East German vs Bulgarian Makarovs

[Richard]

I know there is a certain snob appeal about owning East German Makarovs. How do I know this? I own one. Are the EG maks actually any better than the Bulgie Maks? I also own a Bulgie Mak and the only real difference I see is EG Mak has the edge in finish. My Bulgie shoots every bit as well as my EG. What is your opinion? Regards, Richard

 

[denfoote]

The design and manufacturing methods for Pistolet Makarova were standardized within the Eastern Bloc. There should be none or very little difference, like final finish and bluing!! I detect some machining marks on the Bulgarians, but that is all and it does not effect the performance!! It was a combat pistol!!

Even the Chinese Type 59 (Which is still issued, BTW) has good fit and finish. As to how it shoots, compared to the others, I will never know. It sits in it's original box, unfired as part of my collection!!

 

[Mike Irwin]

My experience is contrary to that, quite a bit contrary to that.

The basic design of the weapon was standardized across the Combloc, but the finishing was up to the individual nation.

Case in point, Soviet vs Yugoslavian SKS rifles. Same basic design, but where's the grenade launcher on the Soviet gun?

My admittedly limited experience with the Makarov is that there is also quite a bit of variation in the fit & finish between nations.

My Father has a Russian military Mak that is pretty crudely finished.

A friend has an East German that is, quite frankly, finished almost up to Western Standards.

A Chinese Mak I've seen (don't know if it was surplus military or not) was somewhere in between.

I'm looking at a Bulgarian Mak right now, and F&F is adequate.

 

[CZ-75]

Just don't buy Bulg. "Arsenal" maks.

 

[Ed Ely]

Try this -

www.makarov.com

 

[JohnMc]

Case in point, Soviet vs Yugoslavian SKS rifles. Same basic design, but where's the grenade launcher on the Soviet gun?

Yugoslavia wasn't 100% in-line with the rest of the Combloc, Tito went his own way on a lot of stuff.

JohnMc

 

[swingcatt]

Seen no diffs between EG and Bulgies in the operation or reliability departments. Superiority only becomes apparent when judging appearances.

SC

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Yugoslavia wasn't 100% in-line with the rest of the Combloc, Tito went his own way on a lot of stuff."

That's true, and also true of the Czechs, as well.

The truth of the matter, though, is that for Warsaw Pact weapons only the calibers were standardized, the weapons were not, and standards of fit and finish were not, either.

 

[9x19]

Aesthtically speaking, the East Germans are usually better than the Bulagrians, and both are most always better than the Russian Commercial, whose poorly finished frame (and cheaper slide stop) puts it in third place. I don't have a military Russian, or a Chinese Mak to make that comparison.

Performance wise, in my experience with my samples, there isn't enough difference to worry with. All need better sights for me to be really happy with them.

Since all it takes is adding a better front sight to the Russian, in order to have a very usable sight picture, it is probably my favorite right now.

I have two Russian commercial models, one in .380 and one in 9x18 and they are both fun and accurate.

My second Bulgarian (which harbors a .380 barrel at this time) is scheduled for Novak sights soon. I haven't decided whether I will modify my only E. German.

FWIW

 

[denfoote]

Just don't buy Bulg. "Arsenal" maks

I dunno!!! Mine works just fine!!!!!

 

[Country Boy]

East German Maks are C&R eligible, Bulgies aren't, FWIW.

 

[Akurat]

Just don't buy Bulg. "Arsenal" maks.

As opposed to??
Most of the "Arsenal" Maks are simply military pistols re-finished and rollmarked for export.

 

[JohnMc]

That's true, and also true of the Czechs, as well.

True, true!
That's why we can get Feg's and Cz-83's that shoot 9x18 Mak. Yet more items to add to the old collection!?!

Although, of the two, I'd gravitate toward the Cz...

JohnMc

 

[Zip06]

Richard - Your experience with the EG and Bulgie are the same as mine; they shoot about the same. I have 2 EG's, a Bulgie and a Soviet Military model. Only difference I have noted is that the Bulgie's trigger smooths out more with use than any of the rest.

 

[agony]

I love the EG Makarov, as it has a better finish, and mine has a better trigger. Especially noticeable in DA.

However my sweetest shooting Mak is a commercial Arsenal Bulgie with the parkerized finish. I replaced the crappy grips with Pearce Grips and it is a great shooter. Very accurate, even more so than the EG, IJ70 or milsurp Maks in my safe.

 

[gino]

I've got an EG, a Milsurp Bulgie, and an Asenal Bulgie.

The Arsenal gun shoots as well as the others.
The EG has better F&F and trigger.
The Milsurp Bulgie seems to be in the middle F&F wise.

All pretty good guns.

 

[alamo]

My EG DA trigger was MUCH better than my unissued Bulgarian trigger. 220 rounds and 2,000+ dryfires did not seem to have any noticeble impact on it either. I finally put a grinding wheel on my dremel and followed the advice of someone who had done this on several Maks - I ground off some of the metal on the sides of the DA "prong" of the mainspring, then smoothed it out and re-blued it. It lightened the DA trigger quite a bit, as it was 13+ lbs. initially. I used my EG Mak as a guide. I would grind for awhile, reassemble and compare the DA trigger to the EG Mak and go at it again. Tested it, worked fine with 3 different types of ammo.

 

[tech]

My EG's look better.
My Bulgie shoots better.

I'll keep em all


Mike

 

[oweno]

Thanks for the posting, Tech, I've got the exact same experience and I thought it was me.