Makarov Pistol (Before You Buy)

[@zenturion25]

Im living in Switzerland and i got a russian Makarov with a spare mag and a holster (all serial numbers fitting) for only 450Fr. last year. I really love the high Quality, i have already shot 2 inch groups at 25m.

[@vincentsilva5663]

I bought my Makarov Bulgarian circle 10 almost 2 years ago. My favorite carry piece :) and probably my favorite handgun

[@papakalashnikov]

@@vincentsilva5663 They're definitely a good pistol. Rugged and reliable. I think it's cooler to carry a Makarov in 9x18 than a regular .380, same function and feel but the Makarov just looks and feels nice.

[@fbweaver63]

my bulgie was less than $100 back in the day. i bought a star bm for 99 back then and sks rifles could be had for anywhere from 69-99.

[@lornenoland8098]

I’m quite fond of my PA-63. It’s chambered for makarov, but I prefer to shoot 380 out of it. And yes, you can do that.

[@abee3515]

the Mak round is slightly larger in diameter than the 9x17. The .380 is also shorter possibly causing issues with failure to feed. At the very least it won't be quite as accurate.

[@lornenoland8098]

@@abee3515 I’ve had no problems with cycling or accuracy. Probably with a gun that had tighter tolerances I would, but that PA-63 eats whatever I feed it

[@abee3515]

@@lornenoland8098 The accuracy being a product of a tighter fit in the barrel allowing the lands and grooves to spin the bullet. If the bullet is smaller then the barrel it will cause spin rate and flight path to suffer. A 380 will chamber in a 9x18 and fire but accuracy and feeding can be an issue. The old adage goes fire what it was designed to fire. The pa is chambered for both and one designed for the mak round can be converted with a slide and barrel chambered for 9x17. I personally wouldn't encourage people to fire ammo through a gun it wasn't designed for.

[@papakalashnikov]

Thinking about trying this with my PA-63, since .380 has lower chamber pressure I figure it's worth a try. Is there any brand you've found that seems to reliably cycle?

[@papakalashnikov]

@@abee3515 I agree with your point about not firing ammo out of a gun it's not intended for but with .380 being so close in design and having a lower chamber pressure I almost see it the same as trying it out of a regular 9mm pistol, which is proven to be safe albeit fails to function mostly every pistol it's tried in.

[@phillyboy1813]

I had the Polish 64, did not like the trigger, also had the Russian Baikal, great piece but only 7 rounds…now have the CZ82 Makarov and it is the most accurate pistol I own, double stack 12 round mags and it is one of my 3 EDC guns. Wish I knew how to add a picture of it…I had it nickeled and I just made some rosewood grips for it…outstanding looks.

[@papakalashnikov]

That sounds awesome, how much did you get it for? I had the chance to get one with a holster and a few spare mags for $450 but at the time was more focused on buying an SKS. Never cared to take a deep look at it but looked in pretty good condition. Thanks for commenting!

[@phillyboy1813]

@@papakalashnikov I still have the CZ82...carry it a lot. Bought it for $239, you can't come close to that now. The Russian Baikal brought decent money, the Polish 64 I sold for what I had in it just to unload it.

[@Zalpha11]

I carry a Satin version of of the IJ70-17A as my backup CCW.

[@pocketsand4404]

I have the .380 Russian Makarov and a Polish Circle 11 P-83 Makarov. Both have been very reliable.

[@patstrzeszewski3240]

How much does a circle 11 polish p-83 cost?

[@ChingFong58]

I have an E. German Macorov 9x18. I really like it. Heavy but I like all its functions and reliability. Ammo is a bit hard to find and pricy. I have shot .380 out of it cause someone said I could, but not a good idea and since the slug is slightly smaller it wobbles out of the barell and you can't aim it at all. And definitely never try shooting a 9x18 out of a .380. Very dangerous.

[@tonimartinez4419]

9x18 It is a little more powerful than 380acp

[@kevinthorn9672]

I have the russian one with the leather holster it came with

[@papakalashnikov]

@@kevinthorn9672 That's fucking awesome, I wish I bought a Russian Makarov PM when they were still "cheap". Best option now is an Imez Baikal (as seen in video) for $400 or a Bulgarian Makarov for around $450/$500.

[@edwardsummers244]

I have a P64. I bought it about 10 years ago and paid $150 for it.

[@abee3515]

wolff has low power hammer springs that take it from horrible to bad.

[@mikemraz8569]

What is the one with the aluminum frame?

[@zavalakid4]

What’s a fair price for a great condition East German Makarov? Looking at one that is being sold for $900 in CA.

