the heck NOT? I dote upon the 32 H&R Mag and the 30 Mauser/7.62 x 25, and was doing so at the time of the P-89X's purchase. I am a Mid-Caliber Handgun Enthusiast. As long as you are willing to reload your cartridges and cast your bullets, you can make a shooting dollar go a LONG WAY. THAT is one of the "draws" for these calibers, as is their mild recoil and often-superb field accuracy for small game and varmints. Once velocities exceed 900 FPS, all of these calibers get a bit loud for their size.
The P-89X not only has 2 barrels, it has two recoil spring systems--one for each caliber. The 9mm spring and rod is a familiar arrangement, loose on its guide rod with a tighter end that fits on the rod's stop washer and a slightly wider end that extends a bit past the guide rod;s forward end. The 30 Luger recoil spring is captive on its guide rod, and is of finer wire than the 9mm spring.
Even shooting the factory W-W fodder, the pistol functioned reliably but not real vigorously. It stayed reliable for 100+ rounds before it got its first cleaning, and went right back at it without a stumble. I spent most of one day just shooting this pistol in both calibers, all 250 of the W-W 30 Luger ammo and about 150 of some 9mm handloads I had on hand--mostly sub-sonic carry rounds that I had on hand for work that I had not fired after my twice-yearly ammo change-out in the P-226. These shot reliably, though not vigorously--which is a feature of these gutless rounds in most pistols. Not a bobble in the new pistol for 400+ rounds. I liked that part. The pistol wants to run, but it craves high-octane fuel--not the neutered USA-made ammo for both calibers.
More to follow, time for bed.