Price check: Makarov PM

[Ninja42]

A buddy of mine have a Makarov that he wishes to sell, and I might be interested if the price is right. But what is the right price for such a Mak? If the guns origin is a factor, it has been in service with the Serbian army during the civil war, but I dont know where it was actually fabricated.

The blueing is a little worn, but overall the gun appears to be in fine condition, but I have not yet had a chance to do a closer inspection. Is there anything that I should look out for?

 

[grimjaw]

Your location lists Scandinavia, so it will be hard for me to say in your market what's a fair price; I could only tell you about prices in the US.

A Serbian-made Makarov PM here would definitely be rare, if they were actually made there at all.

If it was produced somewhere else and merely marked by the Serbs, still a bit of a higher price, depending on manufacturer. For instance, in this country Russian-produced military Makarov PMs command a higher price than Bulgarian versions of the same gun.

You might try the Makarov forum on www.gunboards.com.

jm

 

[alamo]

There are no Serbian made Makarovs. It has to be Russian (most likely), Bulgarian or E. German. The Chinese made some too but that is unlikely in this case.

See this link:

http://www.makarov.com/makfaq.html

 

[finnerandr]

If it is a Russian PM version, they go for around $400-450 in this area. Bulgarian is around $250 or so. E German $350. Havent seen any Chinese in this area, so cant comment on those. If it has the adjustable sights then it is a commercial model and will only be worth about $200-250 in this area.

 

[Ninja42]

Neat! Thanks a lot guys.. I just might become a Makarov owner some time next week

 

[tatters]

I remember when I bought mine.... $135.00 OTD just a few years ago. They have dried up and gotten expensive.

 

[Moonclip]

Let us know what if any special markings this gun has on it and what you ended up having to pay in USD. Is 9x18Makarov ammunition easily available i your country?

 

[Ninja42]

The 9x18 makarov is avaliable, but VERY difficult to find legally. I will have more luck finding ammo (and magazines, and makarov pistols..) in the average bar around here than I will in a dedicated gun shop. Permissions for this kind of weapon is VERY hard to get, so people who for some reason cant own their makarovs any more will often have to either hand in their guns to the police for destruction, or sell them illegally.

The limited number of (legal) makarovs combined with the virtually non-existant number of other uses for the 9x18M round has made the legal kind of 9x18M very rare. But it dosent matter, I was going to oil up the gun and save it for when the zombies attack anyway, as I am not willing to buy my ammo illegally.

Also, I didnt get the gun. I found out that the peice was a wartime souvenir, and that it was unregistered, so the guy will have to dispose of it else where The penalties for getting caught with an illegal firearm is just too severe. I didnt get the chance to take a second look at the markings either.

 

[Moonclip]

Wartime souvenier? Wow! I'd love to hear that story. If you come across another one, a .380acp/9mm kurz barrel could be fitted.

 

[Ninja42]

The story was not as interesting as it may sound. The guy is a former MP sergent who were stationed in Kosovo as a NATO peacekeeper, and during his time there got to confiscate this gun from a supposedly former Serbian officer during what I have been told was a rather dramatic house search. He decided to keep the weapon as a reminder of that day, and managed to sneak it back home undetected. After a while however, the gun has started to make him feel uncomfortable, and he has started asking around for someone to give it a good home.

I would have done it if it was even remotely legal, but the worng people find out that I am in posession of such a weapon, I would loose my firearms license for the rest of my life, and that is not something I would like to happen

 

[Tom Servo]

Southern Scandinavia, and the country had troops in Kosovo, so I'm guessing Denmark.

I haven't been there in years, but IIRC, 9x18 wouldn't be available through mainstream channels, only military ammunition. There have always been alot of PMs floating around in Western Europe, but not above the table, so to speak. Most (former) Eastern Bloc countries still have tons of them, though. Most are Bulgarian or Russian, as collectors have snapped up most of the (legal) East German ones.

Denmark has some pretty strict laws these days, requiring membership in a shooting or hunting club, much like Germany. I've no idea as to the penalties, but I wouldn't risk it.

If you're putting down Zombies, I'd stick with a rifle anyhow. Just remember, don't ever set zombies on fire. It doesn't kill them, and you're just left with a flaming, angry zombie.

 

[6_gunner]

Man, I wish I'd picked one up while they were cheap!!! :banghead: I'd love to have a .380 Makarov. I like the 9x18mm, but I have a suspicion that it will just keep getting rarer and more expensive, while .380 will remain as common as ever.

The Makarov is just about the only double action auto that I like. Other than that, its revolvers and single action autos for me!