Encyclopedia of weapons. Encyclopedia of weapons Return mechanism of the Makarov pistol "PM"

Barrel of Makarov pistol "PM"

Inside it has a rifled channel with four grooves and a chamber. Chamber with a ledge. The outer surface is smooth. On the breech there is a boss for attaching the barrel to the frame post and a hole for the frame pin. At the bottom of the tide there is a bevel for directing the cartridge from the magazine to the chamber. The barrel is firmly secured to the frame post with a tight fit and a pin.

Parts of the PM pistol. 1- casing-shutter; 2- ejector; 3- oppression with a spring; 4- rear sight; 5- drummer; 6 - fuse with spring; 7- shutter stop; 8- return spring; 9- sear with a spring; 10- trigger; eleven- trigger rod with cocking lever; 12-frame; 13- trunk; 14- trigger guard; 15- trigger with axis; 16- trigger spring; 17- action spring; 18- handle: 19- handle screw; 20 - store

Shutter cover of the Makarov "PM" pistol

It is a combination of two parts into one whole: the barrel casing and the bolt itself. This has a positive effect on automatics with blowback recoil, as it increases the weight of the bolt. The bolt casing has a transverse groove on the outside for a movable rear sight, a notch to eliminate glare when aiming, and a window for ejection spent cartridges, a groove for the ejector and a socket for its spring, a socket for the fuse and recesses for its fixation, a notch for conveniently retracting the bolt to the rear position, a groove for the trigger. Inside, the bolt casing has a channel for the barrel, longitudinal projections for moving the bolt casing along the frame, a groove for the reflector, a groove for the release protrusion of the cocking lever, a cartridge rammer into the chamber, a cup for placing the bottom of the cartridge case, a protrusion for separating the cocking lever from the sear, a recess for placing the release ledge of the cocking lever when the trigger is pressed, a channel for placing the firing pin.

Makarov pistol frame "PM"

It is integral with the base of the pistol handle and has a stand with a hole for attaching the barrel, a window for placing the trigger head and a curved groove for placing the trigger rod; trunnion sockets for placing trigger trunnions; projections with trunnion sockets for trigger and sear trunnions; grooves for directing the movement of the shutter; window for mainspring feathers; window for the top of the store; cutout for slide stop. The base of the handle has side windows to lighten the weight, a window for inserting a magazine, a boss for attaching the mainspring and handle, a cutout for the magazine latch, and a boss with sockets for attaching the trigger guard. The trigger guard has a ridge at the front end to limit rearward movement of the bolt. In the frame, it is held in the upper position by an eyelet and a bend located on the front wall of the base of the handle. The handle with the screw is a kind of plastic U-shaped shield that covers the side windows of the base of the handle.

Shutter cover of the Makarov "PM" pistol: 1 - front sight; 2 - rear sight; 3 - window for ejecting the cartridge case; 4 - fuse socket; 5 - notch; b - channel for placing a barrel with a return spring; 7 - longitudinal projections to guide the movement of the shutter along the frame; 8 - tooth for setting the bolt to the bolt stop; 9 - grooves for the reflector; 10 - groove for the release protrusion of the cocking lever; 11 - recess for disconnecting the sear from the shutter lever; 12 - rammer; 13 - protrusion for separating the cocking lever from the sear; 14 - recess for placing the release protrusion of the cocking lever; 15 - groove for the trigger; 16 - comb

Frame with barrel and trigger guard of the Makarov “PM” pistol: 1 - base of the handle; 2- barrel; 3 - stand for attaching the barrel; 4 - window for placing the trigger and the ridge of the trigger guard; 5 - sockets for trigger pins; b - curved groove for placement and movement of the front axle of the trigger rod; 7 - sockets for trigger and sear journals; 8 - grooves for directing the movement of the shutter; 9 - window for mainspring feathers; 10 - cutout for the bolt stop; 11 - boss with a threaded hole for attaching the handle and mainspring; 12 - cutout for magazine latch; 13 - boss with a socket for attaching the trigger guard; 14 - side windows; 15 - trigger guard; 16 - ridge to limit the movement of the shutter back; 17 - window for exiting the upper part of the store

Trigger mechanism of the Makarov "PM" pistol

It consists of: drummer; trigger; action spring; sear with a spring; trigger; trigger rod with cocking lever. The firing pin has a firing pin in the front part, and in the rear there is a cut for the fuse, which holds the firing pin in the bolt channel.

Striker of the Makarov "PM" pistol:1 - striker; 2- fuse cut.

Trigger of the Makarov "PM" pistol: 1 - head with a notch; 2 - recess for catching the fuse; 3 - safety platoon: 4 - combat platoon; 5 - self-cocking tooth; b - recess for the mainspring; 7 - left trunnion.

Mainspring of the Makarov "PM" pistol: 1 - wide feather; 2 - narrow feather; 3 - hole; 4 - lower end (magazine latch).

