Modernizing the Makarov

My concealed carry pistol is also a Makarov. They are not as common on the hips as they used to be, but I still like them. The Makarov is a classic carry pistol, but there are a few things you can do to bring it into the 21st century. For me, familiarity is key, and the pistol’s reliability more than makes up for its lack of modern features. While there are hurdles to modern upgrades for such guns, they’re not out of reach … you just have to know the steps to turn a classic into a modern masterpiece.Evaluating ShortcomingsLike many old pistols, especially military surplus models, the Makarov lacks in certain departments. The Makarov’s mechanical accuracy is higher than expected (it has a fixed barrel after all), but the original sights can be difficult to use. They’re small, black, and difficult to use for a quick sight picture. They’re not ideal for a carry weapon. The adjustable target sight on Russian Baikal models doesn’t do any better. As a self-diagnosed Luddite, I’m still aware of red-dot’s advantages. After trying out other handguns with red-dot sights, I decided that adding an optic to my Makarov should be the first priority. While I was at it I decided to see if I could upgrade the Soviet steel’s ammunition, holster and capacity. Cottage ‘Gundustry” Saves the DayWhen you try to upgrade an old gun like the Makarov, there are some major obstacles. The biggest hurdle is that there aren’t many companies willing to work with them. Most of the major outfits that offer custom slide-milling/adapter-plate work aren’t too keen on doing something so unorthodox and experimental.So, the first lesson for upgrading vintage guns is that you’re going to have to research. Lots. My search led me to 2C/ X Nihilo a small company which advertised truly custom work. The company had already mounted a red-dot sight on two Makarovs, and a CZ82. Tu Nguyen runs the shop. He is a Vietnamese immigrant and owns a small engineering company that specializes in designing and prototyping products for the biotech sector. He also loves guns. After sending an email, 2C was quick to accept the job and it was time to ship them my slide and red dot sight: a Crimson Trace RAD Micro Pro. 2C accepted the job quickly after I sent them an email. It was then time to send my slide and red-dot sight, a Crimson Trace RAD Micro Pro. A photo from 2C shows the custom Mak plate and slide as it approaches its finished form. The spare slide I bought was a Russian.380 ACP and my Makarov is a 9x18mm Bulgarian. They interfaced perfectly, even though they were different. The only real difference between Makarovs of each caliber is the barrel, making the slides universally interchangeable.After sending everything to Nguyen, he was quick to get the work done. The author could swap the custom red dot slide between frames because Makarov slides can be interchanged. After he had the plate anodized the final product was ready. I was ecstatic with the results. The red dot was seamlessly integrated into the slides, so that it looked like it had just rolled off of the Izhmash line. The Makarov slide as well as the adapter plate were tailored specifically for the CT RAD Micro Pro. 2C charges $150 for the optics and $75 for the adapter plate. This is a reasonable price for high-end milling. A New PerspectiveThe results were just as impressive as their aesthetics. To zero the optic, I started at a rest, then moved backwards to about 20 yards until I was satisfied that the Makarov was beyond my accuracy capabilities. The groups were tight and consistent. Since then, I have put at least 300 shots through the setup without losing zero. Target transitions were also excellent with the upgraded pistol. After a little practice presenting and finding dots, I cleared a plate rack quicker than ever before: the benefits of this upgrade was immediately apparent. Despite the Makarov pistol being the one with which the author has the most experience, he immediately saw an improvement in performance once he became accustomed to the red dot. The 3-MOA dot adjusts its brightness automatically according to ambient lighting conditions. It also detects motion and remains deactivated when it is not in use. The only thing I dislike is that there’s no way to manually override auto-adjusting brightness. This made it difficult to zero the dot on a sunny morning, given the size of the red dot even at its highest setting. The sights would work well on most modern and conventional pistols that are optics-ready, but they’re just too high for the Makarov front sight. This is not Crimson Trace’s fault. It’s just one of the downsides to custom setups like this. Increasing CapacityWith my new optic installed, next I focused on capacity. This meant a new gun was needed for the Makarov. Commercial variants of the Baikal IJ70-18AH were imported to the U.S. in the 1990s for a short time. The gun’s most distinctive feature is its 12-round double stack magazine. This is a significant improvement over the original Makarov, which only had an eight-round magazine. The PMM is virtually identical to the standard PM, except for its slightly wider frame in order to accommodate the magazine. This author’s new EDC set-up. An IJ70-18AH with a Crimson Trace RAD Micro Pro, loaded with 12+1 Hornady Critical Defense 9x18mm rounds. Holster is a Vedder LightTuck, with claw and optics cut. I was lucky to find two rare PMM magazines on a gun show. I had to buy a pistol as well. The Makarov slides can be swapped, so it was easy to add the red dot. I bought an IWB LightTuck that had a claw attachment and it fit my standard PM as well as PMM perfectly. The claw helps conceal the slightly thicker grips of the PMM. The double-stack Mak fits perfect in Vedder’s LightTuck IWB Holster, and there is even an option for a’red-dot’ cut. I used to carry my Makarov with Brown Bear hollow points, but Hornady recently released a new batch of 9x18mm critical defense rounds, just in time for me to upgrade my carry ammo. A 95-grain FTX bullet traveling at nearly 1,000 fps shouldn’t be underestimated.9x18mm Makarov may not be as popular of a carry caliber in the U.S. as it once was, but Hornady is still making Critical Defense ammo for it.Locked And LoadedWhile I still don’t think that a standard Makarov is a bad carry gun, the effort I put into modernizing my own feels worth it. My Mak has a red-dot sight, more rounds and a Kydex pouch to carry it around. All this for a pistol whose design was finalized back in 1951. The firearms industry is being swept along by the rising tide of technology, allowing 2C to provide some very niche services. It doesn’t matter how strange your idea is for a gun, it never hurts. Ask around and do some Google searches. The target grids and the bullseye sizes in MOA. Subscribe to the Gun Digest newsletter and we will send you your print-at home target pack immediately. Enter your email below.