Would be buy a commie made pistol in 9X18?

Question

even if the price was dirt cheap or would you stick with a new 380 like a Bersa?

Answer 1

.380-9X17mm or 9mm short or 'kurz'. A big gun store or outdoor shop or pawn shops are good places to find them. I've had several (2 stolen) and liked them all. The best was a beautiful Russian Baikal model. The second was a surprisingly nice Polish P-64. The third is a Bulgarian. Nice but way less than the Baikal. They all are built like tanks, easy to shoot well, infinitely reliable, and easy to wear concealed carry style. AND very safe. The safety blocks the trigger, slide, hammer, and firing pin. The firing pin stays blocked until the trigger is pulled fully.
All 9X18 ammo is called 9X18 Makarov so it won't be used in .380s or 9mm Luger/Parabellum. Not all pistols that shoot 9X18 are Makarovs, the FEG PA-63 is not a Makarov, for instance. Get a Makarov! You won't be disappointed.

Answer 2

Get a 9x18 makarov. They are good guns. The East German models were the best. Not all 9x18 ammo is makarov. The 9x18 makarov was a slightly modified 9x18 Ultra that the Germans came up with. This "Ultra" ammo is kinda scarce (Fiocchi probably makes it-they make a lot of oddball shells) and does not work in a makarov. Without the German .30 Mauser (7.63x25mm) and the 9x18 Ultra, there would have been no 7.62x25 Tokarev or 9x18 Makarov. Same can be said about 7.62 Kurz, which gave the Russians the idea for 7.62x39mm. Commies had no real originality.

Answer 3

I would buy the new .380 acp simply because of the availability of ammo. Not only is .380 ammo easier to find but you can find it in a wider range of bullet designs from ball to hollow point to pre-fragmented rounds.

H

Answer 4

If I were in your shoes, I'd look to see if I could find about 500 pieces of brass for cheap and base my decision on that. Makarovs and their copies have a decent reputation, but if you're going to spend all your time looking for ammo, it may not be worth it.