Three Makarovs

[TJm15.38]

I have two Russian commercial Makarovs I acquired more than 10 years ago. The one on the left with the black grip I bought when they were first imported in 1993 at a gun show in Montgomery, Alabama. I think I paid $140 for the gun and some ammo. I have put thousands of rounds through it over the years and have rebuilt it with all new parts (Bulgarian) a couple of years ago. Great shooter and accurate. The one on the right is a newer Imez IJ-70-18A that I purchased in 2011 and it is unfired. The Russian Standard 1.75L vodka was purchased at the local air base exchange during the first week in February 2022. It is unopened and will remain so until the war in Ukraine is over. The lazer carved wood grip for Makarov was purchased in 2018 from a Russian seller on EBay. It displays the Russian double eagle crest and has some Russian writing on both sides. The second photo is a Bulgarian Makarov I bought from AIM Surplus some years ago and is the only military surplus Makarov I have. It was manufactured in 1988 as the serial number indicates. It appeared to be unfired when I bought, but has since been shot several times; a really nice shooting pistol. The best thing about these guns is their simplicity and ruggedness. The negatives are crude sights and bottom thumb magazine relaease (European style).
Nevertheless, the Makarovs are fun to collect and shoot.
Thanks for looking.

 

[Dave Baird]

Just like the T34, minimal parts and completely reliable every time!

 

[rockquarry]

I bought a Makarov in .380 after seeing them at a SHOT show thirty or so years ago. It functioned well, was reliable, and was accurate even with cast bullets at 25 yards.

I sold the gun some time ago along with other .380s. Just never cared much for the cartridge.

 

[Glenn R. McMannly]

Owned a Polish Makarov at one point. Snappy little shooters.

 

[Golddollar]

I bought one of the commercial Russian Makarovs some 20 years ago. I was impressed with the accuracy and that it went bang every time, even with hollow points.

 

[squidsix]

Many years ago, I walked into The Armory in Virginia Beach with $325 in my pocket. I asked Bill, the owner, what I should buy for about three hundred bucks.
“Two Makarovs and eight magazines” he said.
I walked out with two Bulgarian Mak pistols and eight mags.

 

[RobertJ.]

I was impressed with the accuracy and that it went bang every time, even with hollow points.

I have a commercial model in .380, with the adjustable sights. I've had mine for about twelve or thirteen years. While the sights aren't the greatest, it will group under 2" at ten yards, shooting offhand, every time. And, it's one of two semi-autos I own that's never malfunctioned, not even once.

It's a keeper.

 

[Sistema1927]

More than 20 years ago I picked up three Bulgarian Makarovs, and each was $125 all in. My wife snagged one, my son received one on his 21st birthday, and I kept one for myself that has no import markings and appeared to be unissued.

I have run a ton of cheap 9x18 ammo through mine, as well as a CZ-82 and a Polish P-64. The Maks and CZ are a pleasure to shoot, but there something about the geometry of the P64 that makes recoil painful, even after changing out springs and grips.

 

[Rudi]

Maks are great guns. Mags can be found cheap at gun shows too.

 

[Inusuit]

Owned a Polish Makarov at one point. Snappy little shooters.

The Polish P-64 is chambered in the 9x18 Makarov cartridge but the design is different than the Russian, Bulgarian, Chinese, and German Makarovs.

 

[glenwolde]

The Polish P-64 is chambered in the 9x18 Makarov cartridge but the design is different than the Russian, Bulgarian, Chinese, and German Makarovs.

Ah, yes, the confusion between Makarov the cartridge and Makarov the guns. Happens all the time.

I have a FEG PA63 which is chambered in 9mm Makarov but is more of a Walther PP copy. Wonderful small automatic. It had an issue with misfiring in DA but I figured out what was wrong and replaced the hammer block plunger. A heavier recoil spring toned down the recoil. For some reason the frame on mine is blued/black and not the bare aluminum you see on most. During the previous ammo shortage I traded 500 rounds of 9mm Luger ammo for it.

I make cases out of 9mm Luger brass and they work just fine. There's a little bit of a bulge at the bullet base on first loading but that fire-forms out. I load RN cast bullets for practice and save my small stash of Hornady XTP's for carry. Love the cartridge. Love the gun.

 

[Ameshawki]

I have one of the Russian commercial models. I swapped out the adjustable sights and added East German grips (a little more hand filling, better shaped in my opinion). Solid little pistol, I like it a lot.

 

[Breakaway500]

My toolbox P64 Makarov. Snappy for sure and heavy DA trigger...but gets the job done.. I liked it enough to buy a couple more.

 

[Sistema1927]

My toolbox P64 Makarov. Snappy for sure and heavy DA trigger...but gets the job done.. I liked it enough to buy a couple more.

It's funny that you have your P-64 in a tool box, seeing as how mine resides in a "grab-n-go" small fire safe that contains all of our important papers, a small stash of silver and cash, along with the P-64, two extra mags, and an ammo wallet with an additional 18 rounds of 9x18.

 

[boykinlp]

I have heard the Makarov described as the AK of pistols.
Larry

 

[AJ]

I have had three Mak's, two Bulgarian and one East German. Shot the Bulgarians a bit, then sold one. A friend passed and his Wife gave me his East German. Then I sold the other Bulgarian. Then I broke my right wrist and the Maks are snappy and it bothered my wrist to shoot the EG Mak. Ended up giving it to a friend with 1500 rounds of ammo, holster, cleaning kit and several magazines. He likes it but does not shoot it much as he is a revolver guy mainly.

 

[Warren Sear]

I had forgotten about my East German Makarov until reading this thread. 100% function, and shoots to point of aim. Perfect!

 

[S-W4EVER]

I’ve got a couple of the Bulgarian Makarovs. The first thing I did was install Wolf recoil springs and install the red star grips. They are both good pistols.

 

[.357magger]

I carried this Bulgarian for a time back in the late 90s.

Insanely reliable and with more "POP" on the receiving end than a 380. I found it to be very accurate as well as being extremely easy to conceal.

Win-Win-Win as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Malysh]

Russian military PM with no import markings. Made in Izhevsk in 1976