Makarov PM
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The Makarov PM is a semi-automatic pistol, designed in the late 1940s by Russian firearms designer Nikolai Fyodorovich Makarov. For many years it was the Soviet Union's standard military sidearm.
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History
The Makarov was the result of a competition held to design a replacement for the aging Tokarev TT-33 semi-automatic pistol. The TT had been loosely derived from the popular Browning M1910 and was, by 1945, felt to be too large and heavy for a general service pistol. Rather than building his gun around an existing cartridge, Nikolai Makarov designed a new round, the 9 x 18 mm PM, based on the popular Browning 9 x 17 mm cartridge. In the interests of simplicity and economy, the Makarov pistol was to be of straight blowback operation, and the 9 x 18 mm round was found to be the most powerful which could be fired safely from such a design. Although the given dimension was 9mm, the bullet was actually 9.3mm in diameter, and was incompatible with pistols chambered for the popular 9mm Luger/Parabellum round. This meant that Soviet ammunition was unusable in NATO firearms, and so that in a conflict NATO forces would not be able to gather ammunition from fallen Soviet soldiers or Soviet stockpiles.
Makarov called his design the Pistolet Makarova, and it was selected over the competitors on account of its simplicity (it had few moving parts), economy, ease of manufacture, accuracy and reasonable power.
Design
The Pistolet Makarova (often abbreviated to PM) is a medium-size handgun with a straight blowback action. Physically, it resembles the Walther PPK. As a blowback design, the only thing holding the slide closed is the recoil spring; upon firing, the barrel and slide do not have to "unlock" as with a locked-breech design. Blowback designs are uncomplicated, and are more accurate than designs which utilise a recoiling, tilting or otherwise articulated barrel. Conversely, blowback pistols cannot fire high-power ammunition (such as a .45 ACP), as the slide would not be able to remain closed and locked against the pressure of the blast, thus allowing exploding gas to escape. The Makarov is relatively heavy for its small size, another desirable attribute for a blowback pistol; a heavy slide provides greater inertial locking against the force of the blast. It also helps absorb a lot of the recoil or "kick" of the 9x18mm round.
The Makarov employs a free-floating firing pin, and has no firing pin spring. Although this allows for the possibility of accidental discharge when dropped from a great height, Makarov felt that the firing pin was of insufficient mass to constitute a major safety hazard.
One notable feature of the Makarov is its extreme simplicity. Many parts perform more than one task: the slide stop is also the ejector. The mainspring powers both the hammer and the trigger, and its lower end serves as the magazine catch. The Makarov has even fewer parts than the Glock, a pistol that was designed with simplicity in mind. Makarov parts seldom break in normal usage, and they are easily replaced with very few tools.
Operation
The Makarov has a DA/SA or "Double Action, Single Action" operating system. After loading the pistol and charging the slide, the Makarov can be carried with the hammer down and the safety engaged. To fire, the slide-mounted safety is pushed down to the "fire" position, after which the user pulls the trigger. The act of pulling the trigger for the first shot also cocks the hammer, an action which necessitates a long, heavy trigger pull. The firing of the round and cycling of the action precocks the hammer for subsequent shots, which are fired "Single Action" with a short, light trigger pull. After pushing the safety up to "safe," the hammer is safely decocked. Operation is semi-automatic, firing as fast as the user can pull the trigger.
The PM's standard magazine holds eight rounds, although ten- and twelve-round high-capacity magazines were developed later in the Makarov's service life. After firing the last round in the magazine, the slide locks open. After feeding a new magazine, the slide can be closed by activating a lever on the right side of the frame. This chambers a fresh round and the pistol is ready for action again. When engaged, the Makarov's safety prevents the slide from cycling. The Makarov's magazine release is, in common with many European pistols, on the heel or "butt" of the handgrip. This design decision was in contrast to the frame-mounted release of the Tokarev TT-33, one reason being the apparent propensity for the TT's release to become snagged on clothing; in the heat of battle, it was easy for soldiers to accidentally release the magazine of their pistols.
Price
In those countries which allow for the private ownership of pistols, the PM is relatively inexpensive, with prices in North America ranging from USD $120-$150 as of 2004. Rare or pristine Makarovs can command over $200, but only in exceptional cases. As with Soviet 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, surplus Makarov rounds are very cheap, at about USD$0.10 a round. Care must be taken to explicitly order 9mm Makarov ammunition, as there as several similar cartridges in the 9mm/.38 range which, if fired in the Makarov, could either result in untoward barrel wear and inaccuracy, or in the worst case a catastrophic explosion.
Variants
The Makarov was manufactured in several Eastern Bloc countries during the Cold War and afterwards; apart from Russia itself, they were East Germany, Bulgaria, China, and post-unification Germany, which also found itself with several thousand ex-GDR Makarov pistols.
As with the Simonov SKS, the market prefers Makarovs which were made in East Germany. The Bulgarian pistols are not quite as polished but are still solid and reliable. The Russian and Chinese Makarovs are not thought of highly, except as nostalgic collectables of a bygone age, although they nonetheless possess the inherent simplicity and reliability of the Makarov design.