I have a 9x18 Mac made in Bulgaria. I think that's how you spell it. Up to about 10yds it is fairly accurate. They are not a hand fitted gun nor are they real expensive. I think I gave about $159.00 or sowhere there abouts. It has been a sure shooter as everytime I pull the trigger it fires. I can fine no fault with the perfromance of the pistol. I don't think it would stand up to hard use but it will never see that anyway. Good luck with yours.

Maks were standard military issue in the soviet bloc. I haven't had mine that long, but it seems like a tough little bugger. Simple to break down/clean too. Replacement grips/parts are easy to find. The ones (factory) on mine when I bought it weren't too comfortable because of the left side thumb rest, but the replacements are. I haven't given mine a real test yet (+10 yds) but it's accurate at 7. For a ccw, hopefully I won't need much more than that. The weight and bulk is what convinced me to buy it. Most of the ones I liked more were just too big to conceal/carry. Time has proven they're a pretty darn good weapon. Great bang for the buck, too. Now I have to save up enough $$ to get my 1911...

The Mak's made for military are kind of like the AK-47. They were made to get the job done and were not worried about being a fine collectors item. These would be very easy pistols to take care of in the field. We got this one for my father in law a couple years ago. He passed and now we got it back. I enjoy shooting it a lot.

I have a Mak 380 which is like 1mm shorter than the Mak 9mm.

I love it. It shoots great!

The main difference is that the 380 sights are adjustable. I loved mine so much I bought a second one from the same shop for my son.

I like the round. It all depends on the gun you put it in as far as reliability. I like the East German or Russian Maks best. The Bulgarians are good ,too. Another one to think about is the CZ 83. I would get any of these before I would buy the cheaper Hungarian PA 63. Maybe they shoot OK but I want a little more quality. I own an East German Mak. It is the second one I've owned. Damn good guns. Accurate and dependable.

Up to about 10yds it is fairly accurate.

My East Deutsch Makarov is a pretty good 25 yard gun.
The bulgarian less so, but still formidable!!!!
The problem is that domestic loads for the gun conform to the lawyer inspired neutering!!!!
I believe that once mighty giant of the Soviet military establishment, Wolf, has also had his balls cut off!!
The original load propelled a 95gr jacketed steel core bullet at 1050fps
Todays loads barely make 1000!!!
I wish I had kept some of the old military surplus stuff!!!

Source: Translation of the original Soviet manual, Makarov PM.

I can consistently hit a pie plate from a bench at 25 yards with my Maks. That is good enough for me. Regards, Richard

Originally Posted by Richard

I can consistently hit a pie plate from a bench at 25 yards with my Maks. That is good enough for me. Regards, Richard

Nice looking quad of Mak's you have there. Give us a run down on brands, grips and did you buy them chromed or did you have them refinished.
Come on! You can't just post some great guns without identifying them...

Originally Posted by teknoid

Looking at the posts, I haven't seen one mentioned. I like my FEG PA-63 (after the grips and springs were changed). 9mm Mak rounds are fairly inexpensive, and make a big enough hole to do the job. This one is small enough for ccw, too. I wish I could find an actual Makarov, but so far... no joy.

Opinion?

The PA-63 is very nice in the hand and lightweight. According to some info I read, the life expectancy of the pistol is pretty short in terms of round count. If you can get a real Makarov, you'll have a little more 'shootable' pistol which will last much, much longer. A Makarov is sturdy like a tractor and reliable too. They're inherently accurate pistols with the fixed barrel. I really came to appreciate mine the more I carried and shot it. Good hollow point carry ammo is a little tricky to find... so I have reloading dies now. Speer Gold Dots are the ticket.

"Nice looking quad of Mak's you have there. Give us a run down on brands, grips and did you buy them chromed or did you have them refinished.
Come on! You can't just post some great guns without identifying them..."

Thanks for the compliment. The top pistol is a Bulgie Mak with hard chrome by Ford's Guns, Novak night sights, and Hakan grips. The stock pistol is EG and sports a Top Gun Supply grip. Next is another EG with with hard chrome by Virgil Tripp, A/O night sights, and a Top Gun Supply grip. The last is a EG with plain Novak sights and a friend made the grip as a present. I tend to shoot the EG with plain Novak sights the most. Regards, Richard