Bulgarian Makarov from SOG

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Ibmikey

New member
Recently i received a pre--order sales ad from SOG for unissued Makarov pistols at $329.00 due in a week or so. I purchased one not knowing the true condition would be ( unissued) or how badly the "Inteligencia" in Washington would screw up the import crap that obviously has aided in making a weapon safer to use. Anyway the pistol arrived at my dealer yesterday and i was quite relieved to see a brand new condition pistol complete with a new Combloc holster and the neatest " Inspection Pocketbook" with the pistol's scant history recorded.
The import markings are on the right side of tthe slide and professionally done in tiny letters. The required new serial number is also tiny and on the right side of the frame--BAMO1982---now i can point the unloaded pistol at the tv bad guys and yell the serial number--"BAMO".
The pistol was covered in grease and requires a through cleaning and oiling, once the grease was gone i had a nice new pistol with a good matt blue, red hammer and safety lever (apparently hard parts and not enough bluing heat).
I am looking forward to running some ammo through this nice pistol on the next shooting day. No pictures, i am not motivated enough to learn how to post them.
 
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I have 2 bulgies, they are nice pistols. I carried one as my CCW for a while and never felt outgunned. My brother has one and had one issue of a ftf, turned out to be a spring in the safety if I remember correctly, which was corrected in about 5 mins.

Like the BAMO serial# cool!
 
Hey, please give us a range report on this one, Question: Are you shooting factory or are you reloading 9X18 Mak?
 
Jd, i bought another 500 rds of brown bear with the pistol and have another 1000 at home (have nine pistols in 9x18) so do not intend to load it. My .223 and 300 BO keep me busy with the amount shot each week.
 
I bought a Bulgarian Mak about 9 years. It has never malfunctioned though I only have about 200 rounds through it. Mine has a good blued finish and I find it to be a very robust gun.
 
What is the finished used to produce the red on the hammer and safety? Is there a reason why they didn't just blue these parts?
 
Limnophile, The redish color is most likely hard steel and too low temperature in the blue tank when the batches are dipped. Some steel alloys just do not like bluing salts.
Yes these pistols require a Class one FFL.
 
For those interested, Classic Firearms is offering what I imagine are pistols from either the same or a related batch of pistols (that or the market has awesome timing) and you don't need to have an FFL order them as with SOG. Depending on your relationship with your FFL it might be cheaper through Classic. Though Classic doesn't claim their pistols are unissued.
 
Limnophile, The redish color is most likely hard steel and too low temperature in the blue tank when the batches are dipped. Some steel alloys just do not like bluing salts.
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So it's not a Commie two-tone finish, but just poor Commie quality control.
 
I had some HKs where the external controls and the hammers turned that reddish tone after time, especially the hammers.
 
I had some HKs where the external controls and the hammers turned that reddish tone after time, especially the hammers.
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Can confirm. Extractor on the USP series.

The HK P7 turns purple from the nickel content in the slide over time.
 
Tunnel, I have a C&R on file with SOG and made the order myself just had it shipped to my buddy FFL holder also on file with them. I think you may be correct that one without an account with them would not be able to process the order themselves. I had not considered this issue when referring others to SOG, I bet SOG has the ability to refer a potential customer to an FFL on their books and in the customers local. If a person is interested in a really neat Mak this is a deal to pursue before the pistols are extinct at the distributors level, they are really that nice.
 
For those interested, Classic Firearms is offering what I imagine are pistols from either the same or a related batch of pistols (that or the market has awesome timing) and you don't need to have an FFL order them as with SOG
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Good catch.
 
I love my Bulgarian Mak. I bought mine from a local dealer who had bought it from a guy, then found that it didn't fire in double action. He had it for $200, and even suggested that I not buy it, just because he didn't want me to get stuck with a gun that would end up being a money pit. Well, I gambled and won, after ordering a few parts and some trial and error. Runs perfectly now.
 
Viper, The P83 Polish pistol in 9x18 Makarov is an entirely different pistol than a Russian, EG or Bulgarian Makerov. The Polish pistol is very unique in it's construction and not even the mags are interchangeable.
 
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Limnophile, The redish color is most likely hard steel and too low temperature in the blue tank when the batches are dipped. Some steel alloys just do not like bluing salts.

So it's not a Commie two-tone finish, but just poor Commie quality control.
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No, not necessarily. Steel with a high nickel content causes that. That alloy, which is generally a little superior to normal steel alloys, requires higher bluing temperatures which ruins the bluing salts. It's something you will see on a lot of Beretta .32 and .380 pistols as well. Happens on a lot of reblued Winchesters too.

There is a way to make those parts blue by "shocking" the parts at a higher than normal temperature for bluing, but, as I said, it ruins the salts and they have to be thrown out and a new batch made. $$$$
 
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