[Veto11]

... It is like 100 grains and is +p ammo. It is hot and I was told it is used by German law enforcement for their pistols. ...

- The German police agencies (and any other LEOs or the Bundeswehr f.e.) normally get their ammo by DAG (now part of RUAG Ammotec) and MEN.
- In the mid - late eighties some state polices tried Geco and Hirtenberger for some time. The Berlin Police f.e. bought a batch of wrong labeled ammo from Hirtenberger. It was the L7A1 instead of the standart 9mm NATO. Bends and breaks the roll pins of some of our P6.
- Before we get the new special police rounds like MEN Quick Defense or RUAG/DAG Action 4, the standard police cartridge was the 9mm NATO (DM41/DM11), 124gr FMJ.
- The only "non-standard" 9mm cartridges were/are the 147 - 150gr sub sonic ones, only used by our SEKs and the GSG9.

100gr +p - never.

 

[Veto11]

AFAIK it happens to 5 or 6 of more than 12,000 P6 taht were carried, no one was hurt, no pistol was repaired by our armorers. Never heard about other damages.
They were send to a proof house and/or to the central federal police institute for detailed analysis. Cause it happens in the pre-Internet era, we, the cops on the street, never heard or read anything about the results of the analysis.
All departments of the West-Berlin police, who used this batch of ammo had to change the roll pins. Thats it.

 

[Veto11]

... How was the Geco ammo rated with your force? Did it rate good results or was changed due to other reasons? Did any H&K issued handguns experience problems with the ammo?

- As far as I know, the (West-) Berlin Police used only DAG and MEN, exceppt the short time we tried Hirtenberger. That's what we were told by our armorers.
During my time as a cop we get our ammo in military style grey card boxes with a white paper lable, with a lot of NATO codes on it but not the manufacturer named. I had "collected" some of these boxes and were later told by some cartridge collectors that the manufacturers were MEN and the "real" DAG, not their subsidiary company Geco.
I think it was all the time like today, DAG made the military/law enforcement production line and Geco the civilian one.
I never found 9 x 19 surplus offered as made by Geco.

- No agency in (West-) Berlin ever had/has HK handguns. Until 1960 we ( the police) had many different pistols, revolvers, bolt action and semi auto rifles and carbines, SMGs and MGs.
Since 1960 we changed to
-- Manurhin P1, PP, PPK, MPl (MP3) and MPk (MP4),
-- MAS G3 (A2/A3 ?),
-- Mauser Borsigwalde MG42, converted by Manurhin into the MG MRH 3 A3 (MG3 without AA-sight),
-- SIG-Sauer P6 and P226 (SEK, PSK, MEK, body guards) since 1980,
-- HK MP5A3 since the mid eighties.
-- PSK had the G5 (Steyr SSG 69) and since 1984 the PSG1. Later Steyr SSG PIV, DSR1 (.338 Lapua), HMI Terminator (.50 BMG),
-- SEK: Benelli M3T Super 90, HK 512, P9M (Glock 17), Glock 26, MP5k, MP5SD3, G 37 (SG551-2P SWAT, used as sniper rifle for short distances under urban conditions like the SG551LB-2P too), Accuracy International AWPF, MAS or HK G3A4.

- Department of Corrections:
-- Manurhin P1, MP3, SIG-Sauer P6, HK MP5SFA1 with a longer barrel.

- Custom:
-- Manurhin P1, MP3, SIG-Sauer P6, HK MP5A2.

You see, we never ever give HK a chance in handguns. But me.

Did I take Geco for my P7s or my wife for her P226? No, but we had tried Geco (like Fiocci or MagTech f.e.). We prefer S&B. Same or better quality, much cheaper.