Advice about Makarovs

wbraswell

wbraswell

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I am looking at pistols chambered for the 9X18 Makarov, and was wondering what y'all could tell me about your experience or knowledge with these guns. Which ones are reliable and most user friendly? Seems like there are as many Makarovs as AKs. Then the different Polish guns and CZs. I need info, and advice. I am thinking of buying one for a lady friend, who needs protection and prefers an auto.
 
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Don't have a Mak and have never shot one. I have handled and dry fired a few.

I understand the Bulgarian (bulgie) Makarov is the best but I could be mistaken. I know they are popular with some and have a loyal following.

I do know this. There are some really bad copies out there so be careful.
 
The East German ones were well made, but are older items now. New ones still come in from Russia, I think.

A woman may find the handle a trifle long or chunky.

The ammo is also not always easy to find.
I've heard varying things about accuracy, but they seem reliable.

T-Star
 
I've bought 4 of them, One is Hi-Cap, all Russian. After buying the first two, I liked them so well, I bought both my sons one. Never a problem of any kind.

For the money, I don't think there is a better deal to be had.

BTW......all mine are in .380, not that it matters.
 
Of the genuine Makarov pistols, the East German is the finest. The Bulgarians, though not as finely made, are great servicable pistols.
Russian maks are no longer imported, but are, of course very good pistols.
The best 9mm makarov pistols (IMHO) are the CZ82's. They are reliable and accurate. They are a little big for CCW, due to the 12rd magazine. The CZ82 has a very nice DA trigger, and can be carried cocked and locked. They are one of the best deals in a high quality semi auto pistol regrdless of caliber.
The Polish P64 is a terrific CCW pistol, due to it's overall size. Most owners find they need to change out the hammer spring, or the DA trigger is near unusable. Going to a stronger recoil spring helps with recoil. I have done both to my P64, and it helps alot.
The P64 is very accurate for such a small pistol, and packs a lot of punch in a small package. It disappears under T shirt.
9mm Makarov ammo may not be at Walmart, but it is available in abundance for mail order, and is always at the gun shows around here. Even during the height of the ammo shortage, makarov ammo was available for around $9/box of 50.
Here is a pic of my CZ82 with a 25yd target using cheap S&B ammo...After the first 3 round group at the bottom, I started walking rounds up till Osama took one between the eyes.
P1000778.jpg
 
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I have owned a couple of the East German Makarovs, found them to be accurate and reliable.

I would not reccomend a Makarov to a lady for self defence unless she is an experienced shooter, as it has a pretty stout, "sharp" recoil, it needs a firm grip to keep it from jumping around in your hands. It is the largest pistol designed as a "Blowback" operated weapon. Also, it has a de-cocker, which can be a challenge for novices to master.

I found a 1911 .45 to be much easier to shoot, recoil wise.

A .38 Special revolver would be a better choice as a self defence weapon, for men or women...
 
I have a Russian IJ-70 with the adjustable target sight's. It has proven to be a accurate and reliable little hand gun. It run's well with the 9X18 Hornady XTP's and Blazer gold dot's. A lot of bang for the buck!
 
My PA-63 is 9x18, but I wouldn't recommend it for a woman or a first time gun owner. It seems to be well made, and has been reliable for me, and is certainly inexpensive, but it has quite a snap to it that you might not expect from such a small caliber. After firing two magazines, the web of my thumb begins to hurt. While I would certainly recommend it to any "gun guy", I don't think it's appropriate for a new shooter.
 
I have E. German, Bulgarian and Russian Maks. The CZ82 outshoots them all and has a better feel and recoil.
 
Get her a Beretta Model 84F. They're better made and more user friendly than the various imports. There isn't enough of a power increase in going to the 9x18mm chambering that I'd really feel it a major improvement over the .380, the more so since the .380 has more available in terms of modern JHP ammunition. (Though whether one wants a .380 to expand instead of just going deep is another matter.) The 84F is largely recoil free thanks to its relatively large size and locked breach method of operation.