The trigger is a part of a very complex configuration. It has a head with a notch for cocking the hammer by hand, a cutout for free movement of the hammer when releasing it from combat cocking, a recess for hooking the safety, a safety ledge, a combat cocking ledge, pins on the sides for rotating the hammer, arcuate grooves to reduce weight, a self-cocking tooth for cocking the hammer with the cocking lever, a protrusion for locking the hammer with the cocking lever, a protrusion for locking the hammer with a fuse, a recess for the wide feather of the mainspring, an annular recess for the heel of the cocking lever. The mainspring is a complex-shaped, double-leaf spring. It has a wide feather for acting on the trigger, a narrow feather for acting on the cocking lever and trigger pull, a hole for putting on the base of the handle. The lower end of the mainspring is the magazine latch. The bend of the wide feather provides a “release” of the trigger. The sear has a spout for engagement with the trigger ledges, trunnions for rotation, a tooth for raising the sear with a safety catch, and a protrusion that fits into the cutout of the cocking lever when the trigger is released. A spring is attached to the left trunnion of the sear, the protrusion of which is connected to the bolt stop. The trigger has pins for rotation, a hole for connecting to the trigger rod and a tail for applying force when firing. The trigger rod with the cocking lever has pins at the ends. The front pin connects to the trigger, and the rear pin connects to the cocking lever. The cocking lever works in conjunction with the trigger rod and has a protrusion for disengaging from the sear when the bolt moves backward, a cutout for the protrusion of the sear, a self-cocking protrusion, and a heel for resting the narrow feather of the mainspring.

Trigger of the Makarov "PM" pistol: 1 - right trunnion; 2 - hole for connecting to the trigger rod; 3 - tail.

Trigger rod with cocking lever of the Makarov "PM" pistol: 1 - trigger rod; 2 - axles; 3 - disconnecting ledge; 4 - cutout for the sear protrusion; 5 - self-cocking protrusion; b - heel for the narrow feather of the mainspring.

Locking mechanism of the Makarov pistol "PM"

Since this pistol uses the principle of automatic action with a blowback, the barrel bore locking mechanism consists of two parts: the bolt and the return spring.

Return mechanism of the Makarov pistol "PM"

The function of the return mechanism in the gun is performed by a return spring. A return spring is a coiled cylindrical spring, the outermost coil of one of the ends of which has a smaller diameter. During assembly, it is put on the barrel with this coil to hold it securely.

Mechanism for removing spent cartridges from a Makarov “PM” pistol

It consists of an ejector and a reflector. The ejector has a hook for gripping the cartridge case and a heel for connecting to the bolt. The work is carried out under the influence of a coiled coil spring and a bend.

The reflector is part of the shutter stop.

The mechanism for feeding cartridges into the chamber of the Makarov pistol "PM"

The cartridges are fed into the chamber by the lower part of the bolt, which is called the rammer. The supply for loading cartridges is provided by the magazine using a feeder and a feeder spring. This also includes the shutter lag. The magazine consists of a body, a feeder, a magazine cover, and a feeder spring. The magazine body is a box, the upper edges of the side walls of which are bent inward to hold the cartridges and feeder. At the bottom there are curved ribs for the lid, on the sides there are windows for control. The feeder has two bent ends to guide movement. One has a hook for engaging the slide stop. The feeder spring is a coiled spring of figured manufacture. One end of it serves to lock the lid. The magazine cover has hooks and a hole for a latch. The bolt stop has a protrusion for holding the bolt in the rear position, a button with a notch for the hand, a hole for connecting to the sear pins, a tooth for disabling the bolt stop with a magazine, and a reflector.

Return spring of the Makarov PM pistol.

Ejector with a bend and a spring for a Makarov pistol “PM”: 1 - hook; 2- heel

Makarov pistol magazine "PM":I - store body; 2- figured windows; 3- curved ribs; 4 - protrusion for magazine latch; 5 - oblique protrusion for turning off the shutter stop; 6- feeder;- hook for engaging the bolt stop; 8- magazine cover; 9- feeder spring.

The slide stop of the Makarov "PM" pistol:I - protrusion for holding the shutter; 2- knurled button; 3- hole for connecting to the sear pins; 4- tooth for turning off the bolt stop with a magazine; 5- reflector.

Makarov pistol safety "PM": 1- a spring to hold the fuse in the required position; 2- hook for locking the trigger; 3- protrusion for blocking the trigger strike when the safety is turned on; 4- a ledge with a break for turning the sear and releasing the hammer when the safety is turned on.

Safety devices of the Makarov pistol "PM"

As mentioned above, protection from an accidental shot is carried out in three ways: “release” of the trigger - due to the wide feather of the mainspring; using a safety platoon; using a mechanical safety catch. The fuse is held in a given position by its spring and has a flag for switching from the “fire” position to the “safety” position and back; an axis with a ledge for turning the sear and releasing the hammer from cocking when switched to the “safety” position; a rib that ensures the closure of the shutter with the frame in the “safety” position; hook for locking the trigger in the “safety” position; a protrusion to absorb the impact of the trigger when the safety is turned on. As you can see, this small part is multifunctional in purpose and connections with other parts and is technologically complex.

Sights of the Makarov "PM" pistol

Open-type sighting devices, designed for a constant distance, consist of a fixed front sight and a movable rear sight located in the transverse groove of the bolt casing.

In 1948, the Soviet gunsmith N.F. Makarov developed the design of a pistol, which today is known to everyone as the PM. From 1951 to this day, this model of pistol has been used by members of the Russian armed forces and law enforcement as a personal weapon for defense and attack.

The main purpose of the PM is to defeat the enemy at a short distance. The reliability of this weapon is ensured by the uninterrupted operation of all elements of its automation. The article contains information about what main parts the Makarov pistol consists of.

Beginning of work

In 1947 Sr. command staff The Soviet army needed a new compact pistol. TT was already outdated by that time. It was necessary to create a new weapon - a “peacetime” pistol. In 1948, a competition was held at which Soviet weapons designers presented their developments.

