East German Makarov

JJ45 said:
Reliability, dependability, accuracy despite the sights, all steel construction (except the grips) is what gives this weapon it's weight for it's size, easy to COMPLETELY disassemble, not just field strip, few parts-about half the parts of a PPk. Factory ammo is readily available but has risen in cost since the old days. Has a history behind it.

Very controllable compared to some light 9mms...only thing is the cartridge. Somewhat LIKE a .380 on steroids. But it's very easy to hit with at SD ranges. One in the head is better than 15 misses :)

I own modern striker and DA 9s, SA and DA .45s and revolvers both DA and SA, including concealment and full size service...the Mak is still likely my favorite.
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Not a good comparison.

Look at the numbers and you'll see 9 Mak loads are only about 10% more powerful than most .380 loads.

People say the round fits between the .380 and the 9 Para. If we're honest with ourselves, it is MUCH closer to the .380 on the scale.
 
Keep in mind their a Military and Commercial version of the Russians and Bulgys. The Military Russians command a premium and are fairly rare. Maks are a world unto themselves. They are totally obsolete today but are still interesting enough.
 
Somewhat LIKE a .380 on steroids.
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On a Monster Energy drink maybe, but certainly not steroids!
The EG Mak is a good gun though. As is kost Maks. Also it's Polish cousin the PA64. But I think the top of the 9X18 Makarov chambered guns is the double stack 12+1 round CZ82.
 
I also prefer the East German MAK , because they are the real deal, actual military issue, not modern export models made for US civilian sales

mine came with the original papers that shows the soldiers that used it, with the dates , weapons record of the pistol, it came from the KARL MARX Police station in E. Germany

they are the nicest quality of the MAKS

the first ones to get to the US were a few rare capture pieces brought back from the Vietnam War , these use to be super rare until the fall of East Germany.
 
How many things "East German" do you know of?...They aren't gonna make them anymore!

Even the rain pattern or "splinter" camo, military cloth holsters command collector prices compared to being able to buy them for about $5 a piece when they first came available.

I have a couple of them. Also have an EG paratroopers vest that has an inside pocket for a Mak in the identical camo pattern, canteens with that same camo cover, etc An EG lanyard. A camo sack in that pattern.

Sort of an EG collection but really not intentional. These curios were so relatively cheap at the time that they were hard to pass up.
 
mr bolo, the Bulgarians are also military issue. The other Mil issues would be Russian and Chinese.Possibly others I don't know of. As was said, the military Russians command the highest prices.

The only commercial Maks I know of are the Russian high caps and the ones with the adjustable rear sights marketed by Baikal and someone else, IIRC. But I think they are built with military surplus parts. I could be wrong but thats what I recall.
 
JJ45

do you mean the Bulgarian & Russian imports are actual military surplus? like the East German models?

I thought Bulgy & Russian were newly manufactured for export? not actual surplus from the Cold War era like the EG MAK

a military surplus Makarov should be COLD WAR dated like from 1960's - 1970's or 80's before the fall of the Soviet Union
 
mr bolo said:
JJ45

do you mean the Bulgarian & Russian imports are actual military surplus? like the East German models?

I thought Bulgy & Russian were newly manufactured for export? not actual surplus from the Cold War era like the EG MAK

a military surplus Makarov should be COLD WAR dated like from 1960's - 1970's or 80's before the fall of the Soviet Union
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There are some Russian Military pistols floating around, but most came in mistakenly as Bulgies. The most common Russians are the Commercial Pistols that came in to the U.S. in the early, and mid 90's before their import was banned. These are the ones with the adjustable rear sights. They also came in .380, and Satin Nickel as I have one. The Bulgarians also released some commercial models in the 90's, but most of the Bulgies are Military, as are the E.G's (military and police). The best value is the Bulgie, and the best finished is the EG.
 
bolo...I actually got my second EG from a local gun dealer who thought it was a Bulgarian :)

I agree with Pilot...my EGs are both 60s marked and are stock military. The Bulgarians that I have are also military surplus....there is nothing wrong with the commercial Maks, AFAIK. I never owned one but have handled quite a few.

The adjustable sights on the commercial Russians may be adjustable but are no easier to see than the military issue sights as they are about the same size.
 
Man I'm getting old as this thread is getting nostalgic.

Some might remember that the surplus Makarovs came in that plain white box that included a leather military flap holster with an integral spare mag pouch. A slotted, blued steel cleaning rod that also did duty as an extractor removal tool and screw driver for the grip screw. Some of these holsters had a draw assist strap and loops for the cleaning rod. Spare magazine and sometimes a spare grip, maybe with a thumb rest. One of my Bulgarians came with two matching serial numbered mags and appeared unfired!

