What's a 9mm x 21?!

[Sambonator]

Walther has been advertising that the P99 is available in 9mmx19(Parabellum/Luger), .40 S&W, and 9mmx21!
What is this 9x21 round? I can't even find it in the handgun ballistics section of my 2000 Gun Digest. Can one buy such a round at the local gun store? Anyone know what kind of ballistics one can expect from this round? Are there any other guns made for this round?
Thanks in advance!
Sam

 

[ArizonaMorgan]

In America it's a competition round. In Europe it's a replacement for the 9x19 (which as a military round is banned in many countries). It's loaded to the same overall length as the 9x19 just uses a longer case. Whether or not you can find it in gunshops is pretty much up to chance. There aren't many loads out there for it. But when handloaded you can expect ballistics that far surpass the 9x19, up there with the .357Sig or even beyond. It can make major if you want to load it that hot.

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Arizona Morgan, The Official Armchair Warrior

 

[Mike Spight]

Sam:

Don't know any of the technical data on the 9x21, but do know a little of it's history. Bottom line, it was developed by IPSC gamesmen shooting unlimited, comped guns. They wanted something with velocity, operating pressure and magazine capacity that would be more efficent and safer than loading up .38 Super, the previous caliber of choice for IPSC gamers.

It is a hot round...no trouble at all making major in IPSC with this 9mm "stretch" model. Probably running in the 1400fps or higher range.

Mike

 

[Daniel Watters]

The 9x21mm was originally created by IMI for sale to countries such as Italy which have strong restrictions on the possession of arms in 'military' calibers. Commerical ammunition is normally loaded to 9x19mm specifications and is available from IMI, Fiocchi, Hirtenberg, and Dynamit Nobel.

However, sometime along the way, IPSC shooters began to hot-rod the 9x19mm in hopes of creating a high capacity pistol which would score at Major Power Factor (bullet weight times velocity divided by 1000 must equal or exceed 175). The USPSA (the US branch of IPSC) decided that this practice was unsafe. So they declared that 9x19 could not be scored as Major even if the cartridge/pistol combination actually achieved the 175 power factor. (This did not effect IPSC shooters outside of the US.) US shooters such as Robbie Leatham would not be so easily denied; so they adopted their 9x19mm Major loadings to the 9x21mm case. The 9x21mm was not classified by SAAMI, and thus, USPSA could not 'prove' that the loads generated unsafe pressures by comparing them to SAAMI specs.

I would definitely not try an IPSC-style 9x21mm loading in a stock, non-compensated 9x21mm pistol. At best, you would increase wear and tear. At worst, you could blow up your pistol. However, the bright side is that 9x21mm brass is available from Starline, Fiocchi, and at one time, Winchester.