[Guest]

you guys have done it .!! im a makarov nut ? there is something about holding and shooting a mak ?I think its because a mak. only cost 150.00 too 250.00 and it feels like a 1500.00 gun in your hand.very will built i was very suprized. you guys was right. i went to town yesterday mourning too check on my tobacco,on my way home i thought about a little gunstore. that i have not been too in years. its not very big at all.kinda hard to walk in the little gunstore because of all the gunboxes and junk on the floor.the first thing i seen was a glass display case with pistols and revolvers stacked on top of each other. yes stacked !!!! the first thing that cought my eye was the mak !!!!and the only thing that cought my eye ? i picked it up and it said germany on the side of it. in about 75 percent too 85 percent depending whos eyes are looking.a very clean gun.with a butter slick action. yes a east german mak for 100.00 out the door. . the pistol looks like it cought more hell in the display case then it did in any war ??thx guys for all the help !!!! jonboy

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I enjoy these little things quite a lot. FWIW, I've found that the inexpensive Barnaul JHP works fine and groups well. It expands nicely in both wet pack and water tests but I've not shot any animals with it.

I believe that Corbon is not going to be able to do DPX for this round, but will have PowRball...or it might be visa versa.

Mine is used mainly for fun at the range and not having to pick up cases is pretty nice; the ground seems to get farther away each year.

Best.

 

[Guest]

Maks are great pistols and incredibly accurate at 25 yards. Now that you have a Mak you just may be ready for the next step. What is that? If you like the Mak you will love the Bersa Thunder 380. Regards, Richard

 

[Guest]

... not having to pick up cases is pretty nice; the ground seems to get farther away each year.

Ha! I can identify with that statement; I'm 3 or 4 years older than you are Mr. Camp. :-/

 

[Guest]

I liked the Bersa Thunder .380 so much that I kept it and traded my IJ-70 Mak. However, I still think that Maks are great pistols and it's only a matter of time before I buy another one.

 

[spike]

That could be understandable, considering it was an IZH, Steve. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with IJ-70, but Jonboy's East German is a bit of a different sub-species.
Congrats on the acquisition, JB, and nice horse tradin', sir! Good condition E.G.'s can go for considerably more than the 150-250 price range.

 

[Guest]

I own three EG Maks and a Bulgie Mak. Guess What? I don't see that much difference in them. My EG Maks have a better finish but they do not shoot any better. I can consistently hit a pie plate at 25 yards with my Bulgie Mak and that is good for me with a pocket pistol. Regards, Richard

 

[spike]

I don't get people who call a Makarov a "pocket pistol". (No offense, Richard.) Pocket pistol? Pocket pistol?!

Compared to a full size 1911, oh sure... but still. It may be a pocket pistol if you like holes in your pocket.

Now, I've been hearing more and more that the EG's and Bulgie's are remarkably similar, but I don't see it. There is the possibility that the Bulgie's I've handled are loose rust buckets, and the one EG was a prime unissued treasure built on a really good day, I don't know. I found the EG's action to be very smooth compared to the Bulgie, as well as a nicer finish.

Either would be a good choice I think. I have little doubt the smoother EG would still match the Bulgie shot for shot. I'm looking forward to getting another Mak and it will probably be a Bulgie, unless I run into some of Jonboy's luck.

-S

 

[Josh Smith]

Hello all,

I checked out a Bulgarian model the other day. The DA trigger was long, heavy, and felt like broken (not ground) glass. Even with a $150 price tag I didn't feel it was worth it.

To me, it would be a pocket gun and a backup for my Taurus. Anything with a barrel shorter than 4.5" or so is a pocket gun IMO.

I'm looking for an East German, but can't afford what you guys are quoting right now.

Now, a German Mak for $100 would be sweet... but I've not had that luck around here for years. Dang.

Josh <><

 

[spike]

...The [Bulgarian] DA trigger was long, heavy, and felt like broken (not ground) glass...

Oh sure. The stock triggers are abysmal. Designed for a Russian soldier to jam a half-numbed by cold, heavily gloved finger into the trigger guard and drag the trigger back 'til it makes noise...

It's really a tinkerer's gun, I think. Cheap, simple, to the point. I've worked my Ruskie trigger to a tollerable pull, but it's still heavy, it's still long, and it's still gritty. I could tweak it more if I wanted to. The feed ramp's polished, but not throated, to where it feeds near 'bout anything, up to and including a roughly 9.2mm rock.