The PA63 that I had went off when I decocked it. Apparently the safety mechanism is somewhat prone to wear and FEG didn't always put in a truly first rate effort in years past. The generally Walther like pistols are still crude and have rough triggers compared to something like an actual Walther in the same size.

I have a CZ82. Mine doesn't drop the mags free or feed JHP, but a bit of work would probably fix both problems. Like any surplus pistol, it'll be dicey what you get. The CZs are usually well made, but they aren't under warranty. CZ still imports the same basic gun as the Cz83 in .380 (and even brought in a few in 9x18mm made to commercial standards).

There's no decocker on the CZ82. Thus you either have to lower the hammer over a live round or carry it cocked and locked. Either option may not be comfortable for many users.

The biggest issue I have with the CZ is that I find it heavy for what it is/does. Weight wise, you've got a small gun that weighs in about as much as a Glock 19 or even an alloy frame Commander type 1911.
 
The CZ82 & 84F are just a little chunky for a 9x18. I like the P-64 coz I think a small, single magazine is the better platform.

I'll take the extra punch over the 38 corto every time & I'm only interested in ball ammo.

YMMV...
 
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canoeguy said:
It is the largest pistol designed as a "Blowback" operated weapon.
Click to expand...

Not really meaning to pick nits, but the Astra 400 (9mm Largo) and the H&K VP-70Z (9x19, 9x21) are larger and fire more powerful cartridges. I suspect the various Hi-Points are also larger, but I've never handled one.

Buck
 
The Beretta 84 is not a locked breech pistol.
I like the 380 just fine...I sometimes carry a Browning 1910. I do use FMJ in this caliber...But you cannot ignore the lack of availablity of ammo. True, 9mm Makarov is not a huge power factor greater than 380, but it does offer some improvement (a 380 +P, if you will, with a slightly larger diameter bullet of greater weight), and the ammo is available cheap. I have owned three different pistols in 9mm Mak...The CZ82, the P64, and the East German Mak. All three fed Hornady JHP's and various import JHP's (including the Silver Bear 115gn JHP, a load I really liked which shot very well in my CZ82) with zero issues and zero modification. I am perfectly happy with FMJ in 9mm mak in any case. The Hornady load does not impress me...It is overpriced, and not loaded to the full potential of the cartridge.
The FEG did not impress me...and I have heard of them cracking their alloy frames. I would consider one in 32acp, however.
 
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I have one that I bought in 1980. I have carried it, and shot it quite a bit, (probably 4K rounds). It is very reliable, (never had a malfunction), and is as accurate as any short barrel pistol I've ever fired.
It is fairly concealable and not too,too heavy.
Mine is marked:
Mod.Makarov.Cal9mmMakarov,Made in Germany by
Fahrzeug-u.Jagdwaffenwarke-Ernst-Thallmann.2Suhl
on the right side of the barrel.
I would recommend this brand as being a first-class,
high quality pistol. It is one of my wife's favorite shooters.
teesur.
 
I've found the Makarovs to be interesting pistols, and made it a point to collect one from each of the countries manufacturing them. I think the East German guns are the most finely finished; all of them shoot quite well and are reliable. Here's my collection of the military models.

John

MAKAROVS-1024-captioned.jpg
 
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One point no one has touched on yet is that the snappy recoil of a blowback action pistol isnt the only turn off to female shooters...I haven't run across too many of them that could work the slide to load/unload the thing. Makarov's have a rather stout recoil spring.
 
The slide is indeed an issue for some women. My wife cannot cycle the CZ83 I bought for her. I ended up getting her a M60 which she handles very well. We kept the CZ because it's nifty looking and fun to shoot despite the rather dynamic recoil.

011.jpg
 
I used my Russian IJ-70 for my concealed qualification and carried it for years......until I rediscovered revolvers. Very accurate and dependable.

I noticed today that Texas Gun Trader has a guy selling 5 of them for $150 each near Dallas.

Craig..
 
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