OT-Makarov pistol

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
Stan in SC
Levergunner 3.0
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:10 pm
Location: Simpsonville,SC

OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Stan in SC »

I had an opportunity to purchase an in the box Bulgarian Makarov pistol with extra magazine.These are 9X18 and hold eight in the magazine.A quite nicely made looking pistol in what I would class as "very good" condition.Oh well,it was kind of inexpensive so I figured it would make fair trading fodder.It came with a box of ammunition so I thought I would take it with me to the gun club and see how it shot and then trade it off.
I shot 16 rounds(2 magazines full) at a 25 yard target not taking a lot of time to aim,just fairly consistent firing.I am admittedly not a great pistol shooter,especially offhand.It was a surprise to me when I looked at the target and all rounds were centered around the bull in about an eight inch group.Hmmmmmmmmm.This one is a keeper.
A bit of research into the caliber is very interesting.This is a good round.Sometimes you get surprised.

Stan in SC
The more I listen,the more I hear....and vice versa.

45-70,it's almost a religion
User avatar
Hobie
Moderator
Posts: 13902
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:54 pm
Location: Staunton, VA, USA
Contact:

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Hobie »

Sincerely,

Hobie

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Windjammer
Levergunner 1.0
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:56 am
Location: Mid-Tennessee

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Windjammer »

I've owned a bunch of pistols during my life. The Makarov ranks as one of the most relieable there is. They are a great pistol.

Bin Laden had one along with an AK47 when we got him.... Very relieable guns.
Reqards,
Windjammer
stretch
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 2285
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by stretch »

Yep, Stan - they can be very good, indeed.

I've got 3 of 'em ( :D ), and one frequently does duty as
my truck gun. As I've posted elsewhere on this forum,
in over a decade of use and thousands of rounds, I've
had exactly one malfunction.

Three things you might want to do:

1. Order a higher-power recoil spring from Wolff.
This helps to keep your brass in the same county, :o
especially with some Russian ammo.
2. Order a set of Pearce or other rubber grips. Big
improvement.
3. DeSantis makes an inside-the-pocket holster that
works fine in a coat pocket. Fobus also makes a paddle
holster, and I think a nice leather one was available through
Dillon. I'm sure there are others out there, but that's what I'm
familiar with.

Slightly OT - I finally got around to getting some dies and lead
bullets to try. I'll let everybody know how things work out. Ammo
for this (9X18M) used to be so cheap, I never bothered to load
for it. $80ish for a tin can of 1,000 rounds! (About $4 a box of 50 for
those keeping score at home...).

Federal (American Eagle) made (still makes?) a FMJ round (95 gr?) that
has reloadable brass. Sellier and Bellot also makes a FMJ round with
boxer-primed brass cases. The S&B sometimes shows up for $8 or $10
a box. Try Cheaper than Dirt.

If you don't care about the reloadable brass, buy the cheapest steel-cased
stuff out there. It all works fine, although Wolf seems to have the edge
on accuracy. Barnaul isn't too bad, and Silver Bear is the worst of all I've
tried - that's the one with the one malfunction. (Still, the other 500+ rounds
went bang just fine, thank you. :wink: )

I like shooting mine.

Two downsides - it's heavy, and because it's a straight blowback action,
it gets filthy pretty quickly.

Shoot it some more and let us know how it goes.

-Stretch
User avatar
O.S.O.K.
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 5533
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:15 pm
Location: Deep in the Piney Woods of Mississippi

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Image

That's the stuff - if you can find any in stock...

I have a Rusky mak - great carry gun!
NRA Endowment Life
Phi Kappa Sigma, Alpha Phi 83 "Skulls"
OCS, 120th MP Battalion, MSSG
MOLON LABE!
User avatar
Topside
Levergunner 2.0
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:38 pm
Location: Hanover County, VA

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Topside »

I have to weigh in on one of my favorite subjects. Maks. I also have 3. I keep one in the truck in a little sportsafe for fast/easy access and its pretty secure when I'm away from the truck. Two are in the house kept in strategic locations if not on my belt. A little heavy for carry maybe, and they don't make a very big hole, but if I start writing all the things good about this pistol, I'd bore you to death. Cost about $250. Value in reliability, accuracy etc......priceless.
T.

Image
Last edited by Topside on Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast."
--Proverbs 12:10
User avatar
kragluver
Levergunner 2.0
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: Aledo, Texas

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by kragluver »

I have a Polish P64 in 9x18 Mak. It is similar to the Makarov, but somewhat smaller. They are also very reliable and accurate pistols.
stretch
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 2285
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by stretch »

That's the stuff - if you can find any in stock...
...and it you can afford it!!!

CCI had (still has?) a Blazer HP round that was quite accurate.

A couple of other things for those of you considering these cool (and useful!)
little guns:

1. Russian export guns have adustable sights. I think the rest of them,
(East German, Bulgarian, Chinese) are fixed.
2. http://www.makarov.com/ Very informative site.
3. Power is hot 380ACPish.
4. http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob116.html
Massad Ayoob has a short paragraph about Maks at the bottom of this
article.

-Stretch
User avatar
olyinaz
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3978
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 2:19 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by olyinaz »

To me the Mak is like the AK-47 of pistols. Dang thing just WORKS. I've got two, a Russian/American import with adjustable sights in .380 ACP and a Bulgarian in 9mm Mak. The Mak round is hotter than .380 by a bit and now that Hornady sells it's outstanding Critical Defense ammo for it you just can't go wrong with one in the truck or at hand around the house.

