MedWheeler
Member
Picked up a Makarov pistol at a gun show this past weekend, and have a question about it.
My impression of the import regulations regarding firearms is that they must bear certain markings from both their manufacturers, and their importers. Among those are the country of manufacturer, the manufacturer itself, the importer's name and location, the gun's model (if any) and caliber, and a serial number applied by the importer if none is provided by the maker (or if the maker's doesn't meed requirements, such as if it uses non-Roman or non-Arabic characters.)
My gun has the circled number 10, indicating Bulgarian manufacture, but does not actually bear the name "Bulgaria" that I can see. It's importer (PW Arms) and their location, as well as the caliber, are marked on the right side of the frame.
On the left side of the frame is that circled 10, followed by a serial number in the following format: the Cyrillic letters И and М, a two-digit number, and a three-digit number. That's it for the frame. This serial number is duplicated on the left side of the slide as well.
There are no other markings visible on the assembled pistol, and I have not yet disassembled it. Is it likely there are other markings that are hidden?
I expect this to be a sturdy and reliable pistol, and I do intend to make a shooter of it(once I find some ammo.) It is in good condition, with some light holster wear near the muzzle end of the lower slide, and some miniscule nicks in the wooden grips. The bore appears pristine. The rear sight appears to have been drifted slightly to right of center.
The gun is well-oiled, and very clean. As best as I can tell from the guides at the Makarov.com site, it was manufactured in 1979. Sale price was $275 OTD. I remember them being significantly less than that in recent years, but I expect that it will not be long before they're going for significantly more, and I'll still have this one, so I'm not worried about what I paid.
So, Mak-gurus, what say you? Who's carrying one?
My impression of the import regulations regarding firearms is that they must bear certain markings from both their manufacturers, and their importers. Among those are the country of manufacturer, the manufacturer itself, the importer's name and location, the gun's model (if any) and caliber, and a serial number applied by the importer if none is provided by the maker (or if the maker's doesn't meed requirements, such as if it uses non-Roman or non-Arabic characters.)
My gun has the circled number 10, indicating Bulgarian manufacture, but does not actually bear the name "Bulgaria" that I can see. It's importer (PW Arms) and their location, as well as the caliber, are marked on the right side of the frame.
On the left side of the frame is that circled 10, followed by a serial number in the following format: the Cyrillic letters И and М, a two-digit number, and a three-digit number. That's it for the frame. This serial number is duplicated on the left side of the slide as well.
There are no other markings visible on the assembled pistol, and I have not yet disassembled it. Is it likely there are other markings that are hidden?
I expect this to be a sturdy and reliable pistol, and I do intend to make a shooter of it(once I find some ammo.) It is in good condition, with some light holster wear near the muzzle end of the lower slide, and some miniscule nicks in the wooden grips. The bore appears pristine. The rear sight appears to have been drifted slightly to right of center.
The gun is well-oiled, and very clean. As best as I can tell from the guides at the Makarov.com site, it was manufactured in 1979. Sale price was $275 OTD. I remember them being significantly less than that in recent years, but I expect that it will not be long before they're going for significantly more, and I'll still have this one, so I'm not worried about what I paid.
So, Mak-gurus, what say you? Who's carrying one?
