Supreme write-up. I'm a long-time Makarov owner, having mine since 1980. I didn't shoot it much in the early days as I was a .357 advocate and later moved to a 44 Mag. My Makarov was actually my second autoloader, as I also purchased a Tokarev 7.62 about 3 weeks earlier. I finally pulled my Makarov out and began shooting it about a year ago, and I was surprized at how reliable and accurate it is. I have the Russian made .380 ACP version. While the Mak is no where near as potent as the Tokarev I would still use the Mak in a pinch. My Makarov is now my car carry.
I think I paid about fifty bucks for my Makarov... and a hunderd for my Tokarev.
Mark