Purchase tips for first time Makarov buyer?

P

PropellerHead

New member
I'm getting ready to buy my first Mak this weekend.:D From the research I've done they sound like a good value for a CCW pistol.

As a carry pistol, I'll be looking for reliablity and accuracy over appearence.

What should I be looking for? What, if anything, should I avoid?

I've posted a similar question on the board at makarov.com, and it was suggested that I look for an un-issued Bulgarian.

From what I've read, it appears that the East German guns are a little better quality. Any opinions on this?

Thanks in advance!:)
 
Tips:

East German Maks will all be surplus. They have the best fit and finish and smoothest actions.

Bulgarian Maks can either be used or unissued. They are second in quality, some say their accuracy is a little better. Try to find one still in cosmoline.

Russian military-rare and expensive. If you find one GRAB IT!

Russian commercial. This is the one with the adjustable sights. Warning tho, the large rear sight adjustment screw is known to break, mine just stripped itself out from shooting and went flying one day! This part is the only part you cannot replace.

The German and Russian can be found with either red star grips, with or without left thumbrest, or black grips. The Russian commercial black grips will say Baikal at the bottom. Military Bulgarians have red star grips.

Bulgarian Arsenal. Becoming hard to find. This is the commercial Bulgarian, will have the word "Arsenal" on the slide and normally curved ergonomic black grips.

Really, any Mak is a really nice gun to have, especially for CCW. What you choose depends mainly on your preference and availability in your area.

Go back to Makarov.com and STUDY the different markings so you can spot the types at a glance, i.e. double circle ten,
arrow in a circle, diamond in a circle and so on.
 
Either the E. German or the Bulgarian, you'll do fine BUT, surf on over to makarov.com and buy one of those $4 magazine loaders. I swear, elves sharpen Makarov magazine lips before they're shipped and this loader will keep you from getting blood all over your magazines and ammo.

Trust me on this... I'm talking from experience :-)

Owen
 
No question that the finish work is much much better on my east german mak than my bulgy. The bulgy has alot of tooling marks inside and I had to polish the feed ramp. The east german was smooth as glass thoughout and no polishing is needed. My bulgy is brand new the east german is used and the grips show it, but the gun is in very good condition.
I ordered a new set of grips for the east german gun this week. If you can find an east german go for it, if you buy the bulgy try and find one in unissued condition and polish the feed ramp.
 
Soviet Makarov (Russian military): Very good machinning, some tool marks in the safety well, red star bakalite grip, milled slide release lever, fixed sights, fairly expenssive ($400).All parts are numbered and hand fitted. Collectors piece and C&R elligeble. Probably not a good carry piece due to collectors value (esp with no import marks)

Russian Makarov (a.k.a. Baikal, IJ70): Pretty good machinning, many tool marks inside and outside, black commercial grip, stamped slide release lever, adjustable sights, starting to be scarce and price is going up ($200-250). Has *some* collectors value, but not a C&R gun. Not the best choice for carry due to rear sights that can catch on clothes/holster. Very reliable.

Bulgarian military: Identicall to Rusian military in every aspect, exept for proof marks. Some people confuse Russian military for Bulgarian ones. Has no collectors value (now) and costs little ($140). Exellent carry piece. Trigger will get better with use. Very reliable.

Bulgarian commercial: Same as military, but has polymer finish and commercial marks on the gun. Prices vary.

East German Makarov: Very high quality machining in and out (think pre-war Walthers PP). Exeptional finish quality and luster (only Germans would do that on standard military pistol). All of them were made in the early-mid 60's (1961-1965).All parts are milled, hand fitted and numbered. Condition vary from gun to gun, but with some effort, one in unissued condotion can be found (I found 2).
Trigger is very good in both modes and slide is slightly thinner then on other Maks. Typically has black bakelite grips that, which are very comfortable. They are also somewhat thinner then others. Some EGMs are refinished, so you have to be carefull. Original serial numbers are acid etched, so if the gun has stamped numbers, it has been refinished. EGMs are exellent carry guns and very reliable. Prices vary greatly depending on source and condition generally in the $150-300 range.


Chineese Makarov: Only miilitary guns were made. Quality is not as good as other Makarovs, but still OK. They are very rare and expenssive. Mostly good as collectors piece.



