I just got a Mak!

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firestar

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I finally found a Mak for sale at a reasonable price. I have been wanting one for several months but they were hard to find.

It is a Bulg Mak with 2 mags, cleaning rod and two sets of grips. At first it looked rusty but I didn't have time to really check it out so I bought it with the understanding that it was going to be a beater car gun and the light surface rust should come off with cleaning. It turns out that what looked like rust was grease and after a quick clean, it was clear that it was never fired! So now I have a new Mak that I am not sure if I want to leave in my car to get rusty.:banghead:

It looks really nice with a deep even blue and no machining marks except for some under the safety. There are two tiny specks of rust but otherwise it is like new. The trigger is decent and should only get better with use. I am very happy with the condition and price. I will shoot it ASAP and give a short range report. It feel great in my hand with the thumb rest grips but I will probably put some Pearce grips on it as soon as I can.
 
Congratulations! Makarov pistols require a minimum of maintenance, and they seem to function flawlessly with most ammo, including 95 grain Russian Hollow Points. You might want to avoid Silver Bear or Brown Bear, I can't recall which, as these seem to have recurring quality control problems. Ammo is cheap, and is best bought in bulk off the internet.

The Makarov is slightly more powerful than the .380 ACP, so it would meet the bare minimum for a self defense caliber. Many more knowledgeable than I claim that the 9mm Makarov misses the cut, and should only be used for self-defense if nothing better is available or affordable. The Makarov's trigger is better than its reputation. The double action trigger is a little rough but becomes much smoother with use. The single action trigger on my EG is very good, much more than adequate for a defensive pistol.
 
I HAVE A BULGARIAN MAK. came with the holster and spare magazine.....cleaning rod.... nice little camping, woods gun or fishing trips. i really like the flap holster, keeps it protected when pushing through a thickett. it can double as a primary defensive arm against subhumans if its 100% reliable. mine is, and for 165 bucks, you cant beat it.
 
firestar,

Sounds like a good find. We told you that you'd like the Mak once you bought one :p

"So now I have a new Mak that I am not sure if I want to leave in my car to get rusty"

I had the same problem. I had a like new Mak, and I didn't feel good about carrying it and messing up the pretty finish. But then I realized that the Mak won't do me any good in the safe. So I carry it, and have been slowly but surely doing bad things to the finish. It doesn't look so new anymore :(

I plan to atone for this by adopting a second Makarov when I have the $, and keeping it looking good. It will probably spend most of it's time in the safe.

I'd also like to get a 3rd Makarov to convert to .32 NAA just for the heck of it, but again, I don't have the money to buy a bunch of Makarovs right now. Got to pay for school and I've also got an elk hunting trip coming up that I need to pay for...

http://www.makarov.com/32naa/index.html
 
Welcome to the club!

I think you'll really like your Mak. Mine has been 100% reliable with Barnaul 95 grain ball, so far the only ammo I've run through it. It's also surprisingly accurate.
 
No have a blast we all have our interest. Some like obsolete military weapons. I tried the russian thing and just never cared for the the lower quality compared to western standards. I still would not carry a pocket pistol the size of a belt gun. But if its a plinker thats great.
Pat
 
Here we go again...

".. Some like obsolete military weapons. I tried the russian thing and just never cared for the the lower quality compared to western standards..."

Pat, what quality are you talking about? Of display gun or workhorse?All Soviet block countries had AK-47 and Makarovs, do you think they were less conserned about quality of the side weapons than you are?
for many many years I thought of Makarovs as of piece of ... you know what ;) because I had nothing to compare with and I wanted to see western quality guns so badly... Oh, I forgot to mention I was born in USSR... When my dream came true and I was able to see, to try, to buy, to carry... I recalled Makarov. And got one. And it is not a nostalgia :) But qualities of the gun - durability, simplicity, reliability,etc.
What do you think about AK-47, SKS, Dragunov rifle? Just curious..
 
If only pat owned a Kel-Tec P-32...

END

I fired one. Seemed like a reliable gun. I did not like the dao trigger. Only problem is I can't carry due to department mandate for 380 or 38 special or bigger. Plus I am not a 32 acp fan even as a back up.

