Should I carry/use my Makarov or store it?

So many of those things were brought in, that I doubt any collectors value will ever accrue to them.

The price may goe up due to market supply and demand, but a collectable, NO!

Use the gun for which it was made. Shoot it, and shoot it, and shoot it.

They are as reliable as a rock and will never let you down. Enjoy it.

The Bulgies won't be collectors items, or the rare few that are won't amount to much in dollar value. You're better off shooting it or selling it to someone who will, IMO.

jmm

I think you forgot its a makarov, not a US&S or Singer M1911A1.

I bought my unissued Bulgie for a cheap car gun... but I shot it and I fell in love...

After that I almost wanted to protect from the abuses of daily carry because it was such a shining example of handgun craftsmanship but, like my Sig, it works too damn well not to be used...

Bulgies have no real collector value except a few odd models...The EG's do have value but IMO part of the value is that they are such smooth shooters...

Carry and shoot it or sell it to someone who will treat it the way it should be treated..... carried and shot alot...

It is a military sidearm... it doesn't wanted to be relegated to the darkness of some indescript safe somewhere...

I'll buy it and give it a good home...

Maks....

...were built to be shot, not hidden away as safe queens. Face it, it was designed as a service piece, supposed to face tough times and lots of use.

Not only only do I shoot mine, but its my primary summer CCW piece. Its gotten almost as many rounds through it as some guns I've had 2-3 years longer.

Besides, they're fun

How could you put it away?!?!? I love shooting my MAK. At combat distance I can point shoot and rapid fire shoot my MAK faster than just about any gun I've ever handled. Sweeeeeeet.

Shoot it. If you're really young, the price on these might get up to the $500 range in your lifetime (say if you're 21 now, you'd probably 95 or so by the time it appreciates that much). Shoot it. Treat it well and you'll get a lifetime of service out of it and it might still be collectable.

So many of those things were brought in, that I doubt any collectors value will ever accrue to them.

Click to expand...

I said the same thing about the $25 mum intact Arisaka I bought 20 years ago.
It would go for over $250 now, if gunbroker is to be believed.

But shoot it anyway, there isnothing quite so sad as a safe queen

Shoot it.

Maybe get two

I think in our life time gun control is more a issue than the cost of this or any gun,I beleve that you wont be able to buy`em soon.
With that said why not buy another one now, save one shoot one. I got mine from my brother years ago it`s never jamed never FTF,I`ve learned to trust it, something that i`ve never done befor, that is with a cheep pistol.
As for the derability they hold up like a champ, I`ve put 500+ rounds thru mine this year and i started casting and loading my own for it too, all my loads a hot too boot. Yeaterday it got it`s first cleaning in 2 years I figgered with the rattlers comming out more better not risk a dirty gun

another vote for shooting it. You will miss out on a lot of fun if you store it away. Buy a couple of extra recoil springs to stow away and when the time is right buy a case or two of ammo to stow away. Maybe an extra main spring. But I believe you could shoot that gun all you want and it will keep going for many years.

holy balls.... this might be the first time I have seen a unanimous vote for anything on THR! I agree with everyone else that you should shoot it frequently, although I am tempted to say you should pack it away just to be the lone voice of dissent...

P. S. This may or may not piss a lot of people off, but I am absolutely terrifed of snakes, and seeing a dead one was just fine with me.

Use it

First of all don't be embarrassed if you feel the urge to fondle it. It's okay. Since your pistol is not of the East German variety it probably won't ever be worth a lot of money. It is however a good pistol. If you want a collector get yourself a nice Walther PPK/S but carry your makarov. If yours is like mine it will never let you down. I like com bloc pistols and also highly recommend a good russian, polish or hungarian tokarev in the original 7.62x25.

Bigger Jon,

You should be ashamed of killing that rattler.

You should have taken him home and fattened him up some. Good eating.

I had one, carried it about 50% of the time, the other 50% got divided up between my other pistols. I wish I'd never sold it, but I hope to get another one soon.

Mine came with the commercial black bakelite grips. I replaced it with the "Red Star" grips, and believe it or not, I found those to be more comfortable for shooting than the commercial ones.

Take it out and shoot it!! Carry it (if you have a permit), have a blast!

This is funny. I've found I'm hardly alone in that I purchased a Mak as a "beater gun," then found myself falling in love with it.

It's certainly a neat piece of history, but like ANY gun, it's a tool, and it's meant to be used. The fact that it holds up to regular use is a bonus.

BTW, don't wrap guns in silicone cloth for storage!

You know, those cheap Broomhandles and Lugers are just beaters so go ahead and shoot the heck out of them. History tells us that what is common and cheap today will be rare and expensive tommorow. Some fun examples from my past, a Dasiy VL for $15 bucks that are now selling for $500. An old Webley in 455 that I picked up for $20 bucks that is now worth $600. The FN49's that were selling at about $80 that are now $800. The Russion Makrovs that were selling at $90 a couple of years ago that are now often in the $300 dollar range.

The point is that your Makarov will go up in value as soon as the wholesale shops run out. To that end, go and buy another while they are still reasonable in price, put one aside, and have fun with the other.

There are few guns out there that should not be used, but they are the truly rare. Some that I have owned would be the prototype guns such as the Vickers / Pederson rifle, and the S&W Light Rifle. The reason for not shooting this is if it breaks, there are no replacement parts, and so the gun will be damaged forever.

Again, I would shoot your Makarov, these are a good gun and parts are advailable. Since I am a collector, when guns like these come on the market, I do tend to buy two, one to shoot and one to keep.