Hello. A time back I bought a new, commercial Bulgarian Makarov for about $150 and then spent that amount again for the "Beast" slide, which was simply a new Bulgarian slide with Novak fixed sights added. The slide is then matte blued. To many, this didn't make sense, but I simply couldn't use the tiny sights that came on the pistol, although I
could tell it would group.
The Pistol: Other than the slide w/sights and a Wolff conventional 19lb recoil spring rather than the factory 17 lb, the gun's stock. The pistol came with the rubber stocks, but had the plastic ones in the package as well. I believe that the rubber stocks are by Pearce.
"Beast" slide front sight.
Rear sight.
From the top.
No action work has been done on the pistol and while smooth, the DA pull is heavier and the SA pull breaks surprisingly clean.
Ammunition Used:
?LVE "Makarov" 6 G ball, which I assume is about 95 grains. (1043 ft/sec)
Fiocchi 95 gr FMJ (1018 ft/sec)
Corbon +P 95 gr JHP (1098 ft/sec)
Hornady 95 gr XTP (937 ft/sec)
(The figures in italics are the averaged 10-shot velocities chronographed from this pistol @ 10 ft.)
Shooting: Let's just get this out of the way up front; there were zero malfunctions with any of the ammunition tried and the gun shoot much, much better than I expected.
The two bullseye targets on the left were fired standing w/2-hand hold at 10 yards and were all fired single-action. 15 rounds were fired at each. The top round is the "LVE" ball while the lower is the Fiocchi ball. The B27 center at the right was also fired at 10 yards and consisted of single-action singles fired as quickly as a sight picture could be obtained and the trigger pressed. "LVE" was used on the B27 target.
However, this pistol does not allow for Condition One "cocked & locked" carry so I fired 10 rnds the same way as above, but double-action.
I was very surprised at the results considering that while smooth, the DA pull is long.
It became obvious, that I'd underestimated this gun's capabilities as I'd chosen 10 yards for the test distance rather than the usual 15, 25, and 50 yard ranges.
Below is a 25 yard target fired with the same "LVE" ammunition. It was fired standing w/2-hand hold and consists of 20 shots.
With the JHPs (Corbon and Hornady), only 5-shot groups were fired @ 10 yards. Didn't have much of the stuff.
Either groups fine, but so has everything else so far!
Observations: The gun "shoots." This was my first "serious" efforts with this pistol and I was more than a little pleasantly surprised.
Though not a first-choice for defensive purposes, it is in the same general class as some of the .38 Special loads fired from 2" snubs and I find the heavy-for-caliber Makarov pistol much more fun to shoot than my S&W airweight snubs. It's easier to hit with as well.
Even though there are several 9x19mm pistols that are smaller as well as lighter, the Makarov is a reliable, accurate pistol that
could serve for defensive use
if called upon.
For me, I see it as a plinker and fun gun that is inexpensive, but not "cheap."
Best.
