Makarov Mania!

"My Bulgarian Makorov is a blast. Accurate, fun and cheap. If I could only own one of my
pistols, Glock or Makarov, I'd own the Glock (Geez! It's a $500 pistol - you thought I'd
say the $129 Makarov????) The Makarov really does everything the Glock does and I'd
never be disappointed if only I could own the Makarov. It is a fine machine. I love the red
bakelite grips. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Screw Makawraps and Pierce Grips -
these are totally unnecesary "chi-chi"s. Cheers, Cryoman"

Cryoman,
You tried carrying those factory grips IWB. One day of that thumbrest pokin' in my side had me beggin' for the makwrap. What a difference in comfort!

Doug in VA

[This message has been edited by Doug in VA (edited March 02, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Doug in VA (edited March 02, 2000).]
 
I've also got an EG on order from SOG, as they are now available and shipping on Friday. I thought an EG mak would be an interesting addition to my collection in light of its Stasi (EG secret police) past, and I'm hoping the finish will be superior to the commercial Bulgarians that I've seen. I imagine the recoil would be pretty fierce with wolf ammo?
 
Have you guys seen the Makarov laser? It's pretty cool and about $50 in Russia. Now, if we can only get them imported for a reasonable price...

lcu.jpg
 
I guess I am suffering from "Skorzeny's Disease" as I ordered an East German and paid $190 through my dealer. It was $159 at SOG plus $10 shipping plus 6% sales tax. The reason I bought the East German was I had checked two of these things out three years ago and liked it the best. If I had hindsight I should have bought the other pistol. Why? It was a Hungarian Makarov and the only one I have ever seen. Regards, Richard.
 
Thanks alot guys! All this talk about Makarovs made me go off and get one off of Auction Arms.

Here I am trying to sell some guns to help pay for a new truck, and y'all go off and make me buy yet another! Yeah... Thanks alot! :D

------------------
Bulldawg: NRA, GOA, TSRA, Shiner Bock Connoisseur.
Bulldawg's Firearms Page
 
What a fine gun. My shooting teacher told me of these fine guns. In Europe they are very highly regarded by military and police.
I bought an East German version and love every shot I fire with it. What a bargain for the money. I have found magazines for just a few dollars. I shall buy more.
Cheers.
 
I picked up my EG today. It arrived early, what a pleasant surprise! Mine is a 1962 9X18 in mint condition. I ordered it from SOG and the extra $10 for handpick makes a big difference. The other EG mak in the store, ordered by the store at the same time but not a hand select, had some wear. At the range, it shot my Russian ammo flawlessly with good accuracy. The recoil is fairly sharp, so I may put on the rubber grips that came with it. At $225 total (greatly increased w/ the $30 UPS charge!), what a great deal! True, it's more than what the Bulgarian maks are going for, but the trigger is much smoother on the EG and finish better. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a Bulgarian, though. Plus the Soviet era ammo (in spam cans) is very cheap and seems reliable enough.
 
I saw my EG Makarov today and compared it to my ffl's Russian model. I will take the EG anyday. I will go and do a purchase permit on Monday and I hope to give it a work out next weekend. I was impressed. Regards, Richard.
 
StephenT, I paid about $199 (before tax and DROS) for my EG Mak, so you didn't get ripped off.

People can gripe all they want about the anemic cartridge (in their opinion, anyway), but there's something very appealling about a pistol that will always go "bang" when you pull the trigger.

[This message has been edited by Destructo6 (edited March 04, 2000).]
 
It's probably a little overkill on my side,
and I'm not saying that Mak is the best on the planet Earth, but considering that Mak has only 19 parts, I'm wondering if it could be considered the best DESIGNED semi-auto pistol in the world. Anybody knows of other pistol of so simple design which functions w/o problems?

Also, if one looks at the position of the
upper cartridge in the magazine in relation
to the chamber, it seems that cartridge
is practically doomed to feed into the chamber - very straightforward way to make
feeding 100% reliable, by design.
 
I posted this in the 9X18 vs .380 ACP thread but then realized it should be here instead.

With all this talk about Makarovs I found myself getting tempted. Looking into it I am concluding they are not safe. Not only is there no firing pin block, which many consider unnecessary, but no firing pin spring. Wouldn't this render a loaded, hammer down, Makarov prone to firing if dropped on its muzzle? Somewhere on http://www.makarov.com it says you would have to drop the gun 3-4 feet for it to fire. To me that's not very far. The fact it would fire downward is little consolation. Let me know I am wrong, and I will run out and buy one.
 
