9mm Identification

**mike_yorkPA** · January 11th, 2013, 08:57 PM

My grandfather found this packed away along with 22 other boxes. Where is this from? Anyone ever use it before?

**Svickstc** · January 11th, 2013, 09:01 PM

is that Arabic? Im not familiar with that text so the ignorant 'merica in me defaults to that

**Lee-online** · January 11th, 2013, 09:26 PM

Looks like Hebrew so i would guess its IMI ammo.

Look at the head stamp and see if it has IMI and the NATO cross.

**PA Rifleman** · January 11th, 2013, 09:39 PM

Looks like a box of Egyptian 9mmx19 that was imported a few decades back. If so, it was SMG ammo & the primers were particularly hard, and it was corrosive.

My friends and I bought it by the case. We tried it in all of our 9mms, it ran ok in M11/9 SMGs, that was about it. Even Belgian HPs occasionally struggled with it. I recall a primer cup blew a small plug in the firing pin channel, and then the plug rattled up into the barrel locking lugs. I didn't realize anything was up until the gun wouldn't go into battery & fire. No biggie, the plug dropped right out & no damage...but I'll be darned if I've ever seen *that* before.

It was about half the cost of mid-shelf 9mm at the time, I was happy to see the last of it go.

Originally Posted by mike_yorkPA

My grandfather found this packed away along with 22 other boxes. Where is this from? Anyone ever use it before?

**Lee-online** · January 11th, 2013, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by PA Rifleman

Looks like a box of Egyptian 9mmx19 that was imported a few decades back. If so, it was SMG ammo & the primers were particularly hard, and it was corrosive.

My friends and I bought it by the case. We tried it in all of our 9mms, it ran ok in M11/9 SMGs, that was about it. Even Belgian HPs occasionally struggled with it. I recall a primer cup blew a small plug in the firing pin channel, and then the plug rattled up into the barrel locking lugs. I didn't realize anything was up until the gun wouldn't go into battery & fire. No biggie, the plug dropped right out & no damage...but I'll be darned if I've ever seen *that* before.

It was about half the cost of mid-shelf 9mm at the time, I was happy to see the last of it go.

looks like you are right,

This is corrosive and loaded hot, +p+ ammo.

**Ecclectic Collector** · January 11th, 2013, 09:56 PM

Second the ID as Egyptian ball ammo. I bought a case from Paragon back in the mid 1980s. Mostly shot okay for me, though the hard primers didn't go bang in some guns. Very corrosive!

**DECO49** · January 13th, 2013, 09:29 AM

That is Egyption ball ammo , I had a bunch of it for sale when I was in the business back in the eighties , the wholesaler I bought it from (SOG) recalled it all and reimbursed me for it because it was found to be designed as sub gun ammo . Hence the hard primers and it was too hot for some 9mm firearms , a liability issue I guess . Be careful with it .

**Dave_n** · January 13th, 2013, 10:36 AM

The tell-tale for Arabic is the numbering (the "v") being one of them. Plus, like a lot of the languages from the Middle East to the East (before China) the language is read from Right to Left and in the case of Hindi and Thai (just a couple). below the line. Dave_n