While many members of the Warsaw Pact adopted the Makarov, others chose to produce their own design chambered for the 9x18mm round. There are other special loadings for the Makarov, including a frangible load intended for use in aircraft assaults and other specialized hostage-rescue operations or by air marshals. The grip remains comfortable, though thicker, but the trigger pull is among the worst I've ever felt. I have one of these PMM-12 pistols and have fired a few hundred rounds through it. but with adjustable sights to help them gain import points. The PMM retains a blowback action, but the chamber has three grooves that, in effect, cause it to function as a delayed blowback.Īt least some commercial PMM-8 and PMM-12 pistols were imported into the U.S. This cartridge, designated the 57-N-181SM, has a muzzle velocity about 35 percent higher than the standard 9x18mm round. In January 1994, production began on the PMM, an improved version of the Makarov that has a double-stack magazine that holds 12 rounds and is chambered for a hotter 9x18mm round. Quite a few East German Makarovs were imported into the U.S. Currently, the Bulgarian Makarovs are available at quite reasonable prices and are the most commonly encountered. I have used Russian ones quite a bit, including when working with one Russian special police unit, but Russian examples were only imported into the U.S. The first I owned was a Chinese one I picked up in Thailand 30 years ago. I have handled and fired examples of all of these Makarov pistols and have found them all to be of good quality. East Germany and Bulgaria produced Makarov pistols as well. China produced its own version, at least a few of which turned up in Southeast Asia. It is, however, normally a secondary weapon to the AKSU, the SMG version of the AKS-74.Īlthough the Soviets exported a substantial number of Makarov pistols, they were also manufactured in at least three other countries. They train to use it quickly in combat scenarios and find it very fast-handling. Nevertheless, the Russian special police officers with whom I've discussed the Makarov are relatively satisfied with it. Makarovs have notoriously heavy trigger pulls, quite likely by intent since the pistol was widely issued into conscripts in the Warsaw Pact and among Marxist guerrillas in the Third World.
In order to enable the double action of the Makarov, the safety must be returned to the down position after using it to drop the hammer. Also, when the Makarov safety is in the up position, it locks the action. While the safety is pressed downward to drop the hammer on a Walther, on the Makarov it is pressed upward. The Makarov safety/hammer drop operates in reverse of that of the Walther. The Walther employs a hammer-drop safety that may be set before the slide is operated to allow the hammer to ride forward as the slide returns to the closed position, or it may be operated after a round is chambered. While the PM resembles the Walther PP and has a similar operating system, there are some notable differences, especially in the safety.
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