********shoose wisely*************
 
I've had experience with both the East German and Bulgarian makarovs. IMHO, the East German has a better fit and finish as well as a smoother trigger, but the Bulgies do just fine. Although I never had this problem, I have heard of the East German makarovs being a little bit more picky on the ammo that they digest (ie hollowpoints). Again, I never had this problem with my East German. Both the EG and Bulgy that I owned have performed flawlessly. The Russian milsurp is getting rare as well as the Chinese makarov. The Baikal makarovs(Russian Commercial) are still abundant, but I don't like what I hear about the adjustable sights. They're pretty fragile.

You will be satisfied with the Bulgarian or East German. They are good accurate, reliable guns.
 
I second the unissued Bulgarian. You can't beat $150 or so for a forty-year-old "new" gun (i.e. one that hasn't been shot). Try http://www.jcarmory.com. Greg Monte is a stand-up guy to do business with. I bought a Bulgie from him, and so did my cousin after seeing mine. Both came with the standard stuff (two mags with matching numbers, holster, lanyard, cleaning tool) and were packed in the original cosmoline. Both are reliable and accurate.


Then all you need are some Pearce grips and a Fobus paddle holster (the best rig for this weapon IMHO--it's light, secure, and keeps the gun high and tight). This is how I carry mine all the time.
 
Guyon, I'm thinking of ordering a Mak from JCArmory, but I'm unsure how to go about it. I've got a signed copy of the FFL from my local gun shop, but the JCA website gives no information on how to handle it. Do I just send them the FFL in the mail and then order the gun over the website?
eric
 
Eric M: That's it as far as I know. My dealer actually sent the copy of the FFL, but the only important things are that it is signed and that it gets to Greg at JC Armory. He won't ship the Mak until that FFL is in hand.

I even paid before the FFL got there (He takes PayPal with no % charge tacked on, which is convenient). That way, Greg shipped the Mak as soon as he received the FFL.

Then when the gun gets to you, you get to have fun debating which method of cosmoline cleanup you want to try (boiling water, Simple Green, kerosene, brake cleaner, etc. I used kerosene followed by Gunscrubber and CLP with great success BTW).

I also recommend the Mak newbie pak from makarov.com if you're new to Maks. For about $40 or so, you get two additional mags (I like the Russians), a mag loader, a choice of Pearce or Makwrap grips, and an excellent manual for the Mak (the Ultimate Makarov Guide). While you're ordering from makarov.com, you'd might as well go ahead and order 1000 rounds of target ammo for $100 and a Fobus paddle holster for $26.

Man, then you're set. For about $350, you've got a great pistol, 1000 rounds of 9x18, 4 mags, good grips, a mag loader, a manual, and a fantastic holster. Who can beat that deal?
 
Thanks for the info, Guyon. The only nit to pick is that JCA website indicates 2% add-on for paypal, which is OK by me on a $140 gun.
 
Hmmm... that's news to me. When I ordered, there was a surcharge on using a credit card but not on PayPal. Must be a new policy. Still, you're talking less than $3, right?
 
Guyon - these guys are all right. The fact is the differences between the Russian, East German, Bulgie and Chinese are minor. True, the levels of quality vary but all of these MAKs work just fine. I have a Russian, EG and Bulgie and all work flawlessly. You will need some Pearce grips and get a pile of magazines from Karl at Makarov.com for about $3.00 each and you are set. Actually, there is one bad point with the Russian Mak, it has target sights and they simply are out of character for the weapon and will tear your clothing if you carry concealed. Also, it you damage those target sights there are no parts available anywhere. My recommendation would be to buy what ever you can get the best deal on and a boatload of ammo. Good luck.
 
Don't listen to blades67 (who might be joking?). The Mak is an excellent pistol at an unbelievable price. I'm saving for a rifle right now, or I'd scoop up one or two more Maks.

The 2% on PayPal has been incorporated by JC Armory since I ordered. I went and looked at my receipt. It clearly states "paid by PayPal," but the amount is exactly the price of the gun plus the shipping charge. No 2%. That's new.

Still, I don't hesitate to recommend that you do business with Greg Monte. He patiently answered a ton of my questions and shipped the gun quickly when he got the FFL. The pistol was as advertised, and it cleaned up beautifully.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top