Winner

According to the terms of the competition, the weapon must be equipped with a blowback bolt and a self-cocking firing mechanism. The already proven German Walther PP was taken as a basis. It was planned to create two samples of a pistol using 7, 65 and 9 mm caliber ammunition. After testing the cartridges, gunsmiths noted that compared to 7, 65, 9 mm it is more powerful. It was decided to focus our attention on this caliber. The end result of such work was the performance characteristics and the main parts of this weapon allow it to be used effectively during close combat.

How does automation work?

The Makarov pistol is self-loading weapons. The PM is easy to use, and the automatic pistol allows the owner to keep the weapon always ready for action. The automatic reloading process is carried out by such main parts of the Makarov pistol as the bolt and impact trigger. For this purpose, the recoil principle of a bolt not engaged with the barrel is used. During a shot, the barrel channel is locked due to the large mass of the bolt and the force of the return spring. To fire, you do not need to pre-cock the hammer. Just pull the trigger.

Main parts and mechanisms of the Makarov pistol

The weapon is equipped with the following elements:

• Receiver and trigger guard.
• A bolt containing a firing pin, an ejector and a fuse.
• Return spring.
• Trigger mechanism.
• With a handle.
• Shutter delay.
• Pistol shop.

These components represent the 7 main parts of the Makarov pistol.

Functions

The main parts of the Makarov pistol perform the following tasks:

• The barrel directs the flight of the bullet. The trigger guard protects the trigger from accidental pressing.
• The bolt feeds ammunition from the magazine into the chamber, locks the barrel channel during firing, holds the cartridge case in the bolt cup with the help of an ejector, and sets the hammer to cock. With the help of the striker, the ammunition capsule is broken. The safety ensures the shooter's safety while operating the pistol.
• The return spring, after firing, sets the bolt in its original position.
• The trigger is equipped with a trigger, a sear with a spring, a trigger, a cocking lever with a trigger rod, a mainspring and a bolt to it. These main parts of the Makarov pistol provide quick firing immediately after pressing the trigger. There is no longer any need to pre-cock the hammer for this.
• allows you to hold the bolt in the rear position when the magazine is empty.
• The handle with a screw provides a comfortable grip for the shooter on the Makarov pistol.
• The pistol's magazine holds eight rounds of ammunition.

PM Store

This element has four elements:

• The magazine body, which is used to connect all its parts.
• A feeder that feeds ammunition into the chamber.
• A spring that pushes the feeder with cartridges upward.
• A magazine cover designed to close the case.

The photo below shows the main parts of the Makarov pistol.

How is security ensured?

The left side of the bolt is equipped with a special fuse. With the help of automation and a mainspring, the trigger is set on the safety cock when lowering. It is influenced by the curved (bounce) end of the spring feather: it turns the trigger at a slight angle from the bolt. Thus, the spring performs the function of “releasing” the trigger. The sear with its nose is located in front of the safety cocking of the trigger. When the trigger is released, the mainspring feather acts on the trigger rod, and the cocking lever and sear are lowered to the lower position. Thus, the sear, pressing against the trigger, sets it on the safety cock.

How does the shot happen?

The process is carried out in several stages:

• The mechanics begin to work when you press the trigger.
• The trigger interacts with the firing pin, causing it to break the cartridge capsule.
• Ignition of a powder charge. The resulting powder gases eject the bullet from the barrel channel.
• Powder gases through the bottom of the cartridge case act on the bolt, which, moving back, compresses the return spring. Using the ejector, the bolt holds the cartridge case. Having reached the reflector, it is extracted through the shutter window.
• In the extreme position, the shutter rotates the trigger mounted on the trunnions until it is cocked.
• In the most extreme position, the bolt is acted upon by a return spring, which pushes it back forward.
• Moving forward, the bolt, with the help of a rammer, directs the next ammunition from the pistol magazine into the chamber.
• The bolt, “freed” from the cartridge, locks the barrel channel. After this, the weapon is ready to fire again.

Shots from a Makarov pistol are fired until all the cartridges in the magazine are used up. After this, the shutter is set to the shutter stop in the rear position.

Performance characteristics

• The Makarov pistol is designed to fire 9 mm caliber cartridges.
• The weapon weighs 0.73 grams.
• Length 161 mm.
• The PM barrel has a length of 93 mm.
• The fired bullet is capable of developing an initial speed of up to 315 m/s.
• The PM has a rate of fire of 30 rounds per minute.
• The pistol is designed for single shooting mode.
• The effective firing range does not exceed 50 m.
• The lethality of the bullet is 350 m.
• The PM magazine is designed for 8 rounds of ammunition.

Small size, reliability, ease of operation and maintenance - characteristics Makarov pistol. Of the wide variety of models belonging to the class of compact weapons for self-defense, the PM pistol is recognized as one of the best. Today it is used by officers of the armed forces and employees of law enforcement agencies.

In the previous articles of the series dedicated to our famous “thirty-four”, the author briefly reviewed the stages of the evolution of German medium tanks. The Wehrmacht had two of these at the time of the invasion of the USSR: T-III and T-IV. But the first one turned out to be too small and did not have reserves for further improvement: even in its most “advanced” version, it had a maximum of 50 mm armor (though reinforced in the frontal part with an additional 20 mm plate) and a 50 mm long-barreled gun, the capabilities of which, however, , were no longer considered sufficient to combat the latest Soviet armored vehicles.

