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Campfire Ranger
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I just ran into a fellow who bought one of the Century Arms MAkarovs that they rebarreled to 9mm Luger. He says it does not feed reliably so he sold it to me CHEAP, so I took a chance on it that I could make it run then re sell it. Any of you fine folks ever had one of these conversion guns? HAve some ideas on what it might take to get it to run OK? Anyone here WANT this piece for a truck/boat/tractor/under the seat or hide it somewhere in the house gun? I am quite sure it fires the FIRST round just fine, and it might not be all that hard to make run as a 9mm.
My first inclination is to play with the bullet seating and try to closely match the OAL of the Makarovs original round and thereby somewhat duplicate the feeding geometry. Other idea's or tips welcome.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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The only blowback 9mm handgun I've ever played with was the Astra 600 series pistols. They're kinda funky, recoil springs are horrendous, and the ergonomics leave much to be desired. But, they are very accurate and completely reliable pistols. I just can't imagine that the Makarov has enough slide mass to really pull off 9x19 and be completely safe, or reliable. If I were a betting man, I'd say the reliability problems probably stem from the slide trying to open up while the cartridge is still very tightly gripping the chamber walls; but that's just pure speculation on my part. If I were to ever own something like that, I would immediately re-barrel it back to 9x18 or perhaps .380.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Blowback 9s are best relegated to SMGs!
There is nothing made by man,
which cannot be broken by woman.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Sounds like it will need a really stout recoil spring 
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Sounds to me like more of a problem that it is worth. I think I will load some light 9mm PArrableum ammo for it, play with seating depth to get it to feed, then sell it uber cheap again with said ammo and a warning to the buyer to do likewise i.e. use light ammo. I actually LIKE the original cartridge these were chambered for. Maybe I can find an original barrel at Numrich or Ahlmans and change it back.
I wonder what possesed Century to do these conversions and sell them like this? If these are a danger to a shooter that doesn't seem like a good business decision to me. Time to go look for an original barrel and use the 9mm barrel that is in this one as a coffee stiring stick or small pry bar.
I don't sell stuff at gun shows that does not work (knowingly) or that is marginal in safety. Something about doing unto others or somesuch.... <G>
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I just ran into a fellow who bought one of the Century Arms MAkarovs that they rebarreled to 9mm Luger. To my knowledge there is no such animal. At best you have a .380 Auto converted to 9mm Mak, at worst you bought some idiot's project conceived in his mother's basement.
Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense.
Robert Frost
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
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When Makarov�s are re-barreled the most common problem is fee ramp shape, and alignment; that could be the issue. If the barrel is mis-aligned the retaining pin will have to be-pulled, the barrel re-aligned and then drill a new oversize retaining pin hole. If the ramp isn�t shaped properly, then very careful work with a dremel can straighten things out; but it really helps to have another Makarov available to copy the shape.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,661
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
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I just ran into a fellow who bought one of the Century Arms MAkarovs that they rebarreled to 9mm Luger. To my knowledge there is no such animal. At best you have a .380 Auto converted to 9mm Mak, at worst you bought some idiot's project conceived in his mother's basement. I recall reading about such an animal a couple of years ago when I had a Mak and I was reading up on such things. I did a quick Google and found this: http://www.makarov.com/makfaq.html According to the director Russian Affairs at former importer B-West, they tested the 9x19 Makarov available from Baikal. The way the 9x19 Makarov works is that the chamber is scored or serrated, the brass gets blown out into those serrations thereby retarding blowback. The result is that the brass is shredded and unusable for reloading, the brass is tossed into low orbit, and the recoil of the gun is horrendous. For liability reasons, B-West refused to import these.
Similarly, reaming the chamber of a .380 ACP pistol by 2 "silly millimeters" is discouraged. Naturally, if you want to shoot only handloads and know what you're doing while working up a load, you can try this. I suggest a good life insurance policy first though Can you do it? Yeah, maybe. Is it safe? I doubt it.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I was referring to anything viable from Century Arms or in any other commercial guise, not some failed Russian science project.
Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense.
Robert Frost
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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OK, it seems that this piece might be a Tokarev instead. I do NOT know my Eastern Bloc guns at all, Kevin is trying to help me identify what this is. The barrel, where it is visible at the ejection port is clearly marked 9mm LUGER. I think I will get a drill bit and re ream it a bit further to 9x23....
