Makarov PM?

[duenor]

Maks are good guns.
I could not buy the last one I wanted due to family problems (a suicide with a mak, actually) last year, but about a month ago I felt it was long enough and bought one off of a friend (bulgarian).

i am so impressed by it that i feel like i should have bought the other one too (EG Mak) and just kept quiet about it. it is well balanced (it has a built-in weight at the muzzle end to reduce flip), subcompact with feeling like a subc like a glock 26, all parts except for the grip is steel, disassembly is easy, and it will hit what you aim at. it is also VERY friendly to those with smaller hands (single stack mag).

the only drawback to this gun is that its magazines only hold 8 rounds. that said, it is a single stack and so you can easily fit backup magazines in your pockets. the magazines are a little larger than a bic lighter.

try to pay no more than $250 for a bulgarian mak (best accuracy, condition)
try to pay no more than $350 east german mak (finely cut steel, c&r)
try to pay no more than $400 for a russian (highest collector value, c&r)

[Sampachi]

On the Bulgarian Mak's - there's been some question whether it's a blanket inclusion or not. The Bulgarian's are one of the MAK varieties which are not classified as C&R. The list states Century Arms, and there's been a variety of other importers such as P.W. Arms. Apparently, the DoJBoF was a bit of a sticklier on that when Turners brought in a bunch of P.W. Arms bulgies. Some retailers may care, others may not. Might be worth asking before you end up buying a gun and having it show up at an FFL who won't DROS it for you....

I have tried. It must be CAI import marked and it must be blued only.
I tried to buy a CAI marked Bulgarian that was factory chromed for the navy. My dealer called and the DOJ said "Can't do."
From what I had heard, CADOJ had made the mess up and allowed Turner's to bring in PWA Bulgies. When they realised their faux pau, they allowed Turner's to sell their exsisting inventory but order no more.

[pklin1297]

C&R handguns, if they are not PPT, would still have to transfer through a FFL dealer and thus would have to be on "the list". I would have purchased several CZs and definitely several EG and Russian Maks with my C&R license if that was not the case. C&R rifles can be sent directly to you but C&R handguns has to go to a dealer. Dealers who got the EG and Russian Maks out the door to buyers in Cali either did it as PPT because it was a personal gun or they DROS'ed the Maks as Bulgarian by mistake, and the DOJ was not the wiser.

Try to purchase any Maks other than Bulgarian from CAI from out of state at your own risk. Even though they are cheap, you still won't want to spend that money and not be able to DROS it.

[duenor]

C&R maks (EG and RUS) have a specific exemption. more acurrately, all C&R handguns have a specific exemption. while you cannot have any legally defined handgun firearm shipped to your C&R, you can have it sent to an 01 where it will be processed as a C&R exemption handgun.

however, it is complicated, and many dealers do not understand this. further, the DROS system requires "caliber" to be defined, and many of these handguns are chambered in a caliber that is too obscure to be on the list. examples are the 7.62 nagant round and the webley round (although not entirely sure on that webley)

[Sampachi]

C&R handguns, if they are not PPT, would still have to transfer through a FFL dealer and thus would have to be on "the list". I would have purchased several CZs and definitely several EG and Russian Maks with my C&R license if that was not the case. C&R rifles can be sent directly to you but C&R handguns has to go to a dealer. Dealers who got the EG and Russian Maks out the door to buyers in Cali either did it as PPT because it was a personal gun or they DROS'ed the Maks as Bulgarian by mistake, and the DOJ was not the wiser.

Try to purchase any Maks other than Bulgarian from CAI from out of state at your own risk. Even though they are cheap, you still won't want to spend that money and not be able to DROS it.

Duenor is correct. I have purchased several EG & Soviet Maks from outside California and had more than one local 01 FFL dealer process them. C&R's are exempt from the drop test. The only minor problem I've encountered is not having a 9x18 dummy round to do the demonstration (I've since bought some).

[Pampty]

would anyone recommend getting a .380 Makarov or should I just stick to the 9x18 ones? I'd personally rather have the 9x18 but if theres any cons then feel free to tell me. Also, just to be clear, only the Bulgarian ones are legal for Cali?

[swinterk]

9x18 ammo is a little cheaper than .380, and a little more powerful.

There are two ways for you to get a non-Bulgarian(Century Int'l Arms)
Mak in CA:

1. If you can find a private party in CA who has a Mak and is willing
to meet you at a dealer to sell it to you, you can do a PPT.

2. A dealer with a Mak on consignment can also sell it here.

[jmlivingston]

would anyone recommend getting a .380 Makarov or should I just stick to the 9x18 ones? I'd personally rather have the 9x18 but if theres any cons then feel free to tell me. Also, just to be clear, only the Bulgarian ones are legal for Cali?

I'd go 9x18 just since that's the original (and most common) caliber of these. Just buy your ammo online, local stores such as Turners do carry 9x18 but you usually don't want to pay their prices for it.

All Mak's in original condition are legal to possess in California, there are some aftermarket threaded barrels which would turn it into a banned Assault Weapon so stay away from from those. So excluding threaded barrels all Makarov PM's are available to be transferred person-to-person (PPT). Note that a consignment sale is just a specific form of a PPT.

• German & Soviet military Mak's = Can be transferred in since they fall under the C&R exemption from the "safe-handgun list".
• German & Soviet civilian Mak's = not legal to have transferred in, FFL can't directly one sell to you.
• Bulgarian, CAI import = It's still on the list, so it can be transferred in.
• Bulgarian, other import = not on the list, can't have it transferred in.

Not sure I can spell it out any clearer than that.

John