[@papakalashnikov]

Regular EG Makarovs are going for what Russian Makarovs go for typically. Around $800 average price for them, more or less (usually more).

[@chucklakeridge7944]

Look for a Bulgarian, $500 is fair market. Germans supposed to be as good or better, but not worth that price IMHO, unless you really really need one.

[@ChingFong58]

I have an E.German 9x18 Macorov. ( 1960 )Great condition. I paid $400 for it 35 years ago. I just saw an E.German one in a gun store few months back for $500. It looked like it had some use. Not sure what year it was mfg.

[@aikidragonpiper71]

Is there any Russian pistol that uses 9×19 Luger ? My thing is I like a cool collectible gun that is chambered in a common caliber that I can find.

[@papakalashnikov]

There are some modern Russian 9mm Luger pistols that are very hard to get in the US. Norinco made 9mm Tokarev clones that can still be commonly found for around $250 - $300. I believe it's a Norinco Model 213, I have one myself and it's an almost exact tokarev clone with a 9mm barrel.

[@abee3515]

0:27 the gun he has there the IJ70 is a 17a model or .380 the IJ70-18a is the Mak 9x18 round. MP-443 Grach is a 9x19. But the maks are either 380 or Mak 9x18.

[@abee3515]

17a is 380 that's what you have and the 18a is 9x18 Makarov. 380 is 9x17 which is why one is 17a and the other is 18a.

[@papakalashnikov]

Yessir, exactly right. Very similar cartridges and I know some people have even had luck shooting .380 out of 9x18 chambered pistols. I wish I wouldve had my PA-63 at the time of making this video as an example. Got it a couple months later for $280 and it looked almost unfired. Definitely recommend it to someone who has a makrov itch and doesn't want to pay that much. Only down side is it lacks a slide release and the mag release button is a little awkward but for $280 it's great. Thanks for commenting!

[@catoflado4977]

Where can I find one?

[@papakalashnikov]

I frequently go to local gun stores and pawn shops every week to check for surplus crap lol other than that online. I personally like akfiles.com, it's an AK forum with a marketplace, similar to ebay. You beed to submit a request for an account but it only takes a couple days to be approved, it's to deter scammers.

[@faisalsediq666]

Which one is better in performance?

[@abee3515]

All things equal they are all the same. Heavy trigger pull but very durable. None will ever have a decent trigger. If the gun is in good condition it will fire feed and eject every time. The double action is very heavy but you can thumb the hammer back and fire them all in single action and those are OK. But that's about the best they ever are- generally. Someone will tell you their trigger is slicker than owl snot but these are battle guns not competition shooters. To me if someone is collecting guns it's a must have. The Bulgarians are the cheapest right now but they are rising pretty fast and not much surplus has popped up in a while. The trick is check the pawn shops have a wish list in mind and cross your fingers an importer finds another stash and then buy buy buy.

[@johnnail532]

East German makarov are supposed to be the best- even more desirable than the Russian. Also if you get a Bulgarian makarov and it doesn’t have a circle with a 10 inside of it but instead has a circle with an arrow then it is really a Russian made makarov that was imported from Russia and often stamped with the word Bulgaria. Those are known as Russian “sneaks”

[@باقرالزيادي-ر2غ]

يااخي لايمكن ان يكون اي مكاروف مصنوع في اي دوله هو افضل من المكاروف السوفيتي وبالخصوص ان المانيا وبلغاريا استوردو الفولاذ الاوكراني لصناعة مكاروف عندما كانت اوكرانيا ضمن الجمهوريات الاشتراكية السوفيتيه..فكيف تكون النسخة الالمانيه هي الافضل من مكاروف السفيتي...لايمكن ان يعقل ذلك

[@QaziBarakallah]

Best carry gun in the world.

[@Hunt.47]

Can anyone tell me that if we can shoot 380 bullet through 9 by 18 chambered makarove???

[@ElCineHefe]

You can get a 380 barrel but you'll need the jig to replace it.

[@papakalashnikov]

Short answer is yes. The long answer is 9x18 Makarov is extremely similar to .380ACP and it is considered safe to shoot .380ACP out of a 9x18 pistol. .380ACP is very slightly slimmer and shorter than 9x18. I've shot .380ACP out of my Hungarian PA63 and Bulgarian Makarov very successfully, it even functioned. That being said, it may not function and the casing could even blow out which is never a good thing.

[@tariqbabar4599]

I like it 👍

[@cheesenoodles8316]

The best blow back you can buy.

[@fiazbaba5989]

Very nice pistols....i am from Pakistan...

[@abebayehugetiye6220]

Best pistol