9x19 vs 9x21

**Corné** · 23-10-2008, 08:48

The 9x19 is well known and has penetrated the market very good. There is a 9x21 available and as I understand this was developed for countries where civilians are prohibited to poses military/police issued calibers. It is as far as I know still very much a 9x19 in that the factory ammo for this is loaded the same as the 9x19. But I understand that due to the 2mm increase in case length it can handle a bit more pressure and thus a bit of reloading can give it a bit of extra go. What I am not sure off, can you use 9x19 in a 9x21 like in a 357MAG revolver that you can use a 38SPL? Also PMP makes 9x21 cases but they are stamped 9x19 (as far as my knowledge goes).

What do you know about the 9x21 and what do you think about it?

Also my Glock brocure that came with my Glock had the 9x21 listed in the Glock 17....

**SSP** · 23-10-2008, 09:44

They are loaded to the same overall length so the internal case dimensions are the same. You could load them longer in something like a 1911 but not much longer in a Glock.

**BigT** · 23-10-2008, 09:48

As I understand it 9x21 was only used for major loads because USPSA wouldnt allow major level 9x19.

**Corné** · 23-10-2008, 10:53

Originally Posted by BigT

As I understand it 9x21 was only used for major loads because USPSA wouldnt allow major level 9x19.

I am not sure about USPSA but in IPSC in Open you can go for major in a 9x19 but it does push the limits. There are a few that went the 9x21 route as this seems to be better in obtaining major and not pushing the pressure as much as the 9x19 at those levels.

**Johann the Horrible** · 23-10-2008, 20:19

The 9x21, as far as my knowledge goes, came into being in Italy as the poor "Eyeties" are not trusted with a military caliber. PMP did indeed make some brass but is was just a case of not trimming 9x19 brass foe a couple of thousand cases. Pity that they stamped them 9x19 though. I do believe that you could push a 9x21 into Major(165 PF) with very little room to spare, but indeed reachable. According to people that did it you can drive a CZ 75 that hard but it kinda shoots loose during the 2 100K rounds. Around 150K rounds you need to pretty well replace everything in the gun except the mags. The Glock mags are apparently to short for this exercise. The pressures generated is also apparently quite astronomical. Must be fun though as "Squdward" shot one up in Rustenburg before he got a "real"(Para) "Moffie gun"(race gun).