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Unique EDCs are what’s best in life. This one’s from an engineer named Adam in San Diego and includes a Makarov and a pair of pocketknives. Discuss.

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44 COMMENTS

  1. He spent too much on the car, just about the right amount on the knives, wallet and phone and not enough on the Hungarian surplus POS he picked up for $250 or less.

    • Ignorant comment

      True gun nuts know that Makarovs are solid, dependable, and well made pistols. Besides that, a true nut should know that Hungary didn’t make Makarovs (unlike Russia, East Germany, or Bulgaria). Hungary made FEG pistols that utilize the 9×18 round (as do CZ82, and P84 pistols), but aren’t Makarovs. Since this photo is a true Makarov, it isn’t from Hungary.

      Still, I think there are better CCW choices today. A Ruger EC9 for example is smaller, lighter, safer, cheaper, has better sights, a better trigger, etc. The ammo is more powerful, cheaper, and more readily available.

      Makarovs are cool guns, and work pretty well for CCW.

      • “Better” is a relative term. I’m guessing this EDCer evaluated what was out there, what he could afford, how he carries, and what he shoots best to arrive at his current sidearm.

        Not everyone loves the EC9 nor shoots their best with it. Personally, I shoot best with my Mak but find the weight is not compatible with the way I dress and my preferred way to carry. I carry a Taurus 85 Poly Protector in a pocket holster because I shoot well with it and it’s light enough not to make my pants sag.

      • There is always something better, but the best gun to have in a gunfight is the one you have with you. I would prefer a Glock, but would be happy carrying a Makarov.

        Wish I had bought one when they were cheap.

  2. I’ve always liked the Mak. Dunno how well this particular example works but if she’s in good working order then I’m all for it.

  3. I’ve had a Mak for years. Anybody that knows me knows I’m a revolver fan. But the Mak is on my short list of never sell guns. In all the years I’ve had it all I’ve done to it is replace the recoil spring with a Wolfe spring.

    I flat out trust it with my life and the lives of those I care for.

    • They are just stupid simple. My 380 Makarov runs like a top. It’s actually my wife’s carry gun and I love my wife so that should speak volumes for my opinion on it. Not a great double action trigger, but the single action is quite nice and it is nice to have the added safety of having the hammer down and safety off. Probably not the most drop safe condition, but while carrying it that can make for less things to remember to do if you need it.

  4. I’ve carried several maks over the years. The only reason I don’t carry them now is my garbage eyes keep me from picking up that tiny nubbin of a front sight!

  5. I have a Makarov made by Imez for years. My first handgun at 19 when I got my ltc. 250 bucks accurate and super reliable. I think I’ve barely ever cleaned it. I would never sell mine either.

  6. A Bulgarian Mak was my EDC for several years. Only switched to another pistol due to aging eyes being unable to see that teeny little front sight. Accurate and rock-solid reliability.

  7. Goat a Bulgarian I wouldn’t sell……….well ya I would, everything’s for sale, but it is as reliable as they come

  8. Komisar didn’t need much of a front sight to shoot some peasant conscript behind the ear to encourage the others to die for the motherland. Only other issue was to be used on selected, captured NATO LINE officers and senior NCOs, names cross referenced with metorious galantry/Purple Hearts list. POWs much more controllable that way. Yeah, they had lists, so did we, for the same purpose. Still do, as far as I know. All’s fair in…And all that other happy horse puckey. Just ’cause we’re not shooting directly at each other right now doesn’t mean that we aren’t still at war. While we fight among ourselves over media driven non-issues, Mad Vlad holds all of that nice tratiorous, obama/hillary, tag-team provided plutonium and laughs. Komisar N.K., at the hight of the Cold War, told the whole world that they would hang U.S. using the rope we sold them. It’s fixing to be a little less than five minutes before too late, folks. Foxtrot-Kilo-Alpha 30

    • It definitely appears so. Fahrzeug u. Jagdwaffenwerke Ernst Thälmann, Suhl.
      The rest should be RUKO Products Inc., Buffalo, NY. Their import marks are smooth & subdued, and don’t detract from the finish, a far cry from hideous dot-matrix billboards, or roll marks so deep they can almost be seen on the reverse side.

      Thälmann Maks I’ve seen have all had beautiful fit & finish, compared to other Combloc productions. The few other RUKO imports I’ve seen up close are early manufacture as well; the F prefix & s/n on mine is from ’60. I’ve not run across any newer than ’72(iirc).

      Those grip panels are nifty, and look to be replacements; RUKO’s Maks, for some reason, have black panels that read “Baikal” and “Made in Russia”.

    • “Click on the link. This stupid thing is a BB gun.”

      The Amazon link is for a BB-pellet gun, but the gun in the group photo is *not* a BB-pellet gun.

      Look at the picture on the Amazon page. See all that lettering stamped into the side of the slide?

      Now look at the other picture. No three lines of text stamped into it…

      • When you click the link and select “2” then the “learn more” option you get to the EDC page titled “Makarov .177 Caliber Steel BB”. That’s what I went with. It does look real maybe it is.

  9. There are a million different combinations of EDC. I don’t see what is so bizarre about this one to warrant much of a discussion.🙄

    • Bulgarian Makarovs imported by Century Arms were once on the California list of handguns approved for sale, meaning it passed their drop test. Century didn’t reapply for certification, so it was eventually removed from the list. Makarov designed the pistol with a light weight firing pin and didn’t seem to think that there would be a safety issue with dropping it on its muzzle.

    • The also have a decocker, but I personally recommend easing the hammer down when using it. So far I’ve seen a couple with the hammer-block nearly peened off. One was bad enough, that much sooner rather than any later…

  10. My EDC is a Makarov made by Thälmann, DDR (E. Germany), in 1960. It’s easily the most reliable, utilitarian semi-auto pistol I’ve ever owned, and have been carrying it for about a year. It’s also got the smoothest double-action trigger, outside of revolvers, that I’ve encountered, with a reset that I can ride with no issue.

    It was pristine, complete, apparently rarely left it’s holster, and the shop I got it from insisted that it wasn’t a “normal” old commie Makarov, that it was too perfect to be made pre-reunificafion.

    Hence, I got it for much less than the jen-ewe-wine beat-to-hell 80’s Russian example that sat next to it (which also didn’t have a holster, spare mag, etc).

    It was so cheap, (and came with a box of surplus FMJ too), I splurged on some Hornady Critical Def. JHPs; these, though pretty, will occasionally jam the second shot on the feed ramp.
    This is due to the narrow round, soft tip, and stout magazine springs. As such, I’d taken to loading magazines alternating JHP & FMJ…. until I found the Lehigh Xtreme Penetrator 9×18.

    It’s not so pristine anymore, and I couldn’t let it be a safe queen.

  11. Wow! One of about five or six folks granted permits by SDPD (or maybe the SD County Sheriff). A guy with the political pull to do that can carry whatever he wants.

  12. San Diego has issued 1,350 concealed carry permits since they elected a Republican Sherif a few years ago.
    He said that if you can articulate a reason other than “ I want one”, he will issue it
    He gave a permit to a female real estate agent because she is alone with strangers in open house showings.

  13. Had a Makarov for years that I bought for under a $100 when they were first being dumped on the market. Eventually sold it at a nice profit, put the money to something I wanted more. It was a solid little pistol, accurate, no complaints on function.

    These days I only own MADE IN USA guns.

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