Shot my new Bulgarian Makarov today

Got my Bulgarian Makarov on Tuesday and tried to log on to get instructions on how to do a field strip. Strangely, my PC decided to throw a tantrum so I had no instuctions . I figured, it's a Combloc gun so I probably won't be able to break it, so I just (after checking to make sure it's not loaded) started wrestling with it and after about two hours, had it field striped, cleaned the cosmoline out, and re-assembled it with Pearce rubber grips and Wolff springs . The gun was advertised as unissued and I got it dingy looking with cosmoline but once I cleaned it out, it was obviously unissued. The Blueing was perfect with no wearing at all except a small line where the safety/decocker moves up and down.

Was able to take it shooting today (Saturday) and put 116 rounds of Barnaul 95 gr. hollow points thru it with no problems at all . How does it shoot? Well, my buddy BamBam-31 made a nice little group at 50 feet with it and I got all my shots on the paper (I'm still terrible with pistols as anyone who followed the THR January Virtual shooting match knows). Here are some of my impressions: The pistol is very easy to point, but the sights are very small. Not a fatal flaw, but a bit of a shame considering the pointability. The DA trigger should be avoided whenever possible, but the SA trigger is acceptable. Finish is very good, and I would say it's a simple design (heck, I'm no genius and I figured out how to field strip it on my own) well executed.

Gripes? Well, besides the small sights I already mentioned, I wish there was a better way to attach my aftermarket grips. One screw in the backstrap isn't very secure for rubber grips (I know, I know, it was designed for a plastic grip, but still. . .). It's all just nitpicking, though. For the price, I got a like-new pistol that works reliably and should last a long time. Ammo is slightly more expensive than the 9mm luger I already shoot, but still pretty cheap. Once I learn how to shoot pistols, it will be accurate. Looks like a winner to me . Pictures to follow, unless my PC decides to give me fits again .

Thanks for the tips, guys . I'm dying to take the little pistol out again for another session. I did do about 200 dry fires, but those cheapo nylon snap-caps can't take much of a beating and those are the only ones I have found in 9x18 Mak.

Here's a pic of the Makarov in question. The trigger is cleaning up nicely and I can't wait to shoot it again.

Just remember how its oriented in the slide before you take it out. You have to put it in the EXACT same way or you could encounter problems.

Click to expand...

If it works, does it mean I did it right? Or will it sometimes still work if you put it in wrong? I wasn't paying attention when it slid out and so I just put it back in in a way that made it work.

I thought this stuff was supposed to be idiot-proof. . . What's the point of buying Combloc weapons if they are still too complex for my simple mind?

Yeah, I got it right. . . After I posted I looked at it again and said to myself, "Yep, there's a little relief for the safety/decocker, and it's lined up right." I was kinda hoping I could come back here and post that I didn't need any more help, but. . . I guess I'm a little late if I wanna stop people from thinking I'm a total moron.