What are some good, cheap 9x18 Mak pistols?

[test drive]

Interesting topic as it actually is happening. I picked up a FEG R61 in 9x18 last year just for this and I’ll be darned if every thing on the ammo shelf in every GS around here is gone “ covid 19 worries “except yes you guessed it, 9x18.

 

[doofus47]

When I was younger and broker, I used to carry a Bulgarian Makarov.
A bit heavy since it was all steel, but dead nuts reliable and accurate.

 

[ThomasT]

IMO, a better solution is to wait until the prices get really good again and buy a large batch of ammo for whatever handgun(s) you already have and store it for emergencies. For the cost of even a cheap handgun, you can buy a lot of ammo to store.

My perspective is that being PREpared means already having what you need before things go wrong, not coming up with a plan for being able to find things you need in a panic situation after things are already a mess.

In this situation, for example, which is better, being able to go out and spend time in a store getting exposed to other potentially sick folks to buy ammo that is (due to your planning) available, or being able to stay home because you already have all the ammo you need and feeling sorry for all the people who are scrambling around POSTparing?

Best answer of all. Now you know why he is one the staff of this forum.

 

[Fishbed77]

I own a Bulgarian PM Makarov, a Polish P64, and a pair of CZ82s.

They are neat pieces of Cold War history, but to be honest, none of these 9x18mm Makarov-chambered pistols are as pleasant to shoot or as useful to me as a small modern 9x19mm pistol. Being blowback operated, they all exhibit more felt recoil than a locked-breech 9x19mm design, despite the weaker cartridge and heavy all-steel construction. And they all have their peculiarities that keep me from really falling in love with them for anything more than historical value.

The CZ82 is certainly the most modern, and it's neat that they are all C&R pistols, but despite their svelte look, the overall dimensions (length, width, and height) are almost identical to a Glock 19, which holds more rounds (that are more powerful), is lighter, and has less felt recoil. The ambi mag release is cool, but the shape of the stock military grips makes it hard to actuate, even with my long fingers. Also, the lack of a decocker is a minus for me, and somewhat inexplicable on such a recent DA/SA design. They are very reliable though, despite being the single most complicated modern pistol design I've ever encountered. Seriously - don't ever try to detail strip one unless you really know what you are getting into, and are willing to build a few tiny specialized tools in order to reassemble it.

The Makarov PM is a simple little tank, but I've never warmed up to the ergonomics for some reason, and the slide-mounted safety/decocker has always felt awkward to me.

The P64s are surprisingly beautifully-built. That is literally the only good thing I can say about them. A six-round magazine is laughable for what was designed to be a service pistol, those magazines are horrendously expensive today, and the less that can be said about the trigger, the better. But I'll discuss it anyway. The single-action trigger is just OK, but the double-action trigger is hands-down the worst I have ever encountered. I'm a pretty strong guy, with a very good hand strength, and I can honestly say that, with stock springs on my excellent-to-possibly unissued example, it took two fingers to pull the trigger on double action. This is not unique to my example. Even with the much-touted Wolff replacement trigger springs, the trigger went from completely non-usable to just horrible. From a practical standpoint, I can only see these as having been useful as a badge of rank, to wave in the face of conscripts, or to execute bound prisoners. But they do look nice!


.

 

[Ibmikey]

I have Over half a dozen Makarov pistols, Russian, EcGerman and Bulgarian the shooters mainly Bulgarians but shoot they do quite successfully. My Bulgarians ( five of them) came from the batch of unissued pistols with the maintenance logs so they have been broken in by me. Whenever I purchase a firearm I also purchase a supply of ammo amount depending upon the projected use. Always there is an adequate supply on the shelf for times like these when others are stripping the supply. I am fortunate that my friend and I have a private range and can shoot anytime we wish, the “stay inside” order has not stopped our hog hunting or range use here in Texas.

 

[tallball]

I have owned a Russian Makarov for over 30 years. It goes bang every time. The DA trigger is kind of stiff, but it is reliable and accurate.

My FiL has a CZ83 (in 380acp rather than 9x18). It is a more sophisticated pistol, with better trigger and nicer fit/finish.

 

[Ignition Override]

tallball: My .380 Russian Makarov (Izhevsk), used at least 800 rds., had zero issues, as with yours.

What might shock people?
Almost all of my ammo was steel-cased Russian.

Nothing failed or broke on that Makarov!

Would people out there conclude that a commercial Russian handgun has stronger steel and components than their Sigs, HKs, S&Ws, Steyrs, Glocks?
Apparently those handguns are sub-standard quality, based on vast numbers of skeptical or anxious comments regarding steel-cased ammo.

 

[Ibmikey]

I replaced the adjustable sight on my IJ 70 (380) and like it much better, for a carry pistol I came across a Bulgarian that is finished as nice as my EG and is totally reliable, I shoot it often while the Russian, EG and unissued Bulgarians stay in a drawer.
I also like the CZ 82 for shooting but mostly leave my PA 63, SMC 380, pair of P 64’s in 9x18 in the safe as they are not fun to shoot.

 

[agtman]

One that's jumped out at me is the CZ 82, that seems to be one of the larger size pistols in the chambering and has mags that 12 rds.

I had a pristine East German Mak, and still have the Czech M&P CZ 82.

Back when I got them, they were stupid cheap. Bought the Mak in the late '90s and sold it last year to a local collector for waaay more than I paid for it. I had run only a couple of mags through it over the years and it looked like-new. The East German workmanship on the gun was excellent. IIRC, I picked up the 82 in the early 2000s.

I found the little CZ to be both more ergonomic and much more accurate than the Mak was. I did install a Wolff XP recoil spring. The 82's fixed-barrel system and the excellent DA/SA trigger are what enhances its accuracy. The Mak's trigger pull was terrible.

There's also the higher 12+1 capacity. Two mags came with mine and I stocked up on 8 more back when they were still cheap and, more importantly, available.

Another nice thing, despite the CZ's mags being the 'double-stack' type, the frame is quite svelte and fits my hand perfectly - i.e., there's no blocky 'girth' to deal with.

My eyes being unable to tolerate the chipping, peeling, black Commie paint, I had the gun refinished (actually painted) in Multi-Cam: o.d. green slide over a coyote brown frame. Re-did the grips with fresh black paint. They look new.

I'm probably over 1K rounds through my 82, and it's still a great shooter. No malfs whatsoever.