IN last years The concept of loitering ammunition has gained some popularity. The development of electronics makes it possible to implement it different ways, including the most interesting. Not long ago, an original version of loitering ammunition was proposed by the Australian company DefendTex. The Drone-40 product is made in the dimensions of a 40-mm grenade for an underbarrel grenade launcher, but is capable of performing UAV tasks.

During the interwar period, light, medium, infantry and cavalry tanks were developed and produced in England. Light tanks were represented by Mk.VI with light armor and machine gun armament, medium - Medium Mk.II with light armor and a 47-mm cannon, cavalry - Mk.II, Mk.III, Mk.IV, Mk.V with medium armor ( 8-30 mm) and a 40 mm gun.

In the early eighties, a new “family of scatterable mines”, Family of Scatterable Mines / FASCAM, entered service with the US Army. To use this line of ammunition, several remote mining systems have been developed.

The Makarov pistol is the first small arms developed by the Soviet Union after the end of World War II. Designer N.F. Makarov created a weapon that since 1951 has become an integral part of the country's armed forces. Now new pistols have already been created that are much more powerful, faster-firing and more convenient, but the Makarov pistol has already taken its rightful place in history.

History of the creation and development of the Makarov pistol model

In 1945, the Ministry of Defense Soviet Union began selection for the design and creation of a pistol of 7.65 mm or 9 mm caliber.

The best developers of the USSR expressed a desire to try their hand at the competition. Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov also confirmed his participation. Also, to compare characteristics, foreign models of pistols were included in the competition famous brands: Walter, Mauser, Sauer, Beretta.

When developing the project, N. F. Makarov took as a basis the presence of fewer parts than in existing existing models.

The proposed Makarov project consisted of 30 component parts, with some main parts of the PM performing several functions at once. For example, the main spring of a pistol could perform seven operations.

Nikolai Fedorovich paid great attention to the main problem small arms of its time - frequent stops in shooting. Thanks to non-standard solutions, this problem was solved.

By the beginning of 1947, Makarov had decided on the concept of the pistol, having worked out every detail. In October 1947, field tests of the pistols that took part in the competition began. The samples presented by designers Makarov and Sevryugin advanced to the second stage of selection.

According to an assessment of additional parameters, the choice of the state commission employees fell on the project of N. F. Makarov’s pistol.

At the end of the 40s, after all the shortcomings were eliminated and changes were made to the design of the pistol, new tests were carried out. The pistol was presented to the commission in a completed design. Based on the results of the shooting, the commission members noted the simplicity and reliability of the pistol when used in real combat conditions. The shooting showed high accuracy. From a distance of 50 meters, the bullets hit the target with an accuracy of 16 cm in diameter. The pistol was shorter than its predecessor, the TT pistol, by 34 mm and weighed 230 grams lighter.

Having assessed the high performance of the pistol, the commission recommended that the pistol be put into service, which was done in 1951.

Weapons were exported to countries of Eastern Europe, Asia and some African countries.

Since 2003, the Makarov was officially withdrawn from the Russian Armed Forces and replaced by the Yarygin pistol.

In 60 s extra years the pistol acquired a real cult status and became a collector's item for many domestic and foreign gun connoisseurs.

I think a few words need to be said about the inventor himself. Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov was born on May 22, 1914 in Sasovo Ryazan region. Father - Fyodor Vasilyevich Makarov. Mother - Pelageya Vasilievna Makarova.

In addition to Nikolai, the family also raised 5 children. Having completed his studies at primary school, Nikolay continued his studies at the Railway Transport School in Ryazan. After graduating from college, he continued to work as a foreman at one of the depots of the Kazan Railway.

1936 - beginning of studies at the Tula Mechanical Institute, where many USSR designers studied in the field of military equipment.

By the beginning of World War II, training was carried out according to an accelerated program. He was given an engineer's diploma and was transferred to the Zagorsk plant, where at that time the PPSh-41 Shpagin machine gun was produced.

Simultaneously with his work at the plant, Nikolai Fedorovich was engaged in a dissertation, which he successfully defended in 1944. After the end of the war, he was transferred to Design Bureau No. 14 in Tula, where he worked all his life.

• 1952, 1967 - Mosin Prize;
• 1966 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor;
• 1971 – Order of Lenin;
• 1974 - awarded the title “Hero of Socialist Labor”.

Design Features

The Makarov pistol (PM) is a medium caliber pistol with a fixed body. In recoil-back designs, the only force holding the bolt closed is the force of the recoil spring. When firing, the barrel and bolt do not need to be unlocked, as do pistols with a locked breech. The PM design is simple and has precisely fitted parts, compared to designs using a coiled or articulated barrel.

The PM is considered one of the best compact self-defense pistols of its time. When interacting with the enemy up to 50 meters, it is a reliable, accurate self-defense weapon.

"Makarov" is a pistol of all-metal construction. The safety lever is located on the left side of the shooter. In safe mode, you can move it down from the cocked position, after which the hammer and sear are fixed.

The external hammer can be manually cocked to the exact first shot in single action mode or can be cocked in automatic mode, which requires a little more force to pull the trigger.

The all-steel magazine contains 8 rounds (12 rounds for PMM pistols), and after the last round is fired, the sliding stop remains in the open position. To remove it, you need to pull the lever on the left side of the frame down. The magazine latch is located at the bottom of the handle, but some export versions (Baikal-442) have a push-button magazine release (the button is at the base of the trigger).

