In the land of single stack 9's

Is 9mm mak still easy to get? Does it come in a hollow point?

It appears it still is. The mak is a direct blowback.. not generally as comfortable as the delayed blowback. It's a bit heavier. You can get a new keltec, with a lifetime warranty for not that much more than a used mak.

occasionaly, Aim Surplus has them for +/-$220. A friend at work has one. It stays next to his bed. It seems to be capable of being a go to gun. There are better, but at the price of the guns and ammo, why not.

9 Mak costs about double that of 9mm, and half again as much as .380 where I live. If you reload, the RCBS dies cost over $60 which is twice as much as 9mm or .380. In over four years of picking up brass at the local range I've picked up maybe a handful of 9 Maks as compared to thousands of 9mm and .380. That, in turn, means that if I wanted to reload I'm going to also have to buy brass and can't rely on the local range for a supply. Looks like a losing proposition to me, which is why I sold mine.

Go online for ammo, you'll find it's cheaper then 9mm there.
http://www.jgsales.com/ammo-for-handguns-c-25_30.html

If you shoot a lot, you will quickly use up the savings on buying a cheap gun with the expense of costlier ammo. If you like the 9x18 and the gun then it's a great buy but I would prefer a 9x19 which is cheaper to shoot and a more effective round. And there are less expensive guns like the Kel-Tecs so you really aren't saving that much in the first place.

I love shooting my Makarov pistol, it's a joy. I shoot it a lot. I also have an FEG PA-63 and Radom P-64, both chambered in 9x18mm as well. 9x18 ammo is reasonably inexpensive, easy to order, and plentiful.

However, when comparing the Makarov to something like a Kel-Tec PF9 or it's Ruger copy, the Makarov is larger, heavier, and a lot wider. It was designed to be open carried in a military holster and withstand the rigors of the battlefield. YES, it can be carried concealed...but to me it is simply more expedient to 'carry' a modern pistol designed for CC.
The newer polymer frame pistols like the PF9 or LC9 are simply easier to carry and conceal (smaller, lighter, thinner). Not to mention that they are chambered for the more powerful 9x19 cartridge.
Oh yes: brand new, the PF-9 cost me only about $50 more than my old Bulgarian Makarov cost surplus.

Also to consider; the 9x18 isn't much more powerful than the .380acp. In that light, a P3AT, LCP, etc etc would be far smaller and lighter to carry than a Makarov.

But hey, I still love too shoot my pistols chambered in 9x18.

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Last time I checked at the nearest Academy Sports&Outdoors 9x18 was running about a dollar less then the cheapest brass cased 9x19. Not alot of selection bullet wise though. I guess it all depends on where you are.

Eh. 9 x 18 mm ammo is cheap, true, but there's not a great selection of self-defense ammo for it. Also, the direct blowback action seems to me like it increases felt recoil. And the Makarov is small, but there are 9mm Parabellum guns that are smaller and subjectively more comfortable to shoot.

Now it's definatly not a precison accuracy pistol, it's a belly gun thats cheap, reliable and easily hidden.
Is it overlooked by the general population as a viable alternative to a new wonder mini 9?

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Well, the Makarovs are great pieces of 20th Century history to own, and are definitely a serviceable pistol, but the Makarovs weight puts them in the same class as the subcompact and compact Glocks, and all the other pistols available in that weight and size class. And they are superior fighting weapons to the Makarov, because they are commercially produced pistols that draw on up to 120 years of life experience with autoloading pistols.
And they are significantly more powerful, the range of ordinarily encountered loadings puts it in a very desireable position, where a 9mm bullet can be designed to both expand well and penetrate well, where the .380 and 9mm Mak force designers to choose between no expansion

Averageman said:

It's ironic to me that so many single stack mini 9's have become suddenly popular and we have stacks of Makarov's @ $200 a pop everywhere you look.
Now it's definatly not a precison accuracy pistol, it's a belly gun thats cheap, reliable and easily hidden.
Is it overlooked by the general population as a viable alternative to a new wonder mini 9?

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Having had one I would buy Ruger LC9 instead. The 9x18 was appealing when surplus Makarov pistols were $120 and ammo was "dirt cheap".

The Star BKM has been around for a long time.

Averageman said:

Well, the Makarovs are great pieces of 20th Century history to own, and are definitely a serviceable pistol, but the Makarovs weight puts them in the same class as the subcompact and compact Glocks, and all the other pistols available in that weight and size class. How is a G26 cmparable in size and weight to a Makarov?And they are superior fighting weapons to the Makarov, because they are commercially produced pistols that draw on up to 120 years of life experience with autoloading pistols.
I dont care if we compare them to any commercially produced weapon, but to be fair I think similar Guns such as the Mak and LC9 aren't fighting guns, but a last ditch weapon. Hopefully that isn't all of the gun you bring to a gun fight.
Ammo selection is certainly limited almost completely to ball ammo, but at bad breath range is that an issue?
Lets face it when it comes to subcompact pistols it isn't my first choice by far, but is certainly overlooked for lesser more modern flavors of the weak.

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You forgot one bit of info. Used PM magazines are about $30 a piece if you can find them.
With what is available out there there is little reason to buy Makarov nowadays. It's about same size as S&W CS45.

I want a Makarov and some dies just so I can shoot one a lot. "Better pistol," "better round" be damned.
I love the way they look, and the one time I got to shoot one it felt awesome. The fact that I could actually conceal one makes it a pretty darned good pistol in my book.

