Makarov PM (Pistol Marakova)

History of Makarov PM (Pistol Malakova)

The Makarov PM ("Pistol Makarova") was designed and developed to replace the WWII-era Tokarev TT-33 semi-automatic pistol. The PM is based on the superior quality of the German Walther PP, a line of recoil pistols that appeared in 1935 and were widely used during World War II.

The font proved to be so good that in the decades following its introduction, it was successful in both legal and illegal production of copies of the font. The Makarov PM is one such illegal replica and was commissioned in 1951.

Despite its origins in the 1950s, it can still be found in active-duty inventories in Russia and used by other militaries across the globe.

The design of the PM is attributed to Nikolay Makarov, a weapons engineer with a degree from Tula State University. Makarov went on to claim operationally approved designs for the AM-23 gun, the 9K111 "Fagot" portable rocket launcher, and the 9M113 "Konkurs" wire-guided missile. Prime Minister Makarov, however, would be his first real glory for the Soviet army.

The production of his PM pistols will be handled by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in the USSR.

Soviet authorities held a design competition to replace the discontinued TT-33 series pistols. Makarov chose the Walther 9mm Ultra cartridge as a starting point and developed his weapon around it. The ammunition in the Soviet stockpile would be aptly named "9x18mm Makarov".

The 9mm Makarov is in some ways similar to the 9mm Short cartridge with a longer casing. This resulted in a pistol cartridge that proved to be shorter than the 9mm Parabellum and a very unique - albeit clearly Soviet - cartridge design overall. This provided a degree of protection to ensure that the pistol could only be used with Soviet "internal" ammunition, and would not be used heavily against its original owner in times of total war.

Finally, the 9mm Makarov is basically the largest cartridge size suitable for safe firing from a blowback operating system.

The design of the case simply follows the lines of the original Walther PP pistol, but on a slightly larger scale. The pistol is 160mm long with a 98mm barrel assembly with four grooves and a right-hand twist.

The magazine is an 8-round spring-loaded detachable magazine, usually inserted from under the grip. Muzzle velocity is rated at 1,070 feet per second, and the firing process is, of course, recoil.

The trigger system offers double-acting and single-acting operation with a specified range of 50 meters. Some special models were later equipped with 10- and 12-round magazine counts. Aiming is via a blade front and an adjustable rear sight. Overall, the overall lines of the PM are very good, with clean lines and some vertical ribs near the body of the receiver.

The trigger is bent forward and protected in an elongated trigger ring. Safety and other related mechanical functions are located on the left side of the receiver, within the reach of the operator's thumb. The slides feature flat sides and curved top and bottom. The round mallet-like spur protrudes slightly from the rear of the receiver, but is still noticeable.

The ejection port is mounted on the right side of the receiver and ejects the spent cartridge up and away from the operator.

The operator initiates the firing process by pulling the slider back to cock the hammer and insert a new cartridge into the firing chamber. The semi-automatic action happens after each round as the pistol automatically reloads and the chamber is reloaded with a new cartridge. The operator can then dump as many bullets as possible.

After the magazine has been emptied, the slider lock opens to prevent subsequent shots and visibly notify the operator that a reload is required. Empty magazines are released via a release lever at the bottom of the pistol grip.

Makarov PM revised to Makarov PMM in 1990. This version increases the initial velocity of the original action. The handle has been revised for better ergonomics and a combustion chamber saw slot has been added. A 12-round magazine was also introduced.

In addition to weapons being manufactured by the IMF, PMs are also produced for foreign markets by renowned licensed contributors Ernst Thalmann/Simson (Suhl) in Germany, Arsenal in Bulgaria and North Industries Corporation in China. Notable operators include Afghanistan, China (as Type 59 in 1959), Cuba, East Germany, Georgia, Iraq, Laos, North Korea, Poland, Syria, and Ukraine, among others.

A PM version for the civilian market appeared soon, and there were similar versions in Hungary and Poland. When the Berlin Wall fell in Germany, the unified nation had to manage thousands of existing Makarov PM pistols from the East German army and security forces that followed.

Specification

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