How to disassemble a pistol:

1. Detach the magazine by pressing the magazine release button on the base of the handle and pulling the magazine;
2. Check that the chamber is empty;
3. Pull the safety trigger down, then turn it sideways to lock it in the open position;
4. Lift the back of the cover and remove it from the rails;
5. Carefully check the sliding movement forward and remove the barrel;
6. Remove the recoil spring from the barrel.

Operating principle of PM

The trigger mechanism is based on the principle of double action, when after installing a magazine with cartridges, the trigger is pressed with force, then the hammer is cocked and the sear is released, and hits the firing pin. A shot occurs. After the shot, the housing cover begins to move back, overcoming the force of the recoil spring.

Once the cover has reached its rearmost position, the ejector pin on the slip stop slides out at the left rear of the empty housing. The ejector tooth pushes the housing out of the ejection port. The bolt begins to move forward, removing the next cartridge from the magazine, pushing it into the chamber, thereby self-loading the pistol.

Finally, the bolt slides into the battery (all the way forward), the prong lifts off the rim of the chuck and snaps into place. The pistol is now ready to fire again. The disconnector prevents a second shot from being fired by the same trigger pull.

Subsequent shots are single action, meaning that the hammer is already cocked and that the action of the trigger pushes the sear away from the hammer, thereby releasing the hammer.

The hammer is floating, without a return spring. This is a very simple mechanism that has been working for over 50 years. The other side of the hammer interacts with the sear to stop it at the bottom of its movement if the side of the hammer is damaged. This ensures that the gun will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.

After the last shot is fired, the repeater tab on the magazine pushes up to release the cover, and it is locked in the rear position. The magazine should now be removed and a new one inserted.

By pressing the trigger, the recoil spring pushes the slide forward, removing the first round of the magazine into the chamber, and the pistol is ready to fire in single action mode.

The safety can be easily removed by turning it clockwise past the "safe" position, turning it away from the muzzle at an angle of approximately 120°, and pulling it out. The safety also holds the firing pin in place, so care must be taken to ensure that the firing pin is not lost when the safety is removed.

The magazine consists of 4 main parts: body, spring, pusher and plate. Its capacity is 8 rounds of 9×18 mm PM caliber. Magazines can get dirty, so they need to be cleaned periodically.

The magazine release button is located on the bottom of the pistol, near the bottom of the grip. To release the magazine, press the magazine release button down until the magazine drops slightly. You can take out the magazine.

The barrel is secured in a frame, and a pin ensures its return. The barrel can be replaced with a different caliber or configuration.

Some Soviet (Russian) pistol models come with an adjustable rear sight, but the original Makarov has a fixed rear sight. Even though it is called "fixed", it can be moved left or right with with the help of the lung pressing.

The Makarov consists of only 27 parts, which is significantly less than the Walter, who has 42. The simplicity of the pistol's design is a very ingenious invention of Makarov and allows the pistol to be disassembled with a small number of tools. Some parts are multifunctional. For example, the hammer spring also serves as a magazine release, the safety holds the firing pin in place, and the trigger mechanism also acts as an ejector. Below is a cheat sheet for performance characteristics of pm 9mm, which is especially relevant for cadets of military schools.

Performance characteristics of the Makarov pistol

Ammunition used in PM

Before telling what ammunition was used in the PM, it is necessary to briefly outline the history of the appearance of the standard 9x18 cartridge.

The development of a new 9 mm cartridge began at Experimental Design Bureau No. 44, which was headed by B.V. Semin. The shell from a standard cartridge (7.62×25) was taken as the basis. As a result of test shooting ranges, a decision was made to reduce the length to 18 mm.

In 1947, development tests of new cartridges were carried out, noted in the documents as OP-1 cartridges. The tested cartridges were compared with TT pistol cartridges, as well as with German 9x19 (Parabellum). As a result, after eliminating all the comments and shortcomings, the 9x18 mm cartridge was adopted for service in 1951.

In the 60s of the 20th century, bullets with increased impact and armor-piercing characteristics were developed for KGB officers. However, more accurate information about the bullets used and the performance characteristics of the Makarov pistol in this modification is not publicly available.

In the 90s, attempts were made to use cartridges with increased penetration in the PM. The results of such an experiment did not find support among military experts, especially since work on 9x19 mm and 9x21 mm cartridges had already been developed and was underway.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Simplicity of design;
• Pistol reliability;
• Light weight;
• Low cost of the pistol;
• Quality store.

Flaws:

• Strong recoil after firing;
• High cost of cartridges;
• You need to put more effort when pulling the trigger;
• There is no possibility to install optics.

Modifications based on PM

1. The most famous modification of the Makarov pistol is the PMM (modernized Makarov pistol). In 1990, a group of engineers redesigned the original design, primarily by increasing the load on the pistol barrel. The result is a significant increase in initial speed and the creation of 25% more gas pressure. The PMM magazine contains 12 rounds. The PMM can use existing 9.2x18mm cartridges. There are also minor changes to the ergonomics of the handle. Along with the Grach pistol, the PMM became the service pistol of the Russian Airborne Forces;

   Performance characteristics of the PMM pistol:

2. An experimental version of the Makarov pistol - TKB-023 was developed with a polymer frame to reduce the weight and cost of the weapon. It passed Soviet military tests during the USSR, but was never approved for production due to concerns about the polymer's long-term storage and use;
3. IZH-70. The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMZ) produced a version of the PM pistol called IZH-70. This option was supplied for export. The main difference between the IZH-70 and the standard Makarov pistol is the adjustable sight, made like a sports sight;
4. IZH-70-400. In 1993, the designers of the Izhevsk plant introduced a new modification chambered for the 9x19 mm cartridge (Parabellum). The main difference of the pistol is the slow release of the barrel using screw-ring grooves in the chamber;
5. Baikal IZH-79-8 is a modification of the standard Makarov pistol with an 8 mm barrel. The pistol is designed to fire gas cartridges.

