9x17, 9x18, 9x19

[James K]

For those who may not have both guns for comparison, the Makarov is not a copy or a clone of the Walther PP/PPK. It shares only a superficial appearance with those guns, but internally, it is an entirely different pistol, having no parts interchangeable with those of the German pistols.

(The FEG PA-63, though originally made in 9mm Makarov caliber, is basically a copy of the Walther design, though there is no interchangeability of parts.)

Jim

 

[carguychris]

For those who may not have both guns for comparison, the Makarov is not a copy or a clone of the Walther PP/PPK.

Absolutely true, although 44 AMP was discussing this in reference to an old edition of Small Arms of the World. I have the 1969 edition by Smith and Smith, and it contains a number of ambiguities and minor factual inaccuracies about Warsaw Pact firearms, due to their general unavailability and the shroud of Cold War secrecy surrounding them at the time.

Let's face it, if you had ready access to Makarov in the United States in 1969, your name was probably prefaced with an abbreviation like Maj or LCDR, and the pistol was probably kept in a high-security complex with "Laboratory" in the title.

 

[James K]

There were a few around early on, but at very high prices. I don't recall the date, but I knew a man who bought an East German Makarov at a price so high he wouldn't even discuss it (I got the impression he could have bought a new Cadillac for less); when the Wall fell, and those guns were selling at bargain prices, he was pretty upset.

Jim

 

[Clark]

23 years ago there was a guy designing two printed wiring boards for me. He had a pic of his girlfriend on the cubicle wall. He said he took her to the range and his 9mm Makarov blew up in her hand injuring her. He was hot headed and took Lithium. The girl looked good in the pic. I did not say to him that I thought he had the wrong ammo.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Be curious to know what the wrong ammo might have been.

Generally if a 9mm gets into a Mak and can be fired, the pressure doesn't peak because of the loose fit of the bullet.