Full serial number on left side of slide, safety, and left side of frame. Izhevsk Arsenal marking on left side of frame. Import markings as imaged. Primary Russian magazine factory numbered “3258/1, later electropenciled with the matching number 3308-2 on left side. Secondary magazine is a Bulgarian with an electropenciled matching number. Multitran.com: Free online dictionary in English, German, French, Spanish.
A cloak-and-dagger icon from the Cold War, the Makarov 9x18mm still delights collectors today … if they can get their hands on one.
- CAI has lots of markings on the slide and matte frame. Also has the 3 proofs on rear of frame under safety. CAI has AKB 36XX serial KBI has A AH 58XX on frame and slide and J0373XX on the frame While Ive had the CAI longer, it seems like they are more common.
- Serial number is on both left slide and frame, plus last two digits of manufacture year. Internal parts are serial numbered. A post-unification-made version produced with leftover parts marked SIMON SUHL/THUR is highly desirable and can bring a 50 percent premium, depending on condition. Often considered the 'Colt' of Makarov pistols.
How The Makarov Pistol Became A Cold War Icon:
- Designed around the Walther PP/PPK series of pistols.
- Like the German handguns, the Makarov is straight blowback-operated and can be shot in double action.
- Its cartridge, the 9x18mm Markorov, has a no-typical diameter—.365″.
- Due to trade restrictions, the pistol had a very short importation window–3 years.
- While wildly used in Soviet satellite countries’ militaries, it was not universally adopted.
In 1949, the Soviet Union was searching for a replacement to their aging Tokarev TT-33 pistols and by 1951 had adopted a completely new design that ended up being licensed to two Eastern European countries, and to China as well. Manufactured at Russia’s Izhevsk factory, the Pistolet Makarova or Makarov Pistol was the brainchild of Nikolai Fyodorovich Makarov, who designed his new double-action, straight blow-back pistol around the proven Walther PP/PPK series of pistols.
After World War II, the Russians had access to the Walther factory in Germany and shipped much of its tooling back to the USSR. Nikolai Makarov opted for a cartridge developed by Boris Semin, who in 1946 developed it from the older Walther 9mm Ultra, an experimental cartridge originally intended for the Luftwaffe. Christened the 9x18mm Makarov, its bullet diameter is an odd .365” unlike the typical .355” of the 9mm Luger and the .380 ACP (9mm Browning). The idea behind it was in the case of a supposed contingency where stocks of 9mm Makarov ammunition might be captured by an enemy, that the cartridge could not be used in standard 9mm Luger pistols.
The Makarov semiautomatic pistol incorporates many features of the Walther in that it disassembles identically by grasping the trigger guard, bringing it downward, and pulling back the slide and upward to disengage it from the frame. Additionally, its double-action safety features are similar in that a cartridge can safely be carried in the chamber with the hammer down. With the hammer at full cock, thumbing the manual de-cock safety upward allows the hammer to fall and subsequently blocks the loaded chamber by use of a transfer bar on the safety, preventing contact with the firing pin. The eight-shot, medium-weight pistol with its 3.68-inch barrel uses a single screw in its assembly to secure the rear fastened grip. The checkered red Bakelite grips also have a circled star in the center. Markings on the Russian Makarov are the serial numbers on the left slide flat and frame with a Cyrillic prefix, and the year of manufacture is at the rear of the left frame.
It is important to reiterate that importation of the Russian Makarov lasted but a few short years between 1992 and 1995 due to the eventual trade restriction on Russian military imports during the Clinton administration. Soon after, this also included military arms from China as well. Ironically, a number of Russian-made Makarov pistols inadvertently entered the United States between 1998 and 2009 and have become known as the “sneak” Makarovs. These pistols were imported from Bulgaria and East Germany and were marked with the country of origin, as each of these nations obtained a quantity of the Russian-made versions in the 1970s and ‘80s as supplementary arms to make up for shortages in their ordnance inventories. Apparently, some of these Russian versions were mixed in and marked with the aforementioned two countries as the origin of manufacture until close BATFE inspection revealed the Russian Izhevsk Triangle cartouche on some of the pistols. These are rather desirable on the collector’s market because of this import marking error.
