I know there is a lot of experience on the forum on all things gun related, but I am bored and thought I would share my thoughts on the Makarov PM. Die hard "buy American" will scoff at the thought of having a non hand lapped, Detroit forged, get one spec of sand in the action and your $2.5k sub moa pistol is a jammomatic but a true pragmatist will appreciate a finely engineered firearm for what it is and not where it came from. Not trying to offend anyone, to each his own on how he spends his hard earned money.
For those lowly gun enthusiasts who have to try to maintain a household and feed our firearm hobbies, the Makarov PM might be something a lot of folks take for granted. I know I did at one point. I remember throwing these in a "confiscated" weapons connex while serving overseas, thinking "just another piece of cold war commie junk"
I have since totally changed my mind thru extensive personal testing and experience. A commercial Russian version with adjustable TGT sights can still be picked up in the $200 range if you look around. Bulgarians which IMO are better made can be picked up in the low $300 range after shipping and transfer. Germany made PM's are getting harder to find and going up in price but should be anywhere from $400-500 max. Germany PMs are well machined and feel like you are racking glass. Russian military versions are collectors pieces and fetch a premium. Usually 1k and up believe it or not. Chinese ones also fetch a premium for collectors but are still not made as nice as the Germany made examples.
So for shooters on a budget, a $300 dollar gun frees you up to buy ammo in bulk online. I usually get a case to my door for about $160 shipped. Now your talking several long range days to get to know your gun and get to shoot better. It has been said that the difference between you and the best shooters in the world is thousands of practice rounds.....
Mak PM sights are small and take getting used to, no doubt about it. Hi VIZ paint on the front sight post does help a lot I have noticed. DA/SA employment is what you are getting out of it so if that is a show stopper for you then don't bother reading on. It also has a heel magazine release which turns off a lot of folks but lets face it. So many people train on rapid mag changes while wearing tacticool gear that they wont be using while carrying the gun in real world scenarios. It does have a nice thick slide release that is easily manipulated if that is how you are trained, and locks open on the last round. Decocking is also a safety however if you carry "hot" with safety off relying on the first heavy DA pull as your main safety keep in mine that there is no firing pin spring which some people will claim to set off a primer if dropped. That is not the hammer hitting the firing pin then the firing pin hitting the hammer, its just the loose firing pin floating around that "may" detonate the primer. The hammer has certain safety mechanisms in place to ensure the hammer does not ride all the way forward unless the trigger is engaged. Take it for what its worth. If you think a free floating firing pin may detonate your primer, chamber the same 556 round in your AR a few times then take a look at the back.
A variety of holsters exist specific to the PM but I have found the cheapest ones work best for me. The little pistol is stupid reliable which IMO almost trumps all. Here is an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAEbbhRJNYw
I tried a bit of my own testing in this beautiful Florida sand and have achieved similar results. This thing eats anything fed to her and keep chugging. Before the debate of "SD man stopper" calibers begin. 8rds or either ball or JHP in the chest is gonna ruin someones day, so yes I am a shot placement guy. With the caveat of training to be able to make those shots comfortably, quickly and with clear judgment.
The PM has I think 27 parts? something in the high 20's. For a 1950's design that is very impressive and lends to less potential breakage.
I can go on and on about the good and some of the bad on this little treasure, but I feel every upstanding American Citizen, regardless of income range has the right to protect themselves, their families and their valuables and this is a very reliable, fairly inexpensive choice to do just that. Again I am bored and just letting my thoughts get onto forums. If you read this far, I am giving you a virtual high five and hoping you contribute your thoughts on the matter. God bless
For those lowly gun enthusiasts who have to try to maintain a household and feed our firearm hobbies, the Makarov PM might be something a lot of folks take for granted. I know I did at one point. I remember throwing these in a "confiscated" weapons connex while serving overseas, thinking "just another piece of cold war commie junk"
I have since totally changed my mind thru extensive personal testing and experience. A commercial Russian version with adjustable TGT sights can still be picked up in the $200 range if you look around. Bulgarians which IMO are better made can be picked up in the low $300 range after shipping and transfer. Germany made PM's are getting harder to find and going up in price but should be anywhere from $400-500 max. Germany PMs are well machined and feel like you are racking glass. Russian military versions are collectors pieces and fetch a premium. Usually 1k and up believe it or not. Chinese ones also fetch a premium for collectors but are still not made as nice as the Germany made examples.
So for shooters on a budget, a $300 dollar gun frees you up to buy ammo in bulk online. I usually get a case to my door for about $160 shipped. Now your talking several long range days to get to know your gun and get to shoot better. It has been said that the difference between you and the best shooters in the world is thousands of practice rounds.....
Mak PM sights are small and take getting used to, no doubt about it. Hi VIZ paint on the front sight post does help a lot I have noticed. DA/SA employment is what you are getting out of it so if that is a show stopper for you then don't bother reading on. It also has a heel magazine release which turns off a lot of folks but lets face it. So many people train on rapid mag changes while wearing tacticool gear that they wont be using while carrying the gun in real world scenarios. It does have a nice thick slide release that is easily manipulated if that is how you are trained, and locks open on the last round. Decocking is also a safety however if you carry "hot" with safety off relying on the first heavy DA pull as your main safety keep in mine that there is no firing pin spring which some people will claim to set off a primer if dropped. That is not the hammer hitting the firing pin then the firing pin hitting the hammer, its just the loose firing pin floating around that "may" detonate the primer. The hammer has certain safety mechanisms in place to ensure the hammer does not ride all the way forward unless the trigger is engaged. Take it for what its worth. If you think a free floating firing pin may detonate your primer, chamber the same 556 round in your AR a few times then take a look at the back.
A variety of holsters exist specific to the PM but I have found the cheapest ones work best for me. The little pistol is stupid reliable which IMO almost trumps all. Here is an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAEbbhRJNYw
I tried a bit of my own testing in this beautiful Florida sand and have achieved similar results. This thing eats anything fed to her and keep chugging. Before the debate of "SD man stopper" calibers begin. 8rds or either ball or JHP in the chest is gonna ruin someones day, so yes I am a shot placement guy. With the caveat of training to be able to make those shots comfortably, quickly and with clear judgment.
The PM has I think 27 parts? something in the high 20's. For a 1950's design that is very impressive and lends to less potential breakage.
I can go on and on about the good and some of the bad on this little treasure, but I feel every upstanding American Citizen, regardless of income range has the right to protect themselves, their families and their valuables and this is a very reliable, fairly inexpensive choice to do just that. Again I am bored and just letting my thoughts get onto forums. If you read this far, I am giving you a virtual high five and hoping you contribute your thoughts on the matter. God bless