All of the above weapons were produced on the territory of the USSR and Russia.

There are several Warsaw Pact countries that themselves began to produce their own pistols, which in design almost completely correspond to the characteristics and appearance Makarov pistol.

These countries include Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. According to them, they themselves developed their own pistol designs chambered for 9x18 mm.

Hungary developed the FEG PA-63, Poland the P-64 and P-83 Wanad, and Czechoslovakia the vz.82. These pistols are identical in their operating principle (direct recoil), the cartridge has the same caliber as the PM.

At the same time, they were supplied to some countries as pistols made in Poland, Hungary or Czechoslovakia.

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The table above shows the data of a standard PM pistol when using general purpose cartridges with a steel or lead core

Makarov pistol (PM)

In the territory former USSR, almost every man is familiar with the appearance of the Makarov pistol. It is not surprising, because there is not a single pistol more common in the post-Soviet space than the PM.

The pistol was finally developed in 1948, and from 1951 began to fill both the army and law enforcement agencies, replacing the heavy and hefty TT pistols, which, moreover, were very unreliable and did not provide sufficient stopping power due to high speed bullets and a relatively small caliber. Bullets from a TT pistol simply pierced the enemy, who sometimes did not even notice it right away and managed to commit unwanted actions (for example, shoot back). Also, the TT pistol was deprived of the ability to fire self-cocking; before the first shot, it was necessary to cock the hammer manually.

The Makarov pistol has become widespread among illegal armed groups and among ordinary bandits. Nowadays, this weapon is mainly used by police officers and the same bandits.

Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov

Initially, back in the forties of the last century, the PM was developed for the 9x18 cartridge, but this was not the case, the basis was the German 9x18 “Ultra” cartridge. This cartridge was a less powerful ammunition than required, and domestic weapons designers began to create a new pistol cartridge, which was supposed to be as powerful as possible for use in a pistol with a free cartridge. This cartridge became the Soviet 9x18 cartridge, and the most common pistol for this cartridge subsequently became the Makarov pistol. The German 9x18 "Ultra" cartridge was not a copy of the domestic 9x18 cartridge; it could not be loaded into the PM due to the slightly larger nominal caliber of the Makarov pistol.

A prototype of a 1947 Makarov system pistol

Makarov pistol, experimental model 1949

The Makarov system pistol was produced in the 70s, the same thing is in service with domestic law enforcement agencies and the army. The hammer is cocked

Makarov pistol and 8-round magazine

The development of the pistol was completed by Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov in 1948; in 1949, a prototype chambered for the new Soviet 9x18 mm cartridge was submitted to the competition, which in all respects was recognized as the best among the pistols submitted to the competition in all respects. After minor modifications, this pistol was put into service Soviet army and the police in 1951. The pistol allows you to fire in semi-automatic mode, that is, for each next shot you must pull the trigger. The main advantages of PM are its widespread use and reliability of operation.

Makarov pistol diagram

The trigger mechanism of the Makarov system pistol is double action, that is, before the first shot you can cock the hammer manually and shoot with a softer trigger and with a very short trigger stroke, which will make the hit accuracy much higher. After this shot, the automatic pistol will cock the hammer with each subsequent shot by rolling back the bolt casing, so each subsequent shot, or rather the force of pressing the trigger and the stroke of the hook, will be the same.

If you shoot by self-cocking, if the cartridge is already in the chamber, you need to pull the trigger, but the trigger stroke will be longer and more difficult. After all, when self-cocking, by force index finger on the trigger, you need to cock the hammer, squeezing the mainspring, and then, reaching extreme point, the trigger will break and hit the firing pin.

Therefore, such a trigger mechanism is called self-cocking, double-action (either we cock the trigger manually, or by pressing the trigger, using physical force.)

The self-cocking system allows you to cock the mainspring by pressing the trigger, pull the hammer back and fire, under the influence of one finger press on the trigger.

In other words, this means that if the cartridge is in the chamber, you can fire immediately without unnecessary manipulations. Just don’t forget about the safety, which must be turned off by moving the safety flag from top to bottom, if, of course, the weapon is on safety (according to the rules for handling weapons and according to all service instructions, with the exception of certain cases, there should not be a cartridge in the chamber and the weapon should be on fuse).

Automatic operation is based on a free shutter. In more detail it looks like this. By pressing the trigger, we release the spring-loaded hammer (if it is already cocked), which hits the firing pin, and the firing pin, in turn, hits the igniter primer of the cartridge. Next, a shot occurs, the powder gases between the bullet and the cartridge case press in both directions, the bullet moves forward along the barrel, and the cartridge case, under the influence of these gases, begins to move the bolt back, which is held back by the return spring on the reverse side. Overcoming the resistance of the spring, the bolt frame begins to move backward (the bullet has already left the barrel). The ejector, located on the bolt frame near the extraction window, hooks the cartridge case into the groove and, through a reflector, ejects the cartridge case from the pistol, freeing up space in the chamber for a new cartridge. The bolt frame, having reached the rearmost point, cocks the hammer, after which, under the influence of the return spring, the bolt casing begins to move forward, simultaneously driving a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber and locking it. Now the weapon is ready for a new shot, the hammer is cocked, the cartridge is in the chamber.

