Bulgy Mak

Advertised as "excellent" condition and comes with a magazine matched to the gun, a military leather holster, and a spare black grip. I also ordered another magazine with it.

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The one I brought looked like it has never been shot. It has a little wear on the one side of the slide that probably came from spending it's entire life in the cardbox box it came in.

Anybody own a Bulgarian Makarov?

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Yes. I brought mine from AIM Surplus.

Are they good guns? I hear they are reliable pistols. I also ordered a sticky holster for it and plan to carry it.

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The Mak is to the Ruskies as what the 1911 is to Americans. It is well designed, reliable handgun that has withstood the test of time.

For American tastes the 9x18 is on the weak side although it compares very favorably to the .380.

I carry FMJ ammunition all of mine 9x18's for deeper penetration. A friend carries JHP's in his for expansion. We both feel we are well served by our choices.

I own a Russian Mak and my dad owns a Bulgarian. Fun pistols to shoot, and very sturdy. Relatively low recoil and a good fit for my hands (on the smaller side)

I've owned mine for ~ 20 years and it's still going strong without a single problem, my dad's gun is the same, not a single issue. I use it for concealed carry and as a range toy also.

I am seriously considering buying another one for a spare.

YMMV

I am a big fan of the Bulgarian Makarovs. I owned and carried a commercial Arsenal for several years, only replacing it when I got good deals on two 80's production military surplus ones with some "experience". One of them will be going in my GHB with three mags of hot euro FMJ.

Enjoy!

Very nice, you are going to like it.
Some of these old Maks may need a new main spring mine did. I use a Wolff #19 recoil spring and I like it.
Make sure the firing pin channel is clean.
Will you be reloading for it?

I bought mine at a gun show in December of 2014. Excellent condition, with only a bit of holster wear near the muzzle tip.

Someone had drifted the rear sight slightly to the right. I shot it that way and, lo and behold, it hit right where I wanted it to. I'm left-handed but have been shooting right-eyed (only recently switching to left eye as my vision changes with age.)

I really like the gun. I already had one from FEG in .22LR, and had always been impressed with its rock-solid, deeply-finished construction. I've carried the Makarov now and then, but stopped only because I'd rather it not end up in some evidence locker somewhere when my PF-9 could be there instead. It's also fueled a further interest in acquiring some more Commie-Bloc stuff, and I have since gotten a CZ 70 and a Romanian TTC.

That P64 you disliked so much is next on the list..

My one and only PM is a Bulgarian from Top Gun Supply, in what looked like new un-issued condition. It is a lot of fun to shoot, accurate and seems totally reliable. The blued finish was remarkable to me, very well balanced and handy. It's just cool.

J&G is within walking distance from me. It's all I can do to stay out of that place. I have to put on blinders as I go by. ;-)

My only whine about Maks is that the front sight is hard to see. Fortunately, they point well.

Are these about the same size as a Bersa Thunder?

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Pretty close.

Picked up 3 of them about 16-17 years ago. With shipping and FFL fees they came out to $125 each. All of them were in excellent shape, with one of them showing no import markings. Great little pistols.

Pearce makes grips for Maks that will make shooting yours more pleasant, but will compromise concealability somewhat.

Well I shot my buddy's Polish P-64 the other day. What a brutal little gun! Plenty of pop (not in a good way) with slide bite and a double action trigger from hell.

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I agree. It is my least favorite 9x18 also.

I've owned mine for ~ 20 years and it's still going strong without a single problem, my dad's gun is the same, not a single issue. I use it for concealed carry and as a range toy also.

I am seriously considering buying another one for a spare.

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Ditto. I subscribe to the Two is One way of thinking.

They are great guns. I have had a Russian Makarov for 25 years and it has never once malfunctioned.

Guess I am strange, I love my P64. Can't believe that people think it has too much recoil, it's nothing. Yes, the DA trigger is heavy so don't shoot it DA. Well made and amazingly I shoot mine pretty well even though I can barely see the microscopic sights.




I bought this Bulgarian Makarov used from a friend about a year and a half ago. I love how it looks but sadly, I don't shoot it particularly accurately, I should shoot it better than my P64, but don't. Cool history and quite appealing, I would get one, I'll be keeping this one and hopefully learning how to shoot it more accurately.

Discard the hard plastic grips and purchase a new rubber Pearce grip made for the Makharov. I guarantee an improvement in accuracy and comfort !

I love my Bulgarian Makharov and carry it IWB when not packing my Browing Hi-Power 9x19.

Sorry, but I'm a fan of the first DA pull on DA/SA guns.

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Same here. I am sad the industry has moved away from this action

There are still plenty of DA/SA guns in production for those of us who like such things. Beretta, CZ, H&K, SIG...

Cooldill, I have had a Bersa Thunder 380 for longer than I've had the Mak. The two are indeed close in size, and similar in action, though the Makarov's trigger is a bit stiffer, especially in DA mode. The Bersa, having an aluminum frame, is noticeably lighter. Assuming you carry on the belt, you'll likely not have an issue with the weight difference. The Bersa's sights are far easier to pick up thanks to the three-dot paint. The Bakelite grips on the Makarov are thinner than the plastic ones on the Bersa, so that may offer an edge in concealability.

Oh, don't forget the European-style magazine release; that will present a bit of a learning curve should you be inclined to train for rapid reloads..

What the heck. How about a picture of my 9x18 family. The Mak fits perfectly in the middle would you not agree.

I replaced my P64 hammer spring with a reduced rate one from Wolff. Now the DA pull is stiff but bearable. SA is quite nice. Before, you needed gorilla arms or a can of spinach to operate. I've shot hundreds of rounds since, and have had no misfires. I like the little pistol very much.

I also have 2 Maks. The CZ82 and P64. Took both out yesterday and shot up a box of Brown Bear ammo. I agree the Little one has too much recoil and too little grips. I'll have to chronograph the little devil to see where the recoil comes from.

I like my Bulgarian Makarov ($115 years ago) but I don't understand why people pay near the price of a new budget doublestack 9mm for a surplus single stack 9x18. I know history has some value, but to me there is not much history "value" in the Makarov. That said, it's an enjoyable pistol to own and shoot. Mine has never failed.