The holster might have been black, tan, brown and in varied condition...the pistol was usually in heavy cosmoline wrapped in wax paper and you never quite knew what you would get. This is how I got the EG mistaken for a Bulgarian. The dealer chose not to clean the cosmoline off the pistol (I don't blame him :) Also, sometimes the cleaning rod was missing.

The first EG cost me about $125 shipped from SOG, I bought on my C&R license. I remember, around the same time, AIM had a closeout on East Germans for $99! But for a long while after this the going price for a mil surplus Mak seemed to be around $150.
 
OH, and I forgot the leather lanyard was included in the package also :) But then again, you might have got a grip without a lanyard ring!
 
DMK said:
However, for me it was a CZ PCR. I just always wanted one ever since I first saw it on the CZ forum a couple decades ago. CZs are funny too as they only make small runs of some models once a year and if you don't have cash in hand when they come out, you are SOL until next time they make a run of them. I finally got my PCR a few years back and while I probably overpaid for it, I'm very happy with my purchase. It is all I dreamed it would be. I love this little handgun.
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I'm kinda curious what you paid. I bought a CZ PCR a year ago off Gunbroker.com for $548 (plus shipping and transfer fees). They're listed out there now (same dealer, I think) for $559. Those prices are under list, and I'm cool with that.

When I first started looking for a PCR, I couldn't find one either. My local gun shop had a P-01, but they said they had never stocked a PCR. In fact, my regular sales guy (who knows a helluva lot about handguns) said he'd never actually seen one. But then I started browsing Gunbroker, and -- to my knowledge -- they've always had PCRs out there, at least from this one particular source. But I dunno

Anyway, great little gun.
 
I'm kinda curious what you paid. I bought a CZ PCR a year ago off Gunbroker.com for $548 (plus shipping and transfer fees). They're listed out there now (same dealer, I think) for $559. Those prices are under list, and I'm cool with that.
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I paid $610 for mine OTD. (had to look it up)

Kinda high, but the gun is great, so no regrets.
 
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The EG Maks are generally considered to be the very best of all Maks. Best fit, finish, and trigger pull.

My Dad bought one in the 1990s. I know own it. It's a sweet gun for a Combloc special.
 
I thought Bulgy & Russian were newly manufactured for export?
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The Bulgarian Makarovs currently for sale at places like Classic Firearms/J&G Sales/Aim Surplus are definitely military/police surplus pistols. I received an example for Classic last fall that was dated 1984, but was in like new un-issued condition (there was zero wear on the slide from activation of the safety/decocker).

I think the confusion stems from the fact that these are being imported with black "target" grips to meet silly import laws (though most vendors include the original military bakelite grips in the box with them).
 
Brownstone322 said:
I'm kinda curious what you paid. I bought a CZ PCR a year ago off Gunbroker.com for $548 (plus shipping and transfer fees). They're listed out there now (same dealer, I think) for $559. Those prices are under list, and I'm cool with that.

When I first started looking for a PCR, I couldn't find one either. My local gun shop had a P-01, but they said they had never stocked a PCR. In fact, my regular sales guy (who knows a helluva lot about handguns) said he'd never actually seen one. But then I started browsing Gunbroker, and -- to my knowledge -- they've always had PCRs out there, at least from this one particular source. But I dunno

Anyway, great little gun.
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I bought my PCR new in 2000 for around $350 if memory serves. At the time Sig had just discontinued the P225, and they were priced similarly. I still went with the PCR, and am glad I did.
 
mr bolo:

My .380 Russian Makarov appears to have identical components (other than the barrel and rear sight) to my former Bulgys and two EGs I owned.

For me the advantages of the .380 Russian:
1) little collector value, therefore any slight degradation while "carrying" it--easily concealable--is a benefit.

2) Just as fun to shoot.

3) Despite easily finding 9x18 Mak ammo online and in almost every gun shop, the .380 ammo is used in a very wide range of both domestic and imported handguns.
 
I have several Maks myself. A couple things to note, there are Bulgy commercial Maks imported by Miltex. There is even a special edition one with a square trigger guard. The fit and finish of the EG maks is always claimed to be far better than the other flavors. Now with the Russian commercial and Bulgy maks I would agree. But my Chinese Mak is right on par with the EG. However the trigger of the EG is far smoother than any of the maks I own. Now the Polish also made the P83 which is stamped but still IMO is a great little pistol. Here is my group of Maks and cousins
 

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