ltwguns.com

I realize the majority of custom pistols shown here are either high-end 1911s and Hi-Powers, with the occasional revolver thrown in. I own my share of custom 1911s, Hi-Powers and S&Ws, but I wanted to do something a little different. If you have been paying attention for the past few years, there has been a flood of Bulgarian military Makarovs coming into the US. I can hear the cries and teeth-gnashing now: "A MAKAROV?!? They are a piece of crap military pistol with a heavy, gritty trigger and small, hard to see sights!" Hmmmm...sounds like a military 1911 or Hi-Power to me.....

Anyway, I stumbled into a Bulgarian military Mak for a very low price....like $175 low. I shot it for a while, smoothed up the trigger and came to appreciate the simplicity of the design. All told, it has 27 parts, including the grips, grip screw and sights. While the 9X18 is not a very powerful cartridge, the Mak makes the most of it with superb accuracy. As noted above, the sights leave bit to be desired. To correct that, I installed a Novak front sight, and a Series 80 Colt 1911 rear sight with the notch opened up a bit. That improved the shootability a great deal, but it didn't do anything for the layer of ugly the pistol was carrying around. The Bulgarian Makarov has a very utilitarian finish to it...meaning it will rust if you look at it funny. So, after softening some of the sharp edges, I sent it off to Accurate Plating and Weaponry to be hard chromed. "HARD CHROME?!? You spent good money on a hard chrome job that cost more than you paid for the pistol?!?"

Why, yes I did, thank you! What came back from APW was a very slick little carry piece that will do it's intended job very well. Once I run a couple of hundred Wolf HPs through it to smooth it out a bit more, I will start carrying it in Don Hume leather. One problem with a Mak is the severe lack of good leather for it. Anyway, here's what is looked like after the trip to APW...

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Wayne Miller

Pretty darn nice if you ask me... Inexpensive hardware like that makes for a great project gun for us "weekend warriors" who are just learning how to use a file. I could have tinkered with 3 of those before I spent as much as I did on the Caspian "kit" 1911 that still doesn't work right. I think I may look into something like that when I get back the to the US of A.

Nice work....

Matt

Well, Mossy, I'm not gonna let you stand out there in the cold all by yourself.

My name is Ned and I like Makarovs, too.

Cheap and easy to shoot, totally reliable, and-- surprisingly accurate. You can ring an 18" gong at 100 yards pretty regularly.

I recently looked at a couple of the Czech-surplus CZ82's, in the same 9X18 Mak caliber. I shot a frighteningly tight group at 28 yards with one!

Thirty years ago there were very few Maks in the country-- they were real collectors' items. Now they're a great value. Kinda large for their caliberm counting against them as a carry gun, but still very worth having-- and customizing!

Hi guys...I too am a Mak fan. My sister-in-law's brother (did that make sense?) is a former Soviet "Spec-Ops" warrior and one of the first things he bought when he became eligible to own a firearm in this country?? He bought a Mak! I have seen him do some VERY impressive stuff with this little tank of a gun, and certainly wouldn't want on his bad side. On the rare occaision that I get to see him, we always end up talking guns, and I asked him once why his first gun here was a Mak, when he could have bought anything he wanted (capitalism you know ) and he said that he used a Mak in action many times, and it never let him down, and was the hands down favorite of his group. After seeing him shoot it...I can understand why.
Several years ago, my late buddy "Witherspoon" came to work and pulled a gun case out and silently handed it to me with a huge grin. Inside it was a lightly customized E. German Mak that had been worked by one of the founders/smiths on this forum. The trigger was absolutely incredible and the whole piece was nothing short of amazing! Unfortunately, that smith is no longer working on these (believe me I tried ), so I won't mention Don's name...oops! Let's just say that I absolutely wanted one like this for a long time!
And Nedly, I too had one of the CZ-82's and found it to be scary-accurate! Apparently the polygonal rifling really works well in that design, but I have never owned a CZ that wasn't incredibly accurate. In fact, this was the above mentioned weapon that I tried to get DW to work on for me, since mine had been well-used in it's former life. I thought that this baby with some TLC from Don would be nothing short of amazing. I liked the accuracy and large magazine capacity, and with some Cor-Bon hollow points and carried in a custom F.I.S.T. kydex holster it all made for a really neat and inexpensive carry package. Unfortunately I had to sell that little gal several months ago due to some additional medical expenses (post-transplant) and although I didn't carry it much, I sure do miss it a lot..lol. Best regards--John

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

Only shot 1 Mak ever, and now I have an urge to buy one. Ned--if I recall correctly you had a tricked out Mak.

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https://www.graffcustom.com/

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"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, US Navy, 16 March 1945.

The grips are aftermarket by these folks: http://www.marschalgrips.com

VERY nice work.

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Wayne Miller

No shame in posting that. A good pistol is a good pistol, and we all appreciate that. Very nice touch on the sights;
practical and not too expensive approach. Altogether a great piece. One of my Deputies carries one off duty, and
I got over my initial snobbish reaction, as it shoots well and she is Russian....

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http://www.northtexastactical.com

This is a Makarov Marianne Carniak built for me a few years ago.
Tripp Hard Chrome finish, de-horned, and Novak three dot sights.

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"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, US Navy, 16 March 1945.

Very nice.... Glad to know I am not the only one.....

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Wayne Miller

[quote="JR Munsey"]Hi guys...I too am a Mak fan. "

Munsey, I didn't know you were a commie!!!!!
Send me your commie gun and I will make a holster for it.

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http://www.landsharkleather.com/
Building Hand Crafted Leather for the 1911 Platform

LOL Rob...I'm about as far from Commie/Socialist as they come old buddy! I DO appreciate good weaponry regardless of it's origin though. I don't own a Mak now, and actually sold my CZ-82 a short time back, otherwise I would have been glad to! Hope you have a great weekend buddy! --John

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

Well, I shot this little beast today for the first time since I finished this project. It never ceases to amaze me as to how accurate these little guns are! At 15 yards, it was piling them all into the same hole, and I hit a 10" gong, five for five at 70 yards. These new sights make a BIG difference! Now if I can just talk Cor-Bon into producing a run of DPX in 9mm Mak......

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Wayne Miller

Well, thanks a bunch. Until I saw this post, I had no real interest in a Mak, nor did I ever give thought to customizing one. Now, I am strangely attracted to them, especially in that hard chrome finish. $$$$$$$$ is just falling out of my pocket, and my wife is going to hate me even more

Welcome to my own, personal, little Hell......

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Wayne Miller

I feel you. Everytime my wife catches me looking at a gun forum she automatically wonders how much it's going to cost us for my new GOT TO HAVE.

Wayne, I didn't get a chance to chat you much this last weekend, but did you have that with you? I'd have loved to of seen it in person.

I, too, have a soft spot for old service weapons. After all, guns are tools, with an inherent utility that is not found any many other packages of this size.

Eric,

No, I didn't have it with me. I'll make it a point to bring it to the next show.

Wayne

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Wayne Miller