DESIGN
The Makarov was designed to replace the old
Tokarev. It is not based upon the Tokarev,
but upon the Walther PP. The 9x18mm cartridge
developed for the Makarov is also based upon
a German design. It is a modified 9x18mm
Ultra. The Makarov is a quite simple pistol.
There are only about 25 parts! Its simplicity
makes maintenance easy. The Makarov is a
small pistol and is very light. At the time
of development plastics were not yet used
to manufacture firearms. |
| The oldest and most seen variant of the Makarov
family. The PM is no longer marketed. Production
switched to the PMM. ‘PM’ stands for ‘Pistolet
Makarova’ or ‘Makarov pistol’. The PM cannot
use the improved 9x18mm cartridge. |
| A basic PM with integrated silencer. An integrated
silencer is much more effective. The PB uses
the same ammunition as the PM, because the
9x18mm cartridge travels below the speed
of sound. Just like the PM the PB cannot
use the improved 9x18mm cartridge. ‘PB’ stands
for ‘Pistolet Bes’schumnyi’ or ‘silenced
pistol’. The silencer can be detached, to
make it more compact, but the weapon cannot
be fired without it. |
| The modernized Makarov. Its performance was
improved in two ways. First the magazine
was changed to hold 50 percent more ammunition.
The new 12 round magazines cannot be inserted
into the PM, because they are much wider.
The second improvement is its ammunition.
The weight of the bullet was decreased and
the speed was increased to develop more kinetic
energy. The PMM can still fire the old 9x18mm
rounds. The PM cannot fire the improved 9x18mm
rounds. ‘PMM’ stands for ‘‘Pistolet Makarova
Modernizirovannyi’’ or ‘modernised Makarov
pistol’. |
PERFORMANCE
Like all Russian weapons, the Makarov is
very robust. The Makarov has been used for
more than five decades. Its main drawback
is its small clip. Eight rounds with low
power are not enough for a military sidearm.
The PMM is a great improvement over the PM.
It retains its small size and improves the
firepower and ammunition load a lot. However
the PMM isn’t as effective as modern 9mm
NATO pistols, which usually use even larger
magazines. The PB is one of the most silent
pistols ever produced. Its great advantage
over 9mm NATO is that the PB doesn’t require
special subsonic ammunition.
USE
- The PM and PMM is the standard sidearm
of the Russian military for some decades.
- The PB is used by Russian Spetznaz, MVD,
Omon, Vympel and FSB.
- Like all Russian firearms the Makarov is
used in many third world countries and is
widely available on the black market.
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