Makarov

[punxsutawneypete]

Anybody carry a Makarov? Do you have any opinions or recommendations either way?

[P-11 shooter]

I never carried it, but I used to own one. Very small and would be easy to conceal, but it's really hard to find ammo for a Makarov and even harder to find anything close to a good self-defense round.

Something to keep in mind.

[PA Rifleman]

Anybody carry a Makarov? Do you have any opinions or recommendations either way?

I've carried Maks, but stopped when mine really escalated in collector value (paid $110-$120 or so for my German Maks). As a rule, I don't carry anything I can't easily replace, so the German Maks stay @ home. Besides, the CZ-82 is almost the same size, cheaper, holds 3-4 more rounds and is built to similar standards.

Ammo-wise I bought a couple of cases of Russian hollow point 9x18 when it was cheap, so yes it exists.

I do recommend practicing more often with it, as I needed more time to become proficient with the Makarov series guns than most other handguns. The snappy recoil sensation from the blowback action was quite a distraction for me at first.

[soup]

I carry mine daily. I use either the Russian HP's mentioned above or the Hornady HP's The ammo for them is out there.

I also found that the Desantis Cozy Partner (Holster # says 028D6) works as a great IWB for the Makarov. It isn't as tight as I would like but it isn't really loose either, gives great concealment and feels very comfortable. Very easy to draw and re holster. A tad on the pricier end but imho it was well worth it

http://www.desantisholster.com/store...46&itm_index=7

That is the one I have.

[38SnubFan]

I have a friend who just picked up a Mak recently. He says it's chambered in 9x19, but I was under the impression that all Maks were chambered in 9x18 (.380ACP). Am I misinformed in my understanding?

Also, what's the reliability of these for daily carry?

[soup]

I have a friend who just picked up a Mak recently. He says it's chambered in 9x19, but I was under the impression that all Maks were chambered in 9x18 (.380ACP). Am I misinformed in my understanding?

Also, what's the reliability of these for daily carry?

9x17 is .380 9x18 is makarov and 9x19 is luger

they are all different and none will work in any of the others firearms.They do have a .380 conversion for Makarovs though

[P-11 shooter]

9x17 is .380 9x18 is makarov and 9x19 is luger

they are all different and none will work in any of the others firearms.They do have a .380 conversion for Makarovs though

I know for a fact my cousin ran over 100 rounds of .380 through my old 9x18 makarov when I wasn't around. I came back to camp and saw what he was shooting and immediately did a double take

I'm not saying it's a good thing to do, or it won't blow up YOUR gun, but I know it is technically possible.

But may blow your shit up

[punxsutawneypete]

I think there are conversion kits available to allow Makarovs to use .380 ACP shells. It's probably just switching out the barrel and magazine.

[Ecclectic Collector]

Hi folks,

This is my first post to the forum, but I have to start somewhere... so here I am.

I carried a Russian made IJ-70 Makarov for several years. I bought mine in 1994. Excellent gun, almost impossible to break, or get to malfunction (unless you do something very wrong with it). I still have my gun, though I don't carry it as much now that I have a Kel Tec P11 (which is lighter and has a larger mag capacity). The only flaws with the Makarov are its 8 round magazine, and heel magazine release. I put rubber replacement grips on mine that tend to bulk up the gun a bit even if they also make it much nicer to shoot. The only real problem with Maks is the price keeps going up on them. I bought mine for $150, though these days I couldn't get another one for less than $300. On the plus side, spare magazines are dirt cheap, and if you go to sites like Makarov.com you can get different accessories for the gun. I normally used a fanny pack with built in holster to carry mine.

JHP ammo is out there for the 9x18mm. Somebody already mentioned the outstanding Hornady 95 gr. XTP loading. I also have a couple of boxes of Russian produced Barnul JHP loads. The paper ballistics on the Hornady puts it right at the power levels of a .38 special (though with a lighter bullet at a higher velocity). I have read from several sources that .380 ammo shoots okay in them without damage, though you will get split cases and bullets will tumble. So I won't reccomend doing it unless you can't get 9x18mm ammo. If none of you local shops stock 9x18mm try cheaperthandirt.com or sportsmansguide.com. Both companies almost always have JHP (and FMJ) ammo in stock for the 9x18mm for about the same price as you can get 9mm parabellum.

So to summ up, if its what you have, it is a good choice if you don't mind its old school design.

Hope my two cents worth is of help.

[s.vermeire]

Everything you could probably want to know about Makarov pistols can be found here:

Makarov Basics

FAQ

If it's not there then gunboards.com has a Makarov specific forum. It doesn't see as much traffic as it did 2-3 years ago, but there is a lot of very good info there as well.

As for the original question. I do carry my East German Makarov semi-regularly. I've been meaning to pick up a Bulgarian "beater" but $$ has been an issue. As has been mentioned some people see the 8 round magazines as a drawback. I see a single stack magazine that makes for a nice thin pistol. I will agree that the sights are very small. Realize that this is a military pistol that was designed in the 50's. That's the way they did things. Makarovs are very accurate due to having a fixed barrel. they are also extremely reliable. I think the thing that first got me really interested in them was learning that they only have 27 parts and can be detail stripped with nothing more than the original cleaning tool.