Ok, I've been reading all of the raving posts around here about Makarov pistols and, money being a little tight at the moment, I figure I can satisfy my new gun craving with one of these for a minimum outlay. So, I send a money order for $145.95 off to Jersey City Armory, and a week later, my Bulgarian Makarov arrives at my dealer with the two matching numbered mags and a well-worn button-down holster. I pay another $26 FFL fee, and have myself a new gun for less than $175. Pretty cool.
My first impressions of the gun are not terrific, partially because it's still covered with a lot of the original grease. The slide is quite hard to rack, and the safety is very sharp and rough in its action. After I take the gun home and spend about 90 mintes cleaning and lubing it, however, the action of the slide is much better. I still hate the safety, though. It's sharpness makes it relatively hard to rack the slide; I have a nice little gash on my left index finger to prove it. The stoutness of the recoil spring is another reason for the tight slide. I laughed at the huge spring that completely surrounds the barrel. How Russian! Once it was cleaned up, however, and with a Pearce grip, it's not a bad looking little gun for the money.
Next, I got myself some cheap Russian 9x18, and today I was off to the range. Russian designs are not known for their ergonomics, and this gun is no exception. My hands are pretty big, and I have to shift my grip down a bit to avoid getting bitten by the slide. The floor plate of the magazine is also rather sharp. I have to work on my grip a bit to get used to the gun. I wonder if there are floor plates available that don't have that metal protrusion in the front.
Despite the general roughness of the gun, however, which will hopefully smooth up a bit after a few hundred rounds, the damn thing shoots beautifully. I put 100 rounds through it without a failure of any kind. Recoil was negligable, accuracy was very good, and the brass was landing about 15 feet away.
I'm not a big fan of DA/SA pistols. I've had a lot of problems with the transition from the first DA shot to the second SA shot with my Beretta 92FS, but it's not so much of a problem with the Makarov, as the DA trigger pull isn't as long, although it is rather heavy. The SA action is very smooth amd feels quite light. Decocking with the safety is still very rough and difficult, despite a the use of a lot of oil. If I was to carry the gun (which I really don't plan to do), I'd probably leave the safety off, since the trigger pull is more than heavy enough for safety. I'm wondering if replacing the safety itself would help. Possibly not, because the detent in which the safety moves looks rather rough.
Overall, though, for a $175 gun, I'm quite pleased. It's a beautifully simple and strong design, and seems extremely sturdy, as many Russian designs tend to be. I can't wait to check it out with some hot hollow points.
My first impressions of the gun are not terrific, partially because it's still covered with a lot of the original grease. The slide is quite hard to rack, and the safety is very sharp and rough in its action. After I take the gun home and spend about 90 mintes cleaning and lubing it, however, the action of the slide is much better. I still hate the safety, though. It's sharpness makes it relatively hard to rack the slide; I have a nice little gash on my left index finger to prove it. The stoutness of the recoil spring is another reason for the tight slide. I laughed at the huge spring that completely surrounds the barrel. How Russian! Once it was cleaned up, however, and with a Pearce grip, it's not a bad looking little gun for the money.
Next, I got myself some cheap Russian 9x18, and today I was off to the range. Russian designs are not known for their ergonomics, and this gun is no exception. My hands are pretty big, and I have to shift my grip down a bit to avoid getting bitten by the slide. The floor plate of the magazine is also rather sharp. I have to work on my grip a bit to get used to the gun. I wonder if there are floor plates available that don't have that metal protrusion in the front.
Despite the general roughness of the gun, however, which will hopefully smooth up a bit after a few hundred rounds, the damn thing shoots beautifully. I put 100 rounds through it without a failure of any kind. Recoil was negligable, accuracy was very good, and the brass was landing about 15 feet away.
I'm not a big fan of DA/SA pistols. I've had a lot of problems with the transition from the first DA shot to the second SA shot with my Beretta 92FS, but it's not so much of a problem with the Makarov, as the DA trigger pull isn't as long, although it is rather heavy. The SA action is very smooth amd feels quite light. Decocking with the safety is still very rough and difficult, despite a the use of a lot of oil. If I was to carry the gun (which I really don't plan to do), I'd probably leave the safety off, since the trigger pull is more than heavy enough for safety. I'm wondering if replacing the safety itself would help. Possibly not, because the detent in which the safety moves looks rather rough.
Overall, though, for a $175 gun, I'm quite pleased. It's a beautifully simple and strong design, and seems extremely sturdy, as many Russian designs tend to be. I can't wait to check it out with some hot hollow points.