Subcompact pistols chambered in 9mm Luger are more popular than all other 9mm variants chiefly because the people who want a small SD pistol in many cases already have a larger 9mm pistol, thus they already have ammo or reload 9mm Luger.

That, and 9mm Luger ammo is ubiquitous.

Subcompact 9s lose a good bit of velocity compared to their full sized counterparts.

The Makarov and CZ 82 are both accurate, reliable guns with good triggers.

I've never paid more than $10.00 for Makarov mags. I don't know where people are getting them for $30.00, but they're getting ripped off.
I bought quite a few mags for mine a few years ago.

I buy ammo for no more than $15.00 a box, locally.

Would I rather trust my life to a Mak than to a 44 or 45? No.
Would I rather carry my Mak than my .45? Yep.

My Mak and CZ82 are also both more comfortable to shoot than my Kel Tec P3AT.
Plus, the longer barrel yields higher velocity.

Jaymo said:

Would I rather trust my life to a Mak than to a 44 or 45? No.
Would I rather carry my Mak than my .45? Yep.

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Then you ARE choosing to trust your life to a .380 magnum.

Me, my bottom line is 9x19, even tho good guns for it cost more. I figure my family and I are worth it.

I made the choice a little while back to eliminate the Makarov from my lineup. It is a fine weapon, super reliable, easy to shoot, accurate, and I respect the Makarov a lot. However, for its size and weight, it did not stack up against the S&W 3914 & 3913 that I have. The S&W's are just as reliable, accurate, and equally concealable, but more powerful, and maybe a little more ergonomic. Since I reload, 9mm Luger ammo is cheaper than Russian steel case, NC current ammo, and there are a hundred more high performance loadings for 9mm Luger than 9mm Mak if commercial ammo is to be used.

It's ironic to me that so many single stack mini 9's have become suddenly popular and we have stacks of Makarov's @ $200 a pop everywhere you look.
Now it's definatly not a precison accuracy pistol, it's a belly gun thats cheap, reliable and easily hidden.
Is it overlooked by the general population as a viable alternative to a new wonder mini 9?

Click to expand...

Yup, and load your belly gun up with a clip of dum dums and you can blow a hole the size of your fist through him.

But seriously, the Makarov was designed as a combat pistol and served for longer than almost any other pistol in that capacity. Its capable of great accuraccy and is one of the most reliable combat pistols ever made. I think calling it a "belly gun" is a little on the silly side.

If you put aside the caliber wars, the posturing, and the gee my weapon is cooler stuff, and you have a weapon that is super tough, superbly reliable, accurate, and with enough power to be deadly in the Makarov. I'm sure more than one Russian, Bulgarian, Chinese, etc...... soldier would tell you they trusted their life to it just fine. All things being equal is a more powerful round better? Yes, but none of the 45s I've had were better shooters or more capable than my Makarov.

I like the the old 9x18 guns but the new nines offer various advantages.

As others have stated 9x19 is a superior round. It is more powerful and even more importantly comes in many more quality SD loads. It is also a round that can be purchased everywhere.

The single stack nines are also available in arguably superior platforms. Take a CW9 for example. It is roughly nine ounces lighter, that's not insignificant. It is smaller in every dimension. It has roughly the same capacity. The Mak is blow back and as such has IMHO more felt recoil. It also can be bought for $350 new.

A Glock 26 is not much bigger and is lighter than a mak.

For a hundred or a couple hundred dollars more I'd buy the gun I really want. A Mak is a serviceable gun though and a good value. Not my first choice though.

I don't know that anyone would choose a Mak over any number of modern, purpose designed concealed carry guns. However, economic reality being what it is, it is a very good low cost option, and that it happens to be one with some historical cachet makes it even better.

As far as ammo expense, that cost can be spread out over time, which while actually more expensive certainly doesn't feel more expensive. A Glock (for example), while not exactly expensive, is a much larger one time outlay and therefore a much harder purchase to make. The much smaller initial outlay makes the Mak very attractive to people who just want a functional pistol and don't want to crank out a (relative) ton of money.

It's not my first choice, and there are other inexpensive options out there, but the Mak isn't a bad choice at all.

I agree with the last two posts. Mak is not a bad choice (I have two 9x18 pistols) but there are better choices in a better caliber. And what's a couple hundred dollars when you are talking about it's intended purpose.

I carry a Makarov in 9MM Mak on occassion, but I also carry a Beretta M85FS .380, so consider the Mak to be in the same class regarding caliber.

I agree that there are better choices for CCW in 9MM Luger, like the Walther PPS. However, I would not, and do not hesitate to rely on the Makarov. It always goes bang, and hits where you point it.

From my personal experience I can list a few reasons why I would choose the Makarov over several of the other pistols I've owned regardless of caliber.

1. Reliability. I've owned several "modern" pistols that were not 100% reliable. My Makarov has gone bang every single time I've pulled the trigger.
2. Accuracy. It's at least as accurate as any other defensive pistol I've had and more accurate than most.
3. Size. It is all steel and a nice chunk of weapon for its caliber but it is also very slim and easy to carry.
4. Cost. At its price point there are VERY few guns you can buy that can hold a candle to it.

Now my everyday carry gun for the past few years has been a M&P 9C and the past few months I have gravitated towards carrying my 3913 and I wouldn't choose the Makarov over either but I wouldn't feel undergunned carrying the Mak either.