East german makarov

Looks like a great example of a Makarov to me. The stenciled S/N might have been applied by the end user: law enforcement, military, whatever, when a slide from one gun was mated with another gun's frame. It doesn't affect your gun in any significant adverse way, as a matter of fact, makes it a more interesting and unique example, IMO. East German Makarovs are the Makarov "cream of the crop."

Looks like someone back in E Germany wanted to make sure the slide always found its way back to the correct frame.

They normally have a more *formal* frame number above the grip but as I recall - they all have it.

Todd.

My EG Frame has the frame number above the grip but in the same format as on the slide.

My guess is that a some time in EG the slide was replaced and the marking on yours added.

I have an EG JP Sauer 38h that was also reworked sometime post war and is stamped with two different Star Burst stampings and also all parts matching except the breech block that carries a different number.

wiscoaster

East German Makarovs are the Makarov "cream of the crop."

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My brother has an East German Makarov and I would have to agree that from his and other ones I have seen, the East German ones were very well built and finished. Quite comparable in overall quality to a number of U.S. handgun manufacturers.

I've had both German and Bulgarian. Many Bulgarians came new or LNIB and were nice. German's were usually used with some bluing wear.
All shot without ever a failure for me.

When the Russians overran the Balkans and eastern Europe at the end of WWII, They 'remanufactured' many of the German guns. VoPo Lugers were/are mismatched Russian recreations. They carried on this practice of mix & match until the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The Makarov's in question, were made in Bulgaria and E.Germany after WWII and copied from the original Russian Mak. Nothing different other than sights.

ulflyer said:

The Makarov's in question, were made in Bulgaria and E.Germany after WWII and copied from the original Russian Mak. Nothing different other than sights.

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My Bulgarian and East German Makarovs appear to have identical sights, front and rear. The German has electro matrix numbers on frame and slide. My Russian IJ-70 Makarov has an adjustable rear sight, I believe to meet import requirements. The front sight looks exactly like the other two.

The original Russian military issue Mak had fixed sights and today gets a premium price over the adjustable sight version.

Here's a Hickok 45 video of the military Russian Mac. Sights look to be identical to the Bulgarian and E. German.