SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  SIG Pistols    Walther P1
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Walther P1 Login/Join 
Member
posted
Was the Walther P1 designed only for FMJ or can it function with JHP? Also 115 or 125 grain?
 
Posts: 329 | Location: Texas | Registered: September 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Frangas non Flectes
Picture of P220 Smudge
posted Hide Post
The Walther P1 is a renamed P38, which was a wartime pistol designed around FMJ. Only difference is alloy frames on the P1 vs steel frames on the P38. I think depending on the shape of the bullet, some hollow points would work fine. May have to experiment.


______________________________________________
“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting, but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too.”
 
Posts: 17880 | Location: Sonoran Desert | Registered: February 10, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
His diet consists of black
coffee, and sarcasm.
Picture of egregore
posted Hide Post
Federal 9BP has a good reputation for feeding in otherwise FMJ-only pistols, but this is variable. Only testing in your individual gun will tell you.
 
Posts: 29047 | Location: Johnson City, TN | Registered: April 28, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of p08
posted Hide Post
Haven't shot JHP's in my P1 for a long time. As I recall closed tip HP feeds fine.


-------------------------------------
Always the pall bearer, never the corpse.
 
Posts: 700 | Location: Illinois | Registered: December 03, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Peace through
superior firepower
Picture of parabellum
posted Hide Post
The P1 sights are regulated for 124 grain ammunition.

I wouldn't use hollow point ammo in any alloy frame P38. The feedramp will become gouged before too long. You can shoot a small amount, but I wouldn't do any volume shooting with the P38 with anything other than standard pressure fmj ammunition.

I'm a big fan of Walther postwar pistols and I own quite a few P38s, but they are not what I would class as durable pistols.

The wear I'm referring to is documented in Per Mathisen's Walther's P.38 Pistol in Norway and The Norwegian Ulm Contract. In the states, this book is as rare as hen's teeth, and I am privileged to have a copy in my reference library. The feedramp wear this book documents occurred with high volume shooting of fmj ammunition, so it stands to reason that ammunition which has bullets shaped less smoothly than fmj ammo would serve to accelerate this wear.

Just for fun, here's a couple of old friends.

 
Posts: 110027 | Registered: January 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Waiting for Hachiko
Picture of Sunset_Va
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
The P1 sights are regulated for 124 grain ammunition.

I wouldn't use hollow point ammo in any alloy frame P38. The feedramp will become gouged before too long. You can shoot a small amount, but I wouldn't do any volume shooting with the P38 with anything other than standard pressure fmj ammunition.

I'm a big fan of Walther postwar pistols and I own quite a few P38s, but they are not what I would class as durable pistols.

The wear I'm referring to is documented in Per Mathisen's Walther's P.38 Pistol in Norway and The Norwegian Ulm Contract. In the states, this book is as rare as hen's teeth, and I am privileged to have a copy in my reference library. The feedramp wear this book documents occurred with high volume shooting of fmj ammunition, so it stands to reason that ammunition which has bullets shaped less smoothly than fmj ammo would serve to accelerate this wear.

Just for fun, here's a couple of old friends.



I've had both the WWII surplus P38's and P1's I liked the P1's the best.

Hollow point ammo sometimes gouges the alloy feed ramps on frames when the bullet does a nose dive. Multiple gouges affect feeding and weaken the frame. Many times I would have the frames of my alloy pistols, especially 1911 pattern frames, hard chromed to ward off these gouges.


美しい犬
 
Posts: 6673 | Location: Near the Metropolis of Tightsqueeze, Va | Registered: February 18, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of CAR
posted Hide Post
I own several post-war P38s. I stick with 115 gr. Winchester USA ball in mine.
 
Posts: 926 | Location: Ohio | Registered: May 11, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Avoiding hollow points in these guns is good information I didn't know. I have a replica P38K that was made by one of the engineers at AAC and will stick to ball ammo. Many thanks for the enlightening posts!




 
Posts: 5072 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 04, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of photohause
posted Hide Post

One of the P38Ks I once owned


Don't. drink & drive, don't even putt.


 
Posts: 1631 | Location:  | Registered: March 28, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of hjs157
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
I wouldn't use hollow point ammo in any alloy frame P38. The feedramp will become gouged before too long. You can shoot a small amount, but I wouldn't do any volume shooting with the P38 with anything other than standard pressure fmj ammunition.


Is the Walther P5 susceptible to this as well? I recall the P5 being internally similar to the P1, though it's been a while since I've had the opportunity to examine one. Thanks!
 
Posts: 3606 | Location: Western PA | Registered: July 20, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of CAR
posted Hide Post
My P5 appears to have nearly the same feed ramp design as the P1. I would avoid shooting large quantities of hollow points through the P5 as well.

Walther did go to an integral barrel-feed ramp design on the P88 however.
 
Posts: 926 | Location: Ohio | Registered: May 11, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  SIG Pistols    Walther P1

© SIGforum 2024