9mm need a magazine

[Bang]

This is a 9mm made by PW ARMS there is a number on it KT 21 2730

it says PW ARMS REDMOND WA 9X18M BULG

any idea where I can find a magazine for this? thanks

[BryanP]

Based on your description of the markings and the picture I'm going to say that's a Bulgarian Makarov which was imported by PW Arms. You need to find yourself a Makarov mag.

Here's a link to an add for a Makarov mag on Gunbroker. I have no idea if that price is normal or stupidly high.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145167387

Here's a link to someone on Gunbroker selling a Bulgarian Makarov with a spare mag, just so you have something to compare with for identification purposes:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145274584

Here's a FAQ from Makarov.com that may be of interest to you:

http://www.makarov.com/makfaq.html

Edited November 1, 2009 by BryanP

[Bang]

Thanksfor the help. any idea the best place to start looking? :-)

Based on your description of the markings and the picture I'm going to say that's a Bulgarian Makarov which was imported by PW Arms. You need to find yourself a Makarov mag.

[BryanP]

Thanksfor the help. any idea the best place to start looking? :-)

Try this.

[strickj]

Thanksfor the help. any idea the best place to start looking? :-)

I bet you could find one of those at a gun show.

The guy with like 50eleven hundred misc mags for odd guns

[redneck]

I've got 100 rounds of ammo for that , I need to sale cheap . Sorry for busting in , I know wrong forum .

[mousegunner]

MY BAD.

Edited November 2, 2009 by mousegunner
deleted unhelpful info...

[BryanP]

The "Bulg" he mentions in the original markings makes it unlikely that it's a Polish model. Here's a Bulgarian Makarov from another forum post. Note the markings below the safety on this one, and compare them to the same markings below the safety on the original pistol posted at the start of this thread.

Edited November 2, 2009 by BryanP

[mousegunner]

I think you are right, Bryan.

[Bang]

That is the right gun.....any idea what these are worth? Thanks.

The "Bulg" he mentions in the original markings makes it unlikely that it's a Polish model. Here's a Bulgarian Makarov from another forum post. Note the markings below the safety on this one, and compare them to the same markings below the safety on the original pistol posted at the start of this thread.

[mousegunner]

Prices have gone up. They are asking in the $400 range on gunbroker.com. The E. German and Russian ones cost more.

[Bang]

I can get this one for 350 but no mag with it.....not sure what to do

Prices have gone up. They are asking in the $400 range on gunbroker.com. The E. German and Russian ones cost more.

[Garufa]

I can get this one for 350 but no mag with it.....not sure what to do

Tell seller that without a mag the price will need to come down. Significantly, in my opinion.

I would also question why the gun does not have a mag.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Garufa
Gun without magazine?

[BryanP]

Also, since you don't seem to know much about these guns you should be clear on this: when you say "9mm", this is not 9mm parabellum, which is what most people mean when they say "9mm." 9mm Makarov is a different type of ammunition.

[Bang]

good info thanks. So the ammo is different in what ways? will it make it harder to aquire ammo? is this type ammo better than other 9 ammo?

Also, since you don't seem to know much about these guns you should be clear on this: when you say "9mm", this is not 9mm parabellum, which is what most people mean when they say "9mm." 9mm Makarov is a different type of ammunition.

[mousegunner]

This from the Makarov.com website:

Can I fire .380 ACP ammo in my 9x18M Makarov?

NO NO NO NO NO !!! There are those that disagree with me including an author of an article in Handguns magazine and gun dealers who wants to sell you a Makarov. The 9x18M cartridge is not a "true" 9mm because it's really 9.2mm. Therefore the bullets are sized .364" and .365" (barrel sizes vary...slugging yours is best to find out your bore size). Yes, you can probably get away with it a few times, but accuracy will suffer, you'll get gas blow-by, your barrel will wear out faster and for what? Save a few pennies? Hardly. 9x18M ammo is usually cheaper since you can get it surplus. If you absolutely want to shoot .380 ACP ammo from your Makarov, then buy a .380 Makarov or a .380 replacement barrel.

For a car analogy, have you ever seen or owned a car that burned oil? How long did the engine last after it started blowing blue smoke? Probably not long. The reason is that the pistons and rings are now smaller than the cylinders and each explosion sends gasses by-passing the piston ("blow-by"). You're literally burning the sides of your pistons now and engine death is imminent. That's basically what you're doing by shooting undersized bullets.

I have a .380 ACP pistol and want a little more power. Can I shoot 9x18M in it?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! This is even worse than the other way around. The bullet is too big (.364") to fit into the barrel (.356"), the cartridge will probably not even chamber, and even if it does, you may blow the gun and yourself up. Really, 9x18M Makarovs are not that expensive...just get one if you want to fire 9x18M. You can also change the barrel and you gun will now fire 9x18M. And if you want more power, get a .454 Casull.

How about 9mm Parabellum? It fits in the chamber.

Holy smokes...what are you trying to do? Kill yourself?!? 9mm Parabellum is a very high pressure round intended for locked-breech pistols. Look, fire .380 ACP from a .380 ACP pistol. Fire 9x18 M from a 9x18 M pistol. Fire 9mm Parabellum from a 9mm pistol. It's that simple. If you want multi- calibers, get a .357 Magnum; then you can fire .38 Special from it.

Me again: Get 9mm Makarov ammo made especially for your Makarov pistol. Here's a possible link to ammo...

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=10480_14658_14743_14911_14762

Edited November 3, 2009 by mousegunner

[BryanP]

The gun in question fires 9mm Makarov, also known as 9x18. When most people say "9mm" with no qualifier they are talking about 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger (same thing), which is 9x19. You may also see some people refer to .380ACP as 9mm kurz, and it is 9x17. Three different rounds, all of which fire in different guns.