NGsD
- Thread starter Prages
- Start date
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Edit - I see Mongooz already weighed in on this, but;
It is a 9mm, but not the 9mm Luger / 9x19 / 9mm NATO cartridge that everybody knows.
This is a 9x18, which is somewhere between the 9x19 (9mm Luger) and the 9x17 (aka the .380) in muzzle energy.
It's about the most powerful cartridge that can be chambered in a blowback operated pistol without making the gun excessively heavy or impossible to pull back the slide. It's because the Makarov is a blowback design that it's so simple, rugged, and cheap.
One might expect ammo availability to be an issue, but there's a crap ton of it out there for cheap. Much of it's brass cased, and I reload.
mongooz
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interestingly the Mak's bullet diameter is actually 0.365 inch, where both the 9mm standard (nato/luger) and the 380 are both 0.355 inch diameter.
so it's technically not a 9mm. it's bigger in diameter than a .357, so it nearer to being a true .38 than a 9mm.....just trivia.
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Yep. Vladmir Putin did that just because fuck you.
I've heard that .380 conversion barrels are available, but that kinda seems like putting a $2o saddle on a $10 horse.
mongooz
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yea.....right. Stalin had more to do with the Makarov than Putin ever will.
it came out in 1951
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
DFB
Kick Henry Jackassowski
It is a nice looking gun. I just don't like the trigger position. Way to forward in the guard.Yah I know, just jokin around.
Anyway, here's another Makarov picture just because
mongooz
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Yah I know, just jokin around.
Anyway, here's another Makarov picture just because
if you can find it.....the russian SP-7 ammo is titties. it's a 92 gr. bullet with a mv of 1370 fps!!! and it's designed as a defense load against "personnel".
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Is that brass cased or steel? Boxer primed? I've been thinking of buying 500 or 1,000 factory rounds of something, but it's gotta be reloadable.
mongooz
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this stuff came out in 2003 and is current issue ammo in the russia and it's "friends". it says that the cases are "clad metal", so brass plated over steel, i'm guessing.
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
In that case, I may just look for something commercial like PVRI or Sellier and Bellot
mongooz
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i CAN tell you, from experience, the ammo that i liked best for mine was Hornady HP's.
95 grain XTP at 1000 fps is nothin' to sneeze at.
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
i CAN tell you, from experience, the ammo that i liked best for mine was Hornady HP's.
95 grain XTP at 1000 fps is nothin' to sneeze at.
Yeah, but dang that stuff's expensive! My Mak is mainly just going to be a plinker, so I'm mostly interested in cheap FMJ ammo. Once I buy the first batch, I should be able to reload them with plated or cast bullets for about $0.15 per round. That's not much more than .22LR at today's prices.
mongooz
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i was recommending the Hornady stuff for home defense use.....not PLINKING.......jeez.....yea that would burn your paycheck right quick.
2manband
Kick Henry Jackassowski
i was recommending the Hornady stuff for home defense use.....not PLINKING.......jeez.....yea that would burn your paycheck right quick.
Werd. For HD I prefer a revolver. I don't like the idea of leaving magazines loaded for months on end - wearing out the springs.
But that's a debate that probably goes deeper than Strat vs. Les Paul
wagdog
Ack
So @mongooz - I have a Colt MkIV Series 80 1911 in stainless that I got new in early 90s. It's stock, except for the grips which are rubber (still have the wood sides though). All I've every done is shoot it and clean it. It shoots great and is very accurate. What kind of mods might I consider? I'm sort of the mind "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but curious what would make an already great gun better? I definitely might consider some new sights as the stock plain black ones aren't easy to pick up quickly.
mongooz
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ya just unload the mags and leave them in a drawer during the day when yer at work about every other month.
but yea, it's pretty hard to beat a good revolver for reliablility especially for HD, where you're not likely to need the capacity for a real fire fight.
mongooz
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i would recommend that unless you WANT a race gun, you should keep it as stock as possible. as stated above by 2man.....once you REALLY start putting on the race parts you end up doing a lot more than you think to keep all the parts working together well.
but there are some things you can do that will help some and not turn into an ongoing project. one of them is a stainless full length guide rod and slightly upgraded slide spring (they usually come together as a set) and guide rod buffer pads (polymer). they just slide onto the guide rod and buffer the slam of the slide. you need to change them every few hundred rounds but it ain't rocket science. you have it field stripped for cleaning anyway.
you can get them from any of the gun suppliers, such as Brownel's.
i prefer a flat main spring housing with checkering, but that won't make it shoot better, just feel better if you have smaller hands.
a trigger job is always nice, but much more intrusive and unless you know what you're doing, should NOT be attempted yourself. you take a little too much off the sear notch and you will have a full automatic that you can't stop until it fires all the rounds in the mag. NOT GOOD.
a little white enamel paint on the front sight always worked for me. target sights are nice, but the stick up and can snag on holsters. depends on what the main use of you 45 is for.
but the guide rod change is the easiest and least intrusive quick cheap upgrade that helps the slide stay centered over the frame. less side to side slop.