9mm Luger Standard Pressure Loads

The 9mm Luger (9x19 Parabellum, 9mm/P-08, 9mm NATO, etc.) is currently the most handloaded pistol cartridge in the U.S., but to achieve that title it has taken more than a century, along with the development of new powders, bullets and guns. It also holds the distinct title of being the world’s most used military handgun and submachine gun cartridge. Furthermore, current statistics suggest more than 60 percent of U.S. police agencies use 9mms for duty. With nearly countless pistol configurations that range from full size competition models to compact concealed-carry versions as well as single- and double-action revolvers, its popularity among civilians has become significant.

- Brian Pearce

The Luger P08 “toggle-locked” pistol was developed around 1898 and first chambered in .30 Luger (7.65x21mm Parabellum); however, by 1901 the designer of the gun and cartridge, Georg Luger, modified that case to create the 9mm Parabellum that was also chambered in the Luger pistol. Incidentally, the word “Parabellum” is taken from the Latin phrase Si vis pacem, para bellum, which loosely translates into “prepare for war.”

While that gun and cartridge combination was almost immediately adopted by the German Navy and Army, it wasn’t until after World War I that its popularity really began to grow. With widespread acceptance in Europe and other parts of the world, it was only a matter of time until it gained favor in the U.S.

Following World War II, inexpensive surplus ammunition became available, but the FMJ round nose bullets that typically weighed between 115- and 124-grains produced comparatively little shock and limited the cartridge’s effectiveness for hunting, defense or law enforcement work. Furthermore, there were very few pistols available to U.S. shooters. Early post-war U.S. produced examples included Colt’s Model 1911 Commander and Smith & Wesson’s Model 39, as well as war time souvenirs such as the Luger P-08, Walther P-38, FN, Browning and Inglis Hi-Power.