9 x18 Mesko

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redfestiva
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9 x18 Mesko

Post by redfestiva »

I received 100 rounds of Mesko "Vollmantel" 93-gr FMJ as part of a 9x18 ammo buy. I looked on the Makarov forum and on NorthBenders ammo data thread it says it is Polish ammo. This is the first time I've ever seen it. Is it available on the internet anywhere? It is packaged in amber colored plastic boxes.

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Post by papabear »

redfestiva,

Yes, Mesko is Polish, I have about 500 rds left that I got from AIM Surplus about a year ago, they are the only ones I have seen have it in the last couple years of so. Its great ammo IMO, I shot 400 rds of it and gave a couple good friends a box apiece. It comes out from time to time but when it does it doesn't last long.

Inside the box there should be a round white tag, mine reads,
SERIEN 2/92
DATUM IV-92
500500
Stch
On the back it is stamped with a red circle and inside it say:
ZKJ-2
53
which I take to be a inspectors mark.

I was told so this is second hand info that this ammo was originally made for Bulgaria, but Mesko is a Polish manufacture, they make a lot of ammo for NATO.


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redfestiva
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9 x18 Mesko

Post by redfestiva »

That's interesting papabear. I may hold on to these two boxes for now and shoot the more common brands. Aim surplus is now only offering Wolf 95gr military classic (sand cammo box) for $8.95 bx in 9x18 mak
By the way that's a great lookin mak in your photo!
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Post by nbender »

Papabear, the way I heard the rumor was that the Mesko was made for the German commercial market. It's been imported in 3 different packages to the U.S., and that hard brittle plastic is pretty bad stuff.

"Vollmantel" = "Full Jacket"
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Post by papabear »

nbender,

Ah, the stories abound, I also heard it was for Germany too, so be it, Bulgermany it is then........ ;D When AIM was shipping the Mesko a lot guys reported that they received the Mesko with broken box's, because of the brittle plastic box's it came in. My 1,000 rd order came in great condition, by brother in law in FL shipment came with three of the box's broken and loose ammo everywhere, but AIM shipped him two free box's. Several indicated that the AIM's shipping box was damaged and a few showed pic's of the shipping box's having holes in it. AIM took the complaints and quickly in my opinion made amends and reshipped missing ammo and future orders where shipped in better packaged box's, and everyone lived happily ever after.

nbender, have you shot any of the Mesko ammo? I consider it really good clean ammo and accurate.


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Post by nbender »

papabear, I remember the source of my "Made for Germany" rumor. When I was first accumulating my collection of 9x18 ammo I started corresponding with Slim Tim on the Makarov forum. He sent me some of the more obscure, older varieties of 9x18 including the Mesko "Nimrod" which was a precurser to the "Vollmantel". At the time he told me the Mesko was made for the German market. That was about 5 years ago. Did he know for sure it was made for Germany? No. I'll settle for Bulgermany.

I think some of my favorite 9x18 is Mesko, MFS, and PS Grand. We just can't get enough ammo from those Eastern Europeans. I haven't shot much Prvi Partisan (Serbia) but it seems to be on a par. Those countries make 9x18 that shoots clean and accurate. It is kind of wierd that the Mesko is a beautiful brass case but Berdan primed and so it is not reloadable.
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Post by papabear »

nbender,

Far be it from me to know who it was made for, if Slim Tim said it was made for Germany, I would go with Germany too, he knows his stuff as far as I am concerned. I'll have to take another pic of the Mesko ammo with my E.German Makarov.


Note: I looked up" Vollmantel " and in German it meas "full coat" so it being made for Germany makes sense with that printed on the label. Thanks for the FYI, appreciate it.


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Post by bartos061 »

Hi everybody,
Yes Mesko is a polish company.
They are also official government contractor, they made ammo for our army and police.
I'm sure for 99,9% that this ammo was made to export it to Germany. But they haven't sold everything there and some were sold to the US.
This type of box was use in 90'. Take a picture of shells markings, I think that then I will tel you more about it.
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Post by bartos061 »

Manufacturer site in English:
http://www.mesko.com.pl/index_ang.htm

And some technical data:
http://www.makarov.com/tech.html
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Post by papabear »

Hi Bartos061,

Thanks for your reply on the Mesko ammo, here is a pic of the shell markings. Trust you are doing well. 40 years ago I was stationed near Da Nang in Vietnam, on a mountain called "Monkey Mountain" aka Hill 696, so I can understand your situation there in Afghanistan, my heart goes out to you and your comrades.


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Post by weetabix »

The warning on the bottom (Achtung, vor nichtberechtigten, etc) is German for (basically) "Store safely away from children and those not authorized to use this stuff."

I'd believe the German market theory, too.
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Post by bartos061 »

I wrote some history about polish made ammo here:
http://p64.proboards67.com/index.cgi?ac ... 998&page=1

Yes those are civilian markings, And this is second shell variation. In the pictures bellow you have example military markings but this is 9mm Para ammo.
Image

On the shells in the first variation (painted in green) and second variation (the same you have - "bi-metal") should be only number:
21 - this is code name of the factory(the same code like 11 is Radom factory)( in oval on the first variation and without on the second and third variation )
The second number is a year of manufacture example. - 78
On the third variation markings should be similar to the picture above:
example. - 9x18 21 01

This is all I can remember but if you have any question I try to answer it ASAP
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Post by papabear »

bartos061,

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.


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Post by nbender »

Yes, the info from Bartos is very appreciated. Bartos, do you see any military 9x18, in Poland or in Afghanistan?
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Post by bartos061 »

Hi nbender,
Yes I saw a lot of it in Poland. Our units still using P-83 and even sometimes P-64.
I think that there is no problem to buy it in Poland.
Here in Afghanistan we don't use 9 x 18 ammo cause we have only 9mm Para pistols. But our forces in Iraq still using P-83 pistol in 9 x 18.
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