Makarov Pistol (ПМ)

This is my own personal Makarov pistol! The model I have happens to be Bulgarian (from the Circle 10 factory), manufactured just after the fall of the USSR. 

I've always had a big interest in cold war east-bloc weapons, and this handgun was no exception! While they are unremarkable guns in a vacuum, understanding the thought that went into taking the firearm they based this one from and turning it into one that fit their needs is fascinating. 

The silhouette might remind you of the Walther PPK ('the James Bond gun'), as that's what Makarov's pistol is largely based on! Although using a new cartridge (9x18mm) that's slightly more potent than .380 acp/9x17mm, it retains the simple blowback action that makes manufacturing significantly easier than using a locking action. A rarity of this pistol's design philosophy is the addition of an external slide locking lever/slide release, where with the PPK you have to rack the entire slide back once it's locked back to unlock the slide. Other features have been simplified internally for the same of ease of manufacturing, my favorite being the heel-magazine-release literally being the actual spring for the hammer and rest of the trigger group all as one piece of steel.

The aesthetic of this firearm strikes a note with me. The blued steel with random plum parts wrapped up in a bakelite grip is the epitome of Soviet cold-war weapons design, and it's been a design that has seen regular use up into today! Mine came with a more commercial thumb-shelf grip, but through a very kind Ukrainian seller I was able to restore the original military look (with lanyard loop! maybe not the best keychain)

Let me know what you guys think, thanks for reading!