SNIP
I recalled Makarov. And got one. And it is not a nostalgia But qualities of the gun - durability, simplicity, reliability,etc.
What do you think about AK-47, SKS, Dragunov rifle? Just curious..
END

I am sure the Maks are reliable. My issues are with the sights, trigger and mostly the caliber. I have owned several AK's because the price was right. I don't care for sheet metal and wood that looks like it just got chopped down. They just are not my cup of tea. I must prefer the AR15 series of weapons. The Dragunov seems like an ok rifle but 1.5 moa for a sniper weapon seems like too low of a standard. I would not want one. The SKS is not something I like but I think is a good rifle for the financially impaired. It will work as a home defense rifle or as a deer killer for very little money. It seems that many here feel the mak is an ok gun for ccw. Thats fine. I don't its a free country. Its you that will have to be confident in your equipment not me.
Pat
 
I have been sort of dumping on the Maks because the only Maks I have seen were Russian and they were rather crude with really bad triggers. The Bulgarian Maks seem much nicer than the Russian ones I have seen. The one I just got doesn't really strike me as crude or cheap, it just seems simple and business-like.

It does feel solid and a little heavy for its size but I didn't buy it as a CCW, I bought it as a car gun or coat pocket gun for the winter. The fact that it is a DA/SA is a huge plus in my book when considering a defense gun. Also, the reputation that the Mak has for reliability (and accuracy) really made me want to try one out. There is so much talk about them that I just had to try it for myself. I don't know if I like it or not as a shooter (haven't shot it yet) but I am pleased with the quality and overall feel of the gun so far.
 
Hey look, a European gun as reliable as a Glock/Sig/H&K at 1/3 the price!

Firestar, my EG Mak (named the Knife) is my first handgun. It gave me such a positive experience and turned me onto shooting. I will never part with it. You'll find yours a keeper too. Makarov and jam just don't appear in the same sentence. Normally, reliable and inexpensive are mutually exclusive qualities. Not so with the Pistolet Makarova.

2 "faults"

Hard racking effort due to heavy recoil spring necessitated by blowback design.

Solution: Hit the gym

Tiny sights

Solution: Avoid 100 yard shots
;)
 
"What kind of accuracy are you getting from your mak at 25 yards. "

I'm too ashamed to tell you, I'm not so good with handguns at that distance. Up close (7 yards) I do pretty well, but I need more practice at longer ranges. I know the problem is me an not the gun, because when I let other people shoot my Mak they always do better than I do...

I'm really much better with rifles than I am with handguns.
 
Congratulations on your new Mak!! :D

Pat,
It's been a long time since I fired any of my Maks. I own them mainly for a collection, so I don't fire them much. As I remember, one of my DDR specimens posted between three and four inches at 25 yards. Given the admittedly minuscule sighting system, that is pretty durn good!!! :D
 
Hard racking effort due to heavy recoil spring necessitated by blowback design.

Solution: Hit the gym

Tiny sights

Solution: Avoid 100 yard shots
END

Sights mean a lot to me and not just for long range shooting. I am a firm believer in sighted fire. I am also of the opinion that night sights and a flash light are a must have not a option. Good sights allow good hits so long as your up to it. Again I would add anemic caliber to the list of faults. If the mak were a little 9x19 it would truly not be that bad.

4 inches at 25 yards is not bad with this type of pistol. It may well be a fun plinker.

Pat
 
I finally found a Mak for sale at a reasonable price. I have been wanting one for several months but they were hard to find.
Click to expand...

What did you end up paying for it?

I've been tasked with finding one for my brother while he's oversees (hi Tom!). MY last one was $136, governor's cut and everything, a couple years ago. Best I've spotted now is $179 for a Bulgarian, 2 mags, w/ tool, still in Cosmoline. I'm thinking of trying to talk them down to ~$150.
 
What did you end up paying for it?
Click to expand...

$165 but I also got the guy to toss in a $10 box of S&B 9x18 ammo.:D That is a good deal around here. Once I cleaned off the Cosmo, I saw that is was never fired and had quite a nice blue job.:D Another shop had one that had been cleaned off for $199+tax so I made out O.K.

S.O.G. has them for $129.99 but after shipping and FFL fees, it works out to about the same price and you take a chance of getting a beat up gun instead of a new one.
 
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