ORIS - Actually the Mak has 27 parts. It is however a fine firearm. Its claim to fame is reliability over accuracy but the accuracy is not bad. After about 500 rounds my Russian Mak was as smooth as my Bulgarian. The East German comes with a smooth trigger but the others will eventually nearly catch up. The Mak is well worth the money.
 
SOG's # is 1-800-944-GUNS; they're in OH. I tried calling them, but they wouldn't deal with me directly or answer any of my questions since I'm just a humble consumer--and not a dealer. So, I gave the info to my FFL, and he ordered it for me. They're $159 + about $30 for UPS shipping (the upside is that you'll get it the next day!) + whatever fee your gun store charges. Mine came out to $225 total. This was technically a transfer, so no sales tax, unless you live in OH. I recommend paying the extra $10 for hand select. It's not much money for a piece of history: mine is a 1962 and came in perfect condition, unused. Grab one while they last! You won't regret it.
 
StephenT, thanks for the info - I'm going to order an EG tomorrow! I put another 100 rounds through my Bulgie today (bought it NIB about 3 weeks ago) and I still can't get over the fact that I spent only $159 for this fabulous pistol. It's an incredible bargain and I can't wait to get an EG Mak to go with it. Thanks again for your fast response.

[This message has been edited by Pussball (edited March 06, 2000).]
 
I paid $200 for a Bulgarian Makarov with Pierce grips and polished innards. It has been 100% reliable (1300+ rounds) and quite accurate (1" at 21ft considering my lame skills). The only thing I'd improve is the sights. Though less capable than my other autoloaders, it is still my gun box tool, right next to the Glock 21. If I had to bug out tomorrow, I know which gun I'd take -- the Mak. It is heavy and kicks harshly for its caliber but it always works, points well and is far more reliable than the Walthers from which is has spawned.
 
The opinion of the firing piin spring and block is valid. If dropped and it lands on it's nose it will discharge if you hve a loaded chamber. I have checked several and on average it takes a drop of 40+ inches to get one to go off and it has to be right ON the nose. 90% of the time the guns weight distribution will cause it to land on its side however.
That is hardly a reason not to own or carry one. I don't see many limping commies in the news reels.
 
this is a cool forum!
i've had my russian 9 x 18 for a few years now, i got it at a gun show, i mean, an illegal arms bazaar, where i bought it for $165 from a guy who was selling part of his personal collection. Originally i bought it cause it was a cheap semi-auto, but after these, wow, five years, its my favorite gun. i like the cheap ammo, i've been using S and B, and norinco, and wolf, whatever is on special, and the guns gobbles it up and give me a 1.5 inch group from 3 to 5 yards. and i can easily carry it concealed. i like the safety/decocker and i'm very comfortable with the safeness of the gun. I did get some pearce grips for it, and they are great. the action has gotten smoother, and its silky now. hmm, the adjustable target sights, well, i like em cause i can get the sight picture i want, but on the others i could always drift and file i suppose...whew! i guess i am a fanatic
good luck!
 
Don't forget the fine CCI ammo in 9x18 folks.

I had one of my Makarovs "worked on" by Phoenix Armory 610-539-0733
POB 444
Eagleville, PA 19408

He was good, fast and inexpensive. He tested it with the CCI hollow point. I sent him a Bulgarian to do the work on.

However, I later sold the pistol or traded it, I can't recall now and still prefer my German Makarovs even more than the modified one.

Perhaps someday I will send an EG Makarov to him for Tritium sights, etc. The problem is; to me having a Makarov "improved" is a case of gilding the perfect lily. So I wonder if I'll ever get around to sending him another one. More likely, I'll just continue to purchase "one more Makarov" at a slightly faster pace than I can afford.

------------------
Talk is cheap; Free Speech is NOT.
 
I've got a question for all of you.
I recently inherited an FEG SMC-380. Is this in the Makarov family? I'm not sure if it's imported any longer and I'm wondering if I can still get mags for it. It has two, but I'd like to get more in case the springs wear out. Can anyone give me some info about this pistol?

Thanks.

Horny Toad



------------------
---------------
NRA Life Member
SAF Member
GOA Member
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top