Scheme of automatic pistol operation based on blowback recoil This scheme is good for pistols using low-power cartridges, but in the case of more powerful ammunition, other automatic operation schemes are usually used. The reason for this approach is the blowback shutter. With a powerful cartridge, such a system may fail.

Comrade Makarov is quite often, and very wrongly, accused of licking his pistol from Walter RR/RRK. Scheme incomplete disassembly similar, that's a fact appearance also very similar.

Walther RRK/S, the most natural, not pneumatic or traumatic, although licensed, made in the USA. Caliber 9 mm, pistol works with cartridge 380 ACP (9 mm Kurz)

But differences begin inside, and fundamental ones; the design and execution of parts differ significantly. Working on the principle of blowback recoil is used on hundreds, if not thousands, of pistol models, so we will omit this point of identity between the PM and Walter RR/RRK. A return spring mounted on a barrel is also not know-how; Browning began using it in this way at the beginning of the 20th century. In general, the main feature of the Makarov pistol, which distinguishes it from most of its brothers, is the plate mainspring located along the rear wall of the handle. It performs several functions at once. Its lower part springs the magazine latch, it is, in fact, a mainspring that acts on the trigger for firing, the wide feather of the spring carried out the release of the trigger after the shot, after releasing the trigger, the narrow feather of the same spring moved the trigger rod back, which was necessary for setting trigger to safety cock. This is such a tricky spring. It is stated that it performs 7 functions. In Walter RR/RRK there was nothing even close to this. In the Makarov pistol, through many unifications, it was possible to reduce the number of parts to thirty-two pieces.

This is the same multifunctional mainspring from the Makarov pistol, located in the rear handle, parallel to the magazine Left - early version, which turned out to be quite weak, on the right is a later one The problem of spring weakness was solved by increasing the width (thickness) of the pen.
The PM has proven itself to be an easy-to-use and reliable melee weapon, quite convenient for constant wearing and having sufficient firepower, two or three hits in chest, or even by limbs, will certainly stop any intruder. Although there were exceptions. To confidently use the PM, you should spend some time training, because the wide and relatively thin handle is not always comfortable for the hand normal man average build, as a result of which, without definitely having experience, the average point of impact moves away from the aiming point. To avoid this, you should put pads on the pistol grip (or make such pads yourself, adjust them to your own ergonomics, and shooting performance will increase significantly). For example, you can at least try to hold a PMM with a wider handle in your hands (or an MP-654K “Makar” pneumatic pistol, the handle of which repeats the handle of the PMM). The difference in ergonomics and ease of aiming will be obvious. also in this moment You can purchase a plastic handle cover that matches the thickness and ergonomics of the PMM handle, and replace the standard PMA cover with it. Combat rate of fire is a flexible concept and is based on the principle: aim and fire. And the technical rate of fire in any case will not allow you to fully justify yourself in any self-loading pistol. This is a waste of ammunition, which is why we do not indicate the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons here. The muzzle velocity of bullets, when using a standard 9x18 mm cartridge with an all-lead core or a steel core in a lead jacket, ranges from 300 to 330 m/s, depending on the cartridge manufacturer and many other parameters. But there are 9x18 ammunition intended for PM, and with completely different characteristics (expansive, armor-piercing, reduced penetration, increased penetration, tracer, etc.). The most significant ammunition for the PM pistol is the 9x18 PBM cartridge with a pointed thin heat-strengthened core in an aluminum jacket (piercing body armor of class 2 protection), and the regular 9x18 cartridge with both a lead and steel core. Cartridges with a bullet with a lead core are mainly used by the police, because they give less ricochets, which is a very important factor in a peaceful city.

9x18 PBM cartridge and armor-piercing bullet from it

Sectional view of a 9x18 PBM cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet.

Standard cartridge 9x18

Diagram of a standard 9x18 cartridge with a steel mushroom core

We will omit here such textbook indicators as the firing range of 350 m and sighting range 50 m, because all this is inapplicable to this type of weapon, and most importantly - to real life, if you don’t take into account thoughtful shooting at a shooting range, or professionals of the highest classification, or lovers of conversation enhanced by hallucinogenic substances.

Be that as it may, the Makarov pistol has established itself as a very reliable weapon, with virtually no failures due to the fault of the design. Compared to the pistols of the time when it was adopted by the Soviet Army and for about twenty years, the PM was quite compact and convenient. This is precisely what has been the factor influencing the use of PM in the police and army to this day. If desired, you can shoot quite accurately from this pistol, at least at pistol distances, from 5 to 25 meters, the PM shows itself very well if it is in the hands of a shooter with sufficient experience. Many fighters can hit the head with a PM (or a target the size of human head) offhand from a distance of 15-20 meters. The author of the article personally observed this practice.

After many complaints regarding the accuracy of the battle and the weakness of the main ammunition of the Makarov pistol, it was decided to create a more powerful pistol. For these purposes, in the 90s of the last century, a competition was announced under the code name “Rook”. The PMM pistol (Modernized Makarov Pistol), developed on the basis of the PMA during the announcement of the competition, which provided sufficient power thanks to the new cartridge, was presented at the competition.

