The 9×18mm Ultra is a German pistol cartridge.
It was originally developed in 1936 for use by the
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
, but was not adopted at that time.
Description
In 1972–1973
Walther introduced the
Walther PP Super, chambered in 9×18mm Ultra for the
West German Police.
It might have been influenced by the success of the Soviet
9×18mm Makarov, although most observed the opposite (the Ultra cartridge is usually agreed to have been the design basis for the Makarov, with similar case length and a slightly wider and shorter projectile). It is often interpreted as an intermediate round between
9×17mm and
9×19mm Parabellum
The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO or simply 9mm) is a Rim (firearms)#Rimless, rimless, Centerfire ammunition, centerfire, tapered cartridge (firearms), firearms cartridge.
Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer ...
, fit for simple
blowback pistols. However, as actually loaded, the cartridge's working pressure and velocities are much closer to those of .380 ACP than to 9×19mm.
The Walther PP Super was discontinued in 1979. The cartridge was made available to the civilian market in 1975,
but did not gain lasting popularity.
In addition to the Walther PP Super, the
SIG Sauer P230,
,
and
Benelli B76 were also produced in 9×18mm Ultra.
The 9×18mm Ultra (.355-inch caliber) is not interchangeable with the
9×18mm Makarov (.365-inch caliber), which uses a larger-diameter bullet.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:9by18mm Ultra
Pistol and rifle cartridges
Military cartridges
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1936