makarov 9x 18

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I seen a ad for a makarov 9x 18 pistol. is this 9x18 the same as the 380 and how reliable is the makarov made in bulgaria? 2nd how common is the 9x 18 ammo? Thanks Steve

mark christian

The two cartridges are not the same and cannot be interchanged without modification to the pistol, although such caliber change kits are available. Once upon a time the Makarov cartridge was rather hard to come by in the country and the .380 offered the advantage of lower cost and wider availability. This is no longer the case and the Makarov ammo is rather easy to find (nearly any gun store) and offers cheap shooting when compared to the .380. I have two Bulgarian Makarovs, one is a commercial pistol and the other is a surplus police duty weapon. Both were made in the same factory (although produced several years apart) and both pistols are well made and function just fine. These pistols represent just about the best quality handguns available for the money spent.

Mark T. Christian

bambihunter

To add to what Mark said, I believe the .380 case is 17mm long, the 9mm Makarov is (as you stated) 9x18, and the 9mm Luger is 9x19

While the Makarov isn't pictured below, it is between the .380 and the 9mm Para.

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Thanks guys for the info. I might pick on up. the price seems to be right. Thanks again Steve