First of all, as always happens, as part of the Rook competition, a cartridge for a new weapon was created. The new cartridge had the same basic metric parameters as the old one - 9x18 mm, but had much greater energy, almost equal to Western pistol cartridges 9x19 Parabellum. The powder load in the new cartridge was increased, the bullet with a steel core became lighter than the old one by about 0.5 grams and weighed approximately 5.5 grams. The cartridge was assigned the GRAU 7N16 index; it is often called the 9x18 high-pulse cartridge (which is quite true) and the 9x18 PMM cartridge.

High-impulse cartridge 9x18 7N16 and its bullet

Diagram of the 7N16 cartridge. On the left is the entire cartridge, in the middle is the bullet, on the right is the steel core separately

A pistol was quickly designed for this cartridge - the same old PM, distinguished by a more powerful bolt frame and increased strength of parts and mechanisms. This decision was dictated by considerations of saving material resources, since the production of PM pistols had long been mastered, and the new pistol was structurally practically no different from its predecessor. The new, more powerful pistol was called PMM (Modernized Makarov Pistol); designer Shigapov also took part in its modification.

Modernized Makarov Pistol (PMM)

The main disadvantage of this weapon is its automatic operation. If in an ordinary Makarov pistol the automation due to the recoil of the free bolt did not raise any questions, because the cartridge was relatively low-power, then in the PMM pistol the automatic operation was the same, the recoil of the free bolt, but only the cartridge there was, roughly speaking, one and a half times more powerful. With such pressures affecting the design of the pistol, such as those created by the 7N16 cartridge, in most cases, pistols use different principles of automatic operation, because a blowback bolt in a pistol justifies itself only when working with low-power cartridges. However, the PMM inherited its automatic operation from its “grandfather” - due to the recoil of the free shutter. This decision gave rise to a lot of disadvantages, the main one of which is the incomplete implementation of the cartridge’s capabilities, which leads to many negative nuances. But in order to unify production capacities with the PM pistol, the PMM pistol did not even bother to significantly lengthen the barrel and slow down the bolt rollback, which was simply necessary to do, but simply strengthened the design for more powerful ammunition. The only significant design difference of the PMM pistol is the screw grooves in the chamber, which somewhat slow down the rearward movement of the bolt frame after firing.

Partial disassembly of the PM pistol

Incomplete disassembly of the PMM pistol

The PMM has a double-row box magazine for 12 rounds, and can use both “native” high-pulse 7N16 cartridges and conventional 9x18 cartridges. But on the contrary, it is prohibited to shoot high-pulse 9x18 (7N16) cartridges intended for the PMM pistol from an ordinary PMA. A simple PM may not withstand the prohibitive pressures produced by the 7N16 cartridge. Suffice it to say that a standard 9x18 cartridge develops a muzzle energy of about 300 J in the barrel of a Makarov pistol, and a 7N16 cartridge in the same barrel produces about 500 J. This pressure, before the bullet leaves the barrel, is distributed to both the bolt housing and other mechanisms of the pistol. Simply put, a regular PM can simply explode from such ammunition.

Nevertheless, the new pistol went into mass production, but according to some sources only in the version for old cartridge 9x18 mm, out of fears of military officials that 7N16 cartridges will be used in conventional PMs and in APS pistols (Stechkin automatic pistol), which also could not withstand the energy of the new cartridge. But in addition to the PMM pistol, the 7N16 cartridge is quite suitable for use in some domestic submachine guns, where it fully realizes its potential.

But in the “Rook” competition, the PMM was not recognized as the best for obvious reasons stated above; Yarygin’s pistol won the competition.

The effectiveness of the new pistol, of course, is incomparably higher than the effectiveness of the PM. When it hits an unprotected human body, a bullet from the 7N16 cartridge causes severe damage, which is ensured, in addition to the high speed and high muzzle energy of the bullet, by its design. The tip of the bullet is flat, which makes the impact and shock effect several times higher than that of bullets from a conventional 9x18 cartridge. Also, this bullet design, in addition to the strongest stopping effect, also has high penetration ability. For example, bullets from the 7N16 cartridge have a 100% probability of piercing body armor of the 1st protection class, which, according to GOST, should easily withstand hits from bullets from a conventional 9x18 cartridge, both with a lead and a steel core. Also, PMM is quite dangerous for body armor of class 2 protection, which can withstand shots from TT cartridges 7.62x25. The masses of the bullets of the 7N16 and 7.62x25 cartridges are almost equal, and they are also almost identical initial speeds. But 9mm is still much larger than 7.62. Therefore, the impact beyond the barrier after hitting a bulletproof vest can exceed GOST standards, and penetration of a class 2 bulletproof vest made of PMM is also possible. After all, according to GOST, class 2 is tested with TT and PSM pistols; only a few manufacturers of personal protective equipment guarantee protection against bullets from PMM.

Due to the placement of a more capacious 12-round magazine, the handle of the PMM pistol has become thicker and much more comfortable. The efficiency of firing from a PMM, even with conventional 9x18 cartridges, is significantly higher, because a thicker and ergonomic handle provides higher accuracy of fire.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the PMM:

Caliber - 9 mm

Barrel length - 93.5 mm

Total length - 165 mm

Width - 34 mm

Weight with cartridges - 0.86 kg

Magazine capacity - 12 rounds

Initial bullet speed - 420 m/s