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Most efforts concentrated on production technologies, and by the eighties many parts which were initially made with machining and hand-fitting, became precision-castings that required minimal, if any, fitting. The following decades saw the gradual evolution of Makarov pistols, in continuing attempts to produce new pistols with fewer rejects and at lower cost. However, it took three more years to refine its design, before it was officially adopted in 1951 as the “9mm Pistolet Makarova” or PM in short. In 1948, the trials resulted in a selection of the Makarov pistol in 9×18 as a next military sidearm for Soviet armed forces. Some designs were submitted in only one of the desired calibres, some, such as the Makarov design, in two, and a few in all three. Many designs were submitted and tested, such as pistols by Baryshev, Rakov, Voevodin, Simonov, and Makarov.
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Most Western pistols were required to fire 9mm NATO ammunition just to have commonality in ammunition with the standard issue sub-machine guns Soviet designers had no such requirements, and by the late forties 9×18 looked as if it was good enough for a military pistol. The explanation for this fact, however, is rather simple – while most Western countries relied on full-power rifles (bolt action or semi-automatic) and a sub-machine guns as a primary individual armament for the infantry, the new Soviet concept had no place for sub-machine guns, as the only primary arm of the infantry was the newly developed assault rifle. At the same period of time, many other armies, looking for an increase in power, starting to change their “weak” 7.65×17 Browning, 9×17 Browning or 7.65×20 Longue pistols to the more potent 9×19 Luger/Parabellum/NATO weapons. The key reason for the increase in calibre when compared with the West 9mm rounds is unknown (the 9×18 Soviet has bullet diameter of 9.2mm, while most Western 9mm rounds have a bullet diameter of 9.02mm Note that use of 9×18 Ultra / Police ammunition in any Makarov pistol is unsafe!).Īlso, while the Soviet Army was ahead of many others in the request for a double action pistol, it regressed somewhat in adopting an only marginally powerful round in a weapon that in essence was a pocket-type pistol. Apparently, this round was inspired by the German 9×18 Ultra, which was designed in the mid-1930s to provide “acceptable maximum power” in simple, pocket-sized blowback pistols. The last of these had been initially developed just prior to the war and refined after the war by the designer Syomin. New pistols were to be submitted in three calibres – 7.65x17SR Browning (proposed police round), 9×17 Browning, and a new 9×18. These requirements asked for a compact, double action pistol of the “ Walther PP type”. Furthermore, Tokarev pistols, despite being relatively simple and powerful, showed significant deficiencies, some of them quite serious, such as the lack of positive safety, so almost immediately after the war the GAU (Glavnoye Artillerijskoe Upravlenie – General Artillery Department of General Staff) issued a new set of requirements for a military and police pistol.
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Another factor that played a major role in the development of new requirements for the next military pistol, was the realistic prospect of a Third World War, with massive nuclear bombing and other such large-scale actions as a result, pistols played a very minor role in both strategic and tactical doctrines of the Soviet Army. Wartime experience, which included a close (and sometimes very personal) familiarity with German pistols, resulted in a major change of thinking about the role and necessary features of a military pistol for the Soviet army. Despite the fact that more potent pistols were designed just before and during the war, the TT remained the mainstream weapon.
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The Red Army fought the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 with both the semi-automatic Tokarev TT pistols and the obsolete Nagant M1895 revolvers. Magazine capacity 8 rounds (12 rounds PMM) Makarov / Shigapov PMM pistol with 12-round magazine capacity and improved grip panelsĮxperimantal TKB-023 pistol with polymer frame, a prototype based on Makarov PM pistol (circa 1965) IJ71H pistol, a commercial export-only version of Makarov PMM pistol with 12-round magazine, caliber 9×17 (.380ACP) IJ70-17AS pistol, a commercial export-only version of Makarov PM pistol, caliber 9×17 (.380ACP) note adjustable rear sight necessary to pass US qualification for import. Makarov PM pistol, heavily engraved presentation 'Russian government' version, current manufacture Makarov PM pistol, 1971 production gun, left side Makarov PM pistol, standard military issue sidearm of Soviet army. Makarov PM pistol, first year production (1949)