Makarov pistol is a personal weapon that is used for attack or defense, designed to hit a target at short distances. The lethal force of the fired shot reaches 350 meters, however, the maximum effectiveness of the bullet remains only up to 50 meters. Fire from a Makarov pistol is carried out only by single shots.
Thanks to the performance characteristics, the PM is recognized as one of the best existing pistols designed for self-defense. It has a compact appearance, is reliable, and is also easy to use and maintain. The disadvantages of all such pistols of small sizes and classes are the small range and accuracy of the fire, in addition, the effectiveness of the bullet does not have high data.
TTX PM were developed on the basis of automatic firing. The shell of the gun is made of quality steel. Around the axis of the fixed barrel is fixed spring return action. The trigger is self-cocking; after the shot, the weapon is loaded automatically. There is a fuse on the left side of the shutter. Its on position completely blocks the striking mechanism, preventing the gun from firing. The magazine capacity is 8 rounds.
The gun was developed in the 1950s by engineer Makarov. Two years later, the weapon was launched into mass production. Western experts in the field of armaments believed that the basis for the development of the TTX PM 9mm was folded according to the principle of the German
Walter self-loading
pistol. The weapon was for a long time unique and the best in its type. But it is worth noting that such an assumption was not considered reasonable and was not taken seriously.
Shooting from a Makarov pistol is carried out by 9x18 cartridges, which are completely different from the Western Polis cartridges. Perhaps the basics of the performance characteristics of the PM were developed by studying the Ultra project, in which German engineers took part during the Second World War. The created cartridge did not go into mass production in Germany, but it was well suited for weapons with a free shutter created in the USSR.
The use of such a cartridge allowed Makarov’s pistol to be left without any changes and modifications that would become inevitable when firing with ammunition of a more powerful action. One of the main and tangible differences between the performance characteristics of PM and Walter was the trigger mechanism. The pistol, developed under the leadership of engineer Makarov, was adopted by the entire
Soviet army in a short time
. In the West, there were comments on weapons that related to the appearance and ease of use - supposedly the gun is inconvenient to hold in your hands. However, such discontent did not prevent the proliferation of weapons outside the territory of the USSR. China has become one of the largest manufacturers of PM, giving it a new name - "Type 59".
Studying the PM pistol, TTX and other less important elements of the weapon, you can find certain shortcomings. The main disadvantages of the engineers were the small capacity of the store and the weak power of the cartridge. Soon, a modernized PM was created, which has an enlarged clip, which contained 12 bullets. The weight of the cartridge was reduced, but had a more powerful charge, capable of increasing the initial speed to 100 m / s. Unfortunately, the upgrade was unsuccessful, and the gun did not get into mass production.