Soviet Satellite Clones
Regarding licensed Eastern European versions of the Makarov, East Germany was the first of the Soviet satellites to manufacture them, beginning in 1958. Made at the Ernst Thaelmann State Factory, the first two years of production saw some difficulties in getting off the ground, with full-scale manufacture underway by late 1959 and early 1960. In the United States, the East German Makarov has become one of most highly sought of their ilk given the beautiful dark blued, smooth finish, coupled with jet-black checkered plastic grips. The East German pistols also have their internal parts marked by electro pencil with the last two digits of the serial number. Production ceased in 1965. It appears that those with small, unobtrusive import marks together with condition, determine the higher price and overall desirability.
Da … We Have More Russian Guns:
The final licensed Makarov in communist Europe was the Bulgarian version. Given the green light for licensing rights in 1970, few were produced until five years later. Actual production took place at the Friedrich Engels Machine Works – known also as “Factory 10.” The Soviets supervised and trained the Bulgarians to manufacture the Makarov, and remained in charge of all production throughout 1975. The next year saw the Bulgarians assume control, and they steadily continued production of the Makarov up to 2007, some 15 years after the fall of communism. Prior to their sale on the U.S. surplus market, Bulgaria sold quantities of Makarov pistols to Slovenia, well past the communist break up. Most from this country were imported to the U.S. following Bulgaria’s and Slovenia’s admission to NATO in 2004.
Identical to the Russian version with the checkered, red Bakelite grips with a circled star along with the Russian dark blue finish, the Bulgarian Makarov is unquestionably a high-quality copy that prior to 1975 used some Russian internal components until the factory became entirely self-sufficient. Marked with an encrypted prefix for the production year, and followed by the serial number on the left slide and frame, quick identification of the Bulgarian variant is the presence of the Circle 10 stamped on the left frame. Surplus Bulgarian Makarov pistols are still available as of this writing from some U.S. distributors.
Breaking From The Herd
Interestingly, not all former European communist block countries opted for licensing rights to produce a Makarov clone. Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland, which all had established arms factories, were quite nationalistic regarding their choice of a 9x18mm-caliber military pistol. Hungary was the first to stick with an indigenous design. The FEG factory in Budapest introduced the first 9x18mm Makarov in 1959, which was the RK-59. For economy purposes, Hungarian engineers decided to build their pistol with an aluminum frame and fashion it almost directly after the Walther PPK. The RK-59, however, was a blunder from the start as it was learned that after about 1,000 rounds, the aluminum frames developed hairline cracks and galling, which eventually deemed them unserviceable. However, Hungary quickly went back to the drawing board and after one year found their solution. Adding a 1 percent mixture of Titanium to the aluminum alloy sufficiently hardened the frame, and after a 5,000-round test it was found that evidence of stress cracks were now passé. Thus, their second 9mm Makarov pistol was introduced in 1961 and appropriately named the R-61. This straight-blowback, semiautomatic pistol seemed to fill the bill, however, its biggest drawback was a small capacity, six-shot magazine and heavy felt recoil, a similar problem later to be seen with Poland’s first pistol of like caliber. Marked with the crest of Hungarian communist premier Janos Kadar on the left slide flat, the R-61 would last in regular service for a mere three years, but remained as a reserve sidearm until 1972.
Hungarian arms engineers were ordered to find a replacement and introduced the larger framed, PA 63 in early 1964. This seven-shot semiautomatic pistol remained in standard service until 1996, and thousands were imported to the United States beginning about 1999, and are commonly encountered on the American surplus circuit. In regression, its predecessor the R-61 was imported in limited numbers and many distributors had them rechambered to the popular .380 ACP. Those in the original 9mm Makarov chambering, however, will reap a higher price. Aside from minor dimensional contours, the Hungarian PA 63 with its 3.9-inch barrel is cosmetically close to the Walther PP and has become a favorite carry arm for American shooters. Supplied with a thumbrest left grip made of black plastic, aftermarket copies of the early flat grips are available from suppliers. The light aluminum/titanium frame has a more significant degree of felt recoil than the all-steel Walther. What is unique about both the R 61 and PA 63, is that neither have an external slide catch, and rely upon an empty magazine to lock the slide to the rear.