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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OK, it seems that this piece might be a Tokarev instead. I do NOT know my Eastern Bloc guns at all, Kevin is trying to help me identify what this is. The barrel, where it is visible at the ejection port is clearly marked 9mm LUGER. I think I will get a drill bit and re ream it a bit further to 9x23.... Don't forget the REALLY big hammer 
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
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I actually have a 7.62x25 barrel for a 1911, that alegedly came from Vietnam. One of these days, if I have a .38 Super, I'm gonna have to try to get it running...
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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OK, with Kevins invaluable help I now knnow I have a CZ52. I wonder how those expert guys at the new local tacticool/zombie apocolypse/specal forces wannabe store didn't know that it was not a MAkarov.... I don't pretend to know my Eastern Bloc guns, but I also don't wear milsurp uniforms and badges and such to work every day and have a pile of military types of weapons all over my walls at really high prices because according to me they are all the cats meow in the latest zombie and commie killin gear <G>
Oh well, at least I have a firearm that I can switch back to an interesting caliber or safely fire as a 9mm if I can get it to feed. I am only in it $150 so no great loss regardless of how it all turns out. If I can make it feed, should bring $250 cash at a gun show as a basice inexpensive 9mm handgun. If I cannot make it feed I will buy a 7.62MAK barrel and new magazine and shoot it as what it was born to be.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 22,274
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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ahh..the CZ52 is a fairly cool pistol. IIRC they are prone to breaking firing pins, if dry fired... ...yep, they are. Here is a page of info: http://www.makarov.com/cz52/index.html
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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They break firing pins, and locking rollers. The 7.62 Tokarev cartridge is actually a bit hotter than the pistol can take, but that doesn't stop them from giving it a whirl. The CZ 52 is one of my favorite in the 7.62 Tok.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Sounds like a goatphuck.
I would chalk it up as a mistake, and move on.
I wouldn't put a single dollar into it.
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Joined: Oct 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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OK, with Kevins invaluable help I now knnow I have a CZ52. I wonder how those expert guys at the new local tacticool/zombie apocolypse/specal forces wannabe store didn't know that it was not a MAkarov.... I don't pretend to know my Eastern Bloc guns, but I also don't wear milsurp uniforms and badges and such to work every day and have a pile of military types of weapons all over my walls at really high prices because according to me they are all the cats meow in the latest zombie and commie killin gear <G>
Oh well, at least I have a firearm that I can switch back to an interesting caliber or safely fire as a 9mm if I can get it to feed. I am only in it $150 so no great loss regardless of how it all turns out. If I can make it feed, should bring $250 cash at a gun show as a basice inexpensive 9mm handgun. If I cannot make it feed I will buy a 7.62MAK barrel and new magazine and shoot it as what it was born to be. I have a cz52 and they don't look anything like a makarov. Interesting enough, i have a friend in spokane that i think has a tok coverted to 9mm, i think you could buy the barrels for them. They is a wide variety of pressure levels for that 7.62 ammo, it is not all the same, particularly for the machine gun stuff. Well advised to know what ammo you are running through it. The firing pin thing is true, and the reason i bought spares when i bought the cz52. Big ungainly pistol, but they do shoot well. I think B-West for some reason was that old company in tucson now out of business i believe. I have reloaded cast bullets, and jacketed bullets for the makarov, some others that chamber that makarov round, and haven't had any trouble. Starline makes brass for that.
Last edited by RoninPhx; 02/07/13.
THE BIRTH PLACE OF GERONIMO
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Makarov.com used to sell accessories for them, but have now dropped that business altogether. At one point CZ52's were very reasonable in price, and popular, but I think the novelty has worn off Someday I will revisit the 7.62x25 in a 1911, but it will not be an easy project )
Last edited by tex_n_cal; 02/07/13. Reason: 2nd paragraph
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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The problem with 7.62 Tok in a 1911 is the overall cartridge length. You either load 5-6 rounds slightly cockeyed in the magazine (yet they surprisingly work), or you have to run each round through your loading press and push the bullets deeper to get them into the magazine.
Considering what it cost to do a 1911 conversion, for a little more, you could pick up a Tokarev pistol and shoot 7.62 with no effort at all.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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yeah the OAL is what makes it a "Not easy" project - and I ain't whittling on a 1911 frame to shove in one of the commie magazines. handloaded hollowpoint bullets would be a touch shorter and better for the application.
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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