New C&R Pistol: Tokarev or Makarov?

[LoganDub8388]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to decide which c&r pistol to buy

I can get a CZ-82 Makarov, in very good condition (other reviews stated that the guns they recieved looked almost brand new) for right at 200, OR a Romainian TTC Tokarev for the same price in similiar condition. I really like the tokarev because the ammo is cheap (like...really cheap) and the cartridge is unique, and i can order additional magazines for it from the same site (jgsales). But the mak looks like something i could carry concealed easily...both look really nice

Btw, this purchase will be a fun range toy, but also for personal protection if need be (although i doubt it would ever need be since i own a glock 22), not to mention a collectors peice...

Opinions??

 

[Doppelganger]

My vote would be for the CZ 82. I have one and it's very accurate, has nice ergonomics and holds 12 rounds in the mag. Ammo is cheaper than .380 and can be found online.

Having said that, the CZ is not a Makarov. It merely shoots the 9x18 Makarov round. It is made in the Czech Republic. Only four countries make or made the Mak: Russia, East Germany, Bulgaria and China.

 

[Funderb]

I vote cz-82, I hear they are pretty good.

 

[Vonderek]

Never shot a Makarov but I love shooting my Tokarev. And as you say, the ammo is cheap (for now). The Tok has a lot going for it..well made, small and flat, similar fieldstripping as a 1911. And the 7.62x25 round is a lot of fun to shoot.

 

[wnycollector]

Get the Tok! the 7.62x25 is an AWESOME cartridge! It is super flat shooting...almost like haveing a laser Plus its dirt cheap to shoot ~ $.09/round.

 

[jon_in_wv]

I carried a Mak as one of my first CCW weapons. It is a great shooter and they are stone cold reliable. The CZ would also be a viable carry piece but I would consider the Tokarev to be more of a curio than a serious carry piece. They are very cool though the the 7.62 cartridge is a mean one.

 

[MrFox]

If looking to buy a pistol for just the C&R aspect, I would have to say go for the tok.

If you want something you can carry, and is C&R, and awesome, go for the CZ-82. I have a holster I got off of ebay for it. While its not the best holster ever, it works and carrys well.

I'm now waiting for my crossbreed to show up

I picked mine out of two surplus cans and paid 180 at a gun show last month.

 

[jonnyc]

As stated above, the CZ82 isn't really a Makarov. If the choice was a REAL Makarov or a Tokarev, I'd go with the Mak. Otherwise, take the Tok.

 

[Retro]

Get both the Makarov and Tokarev... they are designed for different purposes...

Makarov = urban carry. Tokarev = bear country carry. Makarov = trusted by the KGB as a duty pistol. Tokarev = still the preferred carry pistol by the Chinese elite bodyguards for the Communist leaders. Makarov = never fails to extract or feed. Tokarev = same penetrating power as a FN5/7 cartridge but with much greater stopping power. Makarov = cheap. Tokarev = cheaper. Makarov = accurate. Tokarev = can be very accurate if you own a Romanian Tok with a decent barrel.

I love the 7.62 x 25 catridge, and I know only three weapons that fire it, namely CZ52, PHshh submachine gun (spelling?), and Tokarev.

CZ52 has a fatal weakness (slide is weaker near the ball bearings slots), PHsh is hard to come by and it is a bulky submachine gun... Tokarev remains the only sound choice that will reliably fire 7.62 x 25 round. I know early Mauser pistols also did but it is not exactly a 7.62 x 25 cartridge, I remember....

Retro

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

It seems like everyone who owns a Tokarev loves it, especailly the Romanian Tokarevs. Eh, Comrade...

 

[c919]

go with the tokarev. personally iv always liked it more than the mak (which is also a great gun). i have a friend with a tokarev and iv never seen any hiccups out of it, and its a very accurate handgun. plus they are just built to last

 

[krs]

The OP didn't mean to ask about a Makarov pistol, he's just confusing the ammo with the name of the pistol.

