The Bulgarian Makarov was Mother Russia’s premier sidearm and police issued pistol from 1951 all the way up until 1991. Although with its short stature and only 8 round capacity magazines, this little pistol has definitely been put through the ringers. I recently purchased this Bulgarian Makarov from Top Gun Supply, after looking at other videos on YouTube to include the Military Arms Channel and Sootch00. After watching Military Arms Channel do the torture test with the Bulgarian Makarov, I was sold. They ran this pistol through some pretty intense paces and it walked away a winner!
A little history about this pistol, it was in service from 1951 to 1991 in the Russian States. The Makarov has many variants to include the East German Model, the Chinese Model, and the Bulgarian. The cartridge of the Makarov is 9×18. The ammo is actually quite easy to find. I have found ammo locally at Cabela’s, but the price tag is quite hefty paying $18 for 50rds of PPU. I have found ammo online from Aimsurplus.com. They are selling two or three different manufactures of 9×18, to include Steel Cased Brown Bear and brass ammo from PPU and GECO.
The accuracy of this pistol is exceptional due to the fixed barrel attached to the frame. The Makarov is similar in design to the Walther PPK and the CZ82/83, as they are straight blowback actions. Due to this action and the all steel construction, the weight of the gun comes just in at 26oz or 1.625lbs. The safety features of this gun make for a great conceal carry. When the safety is engaged, you cannot rack the slide back or pull the trigger. Once the safety is disengaged, you can fire the pistol in a smooth double action, or pull the hammer back for a nice crisp single action. For the price point, this is an outstanding military surplus pistol. I purchased it for just under $300. It included two matching magazines, the log book, holster, cleaning rod, a bakelite grip and spare black range-style grip. If you are thinking about buying one, the time to buy is now! The market is starting to dry up. I will say, be wary about some sites selling these Makarov’s. I have seen this same pistol going for over $300 and it includes 1 mag and none of the extra goodies.
All in all, I am very pleased with this little pistol. It is fun and accurate. Everyone that shoots it says it’s a fun gun to shoot and they want to buy one. If you are looking for a different concealed carry handgun or a get home bag pistol, or just like the old Military Surplus pistols, give the Bulgarian Makarov a serious thought.
Ya’ll be good and be safe!
