American Handgunner July/August 1979

The Firepower of Three Revolvers in aStainless Autoloade~ Here's how it works.BY JAMES D. MASONAfter a long wait, the Rogak (rhymes with Kojak) P-18is here. This self-loading pistol is chambered for the9mm Parabellum cartridge. Manufactured in thiscountry by L.E.S. (3640 W. Dempster, Skokie, IL60076) under an Austrian license, the P-18 represents one ofthe most unusual service autoloaders to come out of thepost-World War II period.Predominantly a product of stainless steel investmentcastings, the P-18 boasts the biggest magazine capacity ofany handgun. The 18-round factory magazine fits into thehandle and is secured by a latch located in the heel of thepistol butt. The gun is oflarge size by U.S. standards, beingto-inches overall with a 5th-inch barrel. The gun weighs inat a shade over 35 ounces unloaded, but with the gargantuanload of eighteen 9xl9mm hardball rounds, it tips thescales at nearly 46 ounces.The most remarkable thing about the P-18 isits actuating means. This gun fires the potent9x 19mm cartridge from an unlocked breech bymeans ofa gas retarding arrangement that is coaxialwith the bore. By providing a gas pulse thatpushes the slide forward, the blowback openingat the breach is retarded briefly enough to allowthe bullet to depart the barrel and chamber pressuresto drop to sufficiently safe residual levelsbefore the action fully opens.To accomplish this gas retarded blowback actuation,propellant gas is tapped close to thebreech on both sides of the barrel. As the bulletmoves forward about one-fourth inch, hard propellantgas escapes through parts into two conduitsformed by milled slots running forward along theoutside of the barrel wall. A thin metal sleeve fitstightly over the outside of the barrel, enclosing themilled slot channels on both sides of the barrel.The gasses are ducted forward past a fixed pistonon the barrel; the propellant gas expands inside acylinder sleeve affixed to the slide much the same asa barrel bushing is configured on a recoil-operatedPhotos here show gas cylinder which fits over thebarrel, forming an expansion chamber betweenthe barrel piston, the outside of the barrel and theinside of the sleeve. Center photo shows hooklessfiller for what was the extractor slot on the slide.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER . JULY / AUGUST 1979 41