The question is CZ-82 or Tokarov.

The CZ is a more refined pistol and has a better feel in hand, but the Tokarov ammo is going dirt cheap these days and the cartridge is about as powerful as a .357 magnum.

The Tokarov being so skinny would be an easy carry, but it's an 8 +1 vs. a 12 + 1.

Some find the Tokarov distinctly unpleasant to shoot. I like it alright but the grip is kinda' small so you should hold tight.

 

[makarovnik]

Tokarev

 

[tactikel]

I held and shot a Tokarev for the first time last week, a guy at the range let me shoot a magazine worth, shot a 1" group at 25 feet. Its a nice auto, and ammo is cheap (for now!).

 

[Keeterbird]

I'm glad that I didn't have to choose. I just got one of each. Love both of them. They are cheap enough to have one of each.

Some days I just love the cheap of the TOK and some days the CZ is great.

Be careful about the 7.62x25. It moves fast. It surely is not a gun for protection If you miss the bad guy you may get the guy next door.

 

[Devilfrog]

My vote is for the CZ-82, I love the one I got from J&G. It is very reliable, isn't picky about ammo and it make a good CCW.

 

[jr45]

Get the TOK. Wolf also make HP rounds in 7.62x25 if you want to use it for CCW. I own two of them and they cycle the HP rounds just fine.

 

[Flash!]

get both and see what YOU like..... for the record, I shoot my Tokarev much more accurately....

 

[-v-]

If you want an every-day carry arm that will be with you 24/7, get the Makarov or CZ82. Both will serve you well. If you want a now-and-then carry gun that's a blast to shoot and has backwoods potential, get the Tokarev, especially the Romanian ones.

 

[BHP FAN]

-V-'s got it right.Icouldn't decide,so I got both.

 

[Hammerhead6814]

CZ-82. It is hands-down the best 9x18 out there right now.

If only I could figure out why the magazines won't hold their 12 rounds. I bought two new 12-rounders from j&g, but they cap at 11 before it's just to hard to get another in.

 

[Gelgoog]

CZ82, its a modern design, very compact, very accurate and is at a very good price right now. The CZ82 wont last on the surplus market much longer, grab one before it jumps several $200 when the surplus market dries up.

 

[harmon rabb]

i have both.

the tokarev is more fun to shoot. the cz-82 punishes the hand. the tokarev, despite shooting a way more powerful round, does not. also, 7.62x25 is a good deal cheaper than 9x18, although both are readily available.

then again, the cz-82 is a modern gun that, god knows how, is c&r. i'm sure it's the 'better' pistol... but it's nowhere near as fun. as others have said, it will feed anything. i've fed mine a steady diet of wolf and some bear something (i forget) and it doesn't care. it's heavy as **** for a small pistol, but it's small, and can be carried.

btw, my cz-82 came from classicarms and was literally brand new, never fired.

so, i guess it depends on what you want it for. for fun at the range? tokarev. hands down. it's not even a question. for something you can carry? the cz-82 is a modern pistol somehow hiding out as a c&r pistol. for home defense? i'd rather have 8 rounds of 7.62x25 than 12 rounds of 9x18...

 

[loop]

I have them both as well as a number of original Maks.

The CZ has features that would cost a hundreds more in any other gun. Just try and name any other gun under $500 that has an ambidextrous safety.

Toks all have aftermarket safeties. The original design did not include a safety.

I carry concealed and am a CCW instructor. I have often carried a CZ82 CCW. I have never carried a Tok except to take it to the range.

Another factor to consider is the Tok sights suck and can't really be upgraded easily.

If you will carry the gun for any kind of self defense purposes I cannot in good conscience recommend a Tok over the CZ. I would tell that same thing to my students.

 

[BBstacker]

If you want one for CCW go with the CZ82. The penatration on a CZ52 or a TT33 can get you in hot water with over penatration. It can penatrate a steel helmet.