Some of the good folks over at the Mak forum have impressive collections. Matched mags, slides and frames, full sets from various countries. I have one IJ-70 and I just want a Bulgie and maybe an EG.

Makarov's not for everybody. If you think your money's better spent on a finer gun, you might pass on the Mak. For everyone who loves the curious little gun, there's two who despise them.

 

[Guest]

I don't have a Makarov yet; with any luck, I soon will have one though.

I have a question beforehand:
From what I gather, the unissued Bulgarian Maks @ around $150 with 2 magazines, 2 grips and a military flap-type holster are (usually) decent guns. The east German Maks are often considered to be of better quality and command a substantially higher price -- $300 or more.

Where do the Russian Maks fit into the scheme of things? Are they better/more desireable than the EG Maks or is it vice versa?

 

[spike]

Hello Catbird,

Just one question:
When you're bored... do you chase yourself?
Bwahahahahaaaaaa!

Sorry.
I get outa hand sometimes.

==========================

As I understand it, there are two Russian Mak's you want to be concerned with.
The first (or rather, the first one I will mention) is the IZH-70 (or "IJ-70"). It's a Russian made commercial "sporting" pistol with an adjustable rear sight.
The other Ruskie, now... Ah, that is the true PM(link), Pistolet Makarova. It is the Makarov after which all others are copied. This military issue gun has a fixed sight and looks just like the Bulgarian gun (rather, I should say the Bulgie looks like it). It is the highly coveted "Original Mak" and fetches quite a kingly sum on most markets. Some have been known to get "lost" within batches of Bulgarians or mismarked altogether. If you are lucky enough to score Russian PM mistaken as Bulgarian, you are fortunate indeed, for you will have "stolen" it for a fraction of its value.

Not unlike Chinese Makarov, these are valuable due to scarcity. I don't know that they shoot any better than the Bulgies, IJ's or others. The finishes are said to be mediocre and some machine marks are present. Not, strictly speaking, said to be of particularly "fine" make. Value it to the avid collector. I wouldn't mind stumbling onto one, but I'm not actively seeking Russian PM.

-S

 

[Guest]

When you're bored... do you chase yourself?

No

Regarding the Maks:

My question about the Russian Makarovs may be moot at this point. I was trying to prepare for a meeting with my favorite/cheapest gun dealer planned for this coming Monday. He told me on the phone a couple of days ago that he had 6 of the typical unissued Bulgarian Maks and 1 Russian. I learned yesterday that this particular Russian Mak has adjustable sights, but is chambered in .380 acp, NOT 9x18. Due that alone, I'm going to pass on the Russian Mak. I really want a good "shooter" in excellent condition chambered in 9x18...particularly since I ordered 500 rounds of the Barnaul JHP 9x18 ammo from Midway several days ago.

 

[spike]

IMO, it's a good ammo choice, Catbird.
9.2x18 is only marginally more powerful than 9x17, but more is more. And the stinky Barnaul is one of my favorites. I'm with you -- If I wanted another Kurz, I'd get a Bersa.
Will he give you pick-of-the-litter on the Bulgie's? Best way to choose a Mak, IMO. Spread out half a dozen and pick the one you want.
I think you'll be happy. Good luck and happy new year.
-S

 

[Guest]

Spike commented:

If I wanted another Kurz, I'd get a Bersa.

I'm planning on getting one of those on Monday, also. I really wanted the all-nickel version, but my dealer only has the duo-tone ($180) and is having some difficulty locating the all-nickel ($215) for me. Based on the $35 difference, I'm going to go with the duo-tone model. FWIW, if my dealer and I can work a trade on 3 of my guns that I don't shoot, I would very much like to purchase one of his NIB S&W 638s ($400).

I'm hoping to trade my LNIB Kel-Tec P-32, LNIB NAA Guardian .32 and my Glock 32 w/ factory night sights.

 

[briand]

Even though I don't consider the Makarov to be very size-efficient (sorta big for the power of its chambering), guess what? There's one in my safe; like it well enough to have stuck some money into adding night sights. Lotta 'bang for the buck' in these pistols, because of the reliability and accuracy. Mine's going to see occasional CCW use when I'm not in the local equivalent of a "hot LZ" kind of place.