They used to be really cheap but the prices, like every gall dang thing it seems (except my friggen pay check) are on the rise. I used to see them locally for $175. Now they're $199. That's STILL a bargain in my opinion. There are other pocket .380s to had for about the same price that are smaller or higher cap, but none has more cachet than a Mak! I really like 'em.

Really nice grips available: http://www.marschalgrips.com/

I've got a set of Marschal grips on my CZ-82 and they look just fantastic. (I like the Bakelite or plastic grips that come on a Mak so I just leave 'em.)

Best,
Oly
Cheers,
Oly

I hope and pray someday the world will learn
That fires we don't put out will bigger burn

Johnny Wright
User avatar
txpete
Departed Friend
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:36 pm
Location: bell co texas

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by txpete »

I have2 East Germans and a Bulgarian and a makoholic :lol: .I got hook when I bought my first one for 100.00 OTD.I bought some cheap norinco green box ammo(2.99 for 50 rds) and headed to the range.I have never had a FTF FTE with a mak.I got some colts/sigs that I can't say that about :wink:

Image

at this time there wasn't any brass for reloading so you had to make your own.easy stuff.free range 9mm luger brass works great.just run it thru the mak sizing die and trim to lenth.I bought a lee mold and then a magma mold for my master caster.the magma is a 95 gr LRN and size .365 3.0 grs bullseye with the 95 gr bullet win sp primer is a "very" accurate load in all my maks.
*hornady still makes a XTP bullet for reloading*

polish

Image

1962 East German

Image
DAV life member.
Image
3leggedturtle
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 4145
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:34 am
Location: north of Palacios about 1400 miles

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by 3leggedturtle »

I've always wanted one but always seem to miss out by a few minutes or so. Glad it shoots nice for you. I got a 50's Weaver K2.5 i'll trade you for it :lol: Have chrono'ed it yet,or do you plan to?
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres

250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
User avatar
Dave
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1658
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:00 pm
Location: TN

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Dave »

I wish I had my East German back. They are nice
awp101
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 5670
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:13 pm
Location: DeeDee Snavely's Used Guns and Weapons

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by awp101 »

I had a Bulgy Mak for a bit but it just didn't agree with my hand. The cz82 in 9Mak OTOH... :mrgreen:
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.
-Mark Twain

Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:13

Got to have a Jones for this
Jones for that
This running with the Joneses boy
Just ain't where it's at
Stan in SC
Levergunner 3.0
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:10 pm
Location: Simpsonville,SC

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Stan in SC »

3leggedturtle,thanks for the trade offer.I reckon I'll just keep it.

Stretch,it came with a replacement better contoured grip which I installed and I like.The grip looks like the smooth black one in Txpete's pictures.

I appreciate all of the comments.It surprises me that so many of you are Makarov afficianados.
When I got my Tokarev in 7.62X25 I thought I had the absolute best pistol.This Makarov equals it in many ways but the caliber.

Stan in SC
The more I listen,the more I hear....and vice versa.

45-70,it's almost a religion
User avatar
Ysabel Kid
Moderator
Posts: 27790
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
Location: South Carolina, USA
Contact:

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Congrats! :D
Image
MrMurphy
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1947
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:32 pm

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by MrMurphy »

I've known two former Soviet troops, both with combat time.

When you remember the Russians treated them more as symbols of office or rank, the fact it's a pocket pistol sort of makes sense. Both of them basically stated for fighting, get an AK, the Mak was only good for committing suicide or executing people.

Russians have never been overly fond of pistols as effective weapons since they went away from the Smith & Wesson.

Oddly, both liked the Stechkin, which fires the same round, except it's got 20 of them and the full auto option.

There are other pistols i'd choose first, but if you know it's limitations the Mak and related pocket pistols can still do good work.
User avatar
gamekeeper
Spambot Zapper
Posts: 17324
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Over the pond unfortunately.

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by gamekeeper »

Bought Shirley a Russian made Makarov last Christmas :o , unfortunately living in England it had to be the CO2 version (illegal to import to the USA & Canada) :roll:

It is made from the real firearm and not a pot metal replica and is a real hoot to shoot. 8)
If more men loved and cherished their wives as much as I love bacon the world would be a much better place.
User avatar
txpete
Departed Friend
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:36 pm
Location: bell co texas

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by txpete »

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/makarov.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LY5IFZib9g&NR=1

now if you can take 8 solid hits of the hornady bullet and walk off super man is still alive :lol:
DAV life member.
Image
User avatar
olyinaz
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3978
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 2:19 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by olyinaz »

game keeper wrote:Bought Shirley a Russian made Makarov last Christmas :o , unfortunately living in England it had to be the CO2 version (illegal to import to the USA & Canada) :roll:

It is made from the real firearm and not a pot metal replica and is a real hoot to shoot. 8)
That would be pretty cool! Wish they could sell them here. And yes, :roll: is about right!!

Oly
Cheers,
Oly

I hope and pray someday the world will learn
That fires we don't put out will bigger burn

Johnny Wright
User avatar
2ndovc
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 9302
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:59 am
Location: OH, South Shore of Lake Erie

Re: OT-Makarov pistol

Post by 2ndovc »

Dave wrote:I wish I had my East German back. They are nice
Same here. had two of them. Excellent pistols.

I got one of the CZ 82s about a year ago, still had a case of 9x18s and nothing to shoot it with. :D
Darned nice pistol that although a little larger just fits my hand better.

jb 8)
jasonB " Another Dirty Yankee"


" Tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Post Reply