Please help me ID this Makarov?

O

oweno

New member
Hi all,

A local shop has a Makarov for sale - the mark on the frame is a 10 inside two circles. Reddish grips with a single star on them.

It's blued, in like-new condition. Comes with two magazines and and el cheapo brown holster. Lots of cosmolene in the nooks and crannys..

Now, I thought that the 10 inside two circles meant Bulgarian manufacture but the box it was shipped in says 'Made in Russia'

There are no 'Made in ___' marks on the pistol itself.

Thank you, in advance, to anybody who can clear this up for me. Maybe the distributor just used whatever cardboard boxes he had on hand?

regards to all...

Owen
 
Oweno:
My records (pistols of the world, third edition) indicates that the Makarov was the standard Soviet military pistol for many years and first became known in the West in the early 1950's It is little more than a slightly modified Walther PP, chambered for the Soviet 9X18mm ctg. It is also believed to have been based on the pre-war German Ultra series.

The Makarov (PM) has been copied in the German Democratic Republic as the Pistole Makarov or Pi-M and as the Chinese Type 59. The Soviet model has a five pointed star on the grip and a lanyard loop; the East German model has plain grips with no lanyard loop and the Chinese gun has grips with several small stars.


HJN
 
I suspect you have a gun that is a hodge-podge. The grips sound like Russian surplus grips, but the circle-ten is definitely Bulgarian. I would avoid this one and find a new production Bulgarian or East German model.

Go to http://www.makarov.com
 
oweno,
That is definately a milsurp Bulgarian. How much they asking for it? If under $150 I'd suggest seriously considering it. The milsurp Bulgarian Maks have a better fit and finish than the commercial "Arsenal" Maks, that come with a "Made in Bulgaria" stamp. I have one of each, commercial and milsurp Bulgarian, and the milsurp is the better of the two. About the grips, the original military grip is reddish with one star and no thumbrest. If you decide to buy this Mak consider Pierce grips, they are more comfortable then the original. For more info: http://makarov.com/makfaq.html
There is a link from this page showing the stamps for country of origin. HTH.-Gregg
 
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