Friday, December 5, 2008

Friday Gun Pr0n #88

I just realized I've been neglecting one of my all-time favorite guns:

Russian Makarov in "sporting" guise: Adjustable sights and chambered in .380 ACP. This is the first auto-loading pistol I ever bought; it's also the first new gun I ever purchased. This was, for the longest time, the only semi-automatic gun I owned. With the fixed barrel, it's actually a pretty accurate gun - and I've put a couple thousand rounds through it with not a single failure of any kind.

The hardest part is finding aftermarket parts for it - I'd like to get a nice set of wood grips, but haven't found anyplace that stocks anything other than the red plastic grips... Sure would be nice if Hogue made a monogrip for it, too...

I haven't brought it to the range in a while. It's long past time to remedy that.

That is all.

12 comments:

JD said...

A nice gun, have one myself. That is my carry gun when I do. . .

I highly recommend it. Back before kids when I had lots of practice I once hit a skeet on the berm at 100 yards with it. They are accurate little shooters. . . .

I need more practice these days I don't think I can hit the berm at 100 yards any more with that gun = )

Mike W. said...

Lucky bastard. I really wish I'd bought an East German Mak a year or two ago when they were really cheap.

Jay G said...

JD,

I originally bought the Mak as a carry gun, but it's just too heavy for anything but IWB carry. If I'm going to do that, I've got my SW99c with 10+1 9mm or my G30 with 9+1 .45 ACP for that task...

Especially with the price of .380 ACP these days!!!

Mike W.,

I bought this Mak in 1994. I think I paid $150. New.

It's worth easily double that, although I cannot sell the ol' girl - she's promised to a friend of mine (who STILL needs to get his permit) should I ever sell her...

Anonymous said...

Is Makarov gun! Is sacrilege make Makarov "nice"!

Is no "nice" in Russia! Is only cheap and intimidating, like KGB, like Vladimir Putin, like ugly old women sweeping snow in front of building!

Makarov is gun (not nice), like Mosin-Nagant (not nice) and AK-47, (not nice). Gun need nothing nice for shooting behind ears of criminals in basement of Lubyanka!

Save filthy capitalist money on filthy capitalist aftermarket grips and buy more cheap surplus Soviet ammunition, and practice more to kill enemies of state!

breda said...

What about these grips?

http://www.marschalgrips.com/?content=Makarov-models

Anonymous said...

Nice.
Makarov was the first pistol I shot (in military training). Not my favorite these days, but still has a special place in my heart.

RevGreg said...

Like Breda said, Marschal is probably your best bet for wood grips. I have wooden grips for my CZ-75 from them and they are gorgeous.

What I need is a thread protector for the Federal stainless extended/threaded barrel that's on my IJ-70 Makarov...

angus lincoln said...

Follow Breda's link. I bought a set of Marschal grips for my 9x18 Bulgarian Mak a few months ago. Great value, high quality. I'll be ordering a set for my CZ Compact for Christmas.
I have to agree with you Jay, the Makarov is one rugged, reliable pistol that shoots as accurately as any pistol I've had experience with.

Zdogk9 said...

I've paid one hell of a lot more, for one hell of a lot less accuracy. Think I paid about $90.00 back in the day. I'm partial to the Pierce grips I have on mine. Not the best trigger but adequate. May have to work on that one of these days.
Sits in the night stand on the West side of the bed, SP101 and the Benelli sit on the East side.

James R. Rummel said...

Makarovs have been a Godsend for some of my students. A nice little gun for not a lot of cash. Pain in the ass for someone disabled or aged to field strip, but all things in this life are trade offs.

James

RevGreg said...

My only real complaint with the Makarov would be the mag release. It certainly is not tactical friendly, not made for quick mag swaps and God forbid you'd have gloves and try to do one!

Anonymous said...

Looked at buying a Mak a few years back, ended up getting a even cheaper PA63 in 9mm Mak instead. After refitting with some good Wolff springs 2 years ago, I've never had a problem with the several hundred rounds I've fed thru it since.

Other than the springs, I can't think of ANY aftermarket parts for this neat little gun. If anyone knows of any, especially grips, pass along the info please... Thanks