Following Hungary, the next former Soviet bloc country to opt for a domestically produced 9mm Makarov pistol was Poland. As with the PW wz.33 Tokarev copy, Poland once again manufactured the new replacement at the Lucznik factory Number 11 in Radom. The development of their new military pistol was the culmination of a six-man team at the WITU, a Polish acronym of the Military Institute of Armament Technology. Beginning in 1958, it would be three years later that this group of engineers would come up with a pistol coined at first as the CZAK, taking its initials from the names of some of the designing members. The new blowback semiautomatic pistol was one of two former test versions: the Model W with a longer barrel and the Model M with a shorter 3.3-inch barrel, the latter of which was approved for adoption.
Bulgarian Makarov Serial Number Date
This pistol was similar to the Walther PPK in many respects, but utilized a small-capacity six-round magazine. Final nomenclature for the approved pistol was the 9mm Pistolet wz.1964 – abbreviated as the P-64. Adopted in 1965, the pistol was unique in that like the former Hungarian 9mm Makarov family of semiautomatic pistols, it did not have an external slide catch and relied on an empty magazine to lock the slide in the open position. Though very compact and concealable, its main drawbacks were excessive recoil and a six-shot magazine. The P-64 has been imported into the U.S. since 2005 and was retained by Poland for a time as a reserve weapon. As of 2016, it appears that Poland released the greater majority of them, as it is now being offered in large numbers by several dealers and distributors, and is by far the lowest priced Eastern Bloc surplus pistol of its caliber.
It wasn’t until 18 years later that Poland finally adopted a much-needed replacement for the P 64. In 1983 a new pistol christened the P-83 Vanad was adopted by Polish military and police forces. A great improvement over its predecessor, this eight-shot blowback semiautomatic pistol is dimensionally close, but slightly wider than the Russian Makarov. The P-83 began to surface in the United States around 2009-2010 and remains in Polish service as a reserve police arm. It was officially replaced by the 9mm Luger Glock 19 and the WIST 94, both of which conform to NATO standards.
The P-83 has rubber-lined, semi-wrap-around grips, and recoil is far more controllable compared to its predecessor. As with the P-64, it has a protruding loaded-chamber indicator. The one important addition was its external slide latch, and its most unique modification was its stamped-steel triggerguard. In lieu of pulling the triggerguard down and to preclude the occasional back snap of the guard during disassembly, the P-83 has two striated grips on both sides of the frame and when pulled down, allow the triggerguard to remain in place, unlocking the slide rail latch when pulling the slide back and up for removal from the frame. It is obvious from the number available in the United States, that substantial quantities likely remain in Polish government inventory.
Perhaps the top of the line semiautomatic pistol in 9mm Makarov caliber is the Czech CZ 82. Here we have the pistol that finally replaced the already 30-year-old CZ 52, and it appears Czechoslovakia was the last Eastern European country to comply with Russia’s directive to switch over to the official Warsaw Pact caliber of 9x18mm Makarov. There couldn’t have been a better pistol that took its time to kowtow to Soviet demands. By far the most up-to-date double-action blowback pistol mentioned thus far, it offered an ambidextrous safety and button-type magazine release, as well as a high-capacity 12-shot staggered magazine. Adopted in 1982, this semiauto is a design that has contemporary features acceptable by even today’s standards. Fewer of these have been seen on the U.S. surplus scene compared to the others simply because the Czech and Slovak Republics still maintain it as a police reserve arm. This pistol is also used by the People’s Republic of Vietnam, Kazakhstan, with known sales to North Korea as well. Accuracy wise this pistol is very effective out to 50 yards. Loading the 12-round magazine, however, becomes work after the sixth or seventh round is inserted due to its extremely stiff spring. Its most unattractive point is the black paint-like finish that easily chips off with use over time.
Keeping A 9x18mm Fed
As noted earlier, it is very apparent that none of the aforementioned countries have released any sizeable quantity of surplus ammunition for the 9mm Makarov cartridge, due to several countries holding numbers of pistols in this caliber as contingency war stock. Fortunately, there are about nine different ammunition makers worldwide that offer the 9x18mm Makarov. Prices vary from $11 to $24 per 50 rounds, and in some cases are less in cost than that of the popular 9mm Luger. Hornady, Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Privi Partizan and Sellier & Bellot are just a few of those companies that offer the 9mm Makarov. The author’s personal favorite is Russian-made TulAmmo. Loaded with a 95-grain bullet and steel cases, TulAmmo offers several American calibers in their line as well, but they do not list the 7.62x25mm Tokarev – which is rather peculiar. TulAmmo’s Berdan-primed, steel cases are naturally not reloadable, in this case however, the attractive prices of most loaded ammunition in this caliber alone are almost enough to omit the procedure. For those who insist on cooking up their own fodder, Winchester, Sellier & Bellot and PPU offer this cartridge with Boxer-primed cases. The author has used each of the above-mentioned brands of factory loads and has found that all perform equally as well in all of the above-listed pistols.
Editor’s Notes: This article originally appeared in Gun Digest 2018, 72nd Edition.
We Found Bulk Ammo In Stock:
Disclosure: These links are affiliate links. Caribou Media Group earns a commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack
62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDS This impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range use. Target grids and bullseye sizes are in MOA. Ideal for long-range shooting!
1serial numbers
Персональный Сократ >serial numbers
2serial numbers
page numbers — номер страницы
telephone numbers — номер телефонов
bad track numbers — номера дефектных дорожек
English-Russian base dictionary >serial numbers
3serial numbers
page numbers — номер страницы
English-Russian dictionary of Information technology >serial numbers
4serial numbers
серийныйnномерБольшой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь >serial numbers
5serial numbers
Универсальный англо-русский словарь >serial numbers
См. также в других словарях:
List of B-17 Flying Fortress serial numbers — Note: this list is not complete yet as some United States Army Air Forces serial numbers will not match this list. The tail number on a B 17 bomber will omit the first digit, hence 42 97550 is the Army Air Forces serial number and 297550 is the… … Wikipedia
Serial number — from an identity document A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value. Common usage has expanded the term to refer to any unique alphanumeric… … Wikipedia
serial number — ➔ number1 * * * serial number UK US noun [C] PRODUCTION, MONEY ► one of a set of numbers that is printed on paper money, on some products, etc. so that each has a different number and can be recognized: »Several machines carried the same serial… … Financial and business terms
serial — [sir′ē əl] adj. [ModL serialis < L series, a row, order, SERIES] 1. of, arranged in, or forming a series [serial numbers] 2. appearing, published, issued, etc. in a series or succession of continuous parts at regular intervals 3. of a serial… … English World dictionary
serial number — serial numbers 1) N COUNT: oft with poss The serial number of an object is a number on that object which identifies it. ...the gun s serial number. ...your bike s serial number... All the bills had the same serial number. The cash was counterfeit … English dictionary
Serial Number Arithmetic — Many protocols and algorithms require the serialization or enumeration of related entities. For example, a communication protocol must know whether some packet comes before or after some other packet. The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)… … Wikipedia
serial — 01. You should record all the [serial] numbers of your stereo equipment in a notebook, in case of theft. 02. The arrest of the suspected [serial] killer has brought a great deal of relief to the city. 03. The [serial] number is SM198587LP. 04. A… … Grammatical examples in English
serial number — noun : a number indicating place in a series and used as a means of identification a soldier s serial number * * * noun, pl ⋯ bers [count] : a number that is put on a product and that is used to identify it the serial number of a computer * * *… … Useful english dictionary
serial number — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms serial number : singular serial number plural serial numbers a number that is printed on things such as electrical goods or paper money so that each one can be recognized … English dictionary
serial number — noun (C) a number put on things that are produced in large quantities so that each one is slightly different: serial numbers on dollar bills … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
Serial digital interface — (SDI) refers to a family of video interfaces standardized by SMPTE. [cite book | title = Digital Video and HDTV | author = Charles A. Poynton | publisher = Morgan Kaufmann | year = 2003 | isbn = 1558607927 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id … Wikipedia
Russian Makarov Serial Numbers Identification
Книги
- Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World, Harford Tim. The urge to tidiness seems to be rooted deep in the human psyche. Many of us feel threatened by anything that is vague, unplanned, scattered around or hard to describe. We find comfort in… ПодробнееКупить за 1395 руб
- Girl Missing, Tess Gerritsen. The first body is a mystery. She's young. She's beautiful. And her corpse, laid out in the office of Boston medical examiner Kat Novak, betrays no secrets - except for a notebook… ПодробнееКупить за 1382 грн (только Украина)
- Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World, Harford Tim. The urge to tidiness seems to be rooted deep in the human psyche. Many of us feel threatened by anything that is vague, unplanned, scattered around or hard to describe. We find comfort in… ПодробнееКупить за 1212 грн (только Украина)