Airgun World – Summer 2019

http://www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIRGUN WORLD 89

leading

numerous

collectors to

speculate

that early

slides

were

machined f

later versions cast. However, all are believed

to be forgings, which are stronger on stress

bearing parts than castings, and the

differences tend to be in the quality of the

machining. Vic Turner from Protek Supplies

recalls a batch of Makarovs from around

2014 described as polished silver. On these

pistols, the steel slides had been polished

and lacquered, which Vic considered

particularly appealing.

We’ll continue our look at the Makarov next

month with a study of the pistol’s major

features both externally and internally. Both

Protek Supplies and Crawley Surplus have the

Makarov in stock if you can’t wait until then! 

O STOL

variant. However, thinner slides are known on
2009 made Makarovs and remain a feature of
current production pistols.
From approximately 2016, the PM model
was changed back to a wider PMM frame, but
fitted with slightly wider (30mm) brown
Bakelite PM-type grips and the additional
extractor slot behind the ejection port. Both
contoured and blunt slide nose profiles have
been noted on this ‘transitional’ variant, which
remains available from MWM Russ-Guns in
Germany. One such
‘transitional’ pistol was
made in January 2016
and was discreetly
marked with this
German retailer’s stamp just
above the left grip.
Later PMs from 2016 onwards,
share their frames with the PMM, but
are fitted with smaller, brown plastic
PM-style grips, thereby retaining the slim PM
profile. I have always found the larger PMM
grips incredibly comfortable in use, but they
can make the pistol feel disproportionately
large. The current production PM comes with
plastic grips that look just like the traditional
ones and include the Soviet star at their centre.
The elegant grips make the PM feel better
balanced than the PMM and very pocket sized
in nature.

MAGAZINES
The earliest magazines had no notch for the
follower to rest on whilst loading, so a fingernail
had to be used to keep the spring compressed
while you loaded up with ball. These early
magazines also had a slightly different valve
arrangement to later models, and I could not
work out where the filter would fit when
servicing an early pistol. This is because the
top of the valve the CO2 cartridge rests on is
narrower than later versions, but with the
absence of a filter, perhaps more CO2 gets to
the release valve as the 1999 PMM in question
discharged with more clout than later
Makarovs.
PM magazines intended for the PM-framed

m d l

n i

p f

PMM d ill i h

B O SH

T

b f f

he outset. Early pistols from around

2000 were two-tone, in that frames were

blacked and slides plated. By 2006 the frame

was plated too. The slides on plated pistols

tend not to be as slick when racked as blued

versions and this could be due to the thicker

plated finish. Some owners have commented

that blued pistols made between 2004 and

2012 also have rougher slides internally,

A boxed 2012 PM. These 2012/13 pistols are the
only Makarovs truly built on the PM frame.

Current

production PMM

and PM pistols

share the same

frame but differ

in grip size only.

Some slides on 2012/13 PMs have a matte finish

to the top of the slide and a conventional blued

finish to each side, like the top pistol here whilst

others are blued throughout.

The small-gripped PM is identical to Makarov pistols

issued to Soviet officials during the Cold War. This

was the ready position taught by the Soviets.

The factory plastic repro

grips have been replaced

with original 30mm

wide brown

Bakelite

grips on this

2017 PM

grip model,

which

enhance

the